US 9,402,439 B2Granted

Auxetic structures and footwear with soles having auxetic structures

AssigneeNIKE, Inc.

InventorsTory M. Cross, Kevin W. Hoffer, David P. Jones, Patrick B. Kirschner, Elizabeth Langvin, James C. Meschter

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Abstract

A material that includes at least one layer made of an auxetic structure and articles of footwear having soles comprising the materials. When the material is under tension, it expands in both the direction under tension and in the directional orthogonal to the direction under tension. The articles of footwear have soles that have at least one layer made of a material that has a pattern of geometrical patterns with polygonal apertures. The geometrical patterns have hinged polygons that rotate with respect to each other when the sole is under lateral or longitudinal tension, thus increasing the lateral and longitudinal dimensions of the sole.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An article of footwear comprising:

an upper;
a sole structure attached to the upper;
wherein the sole structure comprises an outsole, the outsole comprising a ground-contacting outer surface disposed on one side of the outsole;
wherein the sole structure has a longitudinal direction extending along a length of the article of footwear and a lateral direction extending along a width of the article of footwear;
wherein the longitudinal direction is tangential to the outer surface of the outsole and the lateral direction is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, wherein the lateral direction is also tangential to the outer surface of the outsole;
the sole structure further including a plurality of apertures extending from the outer surface of the outsole and extending through a thickness of the sole structure, the plurality of apertures being arranged in geometric patterns;
the sole structure further comprising a midsole, the midsole haying a midsole geometry matching an outsole geometry of the outsole, such that the plurality of apertures extending through the thickness of the sole structure are formed by apertures in the outsole and apertures in the midsole that correspond with each other to form single apertures the extend through both the midsole and the outsole;
wherein the geometrical patterns comprise triangular portions of the outsole that define and surround the apertures;
and
wherein tensioning the sole structure in the longitudinal direction causes the outsole to expand in both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction.

7 more elements

An article of footwear comprising an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper, wherein the sole structure has a longitudinal direction extending along a length of the article of footwear and a lateral direction extending along a width of the article of footwear, the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction defining a plane, and wherein the sole structure comprises an outsole, the outsole being characterized by having:

a ground-engaging outer surface;
polygonal portions surrounding polygonal apertures, the polygonal apertures extending from the outer surface of the outsole and extending through a thickness of the sole structure;
wherein the polygonal portions are hingedly joined to adjoining polygonal portions such that a plurality of the polygonal portions rotate with respect to each other in the plane of the sole structure when the sole structure is under tension along at least one of the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction;
the sole structure further comprising a midsole, the midsole haying a midsole geometry matching an outsole geometry of the outsole, such that the polygonal apertures are formed by apertures in the outsole and apertures in the midsole that correspond with each other to form single apertures extending through both the midsole and the outsole;
wherein the polygonal apertures are arranged in geometric patterns comprising triangular portions of the outsole that define and surround the polygonal apertures;
and
wherein when a portion of the outsole is under longitudinal tension it expands in both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction and when the portion of the outsole is under lateral tension it expands in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction.

4 more elements

An article of footwear comprising:

an outsole that includes a ground-engaging outer surface having a pattern of polygonal apertures formed by triangular portions surrounding the polygonal apertures;
the polygonal apertures extending from the outer surface of the outsole and extending through a thickness of the outsole;
a midsole, the midsole having a midsole geometry matching an outsole geometry of the outsole, such that the polygonal apertures are formed by apertures in the outsole and apertures in the midsole that correspond with each other to form single apertures extending through both the midsole and the outsole;
wherein the polygonal apertures have a center;
wherein the triangular portions are joined at their vertices such that they function as hinges thereby allowing the triangles to rotate with respect to each other;
wherein the outsole is characterized by having a lateral direction extending along a width of the article of footwear, a longitudinal direction extending along a length of the article of footwear, and a vertical direction that is normal to a plane defined by the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction;
wherein when a portion of the outsole is under lateral tension, it expands in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction, and
when a portion of the outsole is under longitudinal tension it expands in both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction, and
when a portion of the outsole is under vertical compression, the triangular portions are forced towards the center of the polygonal apertures.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.