Article of footwear with rod support system
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsBruce J. Kilgore, Paul J. Francis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An article of footwear has a sole with a forefoot portion, a midfoot portion, and a heel portion. The sole has a ground-facing side and a foot-facing side opposite the ground-facing side. The article of footwear includes a support system that has one or more rods spaced from the sole and extending longitudinally from the forefoot portion to the heel portion on the foot-facing side. The rod is operatively connected to the sole at the forefoot portion and at the heel portion. A sling is suspended from the rod over the midfoot portion. The rod bends when the sole is flexed to thereby lift the sling away from the sole.
Claims20
An article of footwear comprising:
- a sole having a forefoot portion, a midfoot portion, and a heel portion;
- wherein the sole has a ground-facing side and a foot-facing side opposite the ground-facing side;
- and
- a support system coupled to the sole, wherein the support system includes:
- a rod extending longitudinally from the forefoot portion to the heel portion on the foot-facing side, wherein the rod is coupled to the sole at the forefoot portion and at the heel portion;
- and
- a sling coupled to the rod;
- a pivotable anchor pivotally coupled to the sole at the forefoot portion, wherein the rod is coupled to the pivotable anchor to pivot relative to the sole with the pivotable anchor when the sole is flexed;
- wherein rod has a first end and a second end, the first end of the rod is coupled to the heel portion, and the second end of the rod is pivotally coupled to the forefoot portion;
- wherein the second end of the rod pivots relative to the sole when the sole is flexed;
- and
- wherein the rod bends when the sole is flexed to thereby lift the sling away from the sole.
An article of footwear comprising:
- a sole having a forefoot portion, a midfoot portion, and a heel portion, wherein the sole has a ground-facing side and a foot-facing side opposite the ground-facing side;
- and
- a support system coupled to the sole, wherein the support system includes:
- a rod extending longitudinally from the forefoot portion to the heel portion on the foot-facing side, wherein the rod is coupled to the sole at the forefoot portion and at the heel portion;
- a sling coupled to the rod;
- a pivotable anchor pivotally coupled to the sole at the forefoot portion, wherein the rod is coupled to the pivotable anchor to pivot relative to the sole with the pivotable anchor when the sole is flexed;
- and
- wherein the rod bends when the sole is flexed to thereby lift the sling away from the sole:
- a heel support extending away from the sole at the heel portion;
- and
- wherein the rod has a first end fixed to the heel support and extends forward to a second end, wherein the second end pivots relative to the sole when the sole is flexed.
An article of footwear comprising:
- a sole having a forefoot portion, a midfoot portion, and a heel portion, wherein the sole has a ground-facing side and a foot-facing side opposite the ground-facing side;
- and
- a support system coupled to the sole, wherein the support system includes:
- a single rod extending longitudinally from the forefoot portion to the heel portion on the foot-facing side, wherein the single rod is coupled to the sole at the forefoot portion and at the heel portion, and the single rod has a first end and a second end, the first end of the single rod is coupled to the heel portion, and the second end of the single rod is pivotally coupled to the forefoot portion;
- and
- a sling suspended from the single rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.