Patents by Inventor Kirk M. Mayer
Kirk M. Mayer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11234466Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a multi-layered design for an article of apparel such as swimwear. In particular, at least one layer may include a stretch resistant matrix made of a thermoplastic polymer, a silicone or other similar material to provide additional support and modesty to certain areas of the apparel, such as the bust area. Further, a method of manufacturing the article of apparel is also disclosed. According to aspects described herein, the layers may be integrated using techniques to increase the overall integrity of the apparel.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2017Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: NIKE, INC.Inventors: Kirk M. Mayer, Nathan Demarest, Rebecca P. Hurd
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Patent number: 10905178Abstract: A garment, such as a sports uniform, may provide visibility zones and/or flicker zones to enhance the ability of teammates to perceive the wearer. Different zones on a garment may have different sets of visual properties that may contrast with one another and/or a visual background. A denier differential between layers of a garment may facilitate moisture transport across the layers of the garment. Flicker zones may be discrete from or combined with visibility zones. One or more zones of a garment may also be substantially non-reflective at wavelengths associated with the visual background encountered while wearing the garment.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2018Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: NIKE, INC.Inventors: Susan L. Sokolowski, Kirk M. Mayer, Amir H. Morgan, Alan W. Reichow, Andrea J. Staub, Stephanie J. Scott
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Patent number: 10880998Abstract: Strands of material may be intertwined using weaving techniques, knitting techniques, non-woven or entanglement techniques, or braiding techniques. Fabric that is formed from the strands of material may be used in forming a fabric-based item. The fabric based item may include electrical components. The strands may include conductive strands that form signal paths. The signal paths can carry electrical signals associated with operation of the electrical components. Each strand may have an elongated core and a coating. Strands may also include intermediate layers between the cores and coatings. The cores, intermediate layers, and coatings may be formed from polymer without conductive filler, polymer with conductive filler, and/or metal. A polymer core may be provided with recesses to help retain subsequently deposited layers such as a metal coating layer. The recesses may be grooves that extend along the longitudinal axis of the core.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2020Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, Kathryn P. Crews, Kirk M. Mayer, John Arthur Maasberg
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Publication number: 20200375031Abstract: Strands of material may be intertwined using weaving techniques, knitting techniques, non-woven or entanglement techniques, or braiding techniques. Fabric that is formed from the strands of material may be used in forming a fabric-based item. The fabric based item may include electrical components. The strands may include conductive strands that form signal paths. The signal paths can carry electrical signals associated with operation of the electrical components. Each strand may have an elongated core and a coating. Strands may also include intermediate layers between the cores and coatings. The cores, intermediate layers, and coatings may be formed from polymer without conductive filler, polymer with conductive filler, and/or metal. A polymer core may be provided with recesses to help retain subsequently deposited layers such as a metal coating layer. The recesses may be grooves that extend along the longitudinal axis of the core.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2020Publication date: November 26, 2020Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, Kathryn P. Crews, Kirk M. Mayer, John Arthur Maasberg
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Patent number: 10785869Abstract: Strands of material may be intertwined using weaving techniques, knitting techniques, non-woven or entanglement techniques, or braiding techniques. Fabric that is formed from the strands of material may be used in forming a fabric-based item. The fabric based item may include electrical components. The strands may include conductive strands that form signal paths. The signal paths can carry electrical signals associated with operation of the electrical components. Each strand may have an elongated core and a coating. Strands may also include intermediate layers between the cores and coatings. The cores, intermediate layers, and coatings may be formed from polymer without conductive filler, polymer with conductive filler, and/or metal. A polymer core may be provided with recesses to help retain subsequently deposited layers such as a metal coating layer. The recesses may be grooves that extend along the longitudinal axis of the core.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2019Date of Patent: September 22, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, Kathryn P. Crews, Kirk M. Mayer, John Arthur Maasberg
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Publication number: 20200029429Abstract: Strands of material may be intertwined using weaving techniques, knitting techniques, non-woven or entanglement techniques, or braiding techniques. Fabric that is formed from the strands of material may be used in forming a fabric-based item. The fabric based item may include electrical components. The strands may include conductive strands that form signal paths. The signal paths can carry electrical signals associated with operation of the electrical components. Each strand may have an elongated core and a coating. Strands may also include intermediate layers between the cores and coatings. The cores, intermediate layers, and coatings may be formed from polymer without conductive filler, polymer with conductive filler, and/or metal. A polymer core may be provided with recesses to help retain subsequently deposited layers such as a metal coating layer. The recesses may be grooves that extend along the longitudinal axis of the core.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, Kathryn P. Crews, Kirk M. Mayer, John Arthur Maasberg
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Patent number: 10470305Abstract: Strands of material may be intertwined using weaving techniques, knitting techniques, non-woven or entanglement techniques, or braiding techniques. Fabric that is formed from the strands of material may be used in forming a fabric-based item. The fabric based item may include electrical components. The strands may include conductive strands that form signal paths. The signal paths can carry electrical signals associated with operation of the electrical components. Each strand may have an elongated core and a coating. Strands may also include intermediate layers between the cores and coatings. The cores, intermediate layers, and coatings may be formed from polymer without conductive filler, polymer with conductive filler, and/or metal. A polymer core may be provided with recesses to help retain subsequently deposited layers such as a metal coating layer. The recesses may be grooves that extend along the longitudinal axis of the core.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2019Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, Kathryn P. Crews, Kirk M. Mayer, John Arthur Maasberg
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Patent number: 10400364Abstract: A fabric-based item may have fabric with conductive strands and insulating strands. The conductive strands may form conductive signal paths and may be coupled to control circuitry. The conductive strands and insulating strands may be woven in a construction that allows multiple conductive strands to contact one another to form a low resistance signal path such as a power line, a data line, or a ground line. The fabric may have a two up and three down twill pattern, a two up and three down twill pattern, or other suitable pattern. The pattern may be selected so that groups of conductive weft strands or groups of conductive warp strands are in contact with one another. The conductive strands may have greater density than the insulating strands. For example, if the weft strands are conductive, the fabric may have a higher number of picks per inch than ends per inch.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2017Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Kirk M. Mayer, Yohji Hamada, Daniel A. Podhajny, Daniel D. Sunshine
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Patent number: 10362670Abstract: An electronic device such as a cover for a portable device may be provided with a body having hinge portions. The hinge portions may allow the body to bend about one or more bend axes. The cover may have electrical components such as a keyboard. A keyboard may be mounted at one end of the cover and a connector may be mounted at an opposing end of the cover. A flexible fabric signal path structure may be formed from metal traces on a flexible fabric substrate. At one end of the cover, the flexible fabric signal path structure may be coupled to a printed circuit in the keyboard using conductive adhesive. At the opposing end of the cover, the metal traces on the flexible fabric substrate may be coupled to the connector.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2018Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Benjamin A. Cousins, Kurt R. Stiehl, Samuel G. Smith, Kirk M. Mayer, Siddhartha Hegde, Melody Kuna
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Publication number: 20190191557Abstract: Strands of material may be intertwined using weaving techniques, knitting techniques, non-woven or entanglement techniques, or braiding techniques. Fabric that is formed from the strands of material may be used in forming a fabric-based item. The fabric based item may include electrical components. The strands may include conductive strands that form signal paths. The signal paths can carry electrical signals associated with operation of the electrical components. Each strand may have an elongated core and a coating. Strands may also include intermediate layers between the cores and coatings. The cores, intermediate layers, and coatings may be formed from polymer without conductive filler, polymer with conductive filler, and/or metal. A polymer core may be provided with recesses to help retain subsequently deposited layers such as a metal coating layer. The recesses may be grooves that extend along the longitudinal axis of the core.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2019Publication date: June 20, 2019Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, Kathryn P. Crews, Kirk M. Mayer, John Arthur Maasberg
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Patent number: 10303210Abstract: A portable electronic device may have an electronic device strap. The strap may include inner and outer fabric layers and optional intermediate fabric layers. The inner fabric layer may have strands of material that are characterized by a larger denier per filament value than the outer fabric layer to help draw moisture away from the body of a user. The fabric layers may have stretchable warp fibers that allow the strap to be stretched. Weft fibers at the bottom of grooves that span the width of the strap may be provided with different colors than other weft strands. When the strap is stretched, the visibility of the weft fibers at the bottoms of the grooves may increase. A hook-and-loop fastener may be used to close the strap. Loops for the fastener may be formed from warp strands and may have multiple sizes.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2016Date of Patent: May 28, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Kirk M. Mayer, Yoji Hamada, Liming Wang
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Patent number: 10244625Abstract: Strands of material may be intertwined using weaving techniques, knitting techniques, non-woven or entanglement techniques, or braiding techniques. Fabric that is formed from the strands of material may be used in forming a fabric-based item. The fabric based item may include electrical components. The strands may include conductive strands that form signal paths. The signal paths can carry electrical signals associated with operation of the electrical components. Each strand may have an elongated core and a coating. Strands may also include intermediate layers between the cores and coatings. The cores, intermediate layers, and coatings may be formed from polymer without conductive filler, polymer with conductive filler, and/or metal. A polymer core may be provided with recesses to help retain subsequently deposited layers such as a metal coating layer. The recesses may be grooves that extend along the longitudinal axis of the core.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2018Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, Kathryn P. Crews, Kirk M. Mayer, John Arthur Maasberg
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Publication number: 20180295902Abstract: A garment, such as a sports uniform, may provide visibility zones and/or flicker zones to enhance the ability of teammates to perceive the wearer. Different zones on a garment may have different sets of visual properties that may contrast with one another and/or a visual background. A denier differential between layers of a garment may facilitate moisture transport across the layers of the garment. Flicker zones may be discrete from or combined with visibility zones. One or more zones of a garment may also be substantially non-reflective at wavelengths associated with the visual background encountered while wearing the garment.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2018Publication date: October 18, 2018Inventors: Susan L. Sokolowski, Kirk M. Mayer, Amir H. Morgan, Alan W. Reichow, Andrea J. Staub, Stephanie J. Scott
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Publication number: 20180228024Abstract: Strands of material may be intertwined using weaving techniques, knitting techniques, non-woven or entanglement techniques, or braiding techniques. Fabric that is formed from the strands of material may be used in forming a fabric-based item. The fabric based item may include electrical components. The strands may include conductive strands that form signal paths. The signal paths can carry electrical signals associated with operation of the electrical components. Each strand may have an elongated core and a coating. Strands may also include intermediate layers between the cores and coatings. The cores, intermediate layers, and coatings may be formed from polymer without conductive filler, polymer with conductive filler, and/or metal. A polymer core may be provided with recesses to help retain subsequently deposited layers such as a metal coating layer. The recesses may be grooves that extend along the longitudinal axis of the core.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2018Publication date: August 9, 2018Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, Kathryn P. Crews, Kirk M. Mayer, John Arthur Maasberg
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Patent number: 10039332Abstract: A garment, such as a sports uniform, may provide visibility zones and/or flicker zones to enhance the ability of teammates to perceive the wearer. Different zones on a garment may have different sets of visual properties that may contrast with one another and/or a visual background. A denier differential between layers of a garment may facilitate moisture transport across the layers of the garment. Flicker zones may be discrete from or combined with visibility zones. One or more zones of a garment may also be substantially non-reflective at wavelengths associated with the visual background encountered while wearing the garment.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2015Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: NIKE, INC.Inventors: Susan L. Sokolowski, Kirk M. Mayer, Amir H. Morgan, Alan W. Reichow, Andrea J. Staub, Stephanie J. Scott
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Publication number: 20180195210Abstract: An item may include fabric or other materials formed from intertwined strands of material. The item may include circuitry that produces signals. The strands of material may include non-conductive strands and conductive strands. The non-conductive strands and conductive strands may be close in size. The conductive strands may carry the signals produced by the circuitry. Each conductive strand may have a strand core, a conductive coating on the strand core, and an insulating coating on the conductive coating. The strand cores may be strands formed from polymer. The conductive coating may be formed from metal. The insulating coating may have a relatively thin thickness and may be formed from a polymer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2018Publication date: July 12, 2018Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, John Arthur Maasberg, Kathryn P. Crews, Kirk M. Mayer, Yohji Hamada
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Publication number: 20180168027Abstract: An electronic device such as a cover for a portable device may be provided with a body having hinge portions. The hinge portions may allow the body to bend about one or more bend axes. The cover may have electrical components such as a keyboard. A keyboard may be mounted at one end of the cover and a connector may be mounted at an opposing end of the cover. A flexible fabric signal path structure may be formed from metal traces on a flexible fabric substrate. At one end of the cover, the flexible fabric signal path structure may be coupled to a printed circuit in the keyboard using conductive adhesive. At the opposing end of the cover, the metal traces on the flexible fabric substrate may be coupled to the connector.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2018Publication date: June 14, 2018Inventors: Benjamin A. Cousins, Kurt R. Stiehl, Samuel G. Smith, Kirk M. Mayer, Siddhartha Hegde, Melody Kuna
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Patent number: 9974170Abstract: Strands of material may be intertwined using weaving techniques, knitting techniques, non-woven or entanglement techniques, or braiding techniques. Fabric that is formed from the strands of material may be used in forming a fabric-based item. The fabric based item may include electrical components. The strands may include conductive strands that form signal paths. The signal paths can carry electrical signals associated with operation of the electrical components. Each strand may have an elongated core and a coating. Strands may also include intermediate layers between the cores and coatings. The cores, intermediate layers, and coatings may be formed from polymer without conductive filler, polymer with conductive filler, and/or metal. A polymer core may be provided with recesses to help retain subsequently deposited layers such as a metal coating layer. The recesses may be grooves that extend along the longitudinal axis of the core.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2016Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Daniel A. Podhajny, Kathryn P. Crews, Kirk M. Mayer, John Arthur Maasberg
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Publication number: 20180055093Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a multi-layered design for an article of apparel such as swimwear. In particular, at least one layer may include a stretch resistant matrix made of a thermoplastic polymer, a silicone or other similar material to provide additional support and modesty to certain areas of the apparel, such as the bust area. Further, a method of manufacturing the article of apparel is also disclosed. According to aspects described herein, the layers may be integrated using techniques to increase the overall integrity of the apparel.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2017Publication date: March 1, 2018Inventors: Kirk M. Mayer, Nathan Demarest, Rebecca P. Hurd
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Publication number: 20180042368Abstract: A portable electronic device may have an electronic device strap. The strap may include inner and outer fabric layers and optional intermediate fabric layers. The inner fabric layer may have strands of material that are characterized by a larger denier per filament value than the outer fabric layer to help draw moisture away from the body of a user. The fabric layers may have stretchable warp fibers that allow the strap to be stretched. Weft fibers at the bottom of grooves that span the width of the strap may be provided with different colors than other weft strands. When the strap is stretched, the visibility of the weft fibers at the bottoms of the grooves may increase. A hook-and-loop fastener may be used to close the strap. Loops for the fastener may be formed from warp strands and may have multiple sizes.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2016Publication date: February 15, 2018Inventors: Kirk M. Mayer, Yoji Hamada, Liming Wang