The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 16, 2014
Filed:
Dec. 11, 2012
Wolverine World Wide, Inc., Rockford, MI (US);
Kiyotaka Nakano, Rockford, MI (US);
Wolverine World Wide,Inc., Rockford, MI (US);
Abstract
A sole component having a base, a toe cover and an integral line of articulation permitting the toe cover to be molded in an 'open' position and moved into a 'closed' position during assembly on the article of footwear. The line of articulation may include a line of reduced thickness extending laterally across the sole. The line of articulation may also include breaks defined in the sidewall of the sole in alignment with the line of reduced thickness. The present invention also provides a method of forming a sole component generally including the steps of providing a mold having bottom and top mold parts shaped to cooperatively define a mold cavity in the shape of a sole component having a toe cover joined to a base along a line of articulation, closing the mold parts, injecting a sole forming material into the cavity, removing the sole component and moving the toe cover about the line of articulation into a closed configuration for use.