Nike, Inc.

Gecom Corporation

Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Mitsui Minings & Melting Co., Ltd.

Fabdesigns, Inc.

Nike International Ltd.

Nike Innovate C.v.

Bryan N Farris

David Curtis Turner

Olivier Henrichot

Austin J Orand

Alison Sheets-Singer

Aaron B Weast

Elizabeth Langvin

Tory Michael Cross

Jeffrey C Pisciotta

Thomas G Bell

Christopher Simon Cook

Brian Kepler

Noah Murphy-Reinhertz

Dennis D Bunnell

Bruce Huffa

Adrian Meir

Travis J Berrian

Steven Francis Smith

Jeffrey L Johnson

Katsuyuki Ishiguro

Paul VanDomelen

Cristian Damboiu

Tinker L Hatfield

Eric P Avar

James C Meschter

Michael A Aveni

Kevin W Hoffer

Robert C Williams, Jr

Tobie D Hatfield

Pamela Susan Greene

William Michael Dieter

Christopher J Lyke

Henry W Hausler

Rachel M Savage

Petre Gheorghian

Adrian Nicholas Alexander Elliott

Dave Michael Lechkun

George A Xanthos

Caleb W Dyer

Jeffrey Lee Johnson

Aaron Martin

Ernest E Kim

Bruce Alan Barney

Akira Takahashi

Margaret P St Clair

Lyle Dadd

Elizabeth A Kilgore

Jim Baucom

Jorge Emilio Carbo, Jr

Rory S Blanche

Naoki Hanaki

Hiroki Hattori

Andrew Baranowski

William Denton

Minseung Kang

David Jung

Diego Zurita

Ryan Creswell

Jeongeun Bae

Chistopher W Brandt

Janani Viswanathan

Christopher Cook

Jeffrey Johnson

Paul Vandomelen

William M Dieter

Steven F Smith

Steven Smith

Christopher James Lyke

Christopher S Cook

Tory M Cross

Methods and systems are provided for forming a molded foam article. An example method may include molding a plurality of separate pieces of closed-cell foam by exposure to a temperature cycle within a sealed mold to soften the plurality of pieces sufficiently for physical bonding; and forming a molded foam article with the pieces bonded together without an adhesive, wherein, during the temperature cycle, the mold is unsealed at least once to release gases and/or pressure. In another example, a method includes exposing a filled, sealed mold filled with a plurality of pieces of foamed material to a heating cycle; at a threshold temperature, unsealing the filled, sealed mold until a pressure reduces to within a threshold of atmospheric pressure; and, following the unsealing, cooling the filled mold prior to removing a molded foam article.

Method for molding foamed material

A method of making a foamed article, for example a foamed component for an article of footwear, includes forming an unfoamed, thermoplastic polymer into an unfoamed article; heating the article to soften the article and infusing the softened article with at least one inert gas at a first pressure greater than atmospheric pressure that is sufficient to cause the at least one inert gas to permeate into the softened article; and reducing the pressure to second pressure below the first pressure with the unfoamed article softened to at least partially foam the article. A surface of a partial mold limits foam expansion in at least one direction but less than all directions. The article or a part of the article may be formed from an unfoamed structure of interconnected, unfoamed, thermoplastic polymeric members spaced to define openings between the thermoplastic polymeric members.

Method of making foams using partial molds

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method. The method may include placing an upper on a last, where the upper includes a lower perimeter edge secured to a lasting element, and where the last includes an opening for receiving the lasting element. The method may further include feeding the lasting element at least partially through an opening of the last and tensioning the lasting element to tighten the upper around the last by pulling the tensioning element at least partially through the opening.

Upper for an article of footwear and method of lasting the upper

A sole structure for an article of footwear. The sole structure includes at least one support plate located on an underside of a midsole on a medial forefoot side of the midsole and extending from a medial edge of the midsole to at least a longitudinal center line of the midsole, wherein a lateral edge of the plate is located medially of the lateral edge of the midsole. The support plate may contain at least one sipe or groove extending laterally across the midsole to provide flexibility in a forefoot-to-heel direction of the midsole. The support plate may contain at least one rail.

Medially-located lateral footwear stabilizer

An upper for an article of footwear may include a knitted component that includes a first zone, a second zone, and a third zone. Each of the first zone, the second zone, and the third zone may extend toward a collar area of the upper at least partially in a heel area of the upper. The second zone is located between the first zone and the third zone such that the second zone is located in a substantially central portion of the heel area. The second zone may include an elasticity that is greater than an elasticity of the first zone and also greater than an elasticity of the third zone.

Upper including a knitted component

An upper may include a knitted component having an interior surface and an exterior surface. The knitted component may include at least one integrally knitted cushion region located on the interior surface in the rearfoot region. The cushion region may include a plurality of tubular rib structures that project away from the second surface of the knitted component, and within the rearfoot region, the plurality of tubular rib structures may extend vertically and parallel to a heel centerline of the upper.

Knitted cushion regions

A method of making a foamed article, for example a foamed component for an article or footwear, comprises depositing an unfoamed, thermoplastic polymer onto a support surface in a three-dimensional printing process to form an unfoamed article; heating the article to soften the article and infusing the softened article with at least one inert gas at a first pressure greater than atmospheric pressure that is sufficient to cause the at least one inert gas to permeate into the softened article; and reducing the pressure to second pressure below the first pressure while the article is softened to at least partially foam the article, wherein a surface of a partial mold limits foam expansion in at least one direction but less than all directions. The article or a part of the article may be made by printing a thermoplastic polymeric material with a three-dimensional printer in a structure of interconnected, unfoamed, thermoplastic polymeric members spaced to define openings between the thermoplastic polymeric members.

Interconnected thermoplastic articles capable of being foamed

An article of footwear includes a sole structure. The article of footwear further includes a first member that extends away from the sole structure. The first member at least partially defines a medial side and a lateral side of the article of footwear. Moreover, the second member has a body, a first support arm, and a second support arm. The body is attached to the first member such that the first member and the body cooperate to define a void that is configured to receive a foot. The body is also attached to the sole structure. The first support arm is attached to the first member on the medial side, and the second support arm is attached to the first member on the lateral side.

Article of footwear with upper having member with support arm

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a sole plate that has a forefoot portion with a foot-facing surface. The sole plate has at least one groove extending at least partially transversely in the foot-facing surface. The at least one groove is open when the sole structure is dorsiflexed in a first portion of a flexion range, and closed when the sole structure is dorsiflexed in a second portion of the flexion range that includes flex angles greater than in the first portion of the flexion range.

Footwear sole structure with compression grooves and nonlinear bending stiffness

A pre-tensioned article and method of making an article of footwear involving pre-tensioning a sole structure during manufacturing. In some embodiments, the sole structure may include a plurality of apertures that provide an auxetic effect. In further embodiments, the upper may also be pre-tensioned in a similar manner as the sole structure.

Pre-tensioned article and method of making

A method of making a foamed article comprises (a) injection molding a molten thermoplastic elastomer to form an precursor; (b) crosslinking the thermoplastic elastomer; (c) heating the thermoplastic elastomer to a first temperature to soften the thermoplastic elastomer; (d) infusing the thermoplastic elastomer with at least one inert gas at a first pressure that is sufficient to cause the at least one inert gas to permeate into the softened thermoplastic elastomer; and (e) while the article is softened, reducing the pressure to a second pressure below the first pressure to at least partially foam the precursor into a foamed article, wherein the foamed article is substantially the same shape as the precursor.

Method of foaming an injection molded precursor

The present disclosure provides a knitted component, the knitted component with a knit element that forms at least a portion of an upper for an article of footwear and defines an interior void for receiving a foot. A lower perimeter edge of the knit element may extend between a lateral side and a medial side of the upper. At least one strand of the knitted component may extend through the lower perimeter edge on opposite sides of the knitted component so as to extend between the lateral side and the medial side of the upper. The knitted component may be formed on a knitting machine, and the at least one strand may be configured to be tensioned to tighten the upper around a last.

Upper for an article of footwear with at least one strand for lasting

A sole for article of footwear includes a midsole component having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. A plurality of blind holes each extends from the outer surface toward the inner surface. The plurality of blind holes are arranged in an auxetic configuration in the outer surface. Each hole in the plurality of holes extends towards the inner surface. The plurality of blind holes is arranged in a pattern that provides a tunable performance characteristic. The patterns of blind holes vary between different regions of the midsole component to provide different types of responses in the different regions.

Sole for an article of footwear having regionally varied auxetic structures

Growing community of inventors

North Plains, OR, United States of America

Bryan N Farris