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US 2013/0340283 A1Published application
Footwear Incorporating Looped Tensile Strand Elements
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsThomas G. Bell, Bryan N. Farris, Kevin W. Hoffer, James C. Meschter, Robert C. Williams, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tensile strand element for an article of footwear is disclosed. The tensile strand element includes one or more tensile strands secured at their endpoints between the sole and upper of an article of footwear, creating one or more looped portions. The unsecured looped portions may extend into the fastening region of the footwear and engage with a fastening system to tighten the footwear upper snugly against a wearer's foot to provide added support.
Claims50
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper having a fastening region that includes a fastening system;
- a sole attached to the upper and spaced from the fastening region;
- and
- a tensile strand element having a tensile strand with a first attachment point, a second attachment point, and an unsecured portion located between the first attachment point and the second attachment point, the first attachment point and the second attachment point being adjacent to the sole, and the unsecured portion including a looped portion configured to receive an element of the fastening system, and wherein an axis extending through the looped portion is substantially parallel to an exterior surface of the upper.
1 more element
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper having a fastening region that includes a fastening system;
- a cover layer over the upper that forms a portion of an exterior surface of the footwear, the upper and the cover layer forming an unattached region where the upper and the cover layer are unsecured to each other, the cover layer defining an aperture in the unattached region,
- a sole attached to the upper and spaced from the fastening region;
- and
- a tensile strand element having a tensile strand with a first attachment point, a second attachment point, and an unsecured portion located between the first attachment point and the second attachment point, the first attachment point and the second attachment point being adjacent to the sole, a first section of the unsecured portion being located between the upper and the cover layer in the unattached region, and a second section of the unsecured portion including a looped portion that extends through the aperture in the cover layer and is located adjacent to the exterior surface of the footwear, the looped portion being configured to receive an element of the fastening system.
2 more elements
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper having a fastening region that includes a lace;
- a sole attached to the upper and spaced from the fastening region;
- and
- a tensile strand element having:
- a first tensile strand with a first attachment point, a second attachment point, and a first unsecured portion located between the first attachment point and the second attachment point, the first unsecured portion including a first looped portion,
- a second tensile strand with a third attachment point, a fourth attachment point, and a second unsecured portion located between the third attachment point and the fourth attachment point, the second unsecured portion including a second looped portion, and
- the first looped portion and the second looped portion being co-located and configured to receive an element of the lace.
4 more elements
A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:
- providing a base layer with a first region and a second region that are spaced from each other by at least five centimeters;
- stitching a tensile strand to the first region of the base layer and the second region of the base layer to form a first unattached portion of the tensile strand that is located between the first region and the second region;
- stitching the tensile strand to the second region of the base layer and the first region of the base layer to form a second unattached portion of the tensile strand that is located between the second region and the first region;
- locating the first region adjacent to the second region to form loops from the first unattached portion and the second unattached portion;
- and
- incorporating the tensile strand and the loops into the article of footwear.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:
- providing a base layer with a first region and a second region that are spaced from each other by at least five centimeters;
- securing multiple tensile strand segments to the first region and the second region to form a plurality of unattached portions of the tensile strand segments that are located between the first region and the second region;
- joining the first region and the second region adjacent to a sole of the article of footwear to form loops from the unattached portions of the tensile strand segments;
- and
- locating the loops within a fastening region of the article of footwear, the fastening region being spaced from the sole.
2 more elements
A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:
- securing multiple tensile strand segments in a first region and a second region to form a plurality of unattached portions of the tensile strand segments that are positioned between the first region and the second region;
- attaching areas of the tensile strand segments positioned at the first region and the second region adjacent to a sole of the article of footwear to form loops from the unattached portions of the tensile strand segments;
- and
- locating the loops within a fastening region of the article of footwear, the fastening region being spaced from the sole.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.