Outer sole component with co-molded flex modifier component for footwear sole structure

Abstract

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes an outer sole component with a co-molded flex modifier component. The outer sole component is formed of a first mold material, such as a rubber mold material. The flex modifier component includes a fiber material and a second mold material. The second mold material may be mold compatible with the first mold material. The sole structure may be formed by co-molding an outer sole component blank or pre-form (e.g., rubber mold material), and a flex modifier component, e.g., in a hot press molding process using a molding system having a mold cavity configured to form the outer sole component. The flex modifier component may be formed (e.g., cut or stamped) from a sheet of flex modifier material, such as a thermoplastic extruded hot melt film sandwiched between fusion bonded non-woven fiber fabric material impregnated with a styrene-coated polymer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:
 an outer sole component formed of a first mold material, the outer sole component having an exposed surface configured to engage a ground surface and an interior surface opposite the exposed surface; and   a flex modifier component, the flex modifier component being formed of a fiber material and a second mold material, the flex modifier component being co-molded with the outer sole component at the interior surface of the outer sole component.   
     
     
         2 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the flex modifier component has a multi-layer construction that includes at least a first layer of fiber material. 
     
     
         3 . The sole structure according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least first layer of fiber material includes a non-woven fiber fabric material. 
     
     
         4 . The sole structure according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least first layer of fiber material includes a fusion bonded non-woven fiber fabric material. 
     
     
         5 . The sole structure according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least first layer of fiber material is impregnated with a polymer material. 
     
     
         6 . The sole structure according to  claim 5 , wherein the polymer material is mold compatible with the first mold material of the outer sole component. 
     
     
         7 . The sole structure according to  claim 5 , wherein the polymer material is a styrene-coated polymer material. 
     
     
         8 . The sole structure according to  claim 2 , wherein the multi-layer construction includes an extruded hot melt film. 
     
     
         9 . The sole structure according to  claim 2 , wherein the multi-layer construction includes an extruded hot melt film sandwiched between fiber material layers. 
     
     
         10 . The sole structure according to  claim 2 , wherein the multi-layer construction includes an extruded thermoplastic hot melt film sandwiched between fusion bonded non-woven fiber fabric material layers impregnated with styrene-coated polymer. 
     
     
         11 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the flex modifier component is co-molded with the outer sole component such that the second mold material of the flex modifier component fuses or blends with the first mold material of the outer sole component to create a chemical and mechanical bond. 
     
     
         12 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer sole component has a first configuration, the flex modifier component has a second configuration, and the flex modifier component is disposed at a location of the outer sole component selected so that the second configuration of the flex modifier component cooperates with the first configuration of the outer sole component to modify a flex characteristic of the outer sole component substantially only at the selected location of the outer sole component. 
     
     
         13 . The sole structure according to  claim 12 , wherein the second configuration of the flex modifier component includes an elongated shank that extends through a midfoot region of the sole structure generally from a heel region to a forefoot region of the sole structure. 
     
     
         14 . The sole structure according to  claim 13 , wherein the elongated shank is generally rectangular. 
     
     
         15 . The sole structure according to  claim 13 , wherein the first configuration of the outer sole component includes a plurality of traction elements arranged in a pattern, and the elongated shank has at least one extended portion that extends within a region located between the plurality of traction elements of the first configuration of the outer sole component. 
     
     
         16 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer sole component has a first configuration including a plurality of traction elements arranged in a forefoot region and a heel region of the outer sole component, the flex modifier component has a second configuration including an elongated shank that extends through a midfoot region of the outer sole component generally from the heel region to the forefoot region of the outer sole component, and the flex modifier component is disposed at a location of the outer sole component selected so that the second configuration of the flex modifier component cooperates with the first configuration of the outer sole component to modify a flex characteristic of the outer sole component substantially only at the selected location of the outer sole component outside of an area that includes the plurality of traction elements. 
     
     
         17 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper; and   a sole structure associated with the upper, the sole structure including:
 an outer sole component formed of a first mold material, the outer sole component having an exposed surface configured to engage a ground surface and an interior surface opposite the exposed surface; and 
 a flex modifier component, the flex modifier component being formed of a fiber material and a second mold material, the flex modifier component being co-molded with the outer sole component at the interior surface of the outer sole component. 
   
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear according to  claim 17 , wherein the sole structure further includes a midsole component disposed between the upper and the outer sole component with the co-molded flex modifier component. 
     
     
         19 . A method of making a sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:
 disposing an outer sole component blank of a first mold material in a mold cavity of a molding system that is configured to correspond with an outer sole component of the sole structure;   disposing a flex modifier component that includes a fiber material and a second mold material on an exposed upper surface of the outer sole component blank; and   co-molding the outer sole component blank and the flex modifier component in the molding system to form the outer sole component, with the co-molded flex modifier component located at an interior surface of the outer sole component.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising;
 preparing a multi-layer flex modifier material including an extruded thermoplastic hot melt film sandwiched between fusion bonded non-woven fiber fabric material impregnated with a styrene-coated polymer; and   forming the flex modifier component from the multi-layer flex modifier material.