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US 11,350,701 B2Granted
Laceless shoe
Assigneeadidas AG
InventorsFu Wen Lee, LuLu Chen, Sam Forester
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described is a shoe upper for a shoe, in particular an athletic shoe, wherein the shoe upper is laceless and comprises: (a.) a lateral portion; (b.) a medial portion; and (c.) at least an elastic intermediate portion between the lateral portion and the medial portion, wherein the stiffness of at least one of the lateral portion and the medial portion is at least 2 times higher than the stiffness of the elastic intermediate portion.
Claims17
A method of forming a laceless shoe upper for a shoe, the method comprising:
- arranging a base fabric over a projection of a support surface so that an intermediate portion of the base fabric between a lateral portion and a medial portion is arranged over the projection to form a cupped portion cupped above the lateral portion and the medial portion;
- applying a first coating portion to a first base fabric portion incorporated in the lateral portion;
- applying a second coating portion to a second base fabric portion incorporated in the medial portion, wherein the cupped portion is uncoated by the first coating portion and the second coating portion;
- applying heat to a coating that comprises the first coating portion and the second coating portion;
- shielding, from the heat, the cupped portion that is uncoated by the first coating portion and the second coating portion;
- and
- bonding, at least in part from the heat being applied, the first coating portion with the first base fabric portion and the second coating portion with the second base fabric portion such that the cupped portion that is uncoated by the first coating portion and the second coating portion remains cupped above the lateral portion and the medial portion upon removal of the intermediate portion from over the projection.
4 more elements
A method of forming a laceless shoe upper comprising:
- receiving a base fabric and a coating relative to a support surface having a projection such that:
- an intermediate portion of the base fabric between a lateral portion and a medial portion is arranged over the projection to form a portion raised above the lateral portion and the medial portion;
- a first coating portion of the coating is arranged on a first base fabric portion incorporated in the lateral portion;
- a second coating portion of the coating is arranged on a second base fabric portion incorporated in the medial portion;
- and
- the raised portion of the intermediate portion is uncoated by the first coating portion and the second coating portion;
- applying heat to the coating that comprises the first coating portion and the second coating portion;
- shielding, from the heat, the raised portion that is uncoated by the first coating portion and the second coating portion;
- and
- bonding the coating with the base fabric such that the raised portion maintains a shape of being raised above the lateral portion and the medial portion upon removal of the intermediate portion from over the projection.
7 more elements
A method, comprising:
- placing a coating on a base fabric so that a medial portion and a lateral portion of the base fabric are coated by the coating and so that an intermediate portion of the base fabric between the medial portion and the lateral portion is uncoated by the coating;
- placing the base fabric on a support surface having a projection such that a cupped portion of the intermediate portion is arranged being cupped over the projection and above the medial portion and the lateral portion;
- applying heat to the coating;
- shielding the cupped portion from the heat;
- bonding the coating to the base fabric so that the cupped portion is retained upon removal of the cupped portion from over the projection;
- and
- forming a shoe upper from the base fabric bonded with the coating and having the retained cupped portion.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.