Auxetic structures and footwear with soles having auxetic structures

• US 9,820,532 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Cross, Tory M., Hoffer, Kevin W., Jones, David P., Kirschner, Patrick B., Langvin, Elizabeth, Meschter, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoey, Alissa L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferreira, Catherine M
• Application Number:
  US14/549,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20150075034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 36103, 36 3, 36 8001, 36 25 R, 36 59 R, 521143
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0009 made at least partially of alveolar or honeycomb 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 13/14 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 13/223 Profiled soles
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/226 the profile being made in the foot facing surface
• 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: A43C 11/002 Fastenings using stretchable material attached to cuts in the uppers
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/16 Studs or cleats for football or like boots
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/357 Auxetic foams, i.e. material with negative Poisson ratio; anti rubber; dilatational; re-entrant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24298 Noncircular aperture [e.g., slit, diamond, rectangular, etc.]

Abstract

A material that includes at least one layer made of an auxetic structure and articles of footwear having soles comprising the materials. When the material is under tension, it expands in both the direction under tension and in the directional orthogonal to the direction under tension. The articles of footwear have soles that have at least one layer made of a material that has a pattern of apertures to provide the auxetic structure. The apertures are surrounded by sole portions that can rotate or pivot to change the size of the apertures.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising an upper and a sole structure, wherein the sole structure comprises:

an outsole and a midsole, the sole structure having a longitudinal direction extending along a length of the article of footwear, a lateral direction extending along a width of the article of footwear, and a vertical direction that is normal to a plane defined by the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction;

a plurality of apertures extending in the vertical direction through at least the outsole and the midsole of the sole structure, the plurality of apertures including a first aperture, the first aperture having a first side, a second side, a third side, a fourth side, a fifth side and a sixth side;

the first side and the second side being joined at a first vertex, the first side and the second side forming a first angle at a first angle at the first vertex that is less than ninety degrees;

the second side and the third side being joined at a second vertex, the second side and the third side forming a second angle at the second vertex that is greater than ninety degrees;

the third side and the fourth side being joined at a third vertex, the third side and the fourth side forming a third angle at the third vertex that is less than ninety degrees;

the fourth side and the fifth side being joined at a fourth vertex, the fourth side and the fifth side forming a fourth angle at the fourth vertex that is greater than ninety degrees;

the fifth side and the sixth side being joined at a fifth vertex, the fifth side and the sixth side forming a fifth angle at the fifth vertex that is less than ninety degrees;

the first side and the sixth side being joined at a sixth vertex, the first side and the sixth side forming a sixth angle at the sixth vertex that is greater than ninety degrees;

wherein the midsole has a midsole geometry matching an outsole geometry of the outsole, such that the plurality of apertures extending in the vertical direction through at least the outsole and the midsole of the sole structure are formed by apertures in the outsole and apertures in the midsole that correspond with each other to form single apertures the extend through both the midsole and the outsole;

wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged in geometrical patterns comprising triangular portions of the outsole that define and surround the apertures; and

wherein when a portion of the sole structure is under longitudinal tension the plurality of apertures expand such that the sole structure expands in both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction and when the portion of the sole structure is under lateral tension the plurality of apertures expand such that the sole structure expands in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first side, the second side, the third side, the fourth side, the fifth side and the sixth side is straight.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first side is straight, wherein the second side is straight, wherein the third side is straight, wherein the fourth side is straight, wherein the fifth side is straight and wherein the sixth side is straight.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first side and the second side form a first portion of the first aperture, wherein the third side and the fourth side form a second portion of the first aperture, wherein the fifth side and the sixth side form a third portion of the first aperture and wherein the first portion, the second portion and the third portion are joined together at a central portion of the first aperture.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein when tension is applied to a portion of sole material proximate the first aperture, the tension being applied across the first aperture from any side:

the first angle of the first portion increases, the second angle of the second portion increases, and the third angle of the third portion increases.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein each aperture in the plurality of apertures includes three portions that are configured to expand in angular size when tension is applied across the sole structure in at least one of the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first angle, the second angle, the third angle, the fourth angle, the fifth angle and the sixth angle are all interior angles of the first aperture.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein:

the second angle is greater than one hundred and eighty degrees;

the fourth angle is greater than one hundred and eighty degrees; and

the sixth angle is greater than one hundred and eighty degrees.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein each aperture in the plurality of apertures is in a shape of a reentrant triangle.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein the first portion of the first aperture, the second portion of the first aperture, and the third portion of the first aperture extend outward from the central portion of the first aperture.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the first aperture has a three-pointed star shape defined by the first portion, the second portion, the third portion, and the central portion.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first aperture has a three-pointed star shape.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 12, wherein the first side, the second side, the third side, the fourth side, the fifth side, and the sixth side define sides of the three-pointed star shape of the first aperture.