Patents Examined by Megan E Lynch
  • Patent number: 12714175
    Abstract: An arrangement has an adjustable face shield and a face shield holding mechanism for connection to a headgear base body as well as an adjustable object holding device associated with the face shield. The object holding device has a coupling mechanism for coupling to the headgear base body and an object holding mechanism arranged on the coupling mechanism, and is swivelable in its entirety about a first axis. The face shield and the object holding device is adjustable independently of each other. The first axis coincides with a face shield adjustment axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Assignee: UVEX ARBEITSSCHUTZ GMBH
    Inventors: Roland Lieret, Martin Wolf
  • Patent number: 12714194
    Abstract: A shoe or other footwear has a non-removable multi-layer foot-support member (FSM) embedded within the sole. The uppermost layer is a breathable, stretchable textile configured for direct contact with the foot, offering softness and elasticity. Directly beneath it is a containment layer made of elastic fabric partially infused or impregnated with silicone, which stabilizes and restrains the granular contents below. The central layer includes one or two or three sealed chambers filled with a cured mixture of silicone and polymeric granules, forming a deformable medium that yields under pressure and mimics natural granular terrain or sand. Beneath this is a synthetic textile layer that restricts lateral expansion of the granular mixture, and preserves chamber geometry during use. The bottom component is a semi-rigid base that structurally supports and anchors all overlying layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2025
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Assignee: INSAND LTD.
    Inventor: Anat Ophir
  • Patent number: 12708160
    Abstract: A thumb or finger protector for a protective glove includes a top section, at least one middle section and a bottom section. The at least one middle is disposed between the top and bottom sections. The top and bottom sections engage a corresponding adjacent one of the at least one middle section via respective articulations. A central wire is connected to the top section extends through central passages of the middle and bottom sections and through the articulations to interconnect the sections. Left and right wires are connected to the top section extend through respective left and right passages of the middle and bottom sections and are sized to slide therein. The sliding guides formed by the left and right wires enable multidirectional movement of the thumb or finger while protecting the thumb or finger during use in the protective glove. A protective glove is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2025
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: BAUER HOCKEY, LLC
    Inventors: Marc Olivier Harvey Girard, Alexis Majeau
  • Patent number: 12708177
    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: August 7, 2025
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Fidencio Campos, II, Karen S. Dimoff, Derek A. Fitchett, Emily Harrington, Joseph L. Helseth, Oliver McLachlan, Colin Runkle
  • Patent number: 12677903
    Abstract: Aspects herein are directed to a knitted component and articles of footwear that incorporate the same having cushioning structures, window openings, and/or tensile elements. In some aspects, the cushioning structures are positioned on an interior surface of an upper in order to protect a wearer's foot. The cushioning structures can be formed of single-jersey constructions, which cause the cushioning structures to curl, enhancing their cushioning properties. Window openings can be formed in the upper (e.g., using activatable yarns) in order to provide visual indications of the cushioning structures and/or serve as anchor points for tensile elements, which can provide structure to a lacing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel L. Bartys, Bilan Dedonato, Andreas I. Schoppel
  • Patent number: 12653273
    Abstract: An article of footwear has a sole including a toe portion and a heel portion, a toe bumper disposed on the toe portion, the toe bumper being configured to contact a ball, and a heel bumper disposed on the heel portion, the heel bumper being configured to contact the ball, wherein at least one of the toe bumper and the heel bumper has an asymmetric shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: NIKE, INC.
    Inventors: John Droege, Paul Hooper, Tetsuya T. Minami, Morgan Stauffer
  • Patent number: 12648611
    Abstract: The present disclosure comprises a footbed or sole portion having surface features that is configured to be flipped over or switched with that of an opposite shoe to differently engage with an adjacent surface and thereby adjust a shoe between smaller and larger dimension orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: FAST IP, LLC
    Inventors: Craig Cheney, Kirk Bassett
  • Patent number: 12599192
    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: March 18, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: Scholl's Wellness Company LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Fromholtz, Daniel L. Miranda, Harold A. Howlett
  • Patent number: 12575647
    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: March 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Tetsuya T. Minami
  • Patent number: 12557870
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include one or more of the following: a knitted component, the knitted component including a plurality of courses; and at least one inlaid strand, where the at least one inlaid strand is inlaid within at least one course of the plurality of courses, and where the at least one inlaid strand includes an exposed portion, the exposed portion at least partially extending through a throat area of the article of footwear when the article of footwear is in a wearable state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2026
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Gagandeep Singh
  • Patent number: 12557871
    Abstract: Aspects herein are directed to a reinforced knit channel for an upper configured to receive a lace. The knit channel includes a first knit layer and a second knit layer that at least partially overlaps the first knit layer and is interlooped with the first knit layer at a first interlooped area and a second interlooped area. A channel region is present between the first and second interlooped areas. A first portion of a tensile strand is integrated into the first knit layer in the channel region, and a second portion of the tensile strand extends over a surface of the first knit layer within the channel region. The tensile strand helps to reinforce openings into the channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2026
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Chaokun Huangfu, Seth M. Wiberg
  • Patent number: 12543814
    Abstract: A knitted component having an outer perimeter and a common portion, which may be a centrally-located region, such as a throat region and/or a collar region. A plurality of courses of the knitted component extend between the outer perimeter and the common portion such that the courses may be radially-extending outwards from the common portion. One or more continuous strand may be inlaid within the knit courses to form a plurality of strand segments that extend within respective ones of the plurality of courses of the knitted component between the outer perimeter and the common portion of the knitted component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2026
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Gemma Brown, Chaokun Huangfu, James Molyneux, Kristen E. Orme, Peter R. Savage, Gagandeep Singh, Seth M. Wiberg, Roberto Zavala
  • Patent number: 12532945
    Abstract: A variety of sole structures for footwear, including plates with traction elements, are provided. Articles of footwear which include the sole structures are also provided. Methods of making the sole structures, and articles of footwear which include the sole structures, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2026
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Jaclyn Acquaviva, Neil Crumbleholme, Isaac Farr, Sean T. O'Brien, Jason Riddell, Michele Tosello, Zachary C. Wright
  • Patent number: 12520907
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a shoe, comprising: a shoe sole having a bottom surface, a sidewall surface, and a top surface opposite to the bottom surface; a plurality of positioning structures disposed on the perimeter of the sidewall surface; and a foot covering part comprising at least one thread, in which each thread extends from one of the positioning structures to another positioning structure to form a thread extension part, and the collection of a plurality of thread extension parts forms a configuration that fits a user's foot. The present disclosure also provides a manufacturing method of a shoe. The foot covering part of the shoe of the present disclosure comprises one or a plurality of threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2026
    Assignee: Amplifi Tech (Xiamen) Limited
    Inventor: Li-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 12501968
    Abstract: A sole includes: a midsole located to continuously extend from a forefoot portion to a rearfoot portion; and a reinforcing member formed of a material higher in rigidity than a material forming the midsole and disposed on a bottom surface of the midsole. The reinforcing member includes: a first bar located to extend at least in the forefoot portion and the midfoot portion and extending along a lateral foot-side end portion of the midsole; and a second bar located in the forefoot portion, having one end connected to the first bar, and extending in an oblique direction to extend rearward toward a medial foot side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2025
    Assignee: ASICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Azumi Taoka, Sho Takamasu, Sho Kubota, Tomoichiro Ozaki
  • Patent number: 12501969
    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: May 6, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2025
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy L. Connell, Karen S. Dimoff, Emily M. Farina, Joël Ryp Greenspan, Stefan E. Guest, Derek Haight, Olivier Henrichot, Helene Hutchinson, Geng Luo, Krissy Yetman
  • Patent number: 12490811
    Abstract: Articles of footwear comprising a rigid cage coupled to a sole and comprising a plurality of openings formed in the cage, and a padding element disposed under the rigid cage and comprising a plurality of projections. The projections can each comprise an exterior protrusion extending from the exterior surface of the padding element and disposed within one of the openings in the rigid cage. The projections can each comprise an interior protrusion extending from an interior surface of the padding element. In some embodiments, the size and shape of the interior and/or exterior protrusions can be based on data from a foot scan map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2025
    Assignee: adidas AG
    Inventors: Cori Marble Steele, Joseph Thomas Broccoli-Hickey, Gillian Pinder, Nicole Schrier
  • Patent number: 12490808
    Abstract: A device for supporting the human foot may include a first layer forming an arch in a central region of the device and a second layer that is connected to the first layer in a first end region and in a second end region of the device. The device may include at least one deflection element with dorsiflexion of the device. The second layer may be designed to transmit tension acting in the second end region via the deflection element to the first layer in the second end region in such a way that the dorsiflexion leads to an increase in the height of the arch formed by the first layer. The deflection element may be arranged at least partially between the first layer and the second layer, such that the first layer and second layer are spaced apart at a distance specified by the deflection element(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2025
    Assignee: (ts)2 GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Stief, Tino Sprekelmeyer
  • Patent number: 12484660
    Abstract: An article of footwear including an adaptive support system includes a plurality of support members. Each support member includes an outer chamber and an inner chamber, the inner chamber being filled with a magnetorheological fluid. An electromagnet is disposed adjacent to the inner chamber and can be used to vary the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2025
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Meschter, Mike A. Chamblin, Andrew A. Owings
  • Patent number: 12458099
    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: April 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2025
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian Meir, James Molyneux