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US 10,537,151 B2Granted
Article of footwear comprising a sole member with aperture patterns
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsShane S. Kohatsu, Christopher S. Cook, Bret Schoolmeester
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure with a sole member. The sole member can be manufactured using a customized cushioning sole system. A user's foot morphology and/or preferences may be used to design the sole member. The sole member can include a column of apertures that are formed along the outer surface of the sole member.
Claims28
A sole member for an article of footwear, comprising:
- a sole member, the sole member including an outer surface, the outer surface comprising an upper surface and a lower surface;
- the sole member having an interior portion, wherein the interior portion is disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface;
- the sole member having a forefoot region and a heel region;
- the sole member having a set of apertures, wherein at least one aperture of the set of apertures is a blind-hole aperture;
- wherein each aperture of the set of apertures is disposed along a portion of the outer surface of the sole member;
- wherein each aperture of the set of apertures has a cross-sectional diameter;
- wherein at least a portion of the set of apertures is arranged along the outer surface of the sole member to comprise a first column of apertures formed of apertures adjacent one another in a direction extending from the heel region to the forefoot region of the sole member;
- wherein the first column of apertures extends continuously from the forefoot region to the heel region;
- wherein the first column of apertures includes at least a first aperture, a second aperture disposed adjacent to the first aperture, and a third aperture disposed adjacent to the second aperture, and wherein the first aperture has a first cross-sectional diameter, the second aperture has a second cross-sectional diameter, and the third aperture has a third cross-sectional diameter;
- wherein the first cross-sectional diameter is smaller than the second cross-sectional diameter, and wherein the second cross-sectional diameter is smaller than the third cross-sectional diameter;
- and
- wherein the cross-sectional diameters of the apertures of the first column of apertures continuously increase from the forefoot region to a center of the sole member located in a midfoot region of the sole member, and wherein the cross-sectional diameters of the apertures of the first column of apertures continuously decrease from the center of the sole member to the heel region.
9 more elements
A sole member for an article of footwear, comprising:
- a sole member, the sole member including an outer surface, the outer surface comprising an upper surface and a lower surface;
- the sole member having a forefoot region and a heel region;
- the sole member having a set of apertures, wherein each aperture of the set of apertures is a blind-hole aperture;
- wherein at least a portion of the set of apertures is disposed along a portion of the outer surface of the sole member to form a first column of apertures formed of apertures adjacent one another in a direction extending from the heel region to the forefoot region of the sole member;
- wherein the first column of apertures extends continuously from the forefoot region to the heel region;
- wherein each aperture of the set of apertures has a cross-sectional diameter;
- wherein a size of a majority of the apertures comprising the first column of apertures generally increases in a direction approaching a midfoot region of the sole member;
- and
- wherein the cross-sectional diameters of the apertures of the first column of apertures continuously increase from the forefoot region to a center of the sole member located in the midfoot region of the sole member, and wherein the cross-sectional diameters of the apertures of the first column of apertures continuously decrease from the center of the sole member to the heel region.
6 more elements
A sole member for an article of footwear, comprising:
- a sole structure formed of a foam material and including a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, wherein the sole structure includes:
- (a) an outer surface having an upper surface and a lower surface, and (b) an interior portion disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface;
- and
- a set of apertures defined in the outer surface of the sole structure and extending into the foam material, wherein at least one aperture of the set of apertures is a blind-hole aperture extending into the foam material, wherein at least a portion of the set of apertures is arranged along the outer surface of the sole structure to comprise a first column of apertures formed of apertures adjacent one another and extending continuously from the heel region, through the midfoot region, and to the forefoot region of the sole structure,
- wherein cross-sectional diameters of the apertures of the first column of apertures continuously increase from the forefoot region to a center of the sole structure located in the midfoot region of the sole structure, and wherein the cross-sectional diameters of the apertures of the first column of apertures continuously decrease from the center of the sole structure to the heel region.
2 more elements
A sole member for an article of footwear, consisting essentially of:
- a sole structure formed of a foam material and including a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, wherein the sole structure includes:
- (a) an outer surface having an upper surface and a lower surface, and (b) an interior portion disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface;
- and
- a set of apertures defined in the outer surface of the sole structure and extending into the foam material, wherein at least one aperture of the set of apertures is a blind-hole aperture extending into the foam material, wherein at least a portion of the set of apertures is arranged along the outer surface of the sole structure to comprise a first column of apertures formed of apertures adjacent one another and extending continuously from the heel region, through the midfoot region, and to the forefoot region of the sole structure,
- wherein cross-sectional diameters of the apertures of the first column of apertures continuously increase from the forefoot region to a center of the sole structure located in the midfoot region of the sole structure, and wherein the cross-sectional diameters of the apertures of the first column of apertures continuously decrease from the center of the sole structure to the heel region.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.