Article of footwear with elongated shock absorbing heel system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9289026-B2
Application number	US-201313974767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2013
Priority date	Sep 14, 2010
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

An article of footwear is disclosed having at least one elongated heel support member. The elongated heel support member may be angled and extend from a heel region to a midfoot region, in order to disperse forces applied by a wearer's heel during movement. The heel system may include two heel support members, each associated with a side of the article of footwear. The article of footwear may also include a series of ribs in the midfoot region, which may abut a front edge of the heel support members. Finally, the article of footwear may include asymmetric side flaps extending downward from an upper plate so as to overlap a midsole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear, comprising:
a sole;
the sole including an outsole, and a lower plate adjacent to the outsole;
the lower plate including at least one rib;
the lower plate further including a wall extending upward from the lower plate and aligned transversely across the article of footwear, the wall being located in a midfoot region of the article of footwear; where
the at least one rib extends from the wall towards a heel region of the article of footwear;
wherein the at least one rib has a triangular shape, and the at least one rib is aligned such that a substantially right angle associated with the shape of rib is located between the wall and the lower plate.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the sole further includes an upper plate, the at least one rib extending vertically upwards from the lower plate towards the upper plate.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the lower plate includes multiple ribs.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3 , wherein the lower plate includes:
a first group of at least one rib, a center rib, and a second group of at least one rib; where
the first group and the second group are symmetric in shape and location about the center rib.

5. The article of footwear of claim 4 , wherein the first group includes three ribs and the second group includes three ribs.

6. The article of footwear of claim 4 , wherein each rib in the first group and each rib in the second group has a respective length, each respective length being less than a length of the center rib.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6 , wherein each respective length decreases as a distance between each rib and the center rib increases.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein
the lower plate includes a first substantially flat portion, the first substantially flat portion being located in a heel region of the article of footwear; and the outsole includes a raised edge that overlaps a side perimeter of the lower plate around the first substantially flat portion.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the lower plate includes a second substantially flat portion, the second substantially flat portion be located in a midfoot region of the article of footwear.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the lower plate includes
a first substantially flat portion, the first substantially flat portion being located in a heel region of the article of footwear;
a second substantially flat portion, the second substantially flat portion be located in a midfoot region of the article of footwear; and
the wall and at least one rib are located between the first substantially flat portion and the second substantially flat portion.

11. An article of footwear, comprising:
a sole;
the sole including an outsole, a lower plate; a first heel support member, and second heel support member;
the lower plate being arranged between the outsole and the first and second heel support members;
the lower plate including at least one rib;
the lower plate further including a wall extending upward from the lower plate and aligned transversely across the article of footwear, the wall being located in a midfoot region of the article of footwear;
wherein the at least one rib extends from the wall towards a heel region of the article of footwear; and
wherein the first heel support member is associated with a lateral side of the article of footwear, the second heel support member is associated with a medial side of the article of footwear, and the first heel support member and the second heel support member have substantially similar shapes while being symmetric about a heel-toe center axis of the article of footwear.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein
the sole further includes an upper plate, the first heel support member and the second heel support member being located between the lower plate and the upper plate.

13. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein
the first heel support member includes a first top side and a first bottom side;
the second support member includes a second top side and a second bottom side; and
the first bottom side and the second bottom side are contiguous with a first substantially flat portion of the lower plate.

14. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein
the first heel support structure includes a first forward portion extending from a heel region to a midfoot region of the article of footwear;
the second heel support structure includes a second forward portion extending from a heel region to a midfoot region of the article of footwear;
the first forward portion includes a first angled top surface, the second forward portion includes a second angled top surface; and
each of the first angled top surface and the second angled top surface is disposed at an angle with respect to the first substantially flat portion of the lower plate.

15. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein
the lower plate includes a first group of at least one rib, a center rib, and a second group of at least one rib;
the first group and the second group are symmetric in shape and location about the center rib;
the first group of at least one rib is adjacent to the first heel support structure;
the center rib is adjacent to a space between the first heel support member and the second heel support member; and
the second group of at least one rib is adjacent to the second heel support member.

16. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein
the lower plate includes a ridge extending upward from the lower plate, the ridge being located between the at least one rib and the first and second heel support members.

17. The article of footwear of claim 14 , wherein
the lower plate includes a ridge extending upward from the lower plate, the ridge being located between the at least one rib and the first and second heel support members;
the first forward portion has a first front edge, the second forward portion has a second front edge, the first front edge and the second front edge being contiguous with the ridge; and
each of the first forward portion and the second forward portion tapers to a height at each of the first front edge and second front edge that is substantially equal to a height of the ridge.

18. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein
the wall is contiguous with a lateral side wall and a medial side wall; and each of the lateral side wall and the medial side wall have a shape of a triangle, and each of the lateral side wall and the medial side wall are aligned such that a substantially right angle of each shape is located between the wall and the lower plate.

19. The article of footwear of claim 18 , wherein
the wall includes a wall top surface;
the lateral side wall includes a lateral side wall top surface, and the medial
side wall includes a medial side wall top surface;
the wall top surface, the lateral side wall top surface and the medial side wall top surface are substantially coplanar; and
the sole further includes an upper plate, the upper plate being contiguous with each of the wall top surface, the later side wall top surface, and the medial side wall top surface.

20. The article of footwear of claim 19 , wherein
the lower plate includes a second substantially flat portion, the second substantially flat portion being located in a midfoot region of the article of footwear;
the second substantially flat portion including a rear flat region bounded laterally by the lateral sid

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Blevens Kimberly M
• Mcmillan Graeme
• Santos Enrique V

Classifications

• A43B23/17

  made of plastics · CPC title

• A43B13/187

  Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials · CPC title

• A43B13/18

  Resilient soles {(skating boots provided with resilient means A43B5/1658)} · CPC title

• A43B1/0072 Primary

  made at least partially of transparent or translucent materials · CPC title

• A43B7/06

  ventilated · CPC title