Midsole lattice with hollow tubes for footwear

• US 10,010,133 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Under Armour Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Under Armour Incorporated
• Inventors: Guyan, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): BAYS, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US15/148,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20160324260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 36 25 R, 36 28, 36 29, 36141, 36 30 R, 36 31
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/02 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/125 characterised by the midsole or middle layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/127 the midsole being multilayer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/14 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/143 provided with wedged, concave or convex end portions, e.g. for improving roll-off of the foot
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/16 Pieced soles with several layers of different material A43B13/12
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/181 Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/188 Differential cushioning regions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/20 Pneumatic soles filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas inflatable linings for skiboots A43B5/0407
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/206 provided with tubes or pipes or tubular shaped cushioning members
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0052 X-shaped or cross-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/14 with foot-supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1405 with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1415 characterised by the location under the foot
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 2200/60 Computer aided manufacture of footwear, e.g. CAD or CAM
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/00 Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper and a midsole connected to upper. The midsole includes a lattice structure with a plurality of laths. The lattice structure includes at least one hollow lath such that an inner void is formed within the at least one hollow lath. A loose granular material is provided within the inner void of the at least one hollow lath.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper; and

a sole member connected to the upper, the sole member including a plurality of tubular structures, the plurality of tubular structures at least partially filled with a loose granular material, wherein the plurality of tubular structures are provided as a plurality of laths that form a lattice structure.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the loose granular material is a powder.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 wherein the powder is provided by a non-fused powder comprised of a first material, and the lattice structure is provided by a fused powder comprised of the first material.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1, the plurality of laths positioned in at least a first zone and a second zone of the sole member, each lath in the first zone having a first girth that is substantially different from a second girth of each lath in the second zone.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the plurality of laths are varied in diameter throughout the sole member.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein a plurality of distinct pockets are formed in the plurality of laths.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein a recess is formed in the lattice structure and a resilient insert is positioned within the recess.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the loose granular material comprises a nylon material.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the granular material is between 10 microns and 100 microns in diameter.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the tubular structures are substantially cylindrical in shape and between 1 mm and 6 mm in diameter.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the tubular structures are substantially hollow but for the loose granular material.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11 wherein the loose granular material is packed granular material that fills between about 25% and 75% of space within the tubular structures.

13. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the loose granular material is comprised of a non-fused powder and the tubular structures are comprised of a fused powder.

14. The article of footwear of claim 1, the sole including an outsole, an insole, and a midsole, the tubular structures provided on the midsole.

15. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper;

a midsole connected to upper, the midsole including a lattice structure including a plurality of laths, the lattice structure including at least one hollow lath such that an inner void is formed within the at least one hollow lath; and

a loose granular material provided within the inner void of the at least one hollow lath.

16. The article of footwear of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of laths is a tubular structure and the at least one hollow lath defines an inner channel extending through the tubular structure, wherein the loose granular material within the inner channel is comprised of a non-fused powder and the tubular structure is comprised of a fused powder.

17. The article of footwear of claim 15 wherein the lattice structure includes a plurality of hollow laths with a plurality of pockets formed within the hollow laths, wherein the loose granular material is positioned in each of the plurality of pockets.

18. The article of footwear of claim 15 further comprising an outsole connected to the midsole such that lattice structure of the midsole is positioned between the upper and the outsole.

19. A method of making an article of footwear comprising:

ejecting a granular material onto each of a plurality of layers of a lattice structure of a sole member;

sintering a first portion of the ejected granular material in each of the plurality of layers to form a plurality of tubular structures in the sole member, the plurality of tubular structures forming a plurality of laths for the lattice structure;

leaving a second portion of the ejected granular material un-sintered in each of the plurality of layers such that loose granular material is provided within and at least partially fills the plurality of tubular structures; and

coupling the sole member including the lattice structure to an upper of the article of footwear.