The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 18, 2023
Filed:
Mar. 08, 2021
Nike, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US);
Paul Irving Archer, Portland, OR (US);
Hossein Allen Baghdadi, Portland, OR (US);
Jay Constantinou, Portland, OR (US);
Sami Mohamad Fakhouri, Portland, OR (US);
Floyd Whitney Miles, Beaverton, OR (US);
Joseph Thomas Muth, North Plains, OR (US);
Bradley C. Tutmark, Aloha, OR (US);
NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US);
Abstract
A foam article, such as a cushioning element for an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment is provided that comprises a foam component, such as a midsole, having a number of beneficial physical characteristics. The cushioning element is a low-density foamed component with a surface skin that encases the remaining foam volume. The cushioning element has a number of foam volumes, arranged to achieve a more consistent foam component. Additionally, the cushioning element includes a series of concentric ridges extending radially outwardly from injection gate vestige locations, and a number of striation bands near the perimeter of the cushioning element. The location of the gate vestiges can be beneficially arranged to produce intersecting flow boundaries that are located away from key strain areas of the cushioning element. The cushioning element is more environmentally-friendly, requiring less energy to produce while still providing acceptable energy return and low density.