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US 9,572,404 B2Granted
Shoe with composite upper and foam element and method of making same
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsFrederick J. Dojan, Daniel A. Johnson, Shane S. Kohatsu, Chin-Chen Huang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bonded mesh composite panel can be used to form a three-dimensional upper shell that includes extensions used for double-lasting and/or to otherwise provide a shelf to support foam padding. The foam padding may be, e.g., a foam midsole. The extensions of the upper shell may be located in a lower portion of the shell and may be bonded to the foam midsole in a heel, midfoot and/or forefoot regions.
Claims7
A method of fabricating an article of footwear, comprising:
- positioning a plurality of panels into an assembly, wherein the assembly includes
- a substrate material panel having a first side and a second side,
- a mesh material panel having a first side facing away from the substrate material panel and a second side facing the substrate material panel, at least a portion of the mesh material panel overlapping the substrate material panel in a mesh/substrate overlap area, and
- a skin material panel having a first side facing away from the substrate material panel and a second side facing the substrate material panel, at least a portion of the skin material panel overlapping both the substrate material panel and the mesh material panel in a skin/mesh/substrate overlap area;
- creating a bonded mesh composite panel by
- compressing the assembly at a first temperature in a first pressing operation during which the first sides of the substrate material, mesh material and skin material panels face a compressible surface conforming to the assembly, and
- compressing the assembly at a second temperature in a second pressing operation during which the first sides of the substrate material, mesh material and skin material panels face a compressible surface conforming to the assembly, wherein the second pressing operation is performed after the first pressing operation and the second temperature is lower than the first temperature;
- subsequent to the second pressing operation, forming a three-dimensional upper shell from the composite panel;
- and
- bonding portions of the three-dimensional upper shell to a bottom surface of a foam midsole.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.