Article of footwear with cooling features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11896084-B2
Application number	US-202017000989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2020
Priority date	Oct 13, 2016
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward an article of footwear effective to regulate the temperature of the feet of a wearer. In an embodiment, the article of footwear includes an upper and an insole with a thermal effect membrane. The thermal effect membrane contains a plurality of system-reactive components selectively engaged heat and/or moisture. In an embodiment, the printed coating includes a cooling agent, a phase change material, and a heat dissipation material. The bottom of the sole structure of the article of footwear further includes a multiple openings in the forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot regions. The multiple openings promote airflow into the interior of the upper. In operation, the article of footwear is effective to delay/diminish the rise in skin temperature (compared to footwear lacking the membrane and/or openings), increasing wearer comfort.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear defining a forefoot region with a toe end, a midfoot region, and a hindfoot region with a heel end, the article of footwear comprising:
an upper extending from the toe end to the heel end and defining a heel, a medial quarter, a lateral quarter, a vamp and a toe cage, the upper comprising an outer shell and an inner lining, the inner lining defining a continuous surface;
a mesh footbed comprising a mesh material extending from the hindfoot region to the forefoot region, the footbed and upper forming a foot cavity operable to house a foot of a wearer;
an insole disposed within the foot cavity and over and in contact with the mesh footbed;
a discontinuous print layer applied to each of the insole and the inner lining of the upper, the discontinuous print layer comprising a plurality of system reactive components selectively engaged in response to conditions present within the foot cavity; and
a sole structure oriented below the mesh footbed, the sole structure comprising a first midsole and a second midsole, wherein:
the first midsole includes a plurality of first openings extending through the first midsole, the second midsole includes a plurality of second openings extending through the second midsole; and
each first opening is aligned with a corresponding second opening to form a combined opening that extends through the sole structure to the mesh footbed such that the mesh material of the mesh footbed is visible through each combined opening at a bottom exterior surface of the sole structure and the sole structure is configured to permit airflow into the foot cavity that is effective to recharge a system reactive component within the discontinuous print layer;

wherein the second midsole includes further openings that extend through the second midsole and that do not align with any first opening in the first midsole.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first midsole has a first durometer value and the second midsole has a second durometer value, the second durometer value being greater than the first durometer value.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 2 , wherein the combined openings in the sole structure further comprise:
a plurality of forefoot openings disposed in an array in the forefoot region;
a midfoot opening disposed within the midfoot region of the article of footwear; and
a heel aperture disposed in the hindfoot region of the article of footwear.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 3 , wherein the insole further comprises perforations to permit passage of air therethrough, and wherein the mesh footbed, the perforations of the insole, and at least one of the plurality of forefoot openings, the midfoot opening, and the heel aperture cooperate to permit the airflow into the foot cavity.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 3 , wherein the sole structure further comprises a reinforcement member disposed within the midfoot opening between the first midsole and the second midsole.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the discontinuous print layer is porous.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of system reactive components includes a cooling agent, a latent heat agent, and a heat dissipation agent, and wherein:
the cooling agent is a polyol selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, xylitol, and erythritol; and
the latent heat agent is a phase change material comprising a paraffinic hydrocarbon.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 7 , wherein the discontinuous print layer:
defines free areas and covered areas; and
further comprises a binder effective to disperse the system reactive components and to adhere the system reactive components to the insole and the inner lining.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the outer shell is an open web defining apertures.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , further comprising a medial set of eyelets and a lateral set of eyelets, each eyelet capable of receiving a lacing element.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the mesh footbed consists of the mesh material.

12. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein each first opening includes a first width, each second opening includes a second width, and the second width is greater than the first width.

13. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the sole structure further comprises an outsole secured to an exterior surface of the second midsole.

14. An article of footwear including a foot cavity, the article of footwear comprising:
an upper including an exterior layer and interior layer, the interior layer positioned within the foot cavity;
a footbed comprising a screen;
a perforated insole disposed within the foot cavity on and in contact with the footbed, the insole including a first, user-facing surface and a second surface;
a thermal effect print configured to regulate temperature within the foot cavity applied to the first surface of the insole, the thermal effect print comprising a plurality of system reactive components, the system reactive components being selectively engaged in response to conditions present within the foot cavity; and
a sole structure coupled to the upper and positioned below the footbed, the sole structure comprising a first midsole and a second midsole, wherein:
the first midsole includes a plurality of first openings extending through the first midsole and located at a forefoot region, a midfoot region and a hindfoot region of the sole structure, the second midsole includes a plurality of second openings extending through the second midsole and located at the forefoot region, the midfoot region and the hindfoot region of the sole structure;
each first opening is aligned with a corresponding second opening to form a combined opening that is,
in fluid communication with the foot cavity, and wherein airflow into the foot cavity via each combined opening is effective to recharge the thermal effect print; and
each combined opening extends through the sole structure to the footbed such that the screen of the footbed is visible from each combined opening in the sole structure at a bottom exterior surface of the sole structures;

wherein at least some of the second openings extending through the second midsole do not align with any first opening in the first midsole.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 14 ,
wherein the first midsole has a first durometer value and the second midsole has a second durometer value, and the second durometer value is greater than the first durometer value.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of system reactive components includes a cooling agent, a latent heat agent, and a heat dissipation agent.

17. The article of footwear according to claim 16 , wherein:
the cooling agent is a polyol selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, xylitol, and erythritol; and
the latent heat agent is a phase change material comprising a paraffinic hydrocarbon.

18. The article of footwear according to claim 14 , wherein:
the exterior layer of the upper comprises an open web with apertures:
the interior layer comprises a lining defining a continuous surface operable to receive the thermal effect print; and
the article of footwear further comprises the thermal effect print applied to the continuous surface of the lining.

19. The article of footwear according to claim 14 , further comprising medial ey

Assignees

• Under Armour Inc

Inventors

• Howe Justin

Classifications

• A43B7/005 Primary

  with cooling arrangements · CPC title

• A43B7/02

  with heating arrangements  (with electric heating arrangements A43B3/35) · CPC title

• A43B7/081

  the air being forced from outside · CPC title

• A43B7/087

  in the bottom of the sole · CPC title

• A43B13/127

  the midsole being multilayer · CPC title