Article of footwear with braided upper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12006602-B2
Application number	US-202217941452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2022
Priority date	Dec 17, 2019
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a midsole component and a seamless braided upper having a bottom peripheral portion connected to the midsole component. The seamless braided upper extends from a forefoot region to a heel region and from a lateral side to a medial side of the article of footwear. The bottom peripheral portion defines a bottom opening in the seamless braided upper, wherein the bottom peripheral portion extends along the forefoot region, the lateral side, the heel region, and the medial side of the article of footwear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
a midsole component; and
a seamless braided upper including a bottom peripheral portion connected to the midsole component, the bottom peripheral portion defining a peripheral edge;
wherein the seamless braided upper extends from a forefoot region to a heel region and from a lateral side to a medial side of the article of footwear, and
wherein the peripheral edge defines a single bottom opening in the seamless braided upper, the single largest bottom opening extending along the forefoot region, the lateral side, the heel region, and the medial side of the article of footwear.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the midsole component and the seamless braided upper form a foot cavity, the article of footwear further comprising an insole component positioned in the foot cavity.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 wherein the insole component extends into the largest bottom opening in the seamless braided upper.

4. The article of footwear of claim 2 wherein the midsole component extends into the opening in the seamless braided upper.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the peripheral edge defines a closed curve that extends from the forefoot region, to the lateral side, to the heel region, to the medial side, and back to the forefoot region of the article of footwear.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5 wherein the peripheral edge includes a plurality of cuts that separate the bottom peripheral portion into a plurality of peripheral tab portions.

7. The article of footwear of claim 5 wherein the peripheral edge is defined along an uninterrupted closed curve that extends continuously along the forefoot region, the lateral side, the heel region, and the medial side of the article of footwear.

8. The article of footwear of claim 5 wherein the peripheral edge is a fused peripheral edge wherein multiple strands of the braided upper are fused together and form the closed curve.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein an adhesive is provided along the bottom peripheral portion and bonds the seamless braided upper to the midsole component.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the bottom peripheral portion of the seamless braided upper is disposed in a peripheral slot of the midsole component.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a heel reinforcing component and a toe reinforcing component positioned within a cavity defined by the seamless braided upper.

12. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the seamless braided upper further includes a top opening.

13. The article of footwear of claim 12 wherein the top opening is locating in a lacing region of the seamless braided upper.

14. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole component; and
a seamless braided upper connected to the sole component, the seamless braided upper extending from a forefoot region to a heel region and from a lateral side to a medial side of the article of footwear, the seamless braided upper including a single bottom opening defining a peripheral edge, the peripheral edge defining a closed curve that extends along the forefoot region, the lateral side, the heel region, and the medial side of the article of footwear.

15. The article of footwear of claim 14 wherein the peripheral edge is a fused peripheral edge.

16. The article of footwear of claim 14 wherein the sole component is a midsole component.

17. The article of footwear of claim 14 wherein a bottom peripheral portion of the seamless braided upper is formed along the peripheral edge, wherein the seamless braided upper is connected to the sole component along the peripheral portion.

18. The article of footwear of claim 14 wherein the seamless braided upper further includes a top opening.

19. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole component; and
a seamless braided upper comprising a single bottom opening, wherein the seamless braided upper including a bottom peripheral portion connected to the sole component, wherein the bottom peripheral portion includes a peripheral edge defining a closed curve that extends around the single bottom opening that extends along a forefoot region, a lateral side, a heel region, and a medial side in the seamless braided upper.

20. The article of footwear of claim 19 wherein the peripheral edge is a fused peripheral edge.

Assignees

• Under Armour Inc

Inventors

• Santos Craig

Classifications

• A43B1/04 Primary

  braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted · CPC title

• D04C1/06 Primary

  Braid or lace serving particular purposes · CPC title

• D10B2501/043

  Footwear · CPC title

• A43B13/38

  Built-in insoles joined to uppers during the manufacturing process, e.g. structural insoles; Insoles glued to shoes during the manufacturing process · CPC title

• A43D27/00

  Machines for trimming as an intermediate operation (working on edges or margins, e.g. by trimming, of shoe part blanks A43D8/32; trimming as a finishing operation in shoemaking A43D87/00) · CPC title