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US 11,737,515 B2Granted
Footwear heel structure
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsStefan E. Guest, Olivier Henrichot, Eric A. Larson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heel structure for an article of footwear protrudes rearward from a heel region of an article of footwear in a direction generally aligned with the longitudinal orientation of the footwear article.
Claims16
A footwear article comprising:
- a sole structure having a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, and a heel extension aligned in a longitudinal orientation;
- wherein
- the heel extension protrudes rearward from the heel region and in a direction generally aligned with the longitudinal orientation;
- the heel extension comprises a rearmost exterior point of the footwear article;
- the heel extension includes a medial-side edge and a lateral-side edge that taper towards one another and converge at the rearmost exterior point and that are positioned at a transition from a midsole portion to an outsole portion of the sole structure;
- and
- the heel extension includes a top side and a bottom side, the bottom side comprising a concave surface generally arching in a medial-to-lateral orientation.
4 more elements
A footwear article comprising:
- a sole having a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, and a heel extension aligned in a longitudinal orientation;
- wherein:
- the heel extension protrudes rearward from the heel region and in a direction generally aligned with the longitudinal orientation;
- the heel extension comprises a rearmost exterior point of the footwear article;
- the heel extension comprises a medial-side edge and a lateral-side edge that taper towards one another, that converge at the rearmost exterior point, and that are positioned at a transition from a midsole portion to an outsole portion of the sole structure;
- the heel extension comprises a top-side median ridge that slopes downward as the top-side median ridge extends away from the heel region and towards the rearmost exterior point;
- the heel extension includes a bottom side;
- at least a first portion of the bottom side comprises an outsole tread element comprising part of the outsole portion;
- and
- at least a second portion of the bottom side includes an exposed midsole portion that is without the outsole tread element and that comprises part of the midsole portion.
7 more elements
A footwear article comprising:
- a sole having a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, and a heel extension aligned in a longitudinal orientation;
- wherein:
- the heel extension protrudes rearward from the heel region and in a direction generally aligned with the longitudinal orientation;
- the heel extension comprises a rearmost exterior point of the footwear article;
- the heel extension comprises a top-side median ridge that slopes downward as the top-side median ridge extends away from the heel region and towards the rearmost exterior point and that includes decreasing radii as the top-side median ridge extends from the heel region toward the rearmost exterior point;
- and
- the heel extension includes a top side and a bottom side, the bottom side comprising a concave surface generally arching in a medial-to-lateral orientation.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.