Midsole component and outer sole members with auxetic structure

• US 9,456,656 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Cross, Tory M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Shaun R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Bao-Thieu L
• Application Number:
  US14/643,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 361/13, 361/14, 361/174, 361/22, 361/23, 361/29, 36/77, 361/59, 361/60, 36/97, 36/1, 36/76, 361/15, 361/31, 36/81, 428/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/122 characterised by the outsole or external layer
• 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 13/187 Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/188 Differential cushioning regions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/223 Profiled soles
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0073 Y-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00

Abstract

An article with a sole structure including a midsole component and an outer sole member are described. The sole structure includes a set of holes arranged in an auxetic configuration that permit the sole to expand in an auxetic manner. The set of holes extends through the midsole component and the outer sole member and both the midsole component and the outer sole member are exposed on an outer surface of the sole structure.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole structure having 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 sole structure including a midsole component and at least one outer sole member;

the midsole component including a first outer surface with a recessed portion;

the outer sole member having a second outer surface;

wherein the recessed portion is configured to receive the outer sole member;

a region of the sole structure including a first portion in the first outer surface of the midsole component and a second portion in the second outer surface of the outer sole member;

the region including a set of holes arranged in an auxetic configuration;

wherein the auxetic configuration is configured such that when the region of the sole structure is under longitudinal tension it expands in both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction and when the region of the sole structure is under lateral tension it expands in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction; and

wherein the auxetic configuration extends without interruption from the first portion into the second portion.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the auxetic configuration includes a continuous pattern with uniform spacing between adjacent holes of the set of holes that extends through both the first portion and the second portion.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the set of holes includes a first hole in the first portion and a second hole in the second portion, wherein the first hole and the second hole have the same shape.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein the set of holes includes a third hole having a first hole portion in the first outer surface and a second hole portion in the second outer surface such that the third hole extends through both the first portion and the second portion.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the midsole component is thicker than the outer sole member.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of holes extend through a forefoot portion, a midfoot portion and a heel portion of the midsole component, the plurality of holes including the set of holes, and wherein the plurality of holes are arranged in an auxetic configuration.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole structure includes at least two separate outer sole members.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole structure includes four separate outer sole members.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the outer sole member has a first coefficient of friction and the midsole component has a second coefficient of friction, wherein the first coefficient of friction is greater than the second coefficient of friction and wherein the first coefficient of friction and the second coefficient of friction are both determined relative to a common surface.

10. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole structure having 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 sole structure including a midsole component and at least one outer sole member;

the midsole component including a first outer surface with a recessed portion;

the outer sole member having a second outer surface;

wherein the recessed portion is configured to receive the outer sole member;

a region of the sole structure including a first portion in the first outer surface and a second portion in the second outer surface;

the region including a set of holes arranged in an auxetic configuration;

wherein the auxetic configuration is configured such that when the region of the sole structure is under longitudinal tension it expands in both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction and when the region of the sole structure is under lateral tension it expands in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction;

wherein at least one hole of the set of holes is disposed in the first outer surface and wherein at least one hole of the set of holes is disposed in the second outer surface; and

wherein the first outer surface has a first coefficient of friction relative to a predetermined material, wherein the second outer surface has a second coefficient of friction relative to the predetermined material, and wherein second coefficient of friction is greater than the first coefficient of friction.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the outer sole member has a higher density than the midsole component.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the outer sole member is made of rubber.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the midsole component is made of a foam material.

14. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the second outer surface of the outer sole member is textured.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the second outer surface includes ridges.

16. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole structure haying 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 sole structure including a midsole component;

the midsole component including a plurality of openings arranged in an auxetic configuration;

wherein the auxetic configuration is configured such that when the midsole component is under longitudinal tension it expands in both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction and when the midsole component is under lateral tension it expands in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction;

the plurality of openings including a first opening surrounded by a first sole portion, a second sole portion, a third sole portion, a fourth sole portion, a fifth sole portion, and a sixth sole portion;

the midsole component further comprising a ground-engaging surface including a plurality of raised tread elements protruding from an outer surface of the sole structure; and

wherein the first sole portion includes a first raised tread element of the plurality of raised tread elements, wherein the second sole portion includes a second raised tread element of the plurality of raised tread elements, wherein the third sole portion includes a third raised tread element of the plurality of raised tread elements, wherein the fourth sole portion includes a fourth raised tread element of the plurality of raised tread elements, wherein the fifth sole portion includes a fifth raised tread element of the plurality of raised tread elements, and wherein the sixth sole portion includes a sixth raised tread element of the plurality of raised tread elements.

17. The article of footwear according to claim 16, wherein:

the first raised tread element is centered on the first sole portion;

the second raised tread element is centered on the second sole portion;

the third raised tread element is centered on the third sole portion;

the fourth raised tread element is centered on the fourth sole portion;

the fifth raised tread element is centered on the fifth sole portion; and

the sixth raised tread element is centered on the sixth sole portion.

18. The article of footwear according to claim 16, wherein the first raised tread element, the second raised tread element, the third raised tread element, the fourth raised tread element, the fifth raised tread element and the sixth raised tread element all have a shape with a matching geometry.

19. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein the matching geometry is a triangular geometry.

20. The article of footwear according to claim 16, wherein the sole structure includes at least one outer sole member, wherein the outer sole member has a higher coefficient of friction than the midsole component, and wherein an outer surface of the sole structure is comprised of an outer surface of the midsole component and an outer surface of the outer sole component.