Patents Assigned to Mizuno Corporation
  • Patent number: 10709198
    Abstract: A sole body has an upper midsole made of an elastic material, staked over an upper side of a lower midsole, and having, on an upper surface thereof, a planta support surface. The upper midsole has a first recess recessed from the planta support surface in a downward direction and having a bottom, and a second recess recessed from a lower surface of the upper midsole toward the planta support surface, and having a bottom. The first and second recesses are alternately and continuously formed in the width direction of the foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
    Inventors: Kouji Ito, Shin Hirai
  • Patent number: 10709204
    Abstract: A shoe (34) of the present invention includes a sole (32) and an upper (33). The upper (33) is composed of a fabric having a knit structure, and contains fiber reinforcement portions (23, 24, and 25) in predetermined portions of the upper (33) integrally. The fiber reinforcement portions (23, 24, and 25) are formed of a float stitch with a plurality of float stitch yarns (19). The shoe of the present invention imparts a proper fit to a wearer's foot by forming the upper composed of the fabric having the knit structure that stretches properly. Also, in the case where the direction of foot force is suddenly changed while the sole contacts the ground, the shoe can hold the foot in desired predetermined positions by the fiber reinforcement portions situated in predetermined positions of the upper integrally. Thus, the present invention provides a shoe having proper holding properties while maintaining fitting properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazunori Iuchi, Tetsuo Yamamoto, Terumasa Kita
  • Patent number: 10694812
    Abstract: A sole structure is configured such that in a state where a ground surface of an outsole is in contact with the ground surface, when a planta support surface of a deformable part receives a load of a human body, the deformable part is flexurally deformed downward while being supported on a fixed end functioning as a supporting point, thereby allowing the planta support surface to be inclined downward such that a free end of the deformable part moves downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
    Inventors: Kentaro Yahata, Takao Oda, Daisuke Kogawa
  • Patent number: 10687583
    Abstract: A shock absorbing member includes: support members spaced apart from each other; and a connection member laid across, and connecting together, the support members. Each of the support members includes: an inner wall capable of elastically deforming by external force in a vertical direction; and a first tube and a second tube each provided to one of an outer wall and the inner wall. While inserted through the first and second tubes of the support members, the connection member is integrally formed in a closed shape with ends of the connection member having no seams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
    Inventors: Yohei Yoshida, Kouji Ito
  • Patent number: 10688354
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing an iron golf club head by forging a single round rod member with a pair of dies to form, as a single piece, a body and a neck into which a shaft is to be inserted. The method includes: a first step of heating the single round rod member into a heated material; a second step of placing the heated material in the pair of dies; and a third step of forging the heated material placed in the pair of dies. In the third step, the heated material is prevented from flowing out from parting surfaces of the respective dies at a sole side of the body in the pair of dies, and the heated material blocked at the sole side in the pair of dies flows toward each of a toe of the body and the neck in the pair of dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignees: Mizuno Corporation, Chuo Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doi, Tetsuya Kanayama, Jun Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 10618208
    Abstract: A method for producing the shock absorbing member includes: inserting in which each of tubes is housed in a corresponding one of first housings such that molding spaces and the tubes communicate with one another; and molding in which a thermoplastic resin material to form a connection member is heated to melt and injected from a gate toward the molding spaces and the tubes so that the tubes and the connection member are integrally formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yohei Yoshida, Kouji Ito
  • Patent number: 10568390
    Abstract: A shoe outsole structure includes: a first outsole component made of a deformable soft resin material and configured to entirely support a plantar surface spreading from a forefoot to a hindfoot; and a second outsole component integrally formed on top of the first outsole component, made of a hard resin material which has a higher rigidity than the first outsole component, and configured to support a region, of the plantar surface, which is continuous from a rear portion, of the forefoot, located rearward of metatarsophalangeal joints to the hindfoot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yohei Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10561914
    Abstract: A softball or baseball bat with modified restitution characteristic is provided. The bat can comprise a substantially rigid core coupled with a single or multi-piece sleeve. The core can comprise a tip end, a barrel portion, a handle taper, and a handle. A sleeve assembly can be disposed over the barrel portion, and the sleeve assembly can comprise one or more materials capable of impact absorption. The sleeve assembly can include a ring portion positioned about a circumference of the barrel portion, an outer sleeve, and an inner sleeve disposed between the outer sleeve and the barrel portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Tsukamoto, Yohei Yamashita, Toshiaki Kida, Kazuhiko Shindome, Kohei Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 10507368
    Abstract: A bat according to the present disclosure includes a ball hitting portion, a grip portion, a tapered portion that connects the ball hitting portion and the grip portion together, and a restriction member. The ball hitting portion is internally hollowed. The restriction member is disposed inside the ball hitting portion. The restriction member is in the form of a ring. The restriction member is disposed such that a radial direction thereof is transverse to a longitudinal direction of the ball hitting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Kikuchi, Yohei Yamashita, Brendan Troy Kays
  • Patent number: 10486027
    Abstract: A golf ball includes a land portion, and a plurality of dimples configured to be recessed from the land portion. Each of the plurality of dimples includes a circular bottom face, a circular opening configured to have a larger diameter than the bottom face, and a side face configured to connect the bottom face and the opening. The side face is configured to be linearly inclined so that the diameter of each of the plurality of dimples increases from the bottom face toward the opening. The diameter of the bottom face is 0.45 mm or more and 0.60 mm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norikazu Ninomiya, Yudai Washida, Kensuke Maenaka, Kei Tsuji
  • Patent number: 10470521
    Abstract: A sole structure includes an outsole having a ground surface as a lower surface; a midsole stacked on a top of the outsole and made of an elastic material; and a supporter provided around a middle of the midsole in a thickness direction, and extending longitudinally to include a heel region corresponding to a heel of a foot. The supporter includes a base provided in a central region of the heel region in a foot width direction, and a corrugated side provided continuously with each side of the base in the foot width direction, and including a ridge with its apex located above the base, and a groove provided continuously with a rear of the ridge with its bottom located below the base at the rear of the heel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazunori Iuchi, Takeshi Takeshita, Shogo Matsui
  • Patent number: 10460451
    Abstract: In an evaluation information provision system, subject's motion data is stored in association with attributes. When an attribute is assigned, the evaluation information provision system selects feature data from a plurality of the subject's motion data associated with the assigned attribute. The evaluation information provision system calculates a score for the assigned attribute, for the user's motion, using a statistical distance between the selected feature data and the user's motion data. The calculated score is displayed, for example, as a screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF TSUKUBA, OSAKA UNIVERSITY, MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichi Yamagiwa, Yoshinobu Kawahara, Noriyuki Tabuchi, Yoshinobu Watanabe, Takeshi Naruo, Yuichi Shimizu, Shohei Shibata
  • Patent number: 10455892
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sole structure for shoes, which includes a lower midsole. The lower midsole includes a medial-side midsole portion which extends in a medial side portion of a heel region supporting a heel of a wearer's foot, and a lateral-side midsole portion which extends in a lateral side portion of the heel region, and which faces, and is spaced apart from, the medial-side midsole portion in a foot width direction. The lateral-side midsole portion includes supports which are arranged adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction with a gap interposed therebetween and which support the wearer's heel, and a coupling portion which is provided in the gap, and couples the adjacent supports to each other to reduce displacement or twist in the foot width direction occurring between the adjacent supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazunori Iuchi, Yusuke Ide, Natsuki Sato
  • Patent number: 10448697
    Abstract: A shoe upper of a shoe includes first and second shoe upper sections together surrounding a foot, while covering a tiptoe and a heel of the foot, and a protector provided on part of an outer surface of the second shoe upper section and made of a single type of abrasion resistant resin material. The protector includes a tiptoe protector arranged to correspond to a tiptoe portion of the second shoe upper section, and a medial region protector provided on a medial region, of the second shoe upper section, extending from a backend of the tiptoe protector to a portion of the midfoot. The medial region protector has a deformable portion which has a mesh structure and is more deformable than the tiptoe protector, and a plurality of reinforcement ribs which divide the deformable portion into a plurality of regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouji Ito, Shin Hirai, Tsuyoshi Ieta
  • Patent number: 10433616
    Abstract: A sole structure for shoes includes a midsole and a plate member made of a hard resin harder than the midsole, which is joined to a lower surface of the midsole. The plate member includes a first reinforcement portion extending rearwardly from a position corresponding to a portion in the rear of a thenar of a user along a medial side arch region and a second reinforcement portion extending rearwardly on a lateral side from the position corresponding to the portion in the rear of the thenar of the user so as to avoid a position corresponding to a portion more frontward than a center of a fifth metatarsal bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Takeshita, Tatsuya Dazai
  • Patent number: 10399114
    Abstract: A tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus applies resin to an original tow of reinforcing fibers. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus includes an oiling roller, a scraper, a resin reservoir, a tube pump, and a controller. The oiling roller is supplied with resin while rotating at a predetermined rotation speed. The scraper adjusts the shape of the resin supplied onto the oiling roller. The resin reservoir supplies resin to the oiling roller. The tube pump discharges resin to the resin reservoir. The controller controls the tube pump so that the amount of resin held in the resin reservoir remains constant and controls the rotation speed of the oiling roller so that a resin content of a wound tow prepreg becomes equal to a target resin content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignees: Mizuno Corporation, Mizuon Technics Corporation
    Inventors: Mototaka Iwata, Akiyoshi Utsumi
  • Patent number: 10357696
    Abstract: Provided are a golf club head and a golf club with a plate member that is resistant to peeling and has a glossy appearance. A golf club head includes a face portion including a ball striking surface, and a plate member connected to a back surface located on the back side of the face portion. The plate member includes a resin and a metal material. The metal material is arranged on at least any one of a toe side and a heel side of the face portion and is arranged so as not to planarly overlap a striking point of the face portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doi, Arata Kamo
  • Patent number: 10342288
    Abstract: An upper structure for a shoe improves foot fit and hold of an upper at the time of turn motion. In an upper 2 that covers a foot of a shoe wearer, an expandable part 20 is provided at a midfoot region M that corresponds to a midfoot portion of the foot, and a non-expandable part 21 is provided at a lateral side region and a medial side region except for the midfoot region M. A boundary portion 22 between the expandable part 20 and the non-expandable part 21 has a substantially flat or flush surface. At the boundary portion 22, respective end portions 20E, 21E of the expandable part 20 and the non-expandable part 21 are sewn together such that a seam does not appear on the boundary surface. The shoe may further include an outsole having at least one groove in a particular triangular region on a bottom surface of the outsole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
    Inventors: Yohei Yoshida, Takashi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20190116917
    Abstract: An article of footwear having an adjustable heel mechanism is provided. The article of footwear can be capable of allowing a wearer to selectively alter the position of a portion of the heel portion of the article of footwear. In some embodiments, the article of footwear can have a sole, an upper attached to the sole and defining a void for a foot of a wearer, and a heel adjustment mechanism. In some embodiments, the heel adjustment mechanism may include a heel adjustment housing capable of moving with respect to the sole to modify the volume of the void created for the foot of a wearer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: Mizuno Corporation
    Inventors: Natsuki SATO, Tuan LE, Kouji ITO
  • Patent number: 10245488
    Abstract: A softball or baseball bat is provided. The bat can comprise a handle that has a proximate end and a distal end and a barrel that has a hollow portion. The bat can comprise first damping section that comprises a first material, and the first damping section can be at least partially interposed between a portion of the handle and a portion of an inner wall of the barrel. The bat can comprise a second damping section that can comprise a second material, and the second damping section can be at least partially interposed between a portion of the handle and a portion of the inner wall of the barrel. At least a portion of the first damping section or the second damping section can prevent the handle from directly contacting the barrel when the bat is at rest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brendan Kays, Yohei Yamashita, David Llewellyn