# US 10,441,027 B2 · Footwear plate

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- Number: US 10,441,027 B2
- Document ID: US10441027B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/574,889
- Filed: 2017-07-20
- Published: 2019-05-23
- Granted: 2019-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-20
- Assignees: NIKE, Inc.
- Applicants: NIKE, Inc.
- Inventors: Aaron Bartel; Risha Dupre; Emily Farina; Lysandre Follet; Stefan E. Guest; Helene Hutchinson; Sam Lacey; Geng Luo; Rachel M. Savage; Christian Alexander Steinbeck; Adam Thuss; Krissy Yetman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441027B2

## CPC

- A43B 13/186: {Differential cushioning region, e.g. cushioning located under the ball of the foot (resilient heel not included in the sole A43B21/26; resilient supports for the heel of the foot A43B21/32)}
- A43B 7/1445: situated under the midfoot, i.e. the second, third or fourth metatarsal
- A43B 7/145: situated under the toes, i.e. the phalanges
- A43B 7/148: Recesses or holes filled with supports or pads
- A43B 7/18: Joint supports, e.g. instep supports
- A43B 13/026: {Composites, e.g. carbon fibre or aramid fibre; the sole, one or more sole layers or sole part being made of a composite}
- A43B 13/04: Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
- A43B 13/125: {characterised by the midsole or middle layer}
- A43B 13/127: {the midsole being multilayer}
- A43B 13/141: {with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion}
- A43B 13/143: {provided with wedged, concave or convex end portions, e.g. for improving roll-off of the foot}
- A43B 13/188: {Differential cushioning regions}
- A43B 13/189: {filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel, water}
- A43B 13/20: Pneumatic soles {filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas (inflatable linings for skiboots A43B5/0407)}
- A43B 13/22: Soles made slip-preventing or wear-resisting, e.g. by impregnation or spreading a wear-resisting layer
- A43B 5/06: Running shoes; Track shoes
- A43B 7/141: {having an anatomical or curved form}
- A43B 7/1485: Recesses or holes, traversing partially or completely the thickness of the pad
- A43B 13/14: characterised by the constructive form
- A43B 13/181: {Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole}
- A43B 13/187: {Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials}
- A43C 15/02: attached to the sole
- B29D 35/0054: {by compression moulding, vulcanising or the like; Apparatus therefor}
- B29D 35/142: {Soles}
- A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43C: FASTENINGS OR ATTACHMENTS OF FOOTWEAR; LACES IN GENERAL
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)

## Abstract

A plate for an article of footwear includes a substrate, a first strand portion attached to the substrate via first stitching, and a second strand portion disposed on the first layer. The first strand portion includes first segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a first layer on the substrate. The second strand portion includes second segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a second layer on the first layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sole plate for an article of footwear, the sole plate comprising:
a substrate;
a first strand portion attached to the substrate, a first stitching securing the first strand portion to the substrate, wherein the first stitching crosses over the first strand portion and penetrates the substrate at first attachment locations that are spaced apart from the first strand portion, the first strand portion including first segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a first layer on the substrate;
a second strand portion disposed on the first layer, a second stitching securing the second strand portion to the substrate, the second strand portion including second segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a second layer on the first layer;
an anterior-most point disposed in a forefoot region of the article of footwear;
a posterior-most point disposed closer to a heel region of the article of footwear than the anterior-most point; and
a concave portion extending between the anterior-most point and the posterior-most point, the concave portion including a constant radius of curvature from the anterior-most point to a metatarsophalangeal (MTP) point of the article of footwear, the MTP point configured to oppose and reside below an MTP joint of a foot during use; and
a polymeric resin consolidating the first strand portion, the second strand portion, and the substrate to form a composite when heat and pressure are applied.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sole plate of claim 1, wherein the second stitching crosses over the second strand portion, extends through the first strand portion, and penetrates the substrate at second attachment locations.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The sole plate of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first stitching and the second stitching has a higher melting point than the substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sole plate of claim 1, wherein the first strand portion and the second strand portion are portions of the same, continuous strand.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sole plate of claim 1, wherein the first strand portion is formed from a first tow of fibers including at least one of carbon fibers, boron fibers, glass fibers, and polymeric fibers.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The sole plate of claim 5, wherein the second strand portion is formed from a second tow of fibers including at least one of carbon fibers, boron fibers, glass fibers, and polymeric fibers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The sole plate of claim 6, wherein the second tow of fibers includes approximately the same number of fibers as the first tow of fibers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The sole plate of claim 6, wherein the second tow of fibers includes a different number of fibers than the first tow of fibers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The sole plate of claim 1, wherein the first strand portion and the second strand portion include looped portions disposed proximate to a peripheral edge of the substrate, the looped portions connecting adjacent first segments and adjacent second segments.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The sole plate of claim 1, wherein at least two adjacent first segments and/or at least two adjacent second segments are disconnected at a peripheral edge of the substrate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The sole plate of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a first density of first segments applied to the substrate and the second layer has a second density of second segments applied to the first layer, wherein the second density is different than the first density.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The sole plate of claim 1, wherein the first segments are applied to the substrate at a first angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the substrate and the second segments are applied to the first layer at a second angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the substrate, wherein the second angle is different than the first angle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The sole plate of claim 12, further comprising a third strand portion disposed on the second layer, the third strand portion including third segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a third layer on the second layer, the third segments being convergent with the first segments and the second segments and disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to one another.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The sole plate of claim 1, wherein the first strand portion forms a first void in the first layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The sole plate of claim 14, wherein the second strand portion forms a second void in the second layer that is aligned with the first void or spaced apart from the first void.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The sole plate of claim 14, wherein the substrate is exposed or absent within the first void.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The sole plate of claim 1, wherein the sole plate includes a flat portion disposed within the heel region of the article of footwear, the posterior-most point being located within the flat portion.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The sole plate of claim 1, wherein the MTP point is located approximately thirty percent (30%) of the total length of the sole plate from the anterior-most point.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The sole plate of claim 1, further comprising a cushioning layer disposed at least partially within the concave portion.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The sole plate of claim 19, wherein the cushioning layer defines a greatest thickness proximate to the MTP point.