Abstract:
The present invention provides a 3-D fabric with a plurality of channels. Loops in the channels distribute force over the fabric.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to an engineered fabric and, more particularly, an engineered fabric having channels to facilitate tightening a shoe upper about the foot of a wearer.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     There exist many mechanisms for tightening shoes, boots, skates, and other footwear. Conventional mechanisms for tightening footwear range from simple manual lace tightening to more complex buckles or clamps and the like. Manual lace tightening has many drawbacks including, for example, difficulty in adjusting the lace tightness and uneven distribution of pressure from the tightening. Buckle and clamp style systems, while quicker than manual lace tightening, cause pressure points where the buckles or clamps exist. These pressure points cause localized hot spots and irritation, which can lead to blisters and the like.  
         [0003]     VELCRO® straps can be used in place of buckles and/or laces, but they suffer many of the drawbacks of buckles in they produce localized pressure points and uneven tightness distribution. Further, the straps are prearranged, similar to buckles, inhibiting the shoe from free forming to a user&#39;s foot shape. The result is localized pressure points and hotspots that can irritate the foot.  
         [0004]     An existing automatic lace tightening system is described by U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,558, issued Sep. 18, 2001, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,599, issued Aug. 10, 1999, both titled F OOTWEAR  L ACING  S YSTEM , both issued to Hammerslag. The Hammerslag Patents describe a circular tightening apparatus that is rotated to tighten the laces and locked in place with a ratchet and pawl lock. The laces are loosened by releasing the lock by lifting the pawl and pulling on the laces to loosen them, or using reverse rotation of the ratchet. As can be seen, the Hammersiag Patents disclose a conventional shoe having an upper with an open throat. Opposing sides of the upper are tightened using the laces and tightening system of the Hammerslag Patents.  
         [0005]     All of the above systems, are ways to tighten the throat or canopy of the shoe. While this is helpful, the shoes uppers still bind or develop local hotspots around the majority of the foot. In order to inhibit the formation of local hotspots or other irritating pressure points, multi-layer upper constructions are being developed. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an upper  100  is shown.  FIG. 1  shows an elevation view of upper  100  on a shoe and  FIG. 2  shows a cross section of upper  100  exploded. Referring first to  FIG. 1 , upper  100  includes a series of loops or hooks  2 ,  4 ,  6 ,  8 , and  10  on each side of upper  100 . Loops  2 ,  4 ,  6 ,  8 , and  10  have a top section  12  through which laces may be threaded. Loops  2 ,  4 ,  6 ,  8 , and  10  also have a bottom section  14  typically attached at the upper sole junction  16 . Thus the bottom is typically stitched, adhered, or fused in upper sole junction  16 . As can be seen from  FIG. 1 , by threading the laces through top sections  12 , when the laces are tightened about a shoe throat  18  (or gap), loops  2 ,  4 ,  6 ,  8 , and  10  distribute the tightening substantially equally about the foot to prevent binding, hotspots, and other irritation.  
         [0006]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , an exploded cross section of upper  100  is shown. Upper  100  comprises (from inside the shoe out) a backing layer  22 , a mesh or breathable fabric layer  24 , a bonding layer  26 , a loop layer  28 , and a topside layer  30 . Optionally, another bonding layer  26  may exist between backing layer  22  and fabric layer  24  and between loop layer  28  and topside layer  29 . Loops  6  and  8  are shown in loop layer  28 . While  FIG. 2  is not drawn to scale, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that constructing upper  100  this way reduces breathability, increases weight, reduces moisture management, and increases production time and cost, but is designed to increase comfort by distributing the effects of lace tightening around more of the foot.  
         [0007]     Thus, it would be desirous to develop an improved fabric that would facilitate shoe tightening and inhibit the formation of hotspots or other irritants, but also increase breathability, increase moisture management, decrease weight, and decrease production costs and time.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     To attain the advantages and in accordance with the present invention, a shoe upper with tightening channels is provided. The shoe upper comprises a three dimensional fabric having a sole attachment side and a throat side. The fabric has a top facing side, a body, and a back facing side. The body contains a plurality of channels. At least one loop in the plurality of channels distributes force when the shoe is tightened.  
         [0009]     The foregoing and other features, utilities and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles thereof. Like items in the drawings are referred to using the same numerical reference.  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a prior art upper;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the upper associated with  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a cross section view of an upper consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]     The present invention will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 1-3 . While the present invention will be explained in connection with shoes, and specifically running or athletic shoes, one or ordinary skill in the art would recognize that other textiles requiring lacing could equally benefit from the present invention and the references to shoes should be considered exemplary and non-limiting. Further, references to  FIG. 1  are generic in nature and should not be considered limiting.  
         [0015]     Referring first to  FIG. 3 , a fabric  300  consistent with the present invention is shown. Fabric  300  is a 3 dimensional mesh fabric. While fabric  300  uses a mesh knit, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand other types of 3 dimensional fabrics are possible using woven and non-woven techniques. Fabric  300  includes a top facing side  302 , a body  304 , and a back facing side  306 . Engineered into body  304  are voids  308 . Voids  308  form channels for loops  2 ,  4 ,  6 ,  8 , and  10  ( FIG. 1 ).  
         [0016]     While fabric  300  could use a consistent knit  310  over the entire fabric, it would be possible to vary the knit over fabric  300  such that top facing side  302  had a different knit than body  304 . Thus, top facing side  302  could be a denser or tightly woven layer while body  304  is less dense and more breathable. Similarly, back facing side  306  could have a different knit than body  304 . Notice, top facing side  302  and back facing side  306  could have the same or different knits as well.  
         [0017]     Using the present invention, upper  100  could be constructed out of a single layer of fabric  300  instead of the composite fabric shown in  FIG. 2 . Although a single layer is possible with fabric  300 , additional layers could optionally be added. For example, a layer  312  could be added to the back facing side  306  (which is the side closest to the foot). Layer  312  could be constructed from wickable material, such as, for example, polyester mesh, hydrophobic material, such as for example, polyester mesh, or absorbent material, such as, for example, nylon mesh. Further, fabric  300  could be loaded with moisture management technology, such as, for example, absorbent particles  314  or moisture wicking channels  316 .  
         [0018]     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.