Patents by Inventor Eric S. Schindler
Eric S. Schindler 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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Publication number: 20160073732Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sole structure includes providing a plate within a cavity of a mold. The plate includes a base and a rib, and the base includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface faces the upper, the second surface faces away from the first surface, and the rib projects from the second surface of the base. Moreover, the method includes providing a preform bladder member within the cavity of the mold, wherein the preform bladder member including a first member and a second member. The method additionally includes forming a bladder from the first and second members using the mold. Also, the method includes attaching the first member to the plate using the mold. Attaching the first member to the plate includes shaping the first member according to surfaces of the rib.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2014Publication date: March 17, 2016Inventors: Travis K. Ernst, Eric S. Schindler
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Publication number: 20160021974Abstract: A sole structure includes at least one lobed fluid-filled chamber component, a midsole component inter-fitted with the fluid-filled chamber component and forming a portion of a peripheral side of the sole structure, and an optional outer sole component. A lobed fluid-filled chamber component has a central portion, a plurality of lobes extending outward from the central portion, and a plurality of channels formed between the plurality of lobes, the plurality of channels extending in a direction from a top surface of the fluid-filled chamber component to a bottom surface of the fluid-filled chamber component. At least one lobe may have an exposed distal end wall including a projecting portion that extends beyond the portion of the peripheral side surface of the sole structure formed by the midsole component.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2014Publication date: January 28, 2016Inventors: Eric S. Schindler, Risha Kelley, Steve M. Mathras, Mark C. Miner
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Publication number: 20150359700Abstract: A device for compressing an extremity of a user includes a wearable support member operable to be worn on the extremity of the user. The device also includes a plurality of chamber members that are arranged across and coupled to the support member. The chamber members each have a respective chamber therein. The chamber is at least partially defined by a base wall that is disposed adjacent the support member, a side wall that is attached to and that extends away from the base wall, and a top wall that is attached to the side wall and that is spaced away from the base wall. Furthermore, a foot pump member is operable to be disposed underneath a foot of the user. The foot pump member is operable to change a pressure inside the chambers as a result of being stepped upon by the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2015Publication date: December 17, 2015Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Carrie L. Davis, Michelle L. Mishler, Lee D. Peyton, Eric S. Schindler, Bradley W. Wilkins
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Patent number: 9144530Abstract: A device for compressing an extremity of a user includes a wearable support member operable to be worn on the extremity of the user. The device also includes a plurality of chamber members that are arranged across and coupled to the support member. The chamber members each have a respective chamber therein. The chamber is at least partially defined by a base wall that is disposed adjacent the support member, a side wall that is attached to and that extends away from the base wall, and a top wall that is attached to the side wall and that is spaced away from the base wall. Furthermore, a foot pump member is operable to be disposed underneath a foot of the user. The foot pump member is operable to change a pressure inside the chambers as a result of being stepped upon by the user.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2012Date of Patent: September 29, 2015Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Carrie L. Davis, Michelle L. Kvernmo, Lee D. Peyton, Eric S. Schindler, Bradley W. Wilkins
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Patent number: 8968508Abstract: Systems and methods for joining polymeric materials together may use lasers or broadband infrared heat sources. The polymeric materials are arranged in an overlapping manner and then are exposed to the heat producing radiation for a sufficient time to join the polymeric materials together at the overlapped area. Such systems and methods may avoid the need to add an energy absorbing dopant to the materials being joined. Such systems and methods also may be used on transparent materials.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2011Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Eric S. Schindler, Dervin James, Klaas P. Hazenberg
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Patent number: 8919015Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure includes a midsole, an outsole, and at least one groove. The groove includes a macro groove and at least one micro groove located within the macro groove. The macro groove may be formed by an indentation or area of reduced thickness in the sole structure. The micro groove may be formed by an indentation or area of reduced thickness in a surface of the macro groove.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2012Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Scott C. Holt, Lee D. Peyton, Eric S. Schindler
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Patent number: 8863408Abstract: An article of footwear may have a sole structure with a chamber, a plate, and an outsole. The chamber encloses a fluid and has an upper surface and an opposite lower surface. The plate is positioned adjacent to the upper surface and has a plurality of projections that extend into indentations in the chamber. The outsole may be positioned adjacent to the lower surface and may have a plurality of projections that extend into indentations in the chamber. In some manufacturing processes for the sole structure, the plate and outsole may be located within a mold, and the chamber may then be shaped by surfaces of the plate, outsole, and mold.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2007Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Eric S. Schindler, Daniel W. Peter
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Publication number: 20140230282Abstract: An article of footwear including an upper and a sole assembly secured to the upper and including a support assembly having an upper member and a lower member spaced from the upper member. A first layer is positioned beneath and in contact with the upper member and has a wave shaped profile with a plurality of first wave crests and first wave troughs. A second layer is positioned above the lower member and has a wave shaped profile with a plurality of second wave crests and second wave troughs.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2014Publication date: August 21, 2014Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Eric S. Schindler, Fred G. Fagergren
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Patent number: 8756832Abstract: An article of footwear including an upper and a sole assembly secured to the upper and including a support assembly having an upper member and a lower member spaced from the upper member. A first layer is positioned beneath and in contact with the upper member and has a wave shaped profile with a plurality of first wave crests and first wave troughs. A second layer is positioned above the lower member and has a wave shaped profile with a plurality of second wave crests and second wave troughs.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2013Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Nike, Inc.Inventors: Eric S. Schindler, Fred G. Fagergren
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Publication number: 20140165304Abstract: An article of footwear may have an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure has a plurality of support elements, and each of the support elements include a shell and a core. The shell defines an interior void and is formed from a polymer material that extends around substantially all of the void. The core has a shape of the void and is located within the void, with at least a portion of the core being a polymer foam material. The polymer foam material of at least two of the support elements may have different densities.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2013Publication date: June 19, 2014Inventors: Klaas P. Hazenberg, Eric S. Schindler
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Patent number: 8650776Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear is provided. The sole structure extends longitudinally from a back edge to a front edge of the article of footwear and transversely from a medial side to a lateral side of the article of footwear. The sole structure includes an outsole having a ground-contacting layer. A first rib projects upward from the ground-contacting layer. The rib has side walls and an end wall. A channel is defined by the side walls and end wall. The channel opens downward through the ground-contacting layer and has a depth extending above the ground-contacting layer. The rib may have a multi-stage vertical stiffness profile. The sole structure may include a midsole attached to the outsole. An article of footwear having the sole structure attached to an upper is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2013Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Nike, Inc.Inventors: Klaas Pieter Hazenberg, Eric S. Schindler
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Publication number: 20140026438Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear includes one or more outsole portions. At least some of these outsole portions include a plurality of alternating upward-facing and downward-facing elongate channels. The channels may have a base and two sidewalls, with adjacent channels sharing a common sidewall. The bases of the downward-facing channels form an upper surface of the outsole portion and the bases of the upward-facing channels form a lower surface of the outsole portion. The sidewalls are arranged at non-perpendicular angles to the upper surface. A first outsole portion has a pressure-versus-strain curve having a local maximum at a “trip point” pressure value and a first strain value and wherein the pressure-versus-strain curve has a change in strain of at least approximately 10% before a second occurrence of the “trip point” pressure value is reached. An article of footwear having the sole structure attached to an upper is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2012Publication date: January 30, 2014Applicant: Nike, Inc.Inventors: Margarita Cortez, Fred G. Fagergren, Klaas P. Hazenberg, Eric S. Schindler, Camden Stanke
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Patent number: 8631588Abstract: A fluid-filled chamber for an article of footwear and a method for manufacturing the chamber are disclosed. The chamber may be incorporated into a sole structure of the footwear and includes a central area and a plurality of lobes extending outward from the central area. The lobes are in fluid communication with the central area and are formed from a first surface, a second surface, and a sidewall. The sidewall joins with the first surface with the second surface to seal the fluid within the chamber, but no internal connections are generally utilized to join interior portions of the first surface with interior portions of the second surface. The fluid within the chamber may be air at a pressure that is approximately equal to an ambient pressure.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2010Date of Patent: January 21, 2014Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Eric S. Schindler, Sebastien Mermet, Troy C. Lindner, Andrew Caine
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Publication number: 20130340284Abstract: An article of footwear including an upper and a sole assembly secured to the upper and including a support assembly having an upper member and a lower member spaced from the upper member. A first layer is positioned beneath and in contact with the upper member and has a wave shaped profile with a plurality of first wave crests and first wave troughs. A second layer is positioned above the lower member and has a wave shaped profile with a plurality of second wave crests and second wave troughs.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2013Publication date: December 26, 2013Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Eric S. Schindler, Fred G. Fagergren
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Patent number: 8613122Abstract: An article of footwear may have an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure has a plurality of support elements, and each of the support elements include a shell and a core. The shell defines an interior void and is formed from a polymer material that extends around substantially all of the void. The core has a shape of the void and is located within the void, with at least a portion of the core being a polymer foam material. The polymer foam material of at least two of the support elements may have different densities.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2011Date of Patent: December 24, 2013Assignee: Nike, Inc.Inventors: Klaas Pieter Hazenberg, Eric S. Schindler
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Publication number: 20130310719Abstract: A device for compressing an extremity of a user includes a wearable support member operable to be worn on the extremity of the user. The device also includes a plurality of chamber members that are arranged across and coupled to the support member. The chamber members each have a respective chamber therein. The chamber is at least partially defined by a base wall that is disposed adjacent the support member, a side wall that is attached to and that extends away from the base wall, and a top wall that is attached to the side wall and that is spaced away from the base wall. Furthermore, a foot pump member is operable to be disposed underneath a foot of the user. The foot pump member is operable to change a pressure inside the chambers as a result of being stepped upon by the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2012Publication date: November 21, 2013Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Carrie L. Davis, Michelle L. Kvernmo, Lee D. Peyton, Eric S. Schindler, Bradley W. Wilkins
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Publication number: 20130247422Abstract: An article of footwear has an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure includes a chamber that encloses a pressurized fluid. The chamber includes subchambers laterally extending in a medial to lateral direction of the bladder. A bottom surface of the chamber may include at least one bond that laterally extends across the bottom surface of the chamber from one side edge to another side edge of the chamber in the medial to lateral direction. The bond may cooperate with an indentation in the bottom surface that separates one subchamber from an adjacent subchamber. A diameter of the subchambers may decrease in a direction from a heel region of the bladder to a forefoot region of the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2012Publication date: September 26, 2013Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Scott C. Holt, Eric S. Schindler, Travis K. Ernst, Robert W. Dolan, Lisa M. Hovey, Tamimu A. Shyllon
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Publication number: 20130232821Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure includes a midsole, an outsole, and at least one groove. The groove includes a macro groove and at least one micro groove located within the macro groove. The macro groove may be formed by an indentation or area of reduced thickness in the sole structure. The micro groove may be formed by an indentation or area of reduced thickness in a surface of the macro groove.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2012Publication date: September 12, 2013Applicant: Nike, Inc.Inventors: Eric S. Schindler, Lee D. Peyton
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Publication number: 20130227857Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper having an anterior area, a posterior area, a medial area extending between the anterior and posterior areas, and a lateral area extending between the anterior and posterior areas and that is opposite the medial area. The article of footwear also includes a sole assembly operatively coupled to the upper. Furthermore, the article of footwear includes a bladder having a base operably supported by the sole assembly, an anterior portion that extends from the base toward the anterior area, a posterior portion that extends from the base toward the posterior area, a medial portion that extends from the base toward the medial area, and a lateral portion that extends from the base toward the lateral area. The anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral portions are operably supported by the upper.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2012Publication date: September 5, 2013Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Eric S. Schindler, Klass P. Hazenberg, Dervin James
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Patent number: 8522454Abstract: An article of footwear including an upper and a sole assembly secured to the upper and including a support assembly having an upper member and a lower member spaced from the upper member. A first layer is positioned beneath and in contact with the upper member and has a wave shaped profile with a plurality of first wave crests and first wave troughs. A second layer is positioned above the lower member and has a wave shaped profile with a plurality of second wave crests and second wave troughs.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2011Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Eric S. Schindler, Fred G. Fagergren