Footwear soles with auxetic material

• US 9,554,624 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Cross, Tory M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ostrup, Clinton T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Bao-Thieu L
• Application Number:
  US14/643,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20150230548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 36/25.R, 36/62, 36/59.R, 361/59, 361/60, 36/97, 36/1, 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 13/122 characterised by the outsole or external layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/14 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/141 with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/181 Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
• 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 13/22 Soles made slip-preventing or wear-resisting, e.g. by impregnation or spreading a wear-resisting layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/32 by adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/021 Leather
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0215 Plastics or artificial leather
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/10 Tennis shoes

Abstract

An article of footwear has an auxetic sole structure formed from members surrounding apertures. The members may have a trapezoidal geometry. Adjoining members are hingedly connected, so that they can rotate with respect to each other in the plane of the sole structure. The rotation allows the auxetic sole structure to expand when tension is applied.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising an upper and a sole structure;

the upper comprising a different material than the sole structure, wherein the upper is attached to the sole structure by at least one of stitching, stapling, gluing, fusing, or welding;

the sole structure comprising;

a group of members comprised of a first group and a second group;

the sole structure further includes a group of connecting portions and a group of interior apertures;

the first group comprises a first exterior member connected to a first interior member at a first connecting portion, the first interior member connected to a second interior member at a second connecting portion forming a first peripheral aperture, and the second interior member connected to a second exterior member at a third connecting portion;

the second group comprises a third exterior member connected to a third interior member at a fourth connecting portion, the third interior member connected to a fourth interior member at a fifth connecting portion forming a second peripheral aperture, and the fourth interior member connected to a fourth exterior member at sixth connecting portion;

wherein the first group is connected to the second group at a seventh connecting portion connecting the first exterior member and the third exterior member and forming a third peripheral aperture, at an eighth connecting portion connecting the first interior member and the third interior member, at a ninth connecting portion connecting the second interior member and the fourth interior member, and at a tenth connecting portion connecting the second exterior member and the fourth exterior member and forming a fourth peripheral aperture;

wherein the first exterior member, the first interior member, the third exterior member, and the third interior member circumscribe a first interior aperture oriented in a first direction;

wherein the second interior member, the second exterior member, the fourth interior member, and the fourth exterior member circumscribe a second interior aperture oriented in the first direction;

wherein the first interior member, the second interior member, the third interior member, and the fourth interior member circumscribe a third interior aperture oriented in a second direction;

wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction;

wherein a first area of the first interior aperture increases when a tension is applied across the group of members in a third direction, the third direction being a direction in a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction;

wherein a second area of the second interior aperture increases when the tension is applied across the group of members in the third direction;

wherein a third area of the third interior aperture increases when the tension is applied across the group of members in the third direction;

wherein each of the first interior member, the second interior member, the third interior member, the fourth interior member, the first exterior member, the second exterior member, the third exterior member, and the fourth exterior member has a member width oriented along the second direction and a member length oriented along the first direction;

wherein each of the first interior member, the second interior member, the third interior member, the fourth interior member, the first exterior member, the second exterior member, the third exterior member, and the fourth exterior member is in a shape of a rectangle having substantially parallel opposite edges, and wherein the member width is greater than the member length.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein at least one member of the group of members comprises of a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, a first surface disposed facing towards at least one interior aperture, a second surface disposed facing towards at least one peripheral aperture, a third surface opposite the first surface, and a fourth surface opposite the second surface.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface are disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein the second connecting portion and the fifth connecting portion are spaced apart a first distance from each other in a first configuration;

and

wherein the eighth connecting portion and the ninth connecting portion are spaced apart a second distance from each other in the first configuration.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein the group of connecting portions allow the first group and the second group to rotate with respect to an adjoining member in a first rotational direction or a second rotational direction thereby defining a second configuration.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 5, wherein the second connecting portion and the fifth connecting portion are spaced apart a third distance from each other in the second configuration;

wherein the eighth connecting portion and the ninth connecting portion are spaced apart a fourth distance from each other in the second configuration;

wherein the first distance is less than the third distance; and

wherein the fourth distance is less than the second distance.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 6, the third interior aperture is larger than the first interior aperture, and wherein the third interior aperture is larger than the second interior aperture.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the members are hingedly connected to one another at the connecting portions thereby allowing the members to rotate with respect to each other in a plane of the sole structure.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the first interior aperture expands on a top sole surface and a bottom sole surface when the first exterior member, the first interior member, the third exterior member, and the third interior member are rotated.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 1, where a thickness of the sole structure is greater than one-half a size of a smaller edge of the first exterior member.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the sole structure is at least 5.0 mm.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the sole structure is greater than a first separation distance between the second connecting portion and the fifth connecting portion.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the third area of the third interior aperture decreases when a vertical force is applied to the sole structure.

14. The article of footwear according to claim 13, wherein a length of the first exterior member increases when the vertical force is applied to the sole structure.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole structure has a thickness extending from a top surface of the group of members to a bottom surface of the group of members;

and

wherein the thickness of the sole structure varies throughout the sole structure to provide different degrees of flexibility to areas of the sole structure.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the third interior aperture is longer than both of the first interior aperture and the second interior aperture.