Method of making a zonal compression shoe

• US 10,226,098 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Under Armour Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Under Armour Incorporated
• Inventors: Guyan, Alan, Berns, Jason A., Fallon, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Mohandesi, Jila M
• Application Number:
  US14/927,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20160113352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/12 Soles with several layers of different materials
• 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 13/181 Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 2200/60 Computer aided manufacture of footwear, e.g. CAD or CAM
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/10 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing

Abstract

A method of making a shoe includes printing a midsole having a platform and a lattice structure. The platform and lattice structure are integrally formed by printing a first surface of the platform to conform to a sole of a foot of a user and, in association therewith, printing the lattice structure on a second surface of the platform opposite the first surface of the platform. The method also includes positioning the midsole substantially within an outsole such that the lattice structure is substantially facing the outsole and the platform is substantially facing an upper.

Claims

1. A method of making a shoe comprising:

printing a sole including;

a platform having a toe portion, a heel portion, a medial portion, and a lateral portion, the platform having a first surface configured to face a sole of a foot of a wearer and a second surface opposite the first surface; and

a lattice extending from the second surface of the platform, the lattice including a plurality of laths, each lath of the plurality of laths having a longitudinal structure with a longitudinal axis and two ends, the plurality of laths positioned in at least a first zone and a second zone, and each lath in the first zone having a girth that is substantially different from a girth of each lath in the second zone; and

coupling the printed sole to an upper.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the lattice further includes a plurality of cell units,

each cell unit of the plurality of cell units is defined by a plurality of faces,

each face of the plurality of faces is defined by an area within a plane formed by a plurality of adjacent vertices,

each vertex of the plurality of adjacent vertices is formed by an end of the two ends of a number of the laths of the plurality of laths joined together, and

all cell units of the plurality of cell units have a substantially uniform volume extending to the longitudinal axes of the laths joined together at the adjacent vertices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the lattice further includes a plurality of non-uniform partial cell units,

each non-uniform partial cell unit is defined by at least two partial faces,

each partial face of the at least two partial faces is defined by an area within a plane formed by at least one vertex and at least a portion of two laths of the plurality of laths joined together at the at least one vertex.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a portion of the vertices are formed by an end of four laths joined together.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein each cell unit abuts adjacent cell units such that the lattice has a regular repeating pattern.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein each cell unit is substantially shaped as a regular octahedron defined by a plurality of faces, each face of the plurality of faces defining an equilateral triangle having three sides and three vertices, each of said three sides defined by one of the plurality of laths.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the lattice extends from the toe portion to the heel portion and from the medial portion to the lateral portion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first surface is contoured to match the sole of the foot of the wearer.

9. A method of making a midsole for a shoe, the method comprising:

printing a platform having a toe end, a heel end, an arch side, and an outward side, the platform having a first surface configured to face a sole of a foot of a wearer and a second surface opposite the first surface; and

printing a lattice integrally formed with the second surface of the platform such that the platform and the lattice form a monolithic structure, the lattice including;

a plurality of regions arranged relative to the toe end, the heel end, the arch side, and the outward side, the plurality of regions including at least a first region and a second region; and

a plurality of cell units formed by a plurality of interconnected laths, wherein each of the cell units has a substantially uniform volume, wherein each lath of the plurality of laths has a longitudinal structure with a longitudinal axis and two ends and has a girth centered about its longitudinal axis, wherein the plurality of laths are arranged in the plurality of regions such that a first portion of laths is arranged within the first region and a second portion of laths is arranged within the second region, and wherein each lath in the first portion of laths has a first girth that is substantially different from a second girth of each lath in the second portion of laths.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the lattice further includes a transition area arranged between the first region and the second region,

a transition portion of laths is arranged in the transition area, and

girths of the laths in the transition portion of laths are gradations between the first girth and the second girth.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the lattice is formed as a single unitary part.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein:

each cell unit of the plurality of cell units is defined by at least two faces, and

each face of the at least two faces is defined by an area within a plane formed by at least one vertex and at least a portion of two longitudinal axes of two laths of the plurality of laths joined together at the at least one vertex.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

at least a portion of the plurality of cell units are defined by a plurality of faces,

each face of the plurality of faces is defined by an area within a plane formed by a plurality of adjacent vertices,

each vertex of the plurality of adjacent vertices is formed by an end of the two ends of a number of laths of the plurality of laths joined together, and

all of the cell units of the at least a portion of the plurality of cell units defined by a number of adjacent vertices of the plurality of vertices and extending to the longitudinal axes of the laths joined together at the adjacent vertices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a portion of the vertices of the plurality of adjacent vertices is formed by an end of four laths joined together such that each cell unit is substantially shaped as an octahedron, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of adjacent vertices are shared by two adjacent cell units of the at least a portion of the plurality of cell units such that the at least a portion of the plurality of adjacent vertices are formed by an end of eight laths joined together such that two cell units substantially shaped as octahedrons are stacked on top of each other.

15. A method of making a shoe comprising:

printing a monolithic midsole having a platform and a lattice structure integrally formed with the platform by printing a first surface of the platform to conform to a sole of a foot of a user and printing the lattice structure on a second surface of the platform opposite the first surface of the platform, the lattice structure including a plurality of interconnected laths, each lath having a longitudinal structure with a longitudinal axis and two ends; and

coupling the midsole to an outsole such that the lattice structure is substantially facing the outsole and the platform is substantially facing an upper.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

printing the lattice structure includes printing a plurality of laths joined together at a plurality of vertices so as to form a plurality of cell units defined by a number of adjacent vertices of the plurality of vertices and bordered by longitudinal axes of the laths joined together at the adjacent vertices, wherein each of the cell units has a substantially uniform volume, and wherein the plurality of laths are arranged in the plurality of regions such that a first portion of laths is arranged within the first region and a second portion of laths is arranged within the second region, and wherein each lath in the first portion of laths has a first girth that is substantially different from a second girth of each lath in the second portion of laths.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the lattice structure is printed before the platform.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the platform is printed before the lattice.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein coupling the midsole to the outsole includes printing the outsole such that the midsole is integrally formed with the outsole.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising taking measurements of the foot of the user prior to printing the midsole, measurements of the foot of the user including shape and size as well as force and pressure distributions along a bottom of the foot during at least one gait cycle.