Article of footwear with rod support system

摘要

An article of footwear has a sole with a forefoot portion, a midfoot portion, and a heel portion. The sole has a ground-facing side and a foot-facing side opposite the ground-facing side. The article of footwear includes a support system that has one or more rods spaced from the sole and extending longitudinally from the forefoot portion to the heel portion on the foot-facing side. The rod is operatively connected to the sole at the forefoot portion and at the heel portion. A sling is suspended from the rod over the midfoot portion. The rod bends when the sole is flexed to thereby lift the sling away from the sole.

主权项

1. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole having a forefoot portion, a midfoot portion, and a heel portion; wherein the sole has a ground-facing side and a foot-facing side opposite the ground-facing side; a support system including:
a first rod spaced from the sole and extending longitudinally from the forefoot portion to the heel portion on the foot-facing side; wherein the first rod is operatively connected to the sole at the forefoot portion and at the heel portion, the first rod has a first end fixed relative to the heel portion on a medial side of the heel portion, the first rod is in a respective first configuration when the sole is in an unflexed state, and elastically deforms to a respective second configuration bent relative to the first configuration when the sole is in a flexed state with the heel portion closer to the forefoot portion on the foot-facing side than in the unflexed state;a second rod having a respective first end fixed relative to a lateral side of the heel portion; wherein the second rod is in a respective first configuration when the sole is in the UNFLEXED state, and elastically deforms to a respective second configuration bent relative to the first configuration when the sole is in the flexed state, and the first and the second rods extend to respective second ends operatively connected to move about a pivot axis that extends laterally at the ground-facing side of the forefoot portion;a sling suspended from the first rod over the midfoot portion, wherein the sling is further suspended from the second rod at the midfoot portion such that the sling is suspended from the first and second rods on the foot-facing side;wherein the second ends move relative to the pivot axis when the sole moves from the unflexed state to the flexed state;wherein the first rod bends when the sole is flexed to thereby lift the sling away from the sole;a band extending from the medial side to the lateral side of the forefoot portion and pivotably connected to the sole at the forefoot portion to pivot at the pivot axis; and wherein the second ends of the first and second rods are connected to the band on the foot-facing side of the sole, the first and the second rods thereby pushing the band to pivot about the pivot axis when the sole is moved from the unflexed state to the flexed state.