Patents by Inventor Douglas A. Beye

Douglas A. Beye 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).

  • Publication number: 20230354962
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include an upper with an outer layer, an inner layer, and a chamber element positioned at least partially between the outer layer and the upper layer. The chamber element may be formed of two layers of a transparent colored polymer material and may be sealed to enclose a fluid. The chamber element may also have a plurality of subchambers. The outer layer may have a plurality of apertures. Each subchamber may protrude at least partially through a corresponding one of the apertures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Eric Joseph Marshall
  • Patent number: 11723434
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include an upper with an outer layer, an inner layer, and a chamber element positioned at least partially between the outer layer and the upper layer. The chamber element may be formed of two layers of a transparent colored polymer material and may be sealed to enclose a fluid. The chamber element may also have a plurality of subchambers. The outer layer may have a plurality of apertures. Each subchamber may protrude at least partially through a corresponding one of the apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Eric Joseph Marshall
  • Publication number: 20230218042
    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: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas Berend, Douglas A. Beye, Tony H. Le
  • 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: 11612218
    Abstract: An article of footwear formed from a flat pattern to include a side seam and/or utilizing aperture alignment of multiple flat pattern pieces is disclosed. In aspects, an article of footwear, such as an upper, is formed from a flat pattern and modified into a dimensional article of footwear that includes a side closing. The side closing may comprise adjoined side edges of the flat pattern upper that are secured to each other with a securing element to maintain the dimensional article of footwear in its shape. Alignment of the parts may be provided through at least partial alignment of apertures in the flat pattern upper and apertures in a securing element and/or other flat pattern pieces, including using multi-purpose apertures, allowing streamlined processing and manufacturing of footwear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce J. Kilgore, Douglas A. Beye, Daniel B. DeHaven, Kassio Figur, Jessica Anne Junkins, Sara Kilgore
  • Patent number: 10897960
    Abstract: A fluid-filled chamber may include an upper barrier portion, a lower barrier portion, and a tensile member. An upper tensile layer of the tensile member may be secured to the upper barrier portion, and a lower tensile layer of the tensile member may be secured to the lower barrier portion. The upper barrier portion and the lower barrier portion may have first areas and second areas. The first areas may be indentations extending into the chamber, and the second areas may be protrusions extending outward from the chamber. At least a portion of the first areas may be unbonded with the upper barrier portion and the lower barrier portion. Accordingly, one or more properties of the chamber, such as a flexibility, stiffness, rigidity, tensile response, compressibility, or force attenuation property, may be altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Benjamin J. Monfils
  • Publication number: 20210015211
    Abstract: An article of footwear formed from a flat pattern to include a side seam and/or utilizing aperture alignment of multiple flat pattern pieces is disclosed. In aspects, an article of footwear, such as an upper, is formed from a flat pattern and modified into a dimensional article of footwear that includes a side closing. The side closing may comprise adjoined side edges of the flat pattern upper that are secured to each other with a securing element to maintain the dimensional article of footwear in its shape. Alignment of the parts may be provided through at least partial alignment of apertures in the flat pattern upper and apertures in a securing element and/or other flat pattern pieces, including using multi-purpose apertures, allowing streamlined processing and manufacturing of footwear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Bruce J. Kilgore, Douglas A. Beye, Daniel B. DeHaven, Kassio Figur, Jessica Anne Junkins, Sara Kilgore
  • Patent number: 10820659
    Abstract: An article of footwear formed from a flat pattern to include a side seam and/or utilizing aperture alignment of multiple flat pattern pieces is disclosed. In aspects, an article of footwear, such as an upper, is formed from a flat pattern and modified into a dimensional article of footwear that includes a side closing. The side closing may comprise adjoined side edges of the flat pattern upper that are secured to each other with a securing element to maintain the dimensional article of footwear in its shape. Alignment of the parts may be provided through at least partial alignment of apertures in the flat pattern upper and apertures in a securing element and/or other flat pattern pieces, including using multi-purpose apertures, allowing streamlined processing and manufacturing of footwear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce J. Kilgore, Douglas A. Beye, Daniel B. DeHaven, Kassio Figur, Jessica Anne Junkins, Sara Kilgore
  • Publication number: 20200288813
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include an upper with an outer layer, an inner layer, and a chamber element positioned at least partially between the outer layer and the upper layer. The chamber element may be formed of two layers of a transparent colored polymer material and may be sealed to enclose a fluid. The chamber element may also have a plurality of subchambers. The outer layer may have a plurality of apertures. Each subchamber may protrude at least partially through a corresponding one of the apertures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Eric Joseph Marshall
  • Patent number: 10750822
    Abstract: An article of footwear includes a structural harness and impact-attenuating structure arrangement that includes a fluid-filled chamber. The article includes an upper, a sole secured to the upper having an impact-attenuating structure including a fluid-filled chamber and a structural harness. The structural harness may extend between the upper and fluid-filled chamber in a tensile arrangement that biases the fluid-filled chamber toward the upper and compresses the chamber. The structural harness may include a first layer, a thread layer bonded to the first layer and a second layer bonded to the thread layer on an opposite side of the thread layer. The thread layer may include threads configured to transmit tensile forces and restrict stretch in a longitudinal direction of the threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Benjamin J. Monfils
  • Patent number: 10702018
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include an upper with an outer layer, an inner layer, and a chamber element positioned at least partially between the outer layer and the upper layer. The chamber element may be formed of two layers of a transparent colored polymer material and may be sealed to enclose a fluid. The chamber element may also have a plurality of subchambers. The outer layer may have a plurality of apertures. Each subchamber may protrude at least partially through a corresponding one of the apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Eric Joseph Marshall
  • Publication number: 20200037704
    Abstract: An article of footwear has a sole assembly that includes a midsole. The midsole has a bottom with a bottom surface, and an outer wall with a side surface. At least one of a thermoplastic polyurethane outsole and a thermoplastic polyurethane toe bumper is secured to the midsole. Specifically, a thermoplastic polyurethane outsole can be secured to the bottom surface of the midsole and a thermoplastic polyurethane toe bumper can be secured to the side surface of the midsole. Moreover, at least one of a thermoplastic polyurethane outsole and a thermoplastic polyurethane toe bumper is at least partially transparent. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear includes securing such a thermoplastic polyurethane outsole and/or a thermoplastic polyurethane toe bumper to the midsole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Joseph Marshall, Douglas A. Beye, Charles R. Edwards
  • Patent number: 10165829
    Abstract: A spacer textile material has at least a portion of a tensile strand located between a first layer and a second layer of the spacer textile material where the first layer and second layer have been joined together to form channels in which the tensile strand moves freely. The tensile strand travels through the spacer textile material in a non-linear direction. Further, the channels may be formed in the spacer textile material in non-linear directions. The spacer textile material with a tensile strand may be incorporated into an article of footwear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Lysandre Follet
  • Patent number: 9980534
    Abstract: A spacer textile material has at least a portion of multiple tensile strands located between a first layer and a second layer of the spacer textile material where the first layer and second layer have been joined together to form channels in which the tensile strands move freely. In one or more locations, a first tensile strand and a second tensile overlap at an intersection region. Further, the spacer textile material may be incorporated into an article of footwear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Lysandre Follet
  • Publication number: 20180125154
    Abstract: An article of footwear is disclosed having a structural harness and impact-attenuating structure arrangement that includes a fluid-filled chamber. The article includes an upper, a sole secured to the upper having an impact-attenuating structure including a fluid-filled chamber and a structural harness. The structural harness may extend between the upper and fluid-filled chamber in a tensile arrangement that biases the fluid-filled chamber toward the upper and compresses the chamber. The structural harness may include a first layer, a thread layer bonded to the first layer and a second layer bonded to the thread layer on an opposite side of the thread layer. The thread layer may include threads configured to transmit tensile forces and restrict stretch in a longitudinal direction of the threads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Benjamin J. Monfils
  • Patent number: 9872535
    Abstract: An article of footwear is disclosed having a structural harness and impact-attenuating structure arrangement that includes a fluid-filled chamber. The article includes an upper, a sole secured to the upper having an impact-attenuating structure including a fluid-filled chamber and a structural harness. The structural harness may extend between the upper and fluid-filled chamber in a tensile arrangement that biases the fluid-filled chamber toward the upper and compresses the chamber. The structural harness may include a first layer, a thread layer bonded to the first layer and a second layer bonded to the thread layer on an opposite side of the thread layer. The thread layer may include threads configured to transmit tensile forces and restrict stretch in a longitudinal direction of the threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Benjamin J. Monfils
  • Publication number: 20170367441
    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: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas Berend, Douglas A. Beye, Tony H. Le
  • Publication number: 20170318905
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include an upper with an outer layer, an inner layer, and a chamber element positioned at least partially between the outer layer and the upper layer. The chamber element may be formed of two layers of a transparent colored polymer material and may be sealed to enclose a fluid. The chamber element may also have a plurality of subchambers. The outer layer may have a plurality of apertures. Each subchamber may protrude at least partially through a corresponding one of the apertures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Eric Joseph Marshall
  • Patent number: 9788608
    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: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Berend, Douglas A. Beye, Tony H. Le
  • Patent number: 9737114
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include an upper with an outer layer, an inner layer, and a chamber element positioned at least partially between the outer layer and the upper layer. The chamber element may be formed of two layers of a transparent colored polymer material and may be sealed to enclose a fluid. The chamber element may also have a plurality of subchambers. The outer layer may have a plurality of apertures. Each subchamber may protrude at least partially through a corresponding one of the apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Beye, Eric Joseph Marshall