Metatarsal guard for footwear

Abstract

Safety footwear configured to provide protection to the instep region and/or metatarsals of a wearer. The footwear includes a metatarsal guard having a rigid central spine, multiple ridge elements that extend transversely to the spine across an instep of the footwear, and a cushion element joined with the central spine that extends outward under the multiple ridge elements. The ridge elements are raised to deflect impact forces imparted on the metatarsal guard and the cushion element provides enhanced cushioning to a foot of a wearer of the footwear. With these constructions, the footwear remains flexible enough to provide enhanced mobility to a wearer.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper including an instep region located rearward of a toe region,   an outsole joined with the upper, the outsole and upper sharing a longitudinal axis that divides the footwear into a lateral side and a medial side;   a metatarsal guard joined with the upper and extending over the an exterior of the upper, the metatarsal guard comprising:
 a central spine that extends along the longitudinal axis of the footwear; 
 a plurality of ridge elements that extend transversely to the central spine and the longitudinal axis, each of the ridge elements including a lateral cantilevered portion that extends outward from the central spine to a lateral free end on the lateral side, and a medial cantilevered portion that extends outward from the central spine to a medial free end on the medial side, such that adjacent lateral cantilevered portions of different ridge elements are separated by corresponding lateral gaps and adjacent medial cantilevered portions of different ridge elements are separated by corresponding medial gaps; and 
   a cushion element disposed under the central spine and the plurality of ridge elements, the cushion element including a central cushion portion that diminishes in thickness as the cushion element extends away from the longitudinal axis, and a ridge cushion portion that extends outward under respective lateral cantilevered portions and medial cantilevered portions of the plurality of ridge elements,
 wherein the central spine and the plurality of ridge elements are integral with one another and constructed from a rigid first material, 
 wherein the cushion element is constructed from a second material having a first durometer and a second durometer that is less than the first durometer, the central cushion portion including the first durometer, the ridge cushion portion including the second durometer, 
 whereby the plurality of ridge elements are configured to deflect impact forces from the metatarsal guard and the cushion element is configured to provide enhanced cushioning along the longitudinal axis. 
   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the metatarsal guard includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion extending toward the toe region,   wherein a protective toe box is integrally formed with the metatarsal guard at a hinge such that the central spine and plurality of ridge elements can articulate about the hinge and relative to the protective toe box.   
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the plurality of ridge elements include a lower ridge having a lower front wall and a lower rear wall joined at a lower transition apex,   wherein the lower front wall descends to the hinge, which is disposed lower than the lower transition apex and lower than an upper, exterior surface of the protective toe box.   
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of ridges include an upper ridge element and a lower ridge element closer to the toe region than the upper ridge element,   wherein the lower ridge element is of a first height and the upper ridge element is of a second height,   wherein the first height is greater than the second height.   
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of ridge elements include a generally triangular cross section including a front wall and a rear wall that transition to one another at a transition apex.   
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 6 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of ridge elements include a first height adjacent the longitudinal axis and a second height adjacent the medial free end,   wherein the second height is less than the first height.   
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 7 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of ridge elements include a third height adjacent the lateral free end,   wherein the third height is less than the first height.   
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the central spine includes a central spine width that is transverse to the longitudinal axis,   wherein each of the plurality of ridge elements include a ridge width between a respective lateral free end and a medial free end,   wherein the central spine width is less than each ridge width.   
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the central cushion portion includes a first thinned portion on the lateral side and a second thinned portion on the medial side under at least one ridge element,   wherein a first ridge cushion portion extends over the first thinned portion on the lateral side, and a second ridge cushion extends over the second thinned portion on the medial side under the at least one ridge element.   
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the first thinned portion and the second thinned portion of the central cushion portion have a first durometer,   wherein the first ridge cushion portion and the second ridge cushion portion have a second durometer, less than the first durometer,   wherein the first thinned portion, the second thinned portion, the first ridge cushion portion and the second ridge cushion portion are constructed from a common material.   
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the common material is a strain rate dependent polyurethane foam having different durometers.   
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the first ridge cushion portion extends from the first thinned portion to the lateral free end on the lateral side under a respective ridge,   wherein the second ridge cushion portion extends from the second thinned portion to the medial free end on the medial side under the respective ridge.   
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  comprising:
 a protective toe box integrally formed with and extending forward of the metatarsal guard at a hinge such that the metatarsal guard can hinge relative to the protective toe box. 
 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the protective toe box and the metatarsal guard include an outer layer constructed from a material having a first durometer, and an inner layer constructed from the material having a lesser, second durometer,   wherein the hinge includes the inner layer, but not the outer layer.   
     
     
         15 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper including an instep region located rearward of a toe region,   an outsole joined with the upper, the outsole and upper sharing a longitudinal axis that divides the footwear into a lateral side and a medial side;   a metatarsal guard joined with the upper and extending over an exterior of the upper, the metatarsal guard comprising:
 a central spine that extends along the longitudinal axis of the footwear; 
 a plurality of ridge elements that extend transversely to the central spine and the longitudinal axis, each of the ridge elements including a front wall and a rear wall joined at a transition apex; and 
   a cushion element disposed directly under the central spine and the plurality of ridge elements, the cushion element including a central cushion portion that diminishes in thickness as it extends away from the longitudinal axis and a ridge cushion portion that extends outward, away from the longitudinal axis under each of the plurality of ridge elements;
 whereby the plurality of ridges are configured to deflect impact forces from the metatarsal guard and the cushion element is configured to provide enhanced cushioning along the longitudinal axis. 
   
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of ridges includes a lateral cantilevered portion that extends outward from the central spine to a lateral free end on the lateral side, and a medial cantilevered portion that extends outward from the central spine to a medial free end on the medial side such that adjacent lateral cantilevered portions of different ridge elements are separated by corresponding lateral gaps and adjacent medial cantilevered portions of different ridge elements are separated by corresponding medial gaps.   
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 16 ,
 wherein each of the respective lateral cantilevered portions curve downward over a lateral upper panel, diminishing in a first height toward a lateral free end,   wherein each of the respective medial cantilevered portions curve downward over a medial upper panel, diminishing in a second height toward a medial free end.   
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 18 ,
 wherein the cushion element is constructed from a polyurethane foam having both a first durometer and a second durometer that is less than the first durometer, the central cushion portion including the first durometer, the ridge cushion portion including the second durometer   
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of ridges includes a first height adjacent the longitudinal axis and a second height adjacent the medial free end,   wherein the second height is less than the first height.   
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 ,
 wherein a rear wall of an upper ridge element is angled upward relative to a horizontal plane,   wherein a rear wall of a lower ridge element is angled downward relative to the horizontal plane.