Footwear with lattice midsole and compression insert

• US 10,010,134 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:
  US15/148,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20160324261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 36 25 R, 36 28, 36 30 R, 36 31
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0009 made at least partially of alveolar or honeycomb material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/02 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/125 characterised by the midsole or middle layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/14 characterised by the constructive form
• 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 3/0052 X-shaped or cross-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/32 with shock-absorbing means resilient soles A43B13/18
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 999/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper, a midsole and an outsole. The midsole is connected to the upper and to the outsole. The midsole includes a lattice structure and a resilient foam insert. The lattice structure includes a network of laths and nodes with a recess formed in the network of laths and nodes. The resilient foam insert is positioned in the recess in the lattice structure.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper; and

a midsole connected to the upper, the midsole including;

a lattice structure including a network of laths with a recess formed in the network of laths, the lattice structure further including a lower platform and an upper shelf integrally formed with the network of laths, the network of laths extending between the lower platform and the upper shelf; and

a resilient foam insert positioned in the recess in the lattice structure; and

an outsole connected to the midsole.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the lattice structure is comprised of nylon and the resilient insert is comprised of EVA foam.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the recess extends completely through the network of laths and the resilient insert substantially fills the recess.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the recess is provided in a heel region of the midsole.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the resilient insert extends from a forefoot region to a heel region of the midsole.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the laths are configured as parallel wave structures in multiple layers, wherein the wave structures in a first layer are transverse to the wave structures in a second layer.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the laths are configured with differing girths in different regions of the midsole.

8. The article of footwear of claim 6 wherein the lower platform extends under the multiple layers of laths and wherein the upper platform extends at least partially over the multiple layers of laths.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the upper shelf extends around a perimeter of the lattice structure but does not cover a central portion of the lattice structure, and wherein the outsole is connected to a bottom side of the platform and the network of laths extends from an upper side of the platform.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the lattice structure extends from a forefoot region to a heel region of the midsole.

11. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper;

an outsole; and

a midsole positioned between the upper and the outsole, the midsole including;

a lattice structure including a network of laths, the lattice structure provided in a heel region of the midsole without extending to a forefoot region of the midsole, the outsole connected to the lattice structure in the heel region of the midsole; and

a resilient member positioned on the lattice structure, the resilient member extending from the heel region of the midsole to the forefoot region of the midsole, the outsole connected to the resilient member in the forefoot region of the midsole, wherein an upper surface of the resilient member provides a foot bed configured to receive an insole.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11 wherein the resilient member is comprised of EVA foam.

13. The article of footwear of claim 11 wherein the resilient member is a resilient insert positioned in a recess in the lattice structure.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13 wherein the resilient insert extends above the lattice structure in the heel region of the midsole.

15. The article of footwear of claim 11 wherein the laths are configured as parallel wave structures in multiple layers, wherein the wave structures in a first layer are transverse to the wave structures in a second layer.

16. The article of footwear of claim 11 wherein the lattice structure further includes a lower platform and an upper shelf integrally formed with the network of laths, the network of laths extending between the lower platform and the upper shelf, the outsole connected to the lower platform and the resilient member connected to the upper shelf in the heel region.

17. A method of manufacturing a midsole for an article of footwear, the method comprising:

printing a lattice structure including a network of laths with a recess formed by the network of laths, the lattice structure further including a lower platform and an upper shelf integrally formed with the network of laths, the network of laths extending between the lower platform and the upper shelf;

forming a resilient insert as a unitary component configured to extend from a forefoot region to a heel region of the midsole; and

inserting the resilient insert into the recess in the lattice structure.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the lattice structure is configured to extend from a heel region to a midfoot region of the midsole but not to the forefoot region of the midsole.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein forming the resilient insert comprises molding the resilient insert or cutting the resilient insert from a sheet of foam.