Article of apparel with dynamic and lock-out regions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11844400-B2
Application number	US-202117520059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2021
Priority date	Aug 31, 2012
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

An article of apparel includes a base layer defined by a Poisson's ratio, and a polymer structure coupled to the base layer. The polymer structure is configured to lower the Poisson's ratio of the base layer. The polymer structure includes a plurality of interconnected members forming an array of cell units. The plurality of interconnected members form cell walls with interior recesses defined within the cell walls.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of apparel comprising:
a base layer; and
an outer layer coupled to the base layer, the outer layer comprising a repeating pattern of shapes defined by interconnected perimeter walls and interior recesses, wherein the interconnected perimeter walls and interior recesses define at least one first region and at least one second region on the outer layer, wherein each interior recess in the first region provides a void exposing the base layer, and wherein each interior recess in the second region is at least partially filled with a recess material that covers the base layer such that the second region is less easily deformed than the first region.

2. The article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the base layer is a four way stretch material.

3. The article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the recess material is unitary in composition with the perimeter walls.

4. The article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the article of apparel is an article of footwear.

5. The article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the perimeter walls include a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface faces the base layer, and wherein the recess material covers the base layer in each interior recess of the second region without extending to the top surface of the perimeter walls.

6. The article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the perimeter walls of the outer layer form a repeating pattern of reentrant polygonal shapes.

7. The article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the first region of the outer layer has a Poisson's ratio of substantially zero or less than zero.

8. An article of apparel comprising:
a stretch fabric defined by a Poisson's ratio; and
a polymer structure coupled to the stretch fabric and configured to lower the Poisson's ratio of the stretch fabric, the polymer structure including a plurality of interconnected members forming an array of cell units with interior recesses defined within cell walls.

9. The article of apparel of claim 8 wherein the stretch fabric is a four way stretch fabric material.

10. The article of apparel of claim 8 wherein the cell wall are formed by a plurality of interconnected members.

11. The article of apparel of claim 10 wherein the interconnected members of the polymer structure comprise a plurality of wall segments that form a repeating pattern of reentrant polygonal shapes.

12. The article of apparel of claim 8 wherein the array of cell units include at least one first region wherein each interior recess of the first region exposes the stretch fabric and at least one second region wherein a fill in each interior recess of the second region covers the stretch fabric.

13. The article of apparel of claim 12 wherein the article of apparel is an article of footwear including an upper and a sole.

14. The article of apparel of claim 13 wherein the second region is provided in a toe region of the upper and a transition region of the upper extending along a perimeter of the sole.

15. The article of apparel of claim 8 wherein the polymer structure is defined by a Poisson's ratio of substantially zero or less than zero.

16. A functional laminate for an article of apparel, the functional laminate comprising:
a first layer possessing a first expansion pattern defined by a first Poisson's ratio; and
a second layer connected to the first layer and possessing a second expansion pattern defined by a second Poisson's ratio that is less than the first Poisson's ratio, the second layer including a structure defined by a repeating pattern of shapes;
wherein the first layer and the second layer are configured such that,
when a load is applied to the functional laminate, the second expansion pattern of the second layer dominates the first expansion pattern of the first layer to drive expansion of the functional laminate; and
when the load is removed from the functional laminate, the first expansion pattern of the first layer dominates the second expansion pattern of the second layer to drive retraction of the functional laminate.

17. The functional laminate of claim 16 wherein the second layer includes plurality of interconnected segments forming the repeating pattern of shapes, and wherein an interior recess is provided within each shape.

18. The functional laminate of claim 17 wherein the interconnected segments are polymer segments, wherein the interconnected segments include a first region and a second region, wherein each interior recess in the first region provides a void exposing the first layer, and wherein each interior recess in the second region is at least partially filled with a recess material that covers the first layer.

19. The functional laminate of claim 17 wherein the repeating pattern of shapes is a repeating pattern of polygonal reentrant shapes and the second Poisson's ratio is substantially zero or less than zero.

20. The article of footwear of claim 16 wherein the first layer is a textile layer comprised of a stretch fabric.

Assignees

• Under Armour Inc

Inventors

• Toronjo Alan
• Mcmanus David
• Acevedo John
• Guyan Alan

Classifications

• A43B23/027 Primary

  with a part of the upper particularly flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion · CPC title

• A43B23/026

  Laminated layers · CPC title

• A43B23/028

  Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing · CPC title

• A43B23/0215

  Plastics or artificial leather · CPC title

• A43B23/0245

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title