Upper structure of an article of footwear including a cuff member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12004594-B2
Application number	US-201917420016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2019
Priority date	Dec 31, 2018
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

An upper structure of an article of footwear includes an upper, a cuff member, and a strobel. The upper includes an exterior upper member and an interior upper member. The cuff member includes a first end coupled to the exterior upper member and a second end coupled to the interior upper member. The cuff member is folded over on itself at a fold to define an ankle opening. The strobel is coupled to the upper and cooperates with the upper to at least partially define a foot-receiving void.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An upper structure of an article of footwear, the upper structure comprising:
an upper including an exterior upper member, an interior upper member, and an intermediate upper member disposed between the exterior upper member and the interior upper member;
a strobel coupled to the upper and cooperating with the upper to at least partially define a foot-receiving void; and
a cuff member including a first end coupled to the exterior upper member and a second end coupled to the interior upper member, the cuff member folded over on itself at a fold to at least partially define an ankle-receiving void and including an inner surface defining a cuff void extending between the first end, the second end, and the fold, wherein the intermediate upper member extends from the strobel to the cuff member and is at least partially disposed between the first end of the cuff member and the second end of the cuff member.

2. The upper structure of claim 1 , wherein the cuff member is formed from a knit material.

3. The upper structure of claim 1 , wherein the interior upper member is formed from an elastic material.

4. The upper structure of claim 3 , wherein the elastic material is spandex.

5. The upper structure of claim 3 , wherein the exterior upper member is formed from an inelastic material.

6. The upper structure of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the cuff member is secured to the exterior upper member by a first fastener and the second end of the cuff member is secured to the interior upper member by a second fastener.

7. The upper structure of claim 6 , wherein the strobel is secured to the upper by a third fastener extending through the strobel and at least the interior upper member.

8. The upper structure of claim 7 , wherein the third fastener extends through the exterior upper member.

9. An upper structure of an article of footwear, the upper structure comprising:
an upper at least partially defining a foot-receiving void and formed at least in part from an inelastic material; and
a cuff member, extending away from the upper, formed at least in part from a first elastic material and including a first end coupled to the upper, a second end coupled to the upper, and a fold disposed between the first end and the second end, the fold being offset from the upper and at least partially defining an ankle opening in communication with the foot-receiving void, the cuff member including an inner surface defining a cuff void extending between the first end, the second end, and the fold,
wherein the upper includes an exterior upper member, an interior upper member, and an intermediate upper member disposed between the exterior upper member and the interior upper member, wherein the intermediate upper member extends between the upper and the cuff member, and wherein a first portion of the intermediate upper member is at least partially disposed between opposing portions of the cuff member and a second portion of the intermediate upper member is at least partially disposed between the exterior upper member and the interior upper member.

10. The upper structure of claim 9 , wherein the cuff void extends between the upper and the fold.

11. The upper structure of claim 9 , wherein the first elastic material includes a knit material.

12. The upper structure of claim 9 , wherein the upper includes an exterior upper member formed from the inelastic material and an interior upper member is formed from a second elastic material.

13. The upper structure of claim 12 , wherein the second elastic material is spandex.

14. The upper structure of claim 12 , wherein the first end of the cuff member is secured to the exterior upper member by a first fastener and the second end of the cuff member is secured to the interior upper member by a second fastener.

15. The upper structure of claim 14 , wherein the first fastener extends through the exterior upper member and the second fastener extends through the interior upper member.

16. The upper structure of claim 9 , wherein the cuff member includes an exterior cuff portion, an interior cuff portion, and an intermediate cuff portion connecting the exterior cuff portion to the interior cuff portion, the exterior cuff portion including the first end of the cuff member and the interior cuff portion including the second end of the cuff member.

17. The upper structure of claim 16 , wherein the interior cuff portion at least partially forms an ankle-receiving void disposed between the ankle opening and the foot-receiving void.

18. The upper structure of claim 16 , further comprising a heel counter secured to upper and the interior cuff portion, the heel counter at least partially defining the foot-receiving void.

19. The upper structure of claim 9 , further comprising an anterior pull tab secured to an anterior region of the exterior cuff portion.

20. An upper structure of an article of footwear, the upper structure comprising:
an upper including an exterior upper member, an interior upper member, and an intermediate upper member disposed between the exterior upper member and the interior upper member;
a strobel coupled to the upper and cooperating with the upper to at least partially define a foot-receiving void; and
a cuff member including a first end coupled to the exterior upper member and a second end coupled to the interior upper member, the cuff member folder over on itself at a fold to at least partially define an ankle-receiving void and including an inner surface defining a cuff void extending between the first end, the second end, and the fold, wherein the first end of the cuff member is secured to the exterior upper member by a first fastener and the second end of the cuff member is secured to the interior upper member by a second fastener, and wherein the intermediate upper member extends from the strobel to the cuff member.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Cooper Aaron A C

Classifications

• A43B1/04

  braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted · CPC title

• A43B23/0235 Primary

  Different layers of different material · CPC title

• A43B23/027 Primary

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

• A43B23/024

  Different layers of the same material · CPC title

• A43B23/047

  the gusset being elastic · CPC title