Nike, Inc.

Nike Innovate C.v.

Fanny Yung Ho

Eric P Avar

Bruce J Kilgore

Ross Klein

Summer L Schneider

Daniel Akey Johnson

Narissa Y Chang

Peter R Savage

Kassio Figur

Sara Kilgore

Matthew Kilgore

Tinker L Hatfield

Elizabeth A Kilgore

Travis J Berrian

Guillermo Raffaele

Katelyn Ricciardi

Austin J Orand

Thomas J Rushbrook

Sebastien Mermet

Stephen J Hipp

Bryant Russell Klug

Jeongwoo Lee

Matthew J Holmes

Tina M Casillas

Matt Holmes

Katelyn Bruce

Narissa Chang

Daniel A Johnson

A method of manufacturing a midsole for an article of footwear includes cutting a pattern of openings at least partway through a midsole with a cutting tool driven by an embroidery machine. An article of footwear includes a midsole defining a pattern of openings extending at least partway through the midsole. An inner surface of the midsole is contoured and the midsole includes upwardly-extending sidewalls. At least some of the openings extend relatively nonparallel with one another through the sidewalls and splay away from one another along longitudinal axes of the openings.

Footwear midsole and method of manufacturing with embroidery machine

This application describes a garment adjusting system that utilizes straps connected to textile elements. A male coupling component with a hook is secured to a first textile element using a first strap, and a female coupling component with a receiving hole is secured to a second textile element using a second strap. The male and female coupling components can be releasably mated by inserting the hook into the receiving hole. Once mated, a level of support provided by the first and/or second textile elements may be adjusted by adjustably sliding the second strap through the female coupling component to adjust a length of the second strap.

Garment adjusting system

Systems and apparatus related to an automated footwear platform including an actuator assembly for controlling a footwear lacing apparatus are discussed. In an example, an actuator assembly can include an actuator frame with a plurality of integrated actuators. The actuator frame is adapted to interconnect elements of the actuator assembly, the actuator frame including a width, a length, and a thickness where the width and length form an exterior surface and an interior surface separated by the thickness. The plurality of actuators are integrated into the actuator frame, each actuator of the plurality of actuators including an actuator head extending from the exterior surface and a button interface extending from the backside of the actuator head through the interior surface.

Lacing engine support structures for automated footwear platform

Systems and apparatus related to footwear including a modular lacing engine are discussed. In this example, the lace guide is deformable to assist in facilitating automated lace tightening. The lace guide can include a middle section, a first extension and a second extension. In this example, the lace guide can be configured to define a first route for a lace cable, the first route including receiving the lace cable along the first incoming lace axis and expelling the lace cable along the first outgoing lace axis. In this example, the lace guide can also deflect, in response to tension on the lace cable, resulting in defining a second route for the lace cable, the second route including receiving the lace cable along a second incoming lace axis and expelling the lace cable along a second outgoing lace axis.

Deformable lace guides for automated footwear platform

Systems and apparatus related to an automated footwear platform including an actuator assembly for controlling a footwear lacing apparatus are discussed. In an example, an Lacing architectures for automated footwear assemblies are discussed. In an example, a footwear assembly can include a floating tongue within an upper assembly. The lacing architecture can include a first plurality or lace guides forming a first lacing zone and a second plurality of lace guides forming a second lacing zone. The lacing architecture can also include a tongue lace guide assembly secure to a proximal portion of the floating tongue.

Lacing architecture for automated footwear platform

Systems and apparatus related to footwear including a modular lacing engine are discussed. In this example, the footwear assembly can include a footwear upper and a lace cable running through a plurality of lace guides. The plurality of lace guides can be distributed along the medial side and the lateral side, and each lace guide of the plurality of lace guides can be adapted to receive a length of the lace cable. The lace cable can extend through each of the plurality of lace guides to form a pattern along each of the medial side and lateral side of the footwear upper. The footwear assembly can also include a medial proximal lace guide routing the lace cable into a lacing engine disposed within a mid-sole portion. Finally, the footwear assembly includes a lateral proximal lace guide to route the lace cable out of the lacing engine.

The present disclosure includes embodiments in which a knit upper in an article of footwear comprises various zones having different properties. For example, some zones may include thermoplastic yarns for bonding to other elements of the article of footwear such as a sole or a lacing system. Zones may also possess varying degrees of elasticity to, for example, accommodate a wearer's foot or provide the knit upper with stability. The knit upper may further include a visible or machine-detectable bite line to indicate the intended placement of elements of the article of footwear.

Zoned upper for an article of footwear

A method of manufacturing an article may include positioning a first textile sheet against a second textile sheet and reciprocating a single needle of an embroidery machine through the first textile sheet and the second textile sheet, the needle forcing fibers of the second textile sheet through the first textile sheet. The fibers may have terminal ends extending outward of an exterior side of the first textile sheet through which the fibers are forced. A method may include forcing fibers from a second side to an opposite side of a single textile sheet to create a pattern of the fibers on the opposite side. Various articles such as footwear uppers may be manufactured according to the method.

Article with fiber pattern and method of manufacturing the article using an embroidery machine

A method of manufacturing an article may include loading a soluble bobbin thread into an embroidery machine and then driving a needle thread through a base sheet with a needle of the embroidery machine according to a programmed first pattern that provides a series of loops of the needle thread extending outward from a bobbin side of the base sheet. The method may further include bonding the needle thread to a needle side of the base sheet opposite from the bobbin side. A spacer layer may be disposed at the bobbin side of the base sheet, and may be removed after the needle thread is bonded to the base sheet. The loops may be loops of a hook-and-loop fastener or ball control features in various articles manufactured according to the method.

Article with integral loops and method of manufacturing

A knitted component may form at least a portion of an article of footwear. For example, a first knit layer may be located on an inner side of an article of footwear such that the first layer is adjacent to a void, and a second layer may at least partially surround the first layer and form an outer surface of the article of footwear. An interstitial space may be formed between the first layer and the second layer. At least one pocket may be located within the interstitial space.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Fanny Yung Ho