Upper having bonded differentially-oriented inner and outer reinforcing strips
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorDenis Dekovic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An upper may include a reinforced panel. The panel may comprise a carrier, inner reinforcing strips and outer reinforcing strips. The inner and outer reinforcing strips may be respectively bonded to interior and exterior faces of the carrier. Each of the inner reinforcing strips may be approximately parallel to at least one adjacent inner reinforcing strip and separated from that at least one adjacent inner reinforcing strip by one or more unreinforced portions of the carrier interior face. Each of the outer reinforcing strips may be approximately parallel to at least one adjacent outer reinforcing strip and separated from that at least one adjacent outer reinforcing strip by one or more unreinforced portions of the carrier exterior face.
Claims20
A method of fabricating an upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
- providing a first sheet of material and a second sheet of material;
- removing plural portions of the first sheet of material to form a set of first reinforcing strips, each first reinforcing strip separated from a directly adjacent first reinforcing strip by a space corresponding to a location of one of the plural portions removed from the first sheet of material;
- removing plural portions of the second sheet of material to form a set of second reinforcing strips, each second reinforcing strip separated from a directly adjacent second reinforcing strip by a space corresponding to a location of one of the plural portions removed from the second sheet of material;
- forming a reinforced panel by directly bonding the set of first reinforcing strips entirely to an exterior face of a carrier and directly bonding the set of second reinforcing strips entirely to an interior face of the carrier, wherein:
- the first reinforcing strips are exposed to an exterior of the upper,
- each of the first reinforcing strips is approximately parallel to at least one adjacent first reinforcing strip and separated from that at least one adjacent first reinforcing strip by at least one unreinforced portion of the carrier exterior face,
- each of the second reinforcing strips is approximately parallel to at least one adjacent second reinforcing strip and separated from that at least one adjacent second reinforcing strip by at least one unreinforced portion of the carrier interior face, and
- each of the first reinforcing strips intersects at least one of the second reinforcing strips at respective intersections such that the first reinforcing strips and the second reinforcing strips are oriented to form acute angles at said respective intersections;
- and
- assembling the upper so that the reinforced panel forms a portion of the upper extending from at least a medial heel region, around a rear of the upper, and to at least a lateral heel region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.