Patents Examined by Bao-Thieu L Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11457689
    Abstract: Sports shoe with a pattern facilitating ball handling, wherein the surface of the upper of the sports shoe is divided into a plurality of shooting zones, and at least one of said shooting zones comprises a plurality of parts that extend out from the basic surface (21) of the upper and having elevated outer surfaces (22) that have increased grip to the ball, and these parts are spaced from each other and designed as directing isles (20) that have elongated shapes resembling to a rhombus or an almond shape and each has a longitudinal central axis (27) at the end of which respective apexes (25, 26) are formed that have angles smaller than 45°, each directing isle (20) has a transverse axis (28) extending where the isle has the highest width, and said apexes (25, 26) are connected with the ends of the transverse axis (28) by respective sides (a1, a2 and b1, b2) of the directing isle (20), the oppositely located sides (a1, a2 and b1, b2) are either straight or being slightly curved but their main directions are ei
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Inventors: Lászió Oroszi, Mihály István Lantos, István Márton, Béla Tóth Balogh, Miklós Koszta
  • Patent number: 11452331
    Abstract: A sole for article of footwear includes a midsole component having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. A plurality of blind holes each extends from the outer surface toward the inner surface. The plurality of blind holes are arranged in an auxetic configuration in the outer surface. Each hole in the plurality of holes extends towards the inner surface. The plurality of blind holes is arranged in a pattern that provides a tunable performance characteristic. The patterns of blind holes vary between different regions of the midsole component to provide different types of responses in the different regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Tory M. Cross, Bryan N. Farris, Elizabeth Langvin
  • Patent number: 11439206
    Abstract: A method of making an article of footwear with a braided upper is disclosed. The method includes overbraiding a last to form a braided upper and cutting a bottom opening in the braided upper to remove the last. The bottom opening is cut so as to leave a bottom peripheral portion on the bottom side of the braided upper. A midsole is attached directly to the bottom peripheral portion using a bonding agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Under Armour, Inc.
    Inventor: Craig Santos
  • Patent number: 11432616
    Abstract: A method of customizing the sole structure of an article of footwear includes providing a sole structure with a sole component having an inner surface and an opposite-facing outer surface. The sole component includes a plurality of inner recesses extending from the inner surface and a plurality of outer recesses extending from the outer surface, the plurality of inner recesses include a blind-hole inner recess, the plurality of outer recesses include a blind-hole outer recess, and the blind-hole inner recess is generally aligned with the blind hole outer recess along a vertical direction. The method further includes adjusting the flexibility of the sole component by selectively cutting or removing material from one or both of the blind-hole inner recess and the blind-hole outer recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Tory M. Cross, Kevin W. Hoffer, David P. Jones, Patrick B. Kirschner, Elizabeth Langvin, James C. Meschter
  • Patent number: 11425952
    Abstract: A helmet having a cheek pad is provided. The helmet for use with the cheek air pad includes an outer shell having an inside surface, an inner liner surrounding the head of the user and operatively mounted to the helmet outer shell, a chin bar disposed below the face visor, the chin bar having an inside surface facing toward the person when wearing the helmet and a breath guard. The inner liner generally has an inner face and a transparent face visor is attached to the helmet outer shell. The cheek pad is preferably embodied as a deformable element extending upwardly and/or inwardly from the helmet inner liner on the right and/or left inner side of the face visor or goggles. The deformable element is configured to be in contact with the face of the user and the inner edge of the breath guard and the inner liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: KIMPEX INC.
    Inventors: Robert Handfield, Nicolas Bouchard-Fortin
  • Patent number: 11427959
    Abstract: A rubber-reinforcing cord (10) includes a first fiber strand (11) and a plurality of second fiber strands (12) disposed around the first fiber strand (11). The second fiber strand (12) has a tensile elastic modulus higher by 20 GPa or more than that of the first fiber strand (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON SHEET GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventor: Shinya Katagiri
  • Patent number: 11401657
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for filling in a tension member in particular for conveyor belts, in particular a tension member which is configured as a steel cable. The method is intended to allow the full penetration of the tension member structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: ContiTech Transportbandsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Florian Lotz, Marius Dreier, Harald Koch, Iordanis Pavlidis
  • Patent number: 11399982
    Abstract: Goggles and eyewear with various features may be described herein. Such goggles and eyewear may include lenses that allow for the installation of larger roll-off films, adjustable nose sections to increase comfort of a wearer, sweat management systems that include a permeable gasket and a gutter, lens attachment systems, and co-molded frames of multiple different materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Inventors: Michael D. Young, Dennis C. Tan, Ludovic Francis Boinnard
  • Patent number: 11376115
    Abstract: A system for an anatomical joint includes a first fastener, a second fastener, a prosthetic ligament member, and a biasing member associated with at least one of the first and second fasteners. The first fastener is operable to be connected to a first bone portion. The second fastener is operable to be connected to a second bone portion. The prosthetic ligament member is flexible and is directly coupled to both the first and second fasteners to support the first bone portion and the second bone portion for relative movement. A portion of the prosthetic ligament member extends from the first fastener to the second fastener and has an adjustable length. The biasing member is operable to bias the prosthetic ligament member to thereby maintain tension in the prosthetic ligament member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin T. Stone, Robert Metzger
  • Patent number: 11375769
    Abstract: A braided component for an article of apparel or footwear may be formed by application of a method that utilizes a braiding machine to braid a plurality of braiding yarns to form a tubular structure with a plurality of axial yarns incorporated into the tubular structure during braiding. At least two different types of axial yarn may be incorporated into the braided component, for example, to provide different properties to different parts of the tubular structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: ADIDAS AG
    Inventors: Tom O'Haire, Andrew Yip
  • Patent number: 11369163
    Abstract: The athletic shoe having integral ankle support is an item of footwear. The athletic shoe having integral ankle support is adapted for use with a foot. The athletic shoe having integral ankle prevents the ankle of the foot causing the foot to form a cant in the athletic shoe having integral ankle. The athletic shoe having integral ankle support comprises a base footwear, an ankle structure, and a sleeve structure. The ankle structure and the sleeve structure attach to the base footwear. The ankle structure forms the support structure that stabilizes the ankle. The sleeve structure is a tubular textile that forms a protective shell that protects the foot from injury by the ankle support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Inventor: Jesse Offutt
  • Patent number: 11357291
    Abstract: A ski boot, including an outer boot (200) and an inner boot (100); the outer boot (100) comprise a sole (110) and a vamp (120), the sole (110) being integral; the vamp (120) includes a right side portion (122) of the vamp and a left side portion (123) of the vamp, the right side portion (122) of the vamp and the left side portion (123) of the vamp being hinged on the sole (110) such that the same may rotate relative to the sole (110) between an open state and a closed state; the outer boot (100) further includes a locking device (130) and a locking wire (140); the locking wire (140) surrounds the vamp (120) at a plurality of locations on the vamp (120), may be buried in the locking device (130) so as to keep the right side portion (122) of the vamp and the left side portion (123) of the vamp in the closed state, and may be released from the locking device (130) to allow the right side portion of the vamp (122) and the left side portion of the vamp (123) rotate to the open state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Inventor: Yingui Sun
  • Patent number: 11357284
    Abstract: An orthotic device for footwear. In one embodiment the orthotic device comprises a substantially planar body having a resiliently deformable outer peripheral portion, a cell frame, and an inner array of detachably coupleable cells, wherein each cell comprises one or more protuberances and/or recesses which permit the cells to detachably couple with the cell frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Inventor: David John Barton
  • Patent number: 11324265
    Abstract: A pocket structure for a waistband of a garment, comprising: an outer pocket panel attached to an inner pocket panel along respective first side edges, second side edges, and bottom edges thereof forming a pocket therebetween and a back portion of the waistband; wherein respective unattached top edges of the outer and inner pocket panels are narrower than the respective bottom edges thereof. And, a waistband for a garment, comprising: an outer pocket panel attached to an inner pocket panel along respective first side edges, second side edges, and bottom edges thereof forming a pocket therebetween and a back portion of the waistband; and, a front portion of the waistband attached to the back portion of the waistband along respective first side edges and second side edges thereof; wherein respective unattached top edges of the outer and inner pocket panels are narrower than the respective bottom edges thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: LULULEMON ATHLETICA CANADA INC.
    Inventor: Brenda Holmes
  • Patent number: 11297899
    Abstract: A tunable rigidity insole with interchangeable stiffeners includes an arch pad main body and three rigid stiffeners. The arch pad main body includes a set of first to third engaging holes, and at least one or two of these three rigid stiffeners will be selected to assemble into the engaging holes on the arch pad main body. The three rigid stiffeners provide supports to lateral longitudinal, central and medial longitudinal arch portions respectively. The first, second and third rigid stiffeners have at least two engagement members for each stiffener, and the engagement members have engagement extensions with a partial length component toward another engagement extensions at the end of stiffeners thereof respectively. The engagement members engage with the arch pad main body corresponding to the engaging holes respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Inventor: Yi Hsien Liu
  • Patent number: 11291263
    Abstract: A protective helmet to be worn by a player engaged in a sport comprises a flexible outer shell and a multi-layer liner assembly disposed within the outer shell. The multi-layer liner assembly includes an inner-layer, a middle-layer and an outer-layer, and permits relative rotational movement between said layers when the helmet is worn by the player and receives an impact. The inner-layer is made from a first material with a first density and is mechanically coupled to the outer-layer without adhesive. The outer-layer is made from a second material with a second density that is greater than the first density of the inner-layer. The middle-layer is made from a third material that has a third density that is greater than the first density. The outer-layer also has a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the inner-layer and varies between a front region of the outer-layer and a crown region of the outer-layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael W. Lowe
  • Patent number: 11284670
    Abstract: A midsole structure of a shoe includes an upper midsole, a lower midsole disposed below the upper midsole, and a wavy sheet interposed between the upper midsole and the lower midsole. The wavy sheet has a wavy shape at its medial and lateral side edge portions and a planar area at its central portion. The lower surface of the upper midsole and the upper surface of the lower midsole have wavy shapes that correspond to the wavy shape of the wavy sheet at their medial and lateral side edge portions and have a planar area that corresponds to the planar area of the wavy sheet at their central portions. The lower surface of the upper midsole and the upper surface of the lower midsole have a plurality of recesses that are disposed in the longitudinal direction at their central portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Iuchi, Shin Hirai, Takao Oda
  • Patent number: 11280029
    Abstract: A method optimizes production of a rotor spinning machine having a plurality of identical spinning units, with each spinning unit having a spinning rotor driven by a rotor drive at a rotor speed to produce yarn at a delivery speed. A permissible range with a minimum delivery speed and a maximum delivery speed for the delivery speed of the spinning units is specified. Operation of the spinning units is started with a starting delivery speed within the permissible range. Current production capacity of the spinning units or the rotor spinning machine is continuously calculated. Current delivery speed of the yarn is regulated as a function of the current production capacity in such a manner that a maximum production capacity is achieved. A rotor spinning machine in accordance with method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Rieter Ingolstadt GmbH
    Inventor: Adalbert Stephan
  • Patent number: 11268216
    Abstract: Yarn-tension influencing device for a twisting or cabling machine for feeding a yarn via a traversing yarn guide to a take-up package, the yarn-tension influencing device having a first deflection roller, arranged downstream of a yarn handling device in the yarn transport direction and is provided for guiding the yarn from a balloon yarn guide through the yarn handling device and for deflecting the yarn; a second deflection roller, arranged downstream of the first deflection roller in the yarn transport direction and is provided for further deflection of the yarn; a third deflection roller, arranged downstream of the second deflection roller in the yarn transport direction and is provided for adjusting the angle of wrap of the yarn around an advance roller; and an advance roller, arranged downstream of the third deflection roller in the yarn transport direction and is provided for regulating the yarn tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Saurer Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Cenk Duralti, Ingo Filz, Sergei Singer, Georg Tetzlaff
  • Patent number: 11266196
    Abstract: A helmet and method for forming a helmet having a multi-density impact liner may include forming a puck comprising an interface surface and at least one side is formed. The interface surface of the puck is placed in direct contact with a receiving surface of a cap located in an impact liner mold. Next, the interface surface of the puck is thermally fused directly to the receiving surface of the cap while contemporaneously an impact liner body is formed inside the mold. The impact liner body is fused to the at least one side of the puck, and to a majority of the receiving surface of the cap. The density of the puck may be greater than the density of the impact liner body. The puck and the impact liner body may be expanded polystyrene (EPS), and the cap may be polycarbonate (PC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel J. Shaffer, Benjamin W. Penner