Patents Examined by Megan E Lynch
  • Patent number: 11974616
    Abstract: A wearable airbag device for protecting the hip of a wearer includes an airbag adapted to be worn around the pelvis and inflatable with an inflation gas. The airbag includes: an inner wall configured to face the wearer at airbag deployment; an outer wall opposite the inner wall and having a circumferential edge jointed with that of the inner wall so that the airbag has a substantially board shape when inflated; a contact portion disposed in an upper reach of a stream of inflation gas and configured to be deployed at a side of the pelvis; a protecting portion configured to be deployed in such a manner as to extend downward from the contact portion for covering an outer side of the trochanter of femur at airbag deployment; and a float-preventing means for preventing the protecting portion from floating away from the body of the wearer at airbag deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihito Yanagisawa, Wataru Miura, Yusuke Kawamura
  • Patent number: 11969047
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include a knitted component that at least partially forms an upper. The knitted component may include a first knit layer and a second knit layer, the first knit layer being separable from the second knit layer such that a pocket is located between the first knit layer and the second knit layer. A cable may be located at least partially within the channel. A cable guide may additionally be located at least partially within the channel, where the cable guide includes at least one curved surface for contacting the cable. The cable may extend around the at least one curved surface such that the cable changes directions within the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian Meir, James Molyneux
  • Patent number: 11969048
    Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear is provided. The sole structure includes an outsole having a ground-engaging surface and an upper surface formed on an opposite side of the outsole than the ground-engaging surface. A first cushion is disposed proximate to a medial side of the sole structure and includes a first fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a second fluid-filled chamber attached to the first fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the first fluid-filled chamber and the upper. A second cushion is disposed proximate to a lateral side of the sole structure and includes a third fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a fourth fluid-filled chamber attached to the third fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the third fluid-filled chamber and the upper. The second cushion is fluidly isolated from the first cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy L. Connell, Karen S. Dimoff, Emily Farina, Joel Ryp Greenspan, Stefan E. Guest, Derek Haight, Olivier Henrichot, Helene Hutchinson, Geng Luo, Krissy Yetman
  • Patent number: 11957213
    Abstract: An insole for insertion into footwear includes a base, and an arch support located on an underside of the base layer, the arch support including a frame forming at least a portion of a perimeter of the arch support, and multiple ribs extend from a first side of the frame to a second side of the frame, wherein a first set of the ribs is raised relative to a second set of the ribs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Scholl's Wellness Company LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Fromholtz, Daniel L. Miranda, Harold A. Howlett
  • Patent number: 11930872
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a bathing suit/swimsuit type garment with an integrated shaping-girdle configured to apply pressure to users' tissue or skin. Likewise, the girdle integrated in the bathing suit of the present invention can come into contact with water (such as swimming pools, sea, lagoons, etc.), without compromising its shape, integrity, and/or compression capacity, moreover the girdle of the present invention is discreetly and integrally incorporated into a one-piece swimsuit/bathing suit design with snaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Inventor: Liz Alejandra Perez Camberos
  • Patent number: 11925236
    Abstract: A non-removable insole, that is an integral part of a shoe or other footwear article, includes at least: a top layer, a middle layer, and a bottom layer. The middle layer of the insole has apertures or cavities, that define several discrete storage chambers within the insole. Each storage chamber stores a mixture of two or more particulate materials. The mixture includes one or more materials selected from Group A, which includes natural sand, synthetic sand, artificial sand, kinetic sand, silica, quartz. The mixture further includes one or more materials selected from Group B, which includes: powdered aluminum, powdered titanium, powdered zinc, powdered magnesia, powdered silver, powdered anti-bacterial agent, powdered metal, powdered talcum, grained cork, grained coal, grained wood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: INSAND LTD.
    Inventors: Anat Ophir, Moran Agaki Bardenstein
  • Patent number: 11918082
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a footbed for an article of footwear, the footbed having an arch portion defined by a curve, wherein a height of the curve is adjustable to increase or decrease the height of the arch portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: FAST IP, LLC
    Inventors: Craig Cheney, Seth Munger, Aislynn Edwards
  • Patent number: 11918086
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a shoe sole. The shoe sole includes: a shoe sole fabric having the form of a sole; a protective cover having the form corresponding to the form of the shoe sole fabric and bonded to a lower surface of the shoe sole fabric with a plurality of pillar through holes vertically penetrating the protective cover; and a plurality of pillar pieces passing through the plurality of pillar through holes, and bonded to the lower surface of the shoe sole fabric and arranged in a form of protruding downward from the protective cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: YOUNG CHANG ECO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hwi Joon Cho, Jae Young Cho
  • Patent number: 11918080
    Abstract: Sports boot including: an inner boot; an exogenous shell, the dimensions of which allow the inner boot to be inserted into or extracted from it, the exogenous shell strengthening the inner boot and allowing it to be attached to a piece of sports equipment. The exogenous shell includes a sole, a forward part of an upper able to pivot with respect to the sole about a first articulation, and a rear part of an upper which is able to pivot with respect to the sole about a second articulation. The sole includes a continuous inner relief pattern having longitudinally-extending ribs separated by longitudinally-extending grooves extending continuously along an entire length of the sole. The inner boot includes a sole with a corresponding relief pattern, so as to position laterally and vertically the inner boot in the exogenous shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: NB NEWBOOTS SA
    Inventor: Nicolas Frey
  • Patent number: 11910859
    Abstract: A protective football helmet is provided having a one-piece molded shell with an impact attenuation system. This system includes an impact attenuation member formed in an extent of the front shell portion by removing material from the front portion. The impact attenuation member is purposely engineered to change how the front portion responds to an impact force applied substantially normal to the front portion as compared to how other portions of the shell respond to that impact force. In one version, the impact attenuation member is a cantilevered segment formed in the front portion of the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Riddell, Inc.
    Inventors: Vittorio Bologna, Nelson Kraemer, Thad M. Ide
  • Patent number: 11896076
    Abstract: A footwear upper has a unitary knit structure with a knit outer face layer, a knit inner face layer, and a knit intermediate layer integrally knit to define forefoot, midfoot, and heel regions of the footwear upper. The knit intermediate layer is disposed between the knit outer face layer and the knit inner face layer at a plurality of first zones and absent from or present in a lesser amount or a lesser density in a plurality of second zones, the first zones alternating with the second zones in a longitudinal direction, and the unitary knit structure having a greater modulus of elasticity in the longitudinal direction in the first zones than in the second zones, and a greater breathability in the second zones than in the first zones. A method of manufacturing the footwear upper is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Carriero, Evan W. Jones, Sanchari Ashishkumar Mahapatra
  • Patent number: 11849781
    Abstract: Apparel that is adjustable. For example, in one embodiment, the apparel is provided that includes a torso. The torso includes a front, a back, a first side connecting the front to the back, a second side connecting the front to the back, a bottom, and a top. A plurality of shell fabric portions is on the torso. Each portion in the plurality of portions of shell fabric is adapted to receive an elastomeric member. Bunched fabric is on the first side and second side of the torso. Pleats are on the front of the torso. A centrally located flap is on the torso and has a longitudinal axis that is substantially vertical. Sleeves are connected to the torso. A first zipper track is located on the bottom of the torso. Pants may include a second zipper track adapted to mate with the first zipper track and secure the pants to the torso.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Government of the United States as Represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Haile A. Merrill
  • Patent number: 11844386
    Abstract: A hat with an adjustable visor includes a shell disposed on a user's head, an upper visor coupled to the shell and having a plurality of elongated slots, each elongated slot having a pair of rails extending along opposing side walls of the elongated slot, and a lower visor slidably mounted to the upper visor and having a plurality of tab assemblies, each tab assembly slidably mounted to the pair of rails of one of the plurality of elongated slots in the upper visor. The lower visor slidably adjusts relative to the shell to enable the plurality of tab assemblies of the lower visor to traverse the pairs of rails in the plurality of elongated slots of the upper visor, thereby extending the lower visor beyond the upper visor in an extended position or retracting the lower visor to align with the upper visor in a retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Inventor: Steven Luis Armendariz
  • Patent number: 11786003
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include a sole structure and an upper. The upper may include a first section and a second section and may define a foot-receiving cavity over the sole structure. The first section may be fixed to the sole structure, and the second section may articulate relative to the first section between an access position and a use position, the foot-receiving cavity being more exposed when the second section is in the access position. A magnetic coupling includes a first coupling member that may be operatively secured to the second section of the upper and a second coupling member may be operatively secured to the sole structure and positioned so that the first coupling member couples with the second coupling member by magnetic force when the second section is in the access position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Tobie D. Hatfield, Koosha Aslani, Jeffrey C. Spanks
  • Patent number: 11788218
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an integral shoe blank is provided. In the method, a reinforcement piece is woven by a flat knitting machine during a weave process, and the reinforcement piece is made unperceivable through a subsequent side overturning step when viewing from an exterior of a shoe. Thus, with the reinforcement piece, structural strength of the shoe blank is reinforced while better comfort is provided to the foot by a shoe manufactured from the shoe blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: WHOLEKNIT INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ming-Sheng Kuo, Yu-Lin Li, Chien-Hui Yang
  • Patent number: 11751639
    Abstract: An outsole for an article of footwear includes a plantar surface and a peripheral surface surrounding the plantar surface. The outsole for an article of footwear also includes an annular cleat set including a first plurality of traction elements arranged in series about a central axis on the plantar surface. The outsole for an article of footwear further includes one or more radial cleat sets each including a second plurality of the traction elements aligned along a respective radial axis intersecting the central axis. At least one of the second plurality of the traction elements includes a peripheral cleat formed on the peripheral surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Mike Ekstrom, Elizabeth Fulkerson, Michael J. Hass, John Hlavacs, Ethan Lee, Ricardo Salinas, Jr., Darlan Zacharia
  • Patent number: 11717051
    Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear is provided. The sole structure includes an outsole having a ground-engaging surface and an upper surface formed on an opposite side of the outsole than the ground-engaging surface. A first cushion is disposed proximate to a medial side of the sole structure and includes a first fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a second fluid-filled chamber attached to the first fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the first fluid-filled chamber and the upper. A second cushion is disposed proximate to a lateral side of the sole structure and includes a third fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a fourth fluid-filled chamber attached to the third fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the third fluid-filled chamber and the upper. The second cushion is fluidly isolated from the first cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy L. Connell, Karen S. Dimoff, Emily Farina, Joel Ryp Greenspan, Stefan E. Guest, Derek Haight, Olivier Henrichot, Helene Hutchinson, Geng Luo, Krissy Yetman
  • Patent number: 11700907
    Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strap system having a medial strap, a lateral strap, and a heel strap. The medial strap extends from a proximal end to a distal end selectively attachable to the upper at the lateral side. The lateral strap extends from a proximal end to a distal end selectively attachable to the upper at the medial side. The heel strap has a proximal portion fixed at the heel region and a distal portion selectively attachable to the upper by a heel strap fastener. The strap fastener is operable to attach one of the distal end of the medial strap and the distal end of the lateral strap to the heel strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Rita M. Bartels, Shivam Bhan, Holly Harris, Eric Joseph Marshall
  • Patent number: 11690427
    Abstract: A traction element arrangement for a sole structure of an article of footwear is described. Traction elements include cut step features. Cut step features provide a traction element with a stepped height. Cut step features on medial rotational traction elements that have a plurality of stud elements arranged in a circular grouping include arc-shaped or straight cuts. Cut step features on traction elements disposed in a heel region are aligned laterally across the sole structure. Traction elements also include raised platform members. Cut step features can be combined with raised platform members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Tetsuya T. Minami
  • Patent number: 11666119
    Abstract: A footwear sole structure includes a midsole having a ground-facing surface with a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The midsole defines downwardly-extending protrusions at the ground-facing surface distributed over the midfoot region and the heel region, each of the downwardly-extending protrusions having a convex outer surface. A height of the midsole is greatest at the midfoot region. The sole structure may also include an outsole covering at least a portion of the ground-facing surface of the midsole, and a height of the sole structure may be greatest at the midfoot region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Fidencio Campos, II, Karen S. Dimoff, Derek A. Fitchett, Emily Harrington, Joseph L. Helseth, Oliver McLachlan, Colin Runkle