Patents Examined by Alissa J. Tompkins
  • Patent number: 11944144
    Abstract: Aspects herein include a trim piece or waistband comprising a loop structure having a pocket space usable for storing one or more items. The loop structure has an inner layer material and an outer layer material that form a pocket opening on one side of the loop structure for insertion of items into the pocket space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Alison M. Hogberg
  • Patent number: 11930887
    Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper formed of a first material, and an armor system including a shroud covering a forefoot region of the upper. The shroud includes an articulable shroud vamp having a plurality of overlapping lames arranged in series along a ball portion of the shroud, each of the lames being formed of a second material having a greater hardness than the first material. The shroud may include a toe cap covering a toe portion of the upper and a saddle covering a mid-foot portion of the upper. The shroud vamp is disposed between the toe cap and the saddle. The saddle and the toe cap may be formed of the second material. The second material may be an up-cycled polyethylene composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Rachael M. Noon
  • Patent number: 11930865
    Abstract: A garment is made from a material woven to have multiple stretch characteristics. The garment can be jeans and the material can be a denim. Enhanced stretch denim shaping performance is achieved through engineered placement of weave-integrated hold zones and extension zones. The hold yarns and extension yarns will have distinct stretch performance attributes, but typically have the same or similar gauge, shrinkage, tensile strength, and durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Levi Strauss & Co.
    Inventor: Paul Dillinger
  • Patent number: 11905626
    Abstract: The present invention provides an easy settable stretch fabric comprising three types of yarns: a rigid fiber, an elastic fiber, and a low-melt fiber, wherein the low-melt fiber comprises low-melt polymer which can be fused in the temperature between 60° C. to 200° C., being higher than the temperature used for normal textile process and household laundry, but lower than the temperature used for heat setting elastic fiber. The low-melt fiber can be selected from a group of fibers made from modified polyester, nylon, and polypropylene and the copolymer from them in the form of staple or filament.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Inventors: Tianyi Liao, Geoffrey D. Hietpas, Brian Scott Alcott
  • Patent number: 11879186
    Abstract: A drafting system for a spinning machine, which drafting system has a drafting system unit, and to such a drafting system unit, having at least one weighting arm, which can be pivoted between an operating position and an open position by a repositioning device. In order to provide a drafting system and a drafting system unit for a drafting system for a spinning machine, the drafting system unit having a particularly simple design and permitting user-friendly operation, it is provided that the at least one weighting arm is connected to a retaining rod for conjoint rotation, which retaining rod is mounted on a retaining rod holder for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the retaining rod by the repositioning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Saurer Spinning Solutions GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Joachim Diedrich
  • Patent number: 11871815
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a shoe with an air pump device bellows which is arranged in the heel region, wherein an upper (2), a midsole (3), and an outsole (4) are first provided. The lower face (32) of the midsole (3) has a recess (36) for forming a cavity for the bellows and a surface which surrounds the recess on all sides and which comprises a surface profile, and the upper face (41) of the outsole (4) has a surface with a surface profile which complements the surface profile of the lower face of the midsole. The horizontal extension of the upper face (41) of the outsole (4) and of a sole section (22) of the upper (2) is greater than the horizontal extension of the midsole (3) such that the outsole (4) and the upper (2) protrude beyond the centered midsole (3) on all sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: ATMOS airwalk ag
    Inventors: Wilhelm Möhlmann, Jens Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11849804
    Abstract: A shoe may include various features to improve performance, increase manufacturing efficiency, and provide environmental benefits over traditional shoes. In some cases, a shoe includes an upper portion constructed from a continuous textile that includes multiple regions having different textile properties to improve the performance of the shoe, including durability and comfort. The upper portion may define a cuff region and a flex region adapted to expand to allow a wearer to put on the shoe and to contract to retain the shoe on the wearer's foot. The shoe may further include a heel retainer adapted to conform to a shape of the wearer's foot and retain the shoe on the wearer's foot. Eyelets of the shoe may be positioned along an external surface of the upper portion to improve comfort and simplify manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: ALLBIRDS, INC.
    Inventors: Lisa Halbower-Fenton, Jamie Sinclair McLellan, Thomas Jad Finck, Olivier Henrichot, James Romero, Romesh Patel
  • Patent number: 11696620
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are articles of footwear including an upper, a plate including a first polyolefin resin, and a rand are disclosed herein. The rand is coupled with the surface of the upper, the surface of the plate, or both. The rand is more flexible or less rigid than the plate. Methods of making articles of footwear are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, INC.
    Inventors: Isaac Farr, Devon Frazier, Jeremy D. Walker, Zachary C. Wright
  • Patent number: 11656061
    Abstract: A bomb disposal suit includes a jacket, trousers, and a back protector connected between the jacket and the trousers. The back protector includes a body of impact resistant material having a plenum with an intake opening to receive forced air and with outlet openings to direct forced air out of the plenum. A fan forces air into the intake opening. The back protector can transmit load vertically from the jacket to the trousers, for example, via a back plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Med-Eng, LLC
    Inventors: Jeff Levine, Clint Hedge, Gordana Jeftic-Stojanovski, Matthew Keown, Dan Reddin, Magda Slobozianu, Rob Beland, Soeren Nielsen, William Dicke, Matthew Watson
  • Patent number: 11644282
    Abstract: The invention provides a size-adjustable garment configured for attachment of camouflage elements and/or accessories using a plurality fastening elements. One or more of the fastening elements are configured to simultaneously provide a mechanism for adjusting the size of the garment and to provide a mechanism for attachment of the camouflage elements and/or accessories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Bush Ninja Gear Ltd.
    Inventors: Kelsey James Kalinski, Jason Michael Panas
  • Patent number: 11641897
    Abstract: An article of clothing is provided and includes a substrate material including an inner surface and an outer surface disposed on an opposite side of the substrate material than the inner surface. The substrate material forming a body-receiving portion and a limb-receiving portion extending from the body-receiving portion, whereby the body-receiving portion includes a first opening sized for circumscribing a neck of the wearer and the limb-receiving portion includes a second opening sized for circumscribing a limb of the wearer. A flocking material is arranged adjacent the inner surface of the substrate material proximate at least one of the first opening and the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Y. Moore, David Turner
  • Patent number: 11638454
    Abstract: A head mask, configured to cover the head of a wearer, includes a shell that includes bendable foam and a soft fabric on the exterior of the shell. The head mask further includes a cushioned collar at the bottom of the head mask to prevent discomfort when the head mask impacts the wearer. The collar may be cushioned, for example, by making the collar thicker than the combined thickness of the shell and decorative fabric, such as by folding the bendable foam of the shell and the soft fabric inwardly and attaching the folded bendable foam and soft fabric materials to the shell, or by increasing the thickness of the bendable foam or fabric layer used in the collar. The head mask further includes one or more openings for the eyes and for breathability, where the openings may be covered with a one-way mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Dan Dee International Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary Holcomb
  • Patent number: 11622597
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides footwear with an internal metatarsal guard and a related manufacturing method. In the depicted embodiment, the metatarsal guard is internal in that it is located under the outer layer of the footwear. In the depicted embodiment, the existence of the metatarsal guard can be visually detected from the outside of the footwear being that the metatarsal guard is located in a raised area in vamp of the footwear. The footwear is constructed such that the metatarsal guard does not impinge into the foot volume of the footwear, and the metatarsal protection also is arranged and configured to maintain a high degree of flexibility in the footwear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Red Wing Shoe Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Russell Lane Davis
  • Patent number: 11617417
    Abstract: A shoe having a shoe upper including multiple welds in selected locations on the shoe upper. The welds may be selectively located on the upper to provide structure and support to the specific portions of a shoe upper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Berend, Douglas A. Beye, Tony H. Le
  • Patent number: 11617414
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are articles of footwear including an upper, a plate including a first polyolefin resin, and a rand are disclosed herein. The rand is coupled with the surface of the upper, the surface of the plate, or both. The rand is more flexible or less rigid than the plate. Methods of making articles of footwear are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, INC.
    Inventors: Isaac Farr, Devon Frazier, Jeremy D. Walker, Zachary C. Wright
  • Patent number: 11607000
    Abstract: A fit system for a helmet can include an adjuster including a width adjustment track, and first and second pods moveably coupled to the width adjustment track with a first and second support arm, the second pod comprising a lateral offset from the first pod. The fit system can further include a dial moveably coupled to the adjustor, such that movement of the dial changes a size of the lateral offset between the first pod and the second pod. The fit system can further include a hanger flexibly coupled to both the first pod and the second pod and adapted to allow for adjustment of the lateral offset between the first pod and the second pod. The hanger can further be adapted to allow for movement of the first pod and the second pod in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lateral offset without movement of the dial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Ben D. Pritz, Samuel J. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 11596203
    Abstract: An article of footwear includes a sole and an upper at least partially formed of a textile element. The textile element includes a yarn matrix having a plurality of interlocked strands oriented in predetermined directions. A structural element may be captured within the matrix at selected locations. In operation, the matrix is stitched onto a temporary substrate. The substrate is removed and the article coupled to a sole structure to form the article of footwear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Under Armour, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Berns, Julian Ellis, Tom Luedecke, Thomas White
  • Patent number: 11596183
    Abstract: Examples of a breast support garment are disclosed. The breast support garment comprises a front panel with a chest area configured to support a wearer's breasts and dampen an accelerating movement of the breast tissue, and a hydration system that comprises a hydration reservoir and a dispensing tube connected to the reservoir. The breast support garment further comprises a holder that is dimensioned to receive the reservoir of the hydration system and one or more guides to support the dispensing tube. The breast support garment of the present invention integrates the functions of a high support sports bra and a hydration vest or backpack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: LULULEMON ATHLETICA CANADA INC.
    Inventors: Stephen Thomas Caulton Morris, Jessica Lee Croll, Rebecca Glazier, Emilie Rastoll
  • Patent number: 11589641
    Abstract: A ski boot of the kind comprising a substantially rigid outer shell and a cuff articulated to the shell is provided and further includes a locking device which can be switched between a first configuration, in which the rotation of the cuff relative to the shell is allowed, and a second configuration, in which the rotation of the cuff relative to the shell is prevented. The locking device of the ski boot also includes deadlocking means which prevents the locking device from being accidentally moved from the configuration in which it is, specifically when it is in the second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: TECNICA GROUP S.P.A.
    Inventors: Claudio Zampieri, Giovanni Girolimetto, Alessandro Zannin
  • Patent number: 11589643
    Abstract: An athletic footwear artificial ligament device includes a flexible band securable around a lower leg above an ankle of a foot of a wearer, a ring disposable adjacent an outer side of the ankle spaced below the flexible band, and a plurality of artificial ligaments coupled to and arrayed about the ring. An upper artificial ligament is attached to the flexible band and extends downward to the ring. A lower artificial ligament is attachable to an upper of the athletic shoe, adjacent to the sole and above the heel, and extends upward to the ring. A forward artificial ligament is attachable to the athletic shoe upper forwardly of the ring, above the sole and spaced forwardly from the heel, and extends rearward to the ring such that the artificial ligaments perform as a second set of ligaments providing sprain protection of the ankle of the foot of the wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventor: Brent J. Whitley