Polymeric cover panels with integral plastic fragments for footwear uppers and methods for making the same

Abstract

Presented are polymeric cover panels with permanently affixed plastic fragments for articles of footwear, methods for making/using such cover panels, and footwear fabricated with such cover panels. A cover panel for an article of footwear includes a cover layer that is formed, in whole or in part, from an at least partially transparent polymeric material, such as a hot-melt adhesive, adhesive-coated polymer, or tacky thermoplastic material. The cover panel mounts onto one or more select segments of the footwear upper such that an outer face of the cover layer defines an outermost surface of these select segment(s) of the footwear upper. An assortment of plastic fragments is dispersed across and permanently affixed to an interior face of the cover layer, e.g., such that the plastic fragments are encapsulated between the cover layer and the footwear upper. Each plastic fragment may have a distinct shape, size, and/or color.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A cover panel for an article of footwear, the article of footwear including a sole structure configured to support thereon a foot of a user, and a footwear upper affixed to the sole structure and configured to attach to the foot of the user, the cover panel comprising:
 a cover layer formed with an at least partially transparent polymeric material and configured to attach to a select segment of the footwear upper such that an outer face of the cover layer defines an outermost surface of the select segment of the footwear upper; and   a plurality of plastic fragments dispersed across and affixed to an interior face of the cover layer, each of the plastic fragments having a distinct shape, size, and/or color.   
     
     
         2 . The cover panel of  claim 1 , wherein the select segment of the footwear upper includes lateral and medial segments on lateral and medial sides of the footwear, respectively, and wherein the cover layer includes lateral-side and medial-side panel segments configured to attach to and cover the lateral and medial segments, respectively, of the footwear upper. 
     
     
         3 . The cover panel of  claim 2 , wherein the footwear upper includes a toe box at a front end of the footwear, a vamp adjoining the toe box, a rear quarter adjoining the vamp, and a rear counter at a back end of the footwear and adjoining the rear quarter, and wherein the lateral-side and medial-side panel segments extend continuously from the toe box to the rear counter. 
     
     
         4 . The cover panel of  claim 3 , wherein the cover layer, including the lateral-side panel segment and the medial-side panel segment, is integrally formed as a one-piece structure. 
     
     
         5 . The cover panel of  claim 3 , wherein the sole structure includes a soleplate defining a ground-facing surface of the footwear, and wherein the lateral-side panel segment is configured to wrap around and cover a lateral surface segment of a ground-facing upper surface of the upper, the medial-side panel segment is configured to wrap around and cover a medial surface segment of the ground-facing upper surface, and the soleplate mounts to the cover panel. 
     
     
         6 . The cover panel of  claim 1 , wherein the at least partially transparent polymeric material has a first opacity level at a first region of the cover layer and a second opacity level, distinct from the first opacity level, at a second region of the cover layer. 
     
     
         7 . The cover panel of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic fragments are permanently adhered to and protrude from the interior face of the cover layer. 
     
     
         8 . The cover panel of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic fragments are at least partially embedded within the cover layer and protrude from the interior face thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The cover panel of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic fragments are permanently encased within the cover layer. 
     
     
         10 . The cover panel of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic fragments cover substantially the entirety of the interior face of the cover layer. 
     
     
         11 . The cover panel of  claim 1 , wherein the sole structure further includes a soleplate defining a ground-facing surface of the footwear, and wherein the cover layer is configured to cover the select segment of the footwear upper and to wrap around and cover at least a portion of a ground-facing upper surface of the upper such that the soleplate abuts the cover layer. 
     
     
         12 . The cover panel of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material of the cover layer includes a hot-melt adhesive material, a tacky thermoplastic material, and/or an adhesive-coated polymer film. 
     
     
         13 . The cover panel of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic fragments include recycled plastic material containing ground scrap, waste, and/or repurposed plastic material. 
     
     
         14 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole structure configured to support thereon a foot of a user;   a footwear upper affixed to the sole structure and configured to attach to the foot of the user; and   a cover panel, including:
 a cover layer formed from an at least partially transparent polymeric material and mounted to a select segment of the footwear upper such that an outer face of the cover layer defines an outermost surface of the select segment of the footwear upper; and 
 a plurality of plastic fragments dispersed across and at least partially embedded within an interior face of the cover layer such that the plastic fragments are encapsulated between the cover layer and the footwear upper, each of the plastic fragments having a distinct shape, size, and/or color. 
   
     
     
         15 . A method of manufacturing a cover panel for an article of footwear, the article of footwear including a sole structure configured to support thereon a foot of a user, and a footwear upper affixed to the sole structure and configured to attach to the foot of the user, the method comprising:
 forming, using an at least partially transparent polymeric material, a cover layer structurally configured to attach to a select segment of the footwear upper such that an outer face of the cover layer defines an outermost surface of the select segment of the footwear upper; and   affixing a plurality of plastic fragments to an interior face of the cover layer with the plastic fragments dispersed across the interior face, each of the plastic fragments having a distinct shape, size, and/or color.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the select segment of the footwear upper includes lateral and medial segments on lateral and medial sides of the footwear, respectively, and wherein forming the cover layer includes forming a lateral-side panel segment and a medial-side panel segment that structurally attach to and cover the lateral segment and the medial segment, respectively, of the footwear upper. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the footwear upper includes a toe box at a front end of the footwear, a vamp adjoining the toe box, a rear quarter adjoining the vamp, and a rear counter at a back end of the footwear and adjoining the rear quarter, and wherein the lateral-side and medial-side panel segment are formed to extend continuously from the toe box to the rear counter. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the cover layer, including the lateral-side panel segment and the medial-side panel segment, is integrally formed as a one-piece structure. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sole structure further includes a soleplate defining a ground-facing surface of the footwear, and wherein the lateral-side panel segment is configured to wrap around and cover a lateral surface segment of a ground-facing upper surface of the upper, the medial-side panel segment is configured to wrap around and cover a medial surface segment of the ground-facing upper surface, and the soleplate mounts to the cover panel. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least partially transparent polymeric material has a first opacity level at a first region of the cover layer and a second opacity level, distinct from the first opacity level, at a second region of the cover layer.