UPPER WITH CABLE SEGMENTS HAVING VARYING LENGTHS

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY CLAIM

This non-provisional application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/720,029 , filed on Nov. 13, 2024, and titled “UPPER WITH CABLE SEGMENTS HAVING VARYING LENGTHS.” The entire contents of this priority application are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Cables, also known as tensile strands, generally comprise high-tenacity strands and/or strands that have a relatively higher resistance to stretch than other materials used to form an upper of an article of footwear. In some examples, the cables may form a loop structure that reinforces an aperture in a throat area of the upper where the loop structure and the aperture are configured to receive a lace. Tension applied to the lace when a wearer dons the article of footwear is transmitted to the cable in addition to the aperture, which reduces the wear and tear on the aperture. In traditional articles of footwear, the cable segments on either side of the loop structure generally have the same length. Stated differently, the cable segment on the heel-facing side of the loop structure is generally the same length as the cable segment on the toe-facing side of the loop structure. This configuration may not be ideal when the tension applied to the heel-facing side of the loop structure is greater than the tension applied to the toe-facing side of the loop structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of aspects herein are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an example article of footwear having cable groupings that form loop structures in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of a first cable grouping on the article of footwear of FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 3A illustrates a top view of a first example upper for the article of footwear of FIG. 1, where the first example upper includes a first cable configuration in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 3B illustrates a top view of a second example upper for the article of footwear of FIG. 1, where the second example upper includes a second cable configuration in accordance with aspects herein;

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate cross-section views of an egress point and an ingress point respectively for a cable in a cable grouping, wherein the upper comprises a single-layer material in accordance with aspects herein;

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate cross-section views of an egress point and an ingress point respectively for a cable in a cable grouping, wherein the upper comprises a double layer of materials in accordance with aspects herein; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method of manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear, wherein the upper comprises at least a first cable grouping in accordance with aspects herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects herein are directed to an article of footwear, an upper for an article of footwear, and methods of manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear where the upper includes at least a first cable grouping that may be used, for example, to reinforce an aperture in a throat area of the upper and/or to retain a lace that is used to secure the upper to a foot of a wearer. The first cable grouping includes at least a first segment that extends from an area adjacent a biteline toward the throat area of the upper. The first segment extends a first distance over an outermost-facing surface of the upper and terminates in a loop structure that is formed from the first cable grouping. The first cable grouping further includes a second segment that extends from the loop structure toward the biteline. The second segment extends a second distance over the outermost-facing surface of the upper. In examples, the second distance is different from the first distance. In one example, the second distance is less than the first distance. The first segment is oriented on the upper such that it forms a heel-facing side of the loop structure, and the second segment is oriented such that it forms a toe-facing side of the loop structure.

Each cable in the first segment includes an egress point where the respective cable begins extending over the outermost-facing surface of the upper after traversing a path from an inner-facing surface of the upper to the outermost-facing surface of the upper. Similarly, each cable in the second segment includes an ingress point where the respective cable no longer extends over the outermost-facing surface of the upper and begins traversing a path from the outermost-facing surface of the upper to the inner-facing surface of the upper. Between a cable's respective egress point and ingress point, the cable is generally free-floating in example aspects. Stated differently, the respective cable is not attached to the underlying material of the upper (e.g., knit element or other textile) between the cable's respective egress point and ingress point in some examples. Similarly, in example aspects, the loop structure formed by the cables in the first cable grouping is not attached to the underlying material of the upper and is free-floating.

In one example, the upper may further include a lace that extends through the aperture as well as the loop structure. Alternatively, when the upper does not include an aperture, the lace may extend through just the loop structure. The lace may be used to help secure the upper to a foot of a wearer. In typical examples of when a wearer dons an article of footwear, the wearer exerts tension on the lace by pulling the lace ends towards the wearer's ankle. For at least some of the loop structures, this action transmits a greater amount of force or tension to the heel-facing (i.e., rear) side of the loop structure as compared to the toe-facing side (i.e., front) of the loop structure. The greater tension exerted on the heel-facing side of the loop structure is transmitted down the first segment to at least the egress points for the respective cables in the first cable grouping. At the egress points, at least part of the force exerted on the first segment by way of the pulling action of the wearer is transferred to the material of the upper as the cables traverse the path between the outermost-facing surface of the upper and the inner-facing surface of the upper.

The greater distance traveled by the first segment over the outermost-facing surface of the upper compared to the second segment may reflect the unequal distribution of tension applied to the heel-facing side of the loop structure compared to the toe-facing side of the loop structure, and to the first segment compared to the second segment. For example, by having the first segment extend over the outermost-facing surface of the upper a greater distance than the second segment, the force transmitted by the pulling action of the wearer may be dissipated to a greater extent before being transferred to the material of the upper at the egress points. In examples, this configuration may decrease the amount of wear and tear (e.g., stretching, tearing, weakening, etc.) experienced by the upper at the egress points and prolong the useable life of the article of footwear. Because the toe-facing side of the loop structure and the second segment generally experience less tensioning force when the wearer tightens the lace, the distance over which the second segment extends before the cables enter the material of the upper at the ingress points may be smaller than the first segment. Stated differently, a relatively smaller distance for the second segment (compared to the first segment) may be sufficient to help dissipate the tensioning force before the force is transferred to the material of the upper by way of the ingress points.

The amount of tensioning force experienced by the material of the upper at the egress points for the first segment may be further decreased by increasing the spacing between adjacent egress points in a toe-to-heel direction relative to the spacing between adjacent ingress points. Stated differently, the tensioning force experienced by the material of the upper at the egress points may be distributed across a greater area, which may further reduce the amount of wear and tear experienced by the upper at the egress points. By contrast, since the tensioning force experienced by the material of the upper at the ingress points for the second segment may be relatively less, the spacing between adjacent ingress points as measured in the toe-to-heel direction may be less than the spacing between adjacent egress points.

As used herein, an article of footwear generally includes a sole structure secured to an upper. The article of footwear described herein may comprise a running shoe, a baseball shoe, a basketball shoe, a cycling shoe, a football shoe, a tennis shoe, a soccer shoe, a training shoe, a walking shoe, a hiking shoe, and the like. The concepts described herein may also be applied to other footwear types that are considered non-athletic such as dress shoes, loafers, sandals, and work boots. As used herein, the article of footwear may be divided into different general regions. A forefoot region generally includes portions of the article of footwear that correspond to the toes and joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. The forefoot region may terminate in a toe area. A midfoot region generally includes portions of the article of footwear corresponding with an arch area and an instep area of the foot. A heel region generally corresponds with rear portions of the foot including the calcaneus bone. The heel region may terminate in a heel area. The article of footwear described herein may include a lateral side that corresponds with an outside area of the foot (i.e., the surface that faces away from the other foot) and a medial side that corresponds with an inside area of the foot (i.e., the surface that faces toward the other foot). The different regions and sides described above are intended to represent general areas of footwear to aid in the following discussion and are not intended to demarcate precise areas. The different regions and sides may be applied to the article of footwear as a whole, to the upper, and to the sole structure. The term “biteline” as used herein is generally where the upper starts to be secured to a sole structure including a midsole structure.

The term “outer-facing surface” as used herein means a surface of the upper or article of footwear that faces toward the external environment. In some aspects, the outer-facing surface may mean the outermost-facing surface of the upper or article of footwear such that the outermost-facing surface is exposed to the external environment. The term “inner-facing surface” as used herein means a surface of the upper or article of footwear that faces toward a void for receiving the wearer's foot. In some aspects, the inner-facing surface may mean the innermost-facing surface of the upper or article of footwear such that the innermost-facing surface is in direct or near contact with a wearer's foot. The term “interior to” when referring to one object's relation to another object, means closer to the void for receiving the wearer's foot, and the term “exterior to” when referring to one object's relation to another object means closer to an external environment. Positional terms such as “superior” and “inferior” are in relation to the sole structure of the article of footwear positioned on a planar surface.

The term “knit” or “knit construction” refers to a textile piece that is formed from at least one yarn that is manipulated (e.g., with a flat knitting machine, a circular knitting machine, or through another process) to form a plurality of intermeshed loops (also known as interlooping) that define courses and wales. The term “course” as used herein, refers to a predominantly horizontal row of knit loops (in an upright textile as it is knit on the knitting machine) that is produced by adjacent needles during the same knitting cycle. The course may comprise one or more stitch types, such as a knit stitch, a missed stitch, a tuck stitch, a transfer stitch, a rib stitch, and the like, as these terms are known in the art of knitting. The term “wale” as used herein, is a predominantly vertical column of intermeshed or interlooped knit loops, generally produced by the same needle at successive (but not necessarily all) courses or knitting cycles. The term “inlaid” as used herein refers to the process of incorporating a non-knitted cable into the knit construction during the same knitting cycle as used to form the knit construction. In some aspects, the inlaid cable may extend through one or more loops of the knit construction and may be secured to the knit construction using, for example, tuck stitches. In other examples, the inlaid cable may be floated on a surface of the knit construction.

The term “cable(s)” as used herein may have the configuration of a multifilament yarn, a filament (e.g., a monofilament yarn), thread, rope, webbing, cable, or chain, for example. The cable may comprise a material having a high tenacity, such as a tenacity of at least 5 grams/denier or greater. In some aspects, the tenacity of the cable may be greater than the material(s), including yarns, used to form the upper. Further, in some examples the cable may exhibit greater stretch resistance than the material(s) used to form the upper and may be formed from a variety of engineered filaments that are utilized for high tensile strength applications, including glass, aramids (e.g., para-aramid and meta-aramid), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and liquid crystal polymer. The term “tensile strand” may also be used in lieu of “cable” herein.

FIG. 1 depicts a side view of an example article of footwear 100. The side view is from a lateral side of the article of footwear 100, but a side view from a medial side of the article of footwear 100 would be substantially the same. As such, discussion of features in relation to the lateral side of the article of footwear 100 are also applicable to the medial side of the article of footwear 100. The article of footwear 100 includes an upper 110 that is secured to a sole structure 112 at a biteline 113. The upper 110 includes an outermost-facing surface 114 and an inner-facing surface (not readily seen in the views but should be understood to be opposite the outermost-facing surface 114). In example aspects, some or all portions of the upper 110 may be formed from a knit construction as indicated by arrow 111. In this example, the courses run in a toe-to-heel direction and the wales run in a sole structure-to-throat direction. In other example aspects, some or all portions of the upper 110 may be formed from materials such as leather materials, synthetic leather materials, woven textiles, polymer skins, nonwoven textiles, and the like. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof are contemplated as being within aspects herein.

The article of footwear 100 includes a forefoot region 116 having a toe end 117, a midfoot region 118, and a heel region 120 having a heel end 121. A toe-facing direction or toe-facing side for the article of footwear 100 is indicated by arrow 123, and a heel-facing direction or a heel-facing side for the article of footwear 100 is indicated by arrow 125. The article of footwear 100 includes an ankle collar 122 defining an opening to a void 124 for receiving a wearer's foot, a throat area 126, and a tongue 128. In examples, the tongue 128 may be integrally formed with the upper 110, or the tongue 128 may comprise a separate element that is secured to the upper 110 in, for example, a manufacturing step.

In one example aspect and as shown in FIG. 1, the article of footwear 100 includes apertures 130 located on the lateral side and the medial side of the throat area 126. Aspects herein also contemplate that the article of footwear 100 does not include apertures. The article of footwear 100 may also include a lace 132 that may be used to adjustably tighten the throat area 126 and help secure the upper 110 to a wearer's foot. As described below, in one example, the lace 132 may extend through the apertures 130 when the upper 110 includes apertures.

In example aspects, the upper 110 includes one or more cable grouping such as a first cable grouping 134, a second cable grouping 136, a third cable grouping 138, and a fourth cable grouping 140. The number of cable groupings depicted in FIG. 1 is illustrative, and aspects herein contemplate fewer cable groupings than shown or more cable groupings than shown. Each of the first, second, third, and fourth cable groupings 134, 136, 138, and 140 may comprise two or more cables (e.g., from two to ten cables), and the number of cables in each of the first, second, third, and fourth cable groupings 134, 136, 138, and 140 may be the same or different. For example, as shown, the first cable grouping 134 includes three cables, the second cable grouping 136 includes three cables, the third cable grouping 138 includes four cables, and the fourth cable grouping 140 includes three cables. As described, the cables in the first, second, third, and fourth cable groupings 134, 136, 138, and 140 may comprise a high-tenacity yarn or strand and/or may comprise a strand having a greater resistance to stretch than the materials and/or yarn(s) used to form the upper 110, such as the yarn(s) interlooped to form the knit construction 111.

In aspects, one or more anchor pieces may be integrated into the article of footwear 100. The anchor pieces (not shown) may be integrated on the lateral side, medial side, or both and may consist of a rigid material (e.g., plastic). The anchor pieces can include a plurality of apertures such that the first cable grouping 134, the second cable grouping 136, the third cable grouping 138, and/or the fourth cable grouping 140 can be extended through any of the plurality of apertures to secure the first cable grouping 134, the second cable grouping 136, the third cable grouping 138, and/or the fourth cable grouping 140.

FIG. 2 depicts a close-up view of the first cable grouping 134. The description regarding the first cable grouping 134 may generally be applicable to the second, third, and fourth cable groupings 136, 138, and 140. As shown in FIG. 2, the first cable grouping 134 may include cable 134a, cable 134b, and cable 134c. In examples, the first cable grouping 134 includes a first segment 210 extending over the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110 from an area adjacent the biteline 113 (e.g., an inferior region of the upper) (as seen in FIG. 1) toward the throat area 126 of the upper 110 (e.g., a superior region of the upper) and terminating in a loop structure 220. As depicted in FIG. 2, the loop structure 220 surrounds or at least partially encircles the aperture 130 in the upper 110. Additionally, the lace 132 extends through both the aperture 130 and the loop structure 220, although aspects herein contemplate that the lace 132 may extend through just the loop structure 220 and not an aperture. The first segment 210 extends a first distance over the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110. In example aspects, the first distance may comprise an average of first distance 214a for the cable 134a, first distance 214b for cable 134b, and first distance 214c for cable 134c. As indicated for the first distance 214a, the first distance 214a is measured from an egress point 216a (described below) for the cable 134a to the location in which the cable 134a turns back on itself to form a second segment 218 of the first cable grouping 134 (i.e., at an apex of the loop structure 220). The first distance 214b is measured from an egress point 216b for the cable 134b to the location in which the cable 134b turns back on itself to form the second segment 218 of the first cable grouping 134 (i.e., at the apex of the loop structure 220). The first distance 214c is measured from an egress point 216c for the cable 134c to the location in which the cable 134c turns back on itself to form the second segment 218 of the first cable grouping 134 (i.e., at the apex of the loop structure 220). The loop structure 220 is formed at the location where the cables 134a, 134b, and 134c in the first segment 210 turn back on themselves to form the second segment 218.

In example aspects, the first segment 210 extends in a first direction 212. The first direction 212 may be angled or diagonal such that the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c are located relatively closer to the heel end 121 of the article of footwear 100 and the loop structure 220 is located relatively closer to the toe end 117 of the article of footwear 100. Stated differently, the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c are more heel-facing or rearward compared to the loop structure 220, and the loop structure 220 is more toe-facing or forward compared to the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c. Based on the orientation of the first direction 212, the first segment 210 forms the heel-facing side 125 of the loop structure 220.

In addition to the first segment 210 and the loop structure 220, the first cable grouping 134 also includes the second segment 218. The second segment 218 extends from the loop structure 220, over the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110, and toward the biteline 113. The second segment 218 extends a second distance over the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110. In example aspects, the second distance may comprise an average of second distance 222a for the cable 134a, second distance 222b for the cable 134b, and second distance 222c for the cable 134c. As indicated for the second distance 222a, the second distance 222a is measured from an ingress point 224a (described below) for the cable 134a to the location in which the cable 134a turns back on itself (i.e., the apex of the loop structure 220) to form the first segment 210 of the first cable grouping 134. The second distance 222b is measured from an ingress point 224b for the cable 134b to the location in which the cable 134b turns back on itself to form the first segment 210 of the first cable grouping 134 (i.e., the apex of the loop structure 220). The second distance 222c is measured from an ingress point 224c for the cable 134c to the location in which the cable 134c turns back on itself to form the first segment 210 of the first cable grouping 134 (i.e., the apex of the loop structure 220). In aspects, the second distance 222 is different from the first distance 214. Further, in example aspects, the second distance 222 is less than the first distance 214. As such, the length of the first segment 210 over the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110 may be greater than the length of the respective second segment 218 over the outermost-facing surface 114. Because the second distance 222 is less than the first distance 214, the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c are located superior to the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c with respect to the biteline 113. As described below, this difference in the locations of ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c compared to egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c may be based on the direction of the tensioning force applied to a lace by a typical wearer.

In example aspects, the second segment 218 extends in a second direction 226 that is different from the first direction 212. In aspects, the second direction 226 is angularly offset from the first direction 212 with the loop structure 220 forming an apex of the angle between the first segment 210 and the second segment 218. The second direction 226 may be angled or diagonal such that the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c are located relatively closer to the toe end 117 (e.g., more forward) of the article of footwear 100 and the loop structure 220 is located relatively closer to the heel end 121 (more rearward) of the article of footwear 100. Stated differently, the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c are more toe-facing compared to the loop structure 220, and the loop structure 220 is more heel-facing compared to the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c. Based on the orientation of the second direction 226, the second segment 218 forms the toe-facing side 123 of the loop structure 220.

With respect to the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c, the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c represent the locations on the upper 110 in which the respective cables 134a, 134b, and 134c begin extending over the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110 after traversing a path from the inner-facing surface of the upper 110 to the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110. With respect to the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c, the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c represent the locations on the upper 110 in which the respective cables 134a, 134b, and 134c no longer extend over the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper and begin traversing a path from the outermost-facing surface 114 to the inner-facing surface of the upper 110. The location and/or path of the cables 134a, 134b, and 134c on the inner-facing surface of the upper 110 are indicated in dashed lines. These aspects will be described in greater detail with respect to FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B. Between the egress points and the ingress points for the respective cables 134a, 134b, and 134c, the first cable grouping 134 is free-floating and is not secured to the underlying material of the upper 110. Stated differently, each of the first segment 210, the loop structure 220, and the second segment 218 are not secured to the underlying material of the upper 110 in one example aspect. In other example aspects, one or more of the first segment 210, the loop structure 220, and the second segment 218 may be secured to the material of the underlying upper 110 in one or more locations.

In example aspects, the spacing, as measured in a toe-to-heel direction, between adjacent cables 134a, 134b, and 134c at or near the egress points such as the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c, may be greater than spacing, as measured in the toe-to-heel direction, between adjacent cables 134a, 134b, and 134c at or near the ingress points such as the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c. For instance, distance 228 between the cables 134a and 134b at or near the egress points 216a and 216b is greater than distance 230 between the cable 134a and 134b at or near the ingress points 224a and 224b. When the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c are equidistant from the biteline 113 (discussed below), and when the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c are equidistant from the biteline 113, then another way to describe this feature is to say that an average distance between two adjacent egress points of the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c is greater than an average distance between two adjacent ingress points of the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c.

The configuration of the first cable grouping 134 discussed above may be selected to effectively dissipate a tensioning force exerted on the lace 132 when a wearer secures the upper 110 to the wearer's foot. The configuration of the first cable grouping 134 includes differences between the first distance 214 over which the first segment 210 extends over the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110 compared to the second distance 222 over which the second segment 218 extends over the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110, the first direction 212 in which the first segment 210 is oriented on the upper 110 compared to the second direction 226 in which the second segment 218 is oriented on the upper 110, and the spacing between adjacent egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c compared to the spacing between adjacent ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c. In a typical example, a wearer generally exerts tension on the lace 132 by pulling the lace ends towards the wearer's ankle. This action may transmit a greater amount of force or tension to the heel-facing side 125 of the loop structure 220 compared to the toe-facing side 123 of the loop structure 220. The greater tension exerted on the heel-facing side 125 of the loop structure 220 may be transmitted down the first segment 210 to the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c. At the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c, at least part of the tensioning force exerted on the first segment 210 by way of the pulling action of the wearer may be transferred to the material of the upper 110 as the cables 134a, 134b, and 134c traverse the path between the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110 and the inner-facing surface of the upper 110.

In examples, the greater distance traveled by the first segment 210 over the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110 compared to the second segment 218 may reflect the unequal distribution of tension applied to the heel-facing side 125 of the loop structure 220 compared to the toe-facing side 123 of the loop structure 220, and to the first segment 210 compared to the second segment 218. For instance, by having the first segment 210 extend over the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110 a greater distance than the second segment 218, the tensioning force transmitted by the pulling action of the wearer on the lace 132 may be dissipated to a greater extent before being transferred to the material of the upper 110 at the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c. In examples, this decreases the amount of wear and tear (e.g., stretching, tearing, or weakening) experienced by the upper 110 at the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c and prolongs the useable life of the article of footwear 100. Because the toe-facing side 123 of the loop structure 220 and the second segment 218 generally experience less tensioning force when the wearer tightens the lace 132, the distance over which the second segment 218 extends (i.e., the second distance 222) before the cables 134a, 134b, and 134c enter the material of the upper 110 at the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c may be smaller than the first segment 210. Stated differently, a relatively smaller distance for the second segment 218 may be generally sufficient to help dissipate the tensioning force before the force is transferred to the material of the upper 110 by way of the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c.

The amount of tensioning force experienced by the material of the upper 110 at the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c for the first segment 210 may be further decreased by increasing the spacing (i.e., the distance 228) between adjacent egress points in the toe-to-heel direction relative to the spacing (i.e., the distance 230) between adjacent ingress points. Stated differently, the tensioning force experienced by the material of the upper 110 at the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c may be distributed across a greater area which may further reduce the amount of wear and tear experienced by the upper 110 at the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c. By contrast, since the tensioning force experienced by the material of the upper 110 at the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c for the second segment 218 may be relatively less, the spacing between adjacent ingress points (i.e., the distance 230) as measured in the toe-to-heel direction may be less than the spacing between adjacent egress points.

The ability to more effectively dissipate tensioning forces transferred to the upper 110 through tensioning the lace 132 may be particularly useful for uppers 110 formed at least partially with a knit construction. While knit textiles may offer many benefits, such as breathability, versatility, and flexibility, knit textiles may be more susceptible to stretching when an undesired amount of tensioning force is applied.

In example aspects, and as shown in FIG. 2, a distance between one or more of the egress points 216a, 216b, and/or 216c and the biteline 113 may vary. For example, the egress point 216a may be a distance 232 from the biteline 113, and the egress point 216c may be a distance 234 from the biteline 113, where the distance 232 for the egress point 216a is different from the distance 234 for the egress point 216c. In this example, the distance 232 for the egress point 216a is less than the distance 234 for the egress point 216c, meaning that the first distance 214a over which the cable 134a extends on the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110 is greater than the first distance 214c over which the cable 134c extends. In some example aspects, it may be determined that a particular cable, such as, for example, cable 134a may experience a greater amount of tensioning force when tension is applied to the heel-facing side 125 of the loop structure 220 as compared to, for example, the cable 134c. Thus, a longer first distance (e.g., first distance 214a) may be needed to help dissipate the tensioning force before the cable 134a enters the material of the upper 110 at the egress point 216a. This results in the distance 232 between the egress point 216a and the biteline 113 being less than the distance 234 between the egress point 216c and the biteline 113. When the upper 110 comprises a knit construction (e.g., knit construction 111), the distance 232 between the biteline 113 and the egress point 216a may be at least five to ten knit wales different than the distance 234 between the biteline 113 and the egress point 216c. In other example aspects, and as shown with the second cable grouping 136 in FIG. 1, the egress points may be approximately the same distance (e.g., equidistant) from the biteline 113.

In example aspects, and as also shown in FIG. 2, a distance between one or more of the ingress points 224a, 224b, and/or 224c and the biteline 113 may vary. For example, the ingress point 224a may be a distance 236 from the biteline 113, and the ingress point 224c may be a distance 238 from the biteline 113, where the distance 236 for the ingress point 224a is different from the distance 238 for the ingress point 224c. In this example, the distance 236 for the ingress point 224a is greater than the distance 238 for the ingress point 224c, meaning that the second distance 222a over which the cable 134a extends on the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110 is less than the second distance 222c over which the cable 134c extends. In some example aspects, it may be determined that a particular cable, such as, for example, cable 134a, may experience a smaller amount of tensioning force when tension is applied to the toe-facing side 123 of the loop structure 220 as compared to, for example, the cable 134c. Thus, a shorter distance (e.g., second distance 222a) may be needed to help dissipate the tensioning force before the cable 134a enters the material of the upper 110 at the ingress point 224a. This results in the distance 236 between the ingress point 224a and the biteline 113 being greater than the distance 238 between the ingress point 224c and the biteline 113. When the upper 110 comprises a knit construction (e.g., knit construction 111), the distance 236 between the biteline 113 and the ingress point 224a may be at least five to ten knit wales different than the distance 238 between the biteline 113 and the ingress point 224c. In other example aspects, and as shown with the second cable grouping 136 in FIG. 1, the ingress points may be approximately the same distance (e.g., equidistant) from the biteline 113.

With respect to the upper 110 being a knit construction, the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c and the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c may comprise integrally formed openings in the knit construction such as openings formed through, for example, a loop transfer stitch sequence. In aspects where the knit construction comprises a mesh structure having a plurality of openings, at least some of the openings may form the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c and the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c.

The configuration of the cables shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is illustrative, and different configurations are contemplated herein. The different configurations may include a different number of cables within each cable grouping, fewer or more cable groupings, different locations for the egress points, different locations for the ingress points, and the like. Moreover, the configuration of the cables may be the same or different for the lateral side of the article of footwear 100 and the medial side of the article of footwear 100.

FIG. 3A illustrates a top view of a first example upper 300 for the article of footwear 100 and depicts a first cable configuration used to form the cable groupings discussed herein. In this example, multiple different cables, such as cable 310 and cable 312 are used to form a first cable grouping 314, a second cable grouping 316, and a third cable grouping 318 on a medial side 302 of the upper 300. Cables 320 and 322 are used to form a fourth cable grouping 324, a fifth cable grouping 326, and a sixth cable grouping 328 on a lateral side 304 of the upper 300. With respect to, for example, the first cable grouping 314, the cable 310 extends from a periphery 330 of the upper 300 toward a throat area 332 of the upper 300 where the cable loops around aperture 334 (making a similar loop as the loop structure 220) before extending back toward the periphery 330. At the periphery 330, the cable 310 loops toward a toe end 336 of the upper 300 as indicated by arrow 311 before following a similar looping pattern to form the second cable grouping 316. Similarly, the cable 312 extends from the periphery 330 of the upper 300 toward the throat area 332 where the cable also loops around the aperture 334 before extending back toward the periphery 330 and making a loop toward the toe end 336 as indicated by the arrow 311 to begin to form the second cable grouping 316. The second and third cable groupings 316 and 318 are formed in a similar manner from the cables 310 and 312. A similar looping pattern is used to form the fourth, fifth, and sixth cable groupings 324, 326, and 328 from the cable 320 and the cable 322. Thus, in this example, each cable grouping is made up of several different cables.

FIG. 3B illustrates a top view of a second example upper 350 for the article of footwear 100 and depicts a second cable configuration used to form the cable groupings discussed herein. In this example, a single, continuous cable forms the cable groupings on the medial side 351 of the upper 350, and another single, continuous cable forms the cable groupings on the lateral side 353 of the upper 350. With respect to the medial side 351 of the upper 350, a cable 352 is used to form a first cable grouping 354. On the lateral side 353, a cable 356 is used to form a second cable grouping 358. With respect to the first cable grouping 354, the cable 352 extends from a periphery 360 of the upper 350 toward a throat area 362 of the upper 350 where the cable loops around aperture 364 before extending back toward the periphery 360. The cable 352 then loops back toward a heel area 366 of the upper 350 as indicated by the arrow 353 before again extending from the periphery 360 toward the throat area 362, around the aperture 364, and back towards the periphery 360. This looping sequence can occur any number of times to create the required number of first and second segments in the first cable grouping 354. After completing the first cable grouping 354, the cable 352 loops toward a toe end 368 of the upper 350 as indicated by arrow 355 and starts to form another cable grouping (not numbered). This looping pattern is repeated to form the second cable grouping 358 on the lateral side 353 of the upper 350. Thus, in this example, each cable grouping on the medial side 351 or the lateral side 353 of the upper 350 is formed from a single, continuous cable.

FIG. 4A depicts a cross-section view of a first example configuration for an egress point such as, for example, one of the egress points depicted in FIG. 2 (e.g., egress points 216a, 216b, or 216c). FIG. 4A depicts a single-layer material 400 used to form an upper such as the upper 110. The material 400 has an outermost-facing surface 410 such as the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110, and an inner-facing surface 412. In the example shown in FIG. 4A, the inner-facing surface 412 comprises the innermost-facing surface of the material 400. FIG. 4A further depicts an egress point 414 and a cable 416. The egress point 414 extends through a thickness of the material 400 such that it forms a through-passage. The cable 416 may comprise, for example, one of the cables 134a, 134b, or 134c. Before exiting the egress point 414, the cable 416 extends along the inner-facing surface 412. In examples, the cable 416 may not be secured to the inner-facing surface 412, and in other examples, the cable 416 may be secured to the inner-facing surface 412 at one or more locations by stitching, embroidery, bonding, adhesives, and the like. When the material 400 comprises a single-layer knit construction, the cable 416 may be inlaid during the knitting process along one or more courses and be secured at one or more locations along the inner-facing surface 412 with a tuck stitch, or the cable 416 may be inlaid to form a float that is not secured to the inner-facing surface 412. Alternatively, when the material 400 comprises a single-layer knit construction, the cable 416 may be incorporated after knitting and may either remain a float unsecured to the inner-facing surface 412 or may be secured to the inner-facing surface 412 at one or more locations by stitching, embroidery, bonding, adhesives, and the like.

At the egress point 414, the cable 416 traverses a path from the inner-facing surface 412 to the outermost-facing surface 410. Once the cable 416 has exited the egress point 414, the cable 416 begins extending over the outermost-facing surface 410 of the material 400. In examples, the cable 416 may not be secured to the outermost-facing surface 410, and in other examples, the cable 416 may be secured to the outermost-facing surface 410 at one or more locations by stitching, embroidery, bonding, adhesives, and the like. When the material 400 comprises a single-layer knit construction, the cable 416 may be inlaid during the knitting process along one or more courses and be secured at one or more locations along the outermost-facing surface 410 with a tuck stitch or may be inlaid to form a float that is not secured to the outermost-facing surface 410. Alternatively, when the material 400 comprises a single-layer knit construction, the cable 416 may be incorporated after knitting and may either remain a float unsecured to the outermost-facing surface 410 or may be secured to the outermost-facing surface 410 at one or more locations by stitching, embroidery, bonding, adhesives, and the like.

FIG. 4B depicts a cross-section view of a first example configuration for an ingress point such as, for example, one of the ingress points depicted in FIG. 2 (e.g., ingress points 224a, 224b, or 224c). FIG. 4B depicts an ingress point 418 and the cable 416. The ingress point 418 extends through the thickness of the single-layer material 400 such that it forms a through-passage. Before entering the ingress point 418, the cable 416 extends along the outermost-facing surface 410. As stated with respect to FIG. 4A, the cable 416 may not be secured to the outermost-facing surface 410, and in other examples, the cable 416 may be secured to the outermost-facing surface 410 at one or more locations by stitching, embroidery, bonding, adhesives, and the like. As the cable 416 extends along the outermost-facing surface 410, it traverses a path from the outermost-facing surface 410 to the inner-facing surface 412 via the ingress point 418, and extends along the inner-facing surface 412 of the material 400. The cable may float unsecured or be secured to the material 400 in any of the manners described in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A depicts a cross-section view of a second example configuration for an egress point such as, for example, one of the egress points depicted in FIG. 2 (e.g., egress points 216a, 216b, or 216c). FIG. 5A depicts a double-layer material 500 comprising a first layer 510 and a second layer 512 used to form an upper such as the upper 110. The first layer 510 and the second layer 512 may comprise the same material or the first layer 510 may comprise a first material and the second layer 512 may comprise a second material different from the first material. The first layer 510 and the second layer 512 may not be secured to each other in some example aspects. In other example aspects, the first layer 510 and the second layer 512 may be secured to each other at one or more portions. The securement of the first layer 510 and the second layer 512 may be through stitching, bonding, an adhesive, interlooping when the material 500 is a knit construction (i.e., a double knit material), interweaving when the material 500 comprises a woven construction, entanglement when the material 500 comprises a nonwoven construction, and the like.

The material 500 has an outermost-facing surface 514 such as the outermost-facing surface 114 of the upper 110, where the outermost-facing surface 514 comprises an outermost-facing surface of the first layer 510. The material 500 also has one or more inner-facing surfaces such as inner-facing surface 516 and inner-facing surface 518. In the example shown in FIG. 5A, the inner-facing surface 518 comprises the innermost-facing surface of the material 500. FIG. 5A further depicts an egress point 520 and a cable 522. The egress point 520 extends through a thickness of the first layer 510 and the second layer 512 such that it forms a through-passage through the material 500. In other example aspects, the egress point 520 may extend through the thickness of the first layer 510 but may not extend through the second layer 512. The cable 522 may comprise, for example, one of the cables 134a, 134b, or 134c. Before exiting the egress point 520, the cable 522 extends along the inner-facing surface 516 of the first layer 510. Described differently, the cable 522 is positioned in a space between the first layer 510 and the second layer 512. Aspects herein also contemplate that the cable 522 may instead extend along the inner-facing surface 518 of the second layer 512. In examples, the cable 522 may not be secured to the inner-facing surface 516 (or the inner-facing surface 518), and in other examples, the cable 522 may be secured to the inner-facing surface 516 (or the inner-facing surface 518) at one or more locations by stitching, embroidery, bonding, adhesives, and the like.

When the material 500 comprises a double knit construction, the cable 522 may be inlaid along one or more courses of the first layer 510 and/or the second layer 512 and either secured via one or more tuck stitches or may remain floating and unsecured to the inner-facing surface 516 (or the inner-facing surface 518). Alternatively, when the material 500 comprises a double knit construction, the cable 522 may be incorporated after knitting and may either remain a float unsecured to the inner-facing surface 516 (or the inner-facing surface 518) or may be secured to the inner-facing surface 516 and/or the inner-facing surface 518 at one or more locations by stitching, embroidery, bonding, adhesives, and the like.

At the egress point 520, the cable 522 traverses a path from the inner-facing surface 516 (or the inner-facing surface 518) to the outermost-facing surface 514. Once the cable 522 has exited the egress point 520, the cable 522 begins extending over the outermost-facing surface 514 of the material 500. In examples, the cable 522 may not be secured to the outermost-facing surface 514, and in other examples, the cable 522 may be secured to the outermost-facing surface 514 at one or more locations by stitching, embroidery, bonding, adhesives, and the like. When the material 500 comprises a double knit construction, the cable 522 may be inlaid during the knitting process along one or more courses of the first layer 510 and either be secured to the outermost-facing surface 514 with one or more tuck stitches or may be inlaid to form a float that is not secured to the outermost-facing surface 514. Alternatively, when the material 500 comprises a double knit construction, the cable 522 may be incorporated after knitting and may either remain a float unsecured to the outermost-facing surface 514 or may be secured to the outermost-facing surface 514 along one or more locations by stitching, embroidery, bonding, adhesives, and the like.

FIG. 5B depicts a cross-section view of a second example configuration for an ingress point such as, for example, one of the ingress points depicted in FIG. 2 (e.g., ingress points 224a, 224b, or 224c). FIG. 5B depicts an ingress point 524 and the cable 522. In the example shown in FIG. 5B, the ingress point 524 extends through the thickness of the first layer 510 and the second layer 512 such that it forms a through-passage through the material 500. In other example aspects, the ingress point 524 may extend through the thickness of the first layer 510 but may not extend through the second layer 512. Before entering the ingress point 524, the cable 522 extends along the outermost-facing surface 514 of the material 500. In examples, the cable 522 may not be secured to the outermost-facing surface 514, and in other examples and as described with respect to FIG. 5A, the cable 522 may be secured to the outermost-facing surface 514 at one or more locations by stitching, embroidery, bonding, adhesives, and the like. At the ingress point 524, the cable 522 traverses a path from the outermost-facing surface 514 to the inner-facing surface 516 (or the inner-facing surface 518). Once the cable 522 exits the ingress point 524, the cable 522 begins extending over the inner-facing surface 516 of the material 500. Stated differently, once the cable 522 exits the ingress point 524, the cable 522 begins extending between the first layer 510 and the second layer 512. In another example, once the cable 522 exits the ingress point 524, the cable 522 may extend along the inner-facing surface 518 of the second layer 512. After exiting the ingress point 524 and when extending along the inner-facing surface 516 or inner-facing surface 518, the cable 522 may not be secured to the inner-facing surface 516 (or the inner-facing surface 518) in some examples and may be secured to the inner-facing surface 516 (or the inner-facing surface 518) in other examples in any of the manners described with respect to FIG. 5A.

Aspects herein contemplate that the upper 110 may be formed from more than two layers of material (e.g., three layers of material, four layers of material, and the like). In these examples, a cable in a cable grouping may extend along an outermost-facing surface after exiting an egress point that extends through the layers, and the cable may extend along an inner-facing surface of one or more of the layers after entering an ingress point that extends through one or more of the layers.

FIG. 6 depicts a flow diagram of an example method 600 of manufacturing an article of footwear such as the article of footwear 100. The method 600 may include forming an upper such as the upper 110. In example aspects, the upper may be formed through a knitting process on a knitting machine (e.g., weft knitting machine, warp knitting machine, circular knitting machine, and the like). When formed through a knitting process, the upper may comprise a single knit construction or a double knit construction having one or more stitch types. In other example aspects, the upper may be formed through a weaving process on a weaving machine. When the upper comprises a nonwoven construction, the upper may be formed through an entanglement process including needle entanglement, a hydrojet entanglement process, and the like. The nonwoven construction may also be formed through thermally or chemically bonding fibers together. The upper may also be formed using other types of materials such as leathers, synthetic leathers, polymer skins, and the like where these materials may be stitched together, bonded together, secured using adhesives, and the like.

At a step 610, a first cable grouping, such as the first cable grouping 134, is positioned on an upper such as the upper 110. When the upper comprises a knit construction, the first cable grouping may be positioned during the actual knitting process used to form the upper. For example, the first cable grouping may be inlaid along one or more courses of the knit construction and secured using, for example, tuck stitches. Alternatively, or in addition to, the cables in the first cable grouping may be inlaid as floats that are generally not secured to the underlying knit textile. In other example aspects, the first cable grouping may be positioned after the upper is knitted. For example, the cables in the first cable grouping may be threaded through one or more holes in the knit construction. This may occur in a post-knitting step. The holes in the knit construction may form the egress and ingress points described above. The holes may comprise engineered holes in the knit construction formed through, for example, a transfer stitch sequence, the holes may comprise holes in a knitted mesh structure, and/or the holes may comprise the inherent openings formed between the interlooped yarns.

The first cable grouping extends over an outermost-facing surface of the upper, such as the outermost-facing surface 114, and includes a first segment, such as the first segment 210 that extends in a first direction, such as the first direction 212 for a first distance, such as the first distance 214. The first cable grouping also includes a second segment, such as the second segment 218 that extends in a second direction, such as the second direction 226 for a second distance, such as the second distance 222. The first cable grouping additionally includes a loop structure, such as the loop structure 220 that is positioned between the first segment and the second segment. At a step 612, a sole structure, such as the sole structure 112, is secured to the upper at a biteline such as the biteline 113.

The method 600 may further comprise causing the respective cables in the first segment to traverse a path from an inner-facing surface of the upper to the outermost-facing surface of the upper such that the respective cables begin extending over the outermost-facing surface of the upper at a plurality of egress points such as the egress points 216a, 216b, and 216c. In addition, the method 600 may comprise causing the respective cables in the second segment to traverse a path from the outermost-facing surface of the upper to the inner-facing surface of the upper such that the respective cables no longer extend over the outermost-facing surface of the upper at a plurality of ingress points such as the ingress points 224a, 224b, and 224c. As described with respect to the description of at least FIG. 2, the ingress points are located superior to the egress points with respect to the biteline to account for the different levels of tension applied to the first segment and the second segment when a wearer tightens or tensions a lace that extends through the loop structure.

In aspects, the upper can be a circular knitted upper or a flat knitted upper formed to have a sock-like construction with an underfoot portion. In some aspects, a circular or sock-like knitted upper can be formed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,931,762, issued on Aug. 23, 2005. In particular, a circular knitting machine can be used to form a tube-like structure (e.g., the upper) having openings at opposite ends of the tube. In aspects, the upper can be secured to a sole structure, e.g., sole structure 112, in a form-fitting fashion by adhesion, molding, sewing, welding, or any other suitable method of attachment, e.g., such that a ridge, or biteline, is substantially eliminated and the upper lies flat on the sole structure.

The following clauses represent example aspects of concepts contemplated herein. Any one of the following clauses may be combined in a multiple dependent manner to depend from one or more other clauses. Further, any combination of dependent clauses (clauses that explicitly depend from a previous clause) may be combined while staying within the scope of aspects contemplated herein. The following clauses are examples and are not limiting.

Clause 1. An article of footwear comprising: a sole structure; and an upper secured to the sole structure at a biteline, the upper having an outermost-facing surface and an opposite inner-facing surface, the upper comprising: a first cable grouping comprising: a first segment extending from an area adjacent the biteline toward a throat area of the upper, the first segment extending a first average distance on the outermost-facing surface of the upper, the first segment terminating in a loop structure that is formed from the first cable grouping, and a second segment extending from the loop structure toward the biteline, the second segment extending a second average distance on the outermost-facing surface of the upper, the second average distance different from the first average distance.

Clause 2. The article of footwear according to clause 1, wherein the second average distance is less than the first average distance.

Clause 3. The article of footwear according to any of clauses 1 through 2, wherein at least a portion of the upper comprises a knit construction.

Clause 4. The article of footwear according to any of clauses 1 through 3, wherein the first cable grouping comprises at least three cables.

Clause 5. The article of footwear according to any of clauses 1 through 4, wherein the upper further comprises a lace, and wherein the lace extends through the loop structure.

Clause 6. The article of footwear according to any of clauses 1 through 5, wherein the first segment is oriented in a first direction on the upper, and wherein the second segment is oriented in a second direction on the upper, the first direction different from the second direction.

Clause 7. The article of footwear according to any of clauses 1 through 6, wherein the first segment forms a heel-facing side of the loop structure, and wherein the second segment forms a toe-facing side of the loop structure.

Clause 8. The article of footwear according to any of clauses 1 through 7, wherein the throat area of the upper comprises at least one aperture axially aligned with the loop structure.

Clause 9. The article of footwear according to any of clauses 1 through 8, wherein the first cable grouping is formed from a continuous cable.

Clause 10. An article of footwear comprising: a sole structure; and an upper secured to the sole structure at a biteline, the upper having an outermost-facing surface and an opposite inner-facing surface, the upper comprising: a first cable grouping comprising: a first segment located on the outermost-facing surface of the upper, the first segment extending in a first direction for a first average distance, a second segment located on the outermost-facing surface of the upper, the second segment extending in a second direction for a second average distance, the second direction different from the first direction, the second average distance different from the first average distance, and a loop structure positioned between the first segment and the second segment.

Clause 11. The article of footwear according to clause 10, wherein in the first segment, each cable in the first cable grouping comprises an egress point, wherein at the egress point, the respective cable begins extending over the outermost-facing surface of the upper after traversing a path from the inner-facing surface of the upper to the outermost-facing surface of the upper.

Clause 12. The article of footwear according to clause 11, wherein the egress points for each of the respective cables are substantially a same distance from the biteline.

Clause 13. The article of footwear according to clause 11, wherein the egress points for at least a portion of the respective cables are a variable distance from the biteline.

Clause 14. The article of footwear according to any of clauses 10 through 13, wherein in the second segment, each cable in the first cable grouping comprises an ingress point, wherein at the ingress point the respective cable no longer extends over the outermost-facing surface of the upper and begins traversing a path from the outermost-facing surface of the upper to the inner-facing surface of the upper.

Clause 15. The article of footwear according to clause 14, wherein the ingress points for each of the respective cables are located superior to the egress points for each of the respective cables.

Clause 16. The article of footwear according to any of clauses 14 through 15, wherein an average distance between adjacent egress points, as measured in a toe-to-heel direction of the article of footwear, is greater than an average distance between adjacent ingress points as measured in the toe-to-heel direction.

Clause 17. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising: positioning a first cable grouping on an upper such that the first cable grouping extends over an outermost-facing surface of the upper, the first cable grouping comprising: a first segment extending in a first direction for a first average distance, a second segment extending in a second direction for a second average distance, the second direction different from the first direction, the second average distance different from the first average distance, and a loop structure positioned between the first segment and the second segment; and securing a sole structure to the upper at a biteline.

Clause 18. The method of manufacturing the article of footwear according to clause 17, wherein positioning the first cable grouping on the upper further comprises causing the respective cables in the first segment to traverse a path from an inner-facing surface of the upper to the outermost-facing surface of the upper such that the respective cables begin extending over the outermost-facing surface of the upper at a plurality of egress points.

Clause 19. The method of manufacturing the article of footwear according to any of clauses 17 through 18, wherein positioning the first cable grouping on the upper further comprises causing the respective cables in the second segment to traverse a path from the outermost-facing surface of the upper to the inner-facing surface of the upper such that the respective cables no longer extend over the outermost-facing surface of the upper at a plurality of ingress points.

Clause 20. The method of manufacturing the article of footwear according to clause 19, wherein the plurality of ingress points are located superior to the plurality of egress points.

Clause 21. An article of footwear comprising: a sole structure; and an upper secured to the sole structure, the upper having an outermost-facing surface and an opposite inner-facing surface, the upper comprising: a first cable grouping comprising: a first segment extending toward a throat area of the upper, the first segment extending a first average distance on the outermost-facing surface of the upper, the first segment terminating in a loop structure that is formed from the first cable grouping, and a second segment extending from the loop structure away from the throat area of the upper, the second segment extending a second average distance on the outermost-facing surface of the upper, the second average distance different from the first average distance.

Clause 22. The article of footwear according to clause 21, wherein the upper comprises a tubular construction with an underfoot portion.

Aspects of the present disclosure have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative aspects will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in the specific order described.