Patents by Inventor Erin E. Toraya
Erin E. Toraya 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: 11910870Abstract: An upper for an article of footwear may include one or more of the following: a knitted component forming a collar of the upper, the collar at least partially forming an opening for providing access to an interior of the article of footwear; and a first knit edge and a second knit edge that extend along the collar of the upper, wherein a knitted central portion of the collar extends between the first knit edge and the second knit edge. The collar may consist of a single seam to join together the first knit edge and the second knit edge. The single seam may be offset from a centerline at the rear-most portion of a heel area such that the knitted central portion of the collar extends through the centerline of the heel area.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2020Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Robert C. Williams, Jr.
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Patent number: 11492736Abstract: A knitted component may include a knit element with a first surface and an opposite second surface. An inlaid yarn may extend through the knit element and between the first surface and the second surface. A secured area where the first surface and the second surface are secured together may be included, where the inlaid yarn is secured by loops forming the first surface and the second surface. A cushioning area may be included, where the cushioning area has a tubular construction such that the first surface and the second surface are separable, forming a cavity therebetween, and where the inlaid yarn extends through the cavity formed between the first surface and the second surface.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2019Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Enkhbat Dorjgurkhem, Derek A. Fitchett, Kristen E. Orme, Colin M. Runkle, Gagandeep Singh, Dolores S. Thompson, Erin E. Toraya
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Publication number: 20200359746Abstract: An upper for an article of footwear may include one or more of the following: a knitted component forming a collar of the upper, the collar at least partially forming an opening for providing access to an interior of the article of footwear; and a first knit edge and a second knit edge that extend along the collar of the upper, wherein a knitted central portion of the collar extends between the first knit edge and the second knit edge. The collar may consist of a single seam to join together the first knit edge and the second knit edge. The single seam may be offset from a centerline at the rear-most portion of a heel area such that the knitted central portion of the collar extends through the centerline of the heel area.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2020Publication date: November 19, 2020Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Robert C. Williams, JR.
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Patent number: 10729208Abstract: An article of footwear may have an upper with a knitted component. Alone or in combination, the knitted component may include regions with different degrees of stretch-resistance; the knitted component forms a collar with a half-gauge knit; the upper includes a strand with sections that are inlaid within the knitted component, and the sections are positioned immediately adjacent to each other; the strand forms a plurality of loops, pairs of the loops are positioned immediately adjacent to each other and configured to receive a lace; and the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the strand is unbonded to the thermoplastic polymer material.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2017Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Robert C. Williams, Jr.
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Publication number: 20190313738Abstract: A knitted component may include a knit element with a first surface and an opposite second surface. An inlaid yarn may extend through the knit element and between the first surface and the second surface. A secured area where the first surface and the second surfaces are secured together may be included, where the inlaid yarn is secured by loops forming the first surface and the second surface. A cushioning area may be included, where the cushioning area has a tubular construction such that the first surface and the second surface are separable, forming a cavity therebetween, and where the inlaid yarn extends through the cavity formed between the first surface and the second surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2019Publication date: October 17, 2019Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Enkhbat Dorjgurkhem, Derek A. Fitchett, Kristen E. Orme, Colin M. Runkle, Gagandeep Singh, Dolores S. Thompson, Erin E. Toraya
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Publication number: 20180070677Abstract: An article of footwear may have an upper with a knitted component. Alone or in combination, the knitted component may include regions with different degrees of stretch-resistance; the knitted component forms a collar with a half-gauge knit; the upper includes a strand with sections that are inlaid within the knitted component, and the sections are positioned immediately adjacent to each other; the strand forms a plurality of loops, pairs of the loops are positioned immediately adjacent to each other and configured to receive a lace; and the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the strand is unbonded to the thermoplastic polymer material.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2017Publication date: March 15, 2018Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Robert C. Williams, JR.
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Patent number: 9861160Abstract: An article of footwear may have an upper with a knitted component. Alone or in combination, the knitted component may include regions with different degrees of stretch-resistance; the knitted component forms a collar with a half-gauge knit; the upper includes a strand with sections that are inlaid within the knitted component, and the sections are positioned immediately adjacent to each other; the strand forms a plurality of loops, pairs of the loops are positioned immediately adjacent to each other and configured to receive a lace; and the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the strand is unbonded to the thermoplastic polymer material.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2012Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Robert C. Williams, Jr.
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Patent number: 9681704Abstract: An article of footwear may have an upper with a knitted component. Alone or in combination, the knitted component may include regions with different degrees of stretch-resistance; the knitted component forms a collar with a half-gauge knit; the upper includes a strand with sections that are inlaid within the knitted component, and the sections are positioned immediately adjacent to each other; the strand forms a plurality of loops, pairs of the loops are positioned immediately adjacent to each other and configured to receive a lace; and the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the strand is unbonded to the thermoplastic polymer material.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2014Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Robert C. Williams, Jr.
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Patent number: 9538804Abstract: An article of footwear has an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The upper includes a knitted component and, in some configurations, a skin layer secured to the knitted component. The knitted component may have a plurality of protruding areas that extend outward and away from a void within the upper for receiving a foot of a wearer. The protruding areas may include one or both of (a) a first tubular structure and an inlaid strand extending through the first tubular structure and (b) a second tubular structure and yarn sections extending across the second tubular structure.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2014Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: NIKE, INC.Inventors: Karl Seamarks, Phil Woodman, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Simon J. Baines, Alexandre Baudouin, James Molyneux
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Publication number: 20150013188Abstract: An article of footwear has an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The upper includes a knitted component and, in some configurations, a skin layer secured to the knitted component. The knitted component may have a plurality of protruding areas that extend outward and away from a void within the upper for receiving a foot of a wearer. The protruding areas may include one or both of (a) a first tubular structure and an inlaid strand extending through the first tubular structure and (b) a second tubular structure and yarn sections extending across the second tubular structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2014Publication date: January 15, 2015Inventors: Karl Seamarks, Phil Woodman, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Simon J. Baines, Alexandre Baudouin, James Molyneux
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Patent number: 8881430Abstract: An article of footwear has an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The upper includes a knitted component and, in some configurations, a skin layer secured to the knitted component. The knitted component may have a plurality of protruding areas that extend outward and away from a void within the upper for receiving a foot of a wearer. The protruding areas may include one or both of (a) a first tubular structure and an inlaid strand extending through the first tubular structure and (b) a second tubular structure and yarn sections extending across the second tubular structure.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2014Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Karl Seamarks, Phil Woodman, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Simon J. Baines, Alexandre Baudouin, James Molyneux
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Publication number: 20140245638Abstract: An article of footwear has an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The upper includes a knitted component and, in some configurations, a skin layer secured to the knitted component. The knitted component may have a plurality of protruding areas that extend outward and away from a void within the upper for receiving a foot of a wearer. The protruding areas may include one or both of (a) a first tubular structure and an inlaid strand extending through the first tubular structure and (b) a second tubular structure and yarn sections extending across the second tubular structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2014Publication date: September 4, 2014Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Karl Seamarks, Phil Woodman, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Simon J. Baines, Alexandre Baudouin, James Molyneux
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Publication number: 20140237856Abstract: An article of footwear may have an upper with a knitted component. Alone or in combination, the knitted component may include regions with different degrees of stretch-resistance; the knitted component forms a collar with a half-gauge knit; the upper includes a strand with sections that are inlaid within the knitted component, and the sections are positioned immediately adjacent to each other; the strand forms a plurality of loops, pairs of the loops are positioned immediately adjacent to each other and configured to receive a lace; and the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the strand is unbonded to the thermoplastic polymer material.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2014Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Robert C. Williams, Jr.
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Publication number: 20140150292Abstract: An article of footwear may have an upper with a knitted component. Alone or in combination, the knitted component may include regions with different degrees of stretch-resistance; the knitted component forms a collar with a half-gauge knit; the upper includes a strand with sections that are inlaid within the knitted component, and the sections are positioned immediately adjacent to each other; the strand forms a plurality of loops, pairs of the loops are positioned immediately adjacent to each other and configured to receive a lace; and the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the strand is unbonded to the thermoplastic polymer material.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2012Publication date: June 5, 2014Applicant: NIKE, INC.Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Erin E. Toraya, Robert C. Williams, JR.