Static dissipating and conductive footwear
AssigneeWolverine World Wide, Inc.
InventorMatthew L. Gould
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A static dissipating or conductive article of footwear with an electrical flow path in the upper. The upper includes at least one conductive element extending along at least a portion of the inside of the upper in a position where it will directly contact the wearer's foot. The upper may include a plurality of conductive elements located in different regions. The conductive elements may be positioned in line with a lacing system so that tightening of the laces urges the conductive elements toward the wearer's foot. The conductive elements may be a ribbon or other strip of fabric that includes one or more conductive threads. The ribbon or fabric strip may be woven in and out of a lining material on the inside of the upper.
Claims25
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper;
- a sole joined to the upper, the sole and the upper cooperatively defining a foot-receiving interior configured to receive a wearer's foot, the sole having a ground engaging surface and providing an electrical flow path to ground via the ground engaging surface;
- the upper including at least one conductive element positioned to engage the wearer's foot when the wearer's foot is disposed in the interior, the conductive element extending from the upper to the sole to provide an electrical flow path from the wearer's foot to the sole.
An article of footwear comprising:
- a sole including an outsole and a midsole, the outsole manufactured from an electrically conductive material, the midsole disposed above the outsole, the midsole having a top surface and a bottom surface, the midsole including a conductive element, the midsole conductive element extending along at least a portion of the top surface of the midsole, the midsole conductive element being electrically coupled to the outsole;
- and
- an upper secured to the midsole, the upper and the sole cooperatively defining a foot-receiving interior, the upper including at least one conductive element positioned to engage a wearer's foot when the wearer's foot is disposed in the interior, the upper conductive element extending from the upper to the sole to provide an electrical flow path from the wearer's foot to the sole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.