Article of footwear having an elevated plate sole structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9750300-B2
Application number	US-201113336460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2011
Priority date	Dec 23, 2011
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

An article of footwear is provided having an elevated plate structure incorporated in the sole structure and optionally including a fluid-filled chamber. The elevated plate structure can include an upper plate and a plurality of legs extending downward toward the outsole. End portions of the legs can engage an upper region of the outsole. The elevated plate structure can form a cage region that can optionally include a fluid-filled chamber substantially disposed therein. The elevated plate structure can further include a lower plate disposed at an upper region of the outsole, which can form a lower portion of the cage region. Portions of the legs can be integrated with impact-attenuating members in the heel region in various configurations and can provide features for the impact-attenuating members, such as support, impact-attenuation and adjustable impact-attenuation features.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising: a midsole positioned adjacent to the upper; an outsole disposed at a bottom portion of the article of footwear opposite the upper and having a ground-engaging surface configured to engage the ground during use; an upper plate attached to the midsole and formed from a non-foamed polymer material having an upper surface oriented toward the upper and an opposite lower surface oriented away from the upper; a lower plate disposed on an opposite side of the outsole than the ground-engaging surface; a first impact-attenuating member that defines a first outer shell that extends between the upper plate and the lower plate; a first leg formed from a non-foamed polymer material and extending from the lower surface of the upper plate away from the upper to the lower plate and through the first impact-attenuating member, the first leg being linear along its entire length; and a second outer shell having a pair of mating half shells that extend along a length of the first leg and between the first leg and the first impact-attenuating member.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , further comprising a second impact-attenuating member located in a heel portion of the sole structure and a second leg formed from a non-foamed polymer material extending downward from the lower surface away from the upper to the lower plate, the second leg extending through the second impact-attenuating member.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the first and second legs are attached to the upper plate.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3 , wherein the first and second legs are attached to the lower plate.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the lower plate is formed from a non-foamed polymer material and is oriented generally parallel with the upper plate.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first leg has a stiffness and the impact-attenuating member has a second stiffness that is less than the first stiffness.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first leg includes at least one tine extending therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first leg, the at least one tine matingly received by the second outer shell.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first leg is operable between an upright state extending substantially perpendicular to the upper plate and the lower plate along the length of the first leg and a buckled state having a bend along the length of the first leg between the upper plate and the lower plate.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8 , wherein the first leg is operable as a resilient living hinge in the buckled state.

10. The article of footwear of claim 8 , wherein the first leg has a first compression strength for absorbing impact forces in the upright state and a second compression strength for absorbing impact forces in the buckled state, the second compression strength being less than the first compression strength.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the first leg is a unitary structure.

12. An impact-attenuating support system for an article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure, the sole structure including a midsole positioned adjacent to the upper and an outsole disposed at a bottom portion of the article of footwear opposite the upper, the impact-attenuating support system comprising: an upper plate associated with the midsole and formed from a non-foamed polymer material having an upper surface oriented toward the upper and an opposite lower surface oriented away from the upper; a lower plate attached to the outsole at an opposite side of the outsole than a ground-engaging surface of the outsole; an impact-attenuating member that defines a first outer shell that extends between the upper plate and the lower plate; and a leg formed from a non-foamed polymer material and extending between the lower surface of the upper plate away from the upper to the lower plate and through the impact-attenuating member, the leg being linear along its entire length; and a second outer shell received between the leg and the impact-attenuating member and including a first portion and a second portion that cooperate to surround the leg along a length of the leg.

13. The impact-attenuating support system of claim 12 , wherein the leg is attached to the upper plate and the lower plate.

14. The impact-attenuating support system of claim 12 , wherein the leg is a unitary structure.

15. The impact-attenuating support system of claim 12 , wherein the leg is operable between an upright state extending substantially perpendicular to the upper plate and the lower plate along the length of the leg and a buckled state having a bend along the length of the leg between the upper plate and the lower plate.

16. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure, the sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising: a midsole positioned adjacent to the upper; an outsole disposed at a bottom portion of the article of footwear opposite the upper and having a ground-engaging surface configured to engage the ground during use; an upper plate attached to the midsole and formed from a non-foamed polymer material having an upper surface oriented toward the upper and an opposite lower surface oriented away from the upper; a lower plate disposed on an opposite side of the outsole than a ground-engaging surface; an impact-attenuating member that defines a first outer shell that extends between the upper plate and the lower plate; and a leg formed from a non-foamed polymer material and extending between the lower surface of the upper plate away from the upper to the lower plate and through the impact-attenuating member, the leg being linear along its entire length; and a second outer shell received between the leg and the impact-attenuating member and including mating half shells that cooperate to surround the leg along a length of the leg.

17. The article of footwear of claim 16 , wherein the leg is a unitary structure.

18. The article of footwear of claim 16 , wherein the leg includes at least one tine extending therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the leg, the at least one tine matingly received by the second outer shell.

19. The article of footwear of claim 16 , wherein the leg is operable to bend at a location along a length thereof when a force of a predetermined magnitude is applied to the leg.

Assignees

• Peyton Lee D
• Devoe Devonne
• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Peyton Lee D
• Devoe Devonne

Classifications

• B29D35/122

  Soles · CPC title

• A43B13/28

  characterised by their attachment, also attachment of combined soles and heels · CPC title

• A43B13/04

  Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre · CPC title

• A43B7/32

  with shock-absorbing means (resilient soles A43B13/18) · CPC title

• A43B13/203

  provided with a pump or valve · CPC title