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US 12,279,673 B2Granted
Article with ribbon structure having nodes and links
AssigneeUnder Armour, Inc.
InventorTom Luedecke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article of footwear with an upper including a ribbon structure is disclosed. The ribbon structure comprises ribbon sections running in at least two different directions. Ribbon sections are connected at nodes. Between nodes portions of ribbon act like links joining the nodes. The links can be arranged in various geometries, including a rectangular grid and a triaxial grid. The ribbon structure may extend the entire length of the article of footwear, and may extend through a forefoot, midfoot and heel.
Claims20
An article of footwear, comprising:
- a sole structure;
- and
- an upper positioned over the sole structure, the upper forming an inner peripheral edge an outer peripheral edge, wherein the inner peripheral edge extends around a throat opening of the upper and the outer peripheral edge engages the sole structure,
- wherein the upper comprises a ribbon structure including a ribbon portion provided by a long, flat and narrow strip of material that is elongated in a length direction relative to a width direction and elongated in the width direction relative to a thickness direction, the ribbon portion winding between the inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge such that ribbon portion includes straight ribbon sections and curved ribbon sections.
1 more element
An article of footwear, comprising:
- a sole structure;
- and
- an upper positioned over the sole structure, the upper comprising:
- a ribbon structure including a first node in communication with a second node via a link, each node comprising overlapping first and second ribbon portions, wherein each of the first and second ribbon portions are formed of a long narrow strip of material having one flat surface on a first side and a second flat surface on an opposite side;
- and
- a border element covering a part of the first and second ribbon portions along a boundary of the upper adjacent to the sole structure.
3 more elements
An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
- an inner peripheral edge an outer peripheral edge, wherein the inner peripheral edge extends around a throat opening of the upper and the outer peripheral edge engages the sole structure;
- and
- a ribbon structure including a plurality of interconnected ribbon portions, each ribbon portion provided by a long, flat and narrow strip of material that is elongated in a length direction relative to a width direction and elongated in the width direction relative to a thickness direction, each ribbon portion winding repeatedly back and forth between the inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge, wherein the ribbon structure includes a plurality of first nodes in communication with a plurality of second nodes via a link, each of the plurality of first nodes and the plurality of second nodes comprising overlapping first and second ribbon portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.