Patents by Inventor Jeffrey E. Darland
Jeffrey E. Darland 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: 11911936Abstract: Aspects hereof provide methods for molding a single-phase solution comprised of a polymer composition and a gas. The polymer composition and the gas are maintained under pressure during the molding operation to prevent a cellular structure from being formed by the dissolved gas in the polymer composition coming out of solution. The mold cavity in which the single-phase solution is introduced for molding purposes is pressurized to a mold pressure that is sufficient to maintain the single-phase solution as a single-phase solution as the mold cavity is filled. Subsequent to filling the mold cavity with the single-phase solution under pressure, the resulting article may be exposed to a reduction in pressure causing the entrapped gas to form a cellular structure.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2020Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey E. Darland, Ryan Alvin Mace
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Publication number: 20230097088Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide for composite structures including a bonding layer that adheres a substrate (e.g., including a polymeric composition such as rubber) to a material (e.g., including a polymer such as polyurethane). The adhesion of the substrate to the material through the bonding layer can include chemical bonds such as, but not limited to, siloxane linkages, silanol linkages, silyl linkages, or any combination thereof in the bonding layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2022Publication date: March 30, 2023Inventors: Paul Archer, Jennifer Bee, Jeffrey E. Darland
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Patent number: 11523653Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide for composite structures including a bonding layer that adheres a substrate (e.g., including a polymeric composition such as rubber) to a material (e.g., including a polymer such as polyurethane). The adhesion of the substrate to the material through the bonding layer can include chemical bonds such as, but not limited to, siloxane linkages, silanol linkages, silyl linkages, or any combination thereof in the bonding layer.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2019Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: NIKE, INC.Inventors: Paul Archer, Jennifer Bee, Jeffrey E. Darland
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Patent number: 11033080Abstract: The utilization of heat in the manufacturing of footwear may be accomplished through microwave energy. The microwave energy is conveyed to the footwear components through a microwave transparent window of a tool. The microwave transparent tool window forms as least a portion of a part-contacting surface of the tool. Another surface of the tool is formed from a microwave reflecting material, such as aluminum. The footwear component(s) are exposed to microwave energy while within the tool such that the microwave energy passes through the tool window to cause a dielectric heating of one or more materials within a tool cavity of the tool.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2019Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventor: Jeffrey E. Darland
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Publication number: 20210086412Abstract: Aspects hereof provide methods for molding a single-phase solution comprised of a polymer composition and a gas. The polymer composition and the gas are maintained under pressure during the molding operation to prevent a cellular structure from being formed by the dissolved gas in the polymer composition coming out of solution. The mold cavity in which the single-phase solution is introduced for molding purposes is pressurized to a mold pressure that is sufficient to maintain the single-phase solution as a single-phase solution as the mold cavity is filled. Subsequent to filling the mold cavity with the single-phase solution under pressure, the resulting article may be exposed to a reduction in pressure causing the entrapped gas to form a cellular structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2020Publication date: March 25, 2021Inventors: Jeffrey E. Darland, Ryan Alvin Mace
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Patent number: 10850434Abstract: Aspects hereof provide methods for molding a single-phase solution comprised of a polymer composition and a gas. The polymer composition and the gas are maintained under pressure during the molding operation to prevent a cellular structure from being formed by the dissolved gas in the polymer composition coming out of solution. The mold cavity in which the single-phase solution is introduced for molding purposes is pressurized to a mold pressure that is sufficient to maintain the single-phase solution as a single-phase solution as the mold cavity is filled. Subsequent to filling the mold cavity with the single-phase solution under pressure, the resulting article may solidify entrapping the compressed gas, or the article may be exposed to a reduction in pressure causing the entrapped gas to form a cellular structure.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2018Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey E. Darland, Ryan Alvin Mace
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Publication number: 20200268092Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide for composite structures including a bonding layer that adheres a substrate (e.g., including a polymeric composition such as rubber) to a material (e.g., including a polymer such as polyurethane). The adhesion of the substrate to the material through the bonding layer can include chemical bonds such as, but not limited to, siloxane linkages, silanol linkages, silyl linkages, or any combination thereof in the bonding layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2019Publication date: August 27, 2020Inventors: PAUL ARCHER, JENNIFER BEE, JEFFREY E. DARLAND
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Publication number: 20200054098Abstract: The utilization of heat in the manufacturing of footwear may be accomplished through microwave energy. The microwave energy is conveyed to the footwear components through a microwave transparent window of a tool. The microwave transparent tool window forms as least a portion of a part-contacting surface of the tool. Another surface of the tool is formed from a microwave reflecting material, such as aluminum. The footwear component(s) are exposed to microwave energy while within the tool such that the microwave energy passes through the tool window to cause a dielectric heating of one or more materials within a tool cavity of the tool.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2019Publication date: February 20, 2020Inventor: Jeffrey E. Darland
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Patent number: 10485304Abstract: The utilization of heat in the manufacturing of footwear may be accomplished through microwave energy. The microwave energy is conveyed to the footwear components through a microwave transparent window of a tool. The microwave transparent tool window forms as least a portion of a part-contacting surface of the tool. Another surface of the tool is formed from a microwave reflecting material, such as aluminum. The footwear component(s) are exposed to microwave energy while within the tool such that the microwave energy passes through the tool window to cause a dielectric heating of one or more materials within a tool cavity of the tool.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2016Date of Patent: November 26, 2019Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventor: Jeffrey E. Darland
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Publication number: 20180345544Abstract: Aspects hereof provide methods for molding a single-phase solution comprised of a polymer composition and a gas. The polymer composition and the gas are maintained under pressure during the molding operation to prevent a cellular structure from being formed by the dissolved gas in the polymer composition coming out of solution. The mold cavity in which the single-phase solution is introduced for molding purposes is pressurized to a mold pressure that is sufficient to maintain the single-phase solution as a single-phase solution as the mold cavity is filled. Subsequent to filling the mold cavity with the single-phase solution under pressure, the resulting article may solidify entrapping the compressed gas, or the article may be exposed to a reduction in pressure causing the entrapped gas to form a cellular structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2018Publication date: December 6, 2018Inventors: Jeffrey E. Darland, Ryan Alvin Mace
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Publication number: 20170280829Abstract: The manufacturing of articles relies on the bonding of two or more components to form some forms of the articles, such as a shoe sole bonded with a shoe upper. The bonding may be achieved with a particulate that is applied to a surface of a substrate. The particulate is selectively fused to the substrate with a controlled energy source having multiple energy emitters individually controllable, such as a laser array. The selective application of laser energy allows for specific geometric structures of particulate to be formed on the substrate. The substrate having the fused particulate is mated with another component allowing the fused particulate to bond the first substrate and the second component.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2017Publication date: October 5, 2017Inventor: Jeffrey E. Darland
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Patent number: 9591892Abstract: A method of making an article of footwear may include providing a last shaped to resemble a human foot. The method may also include forming at least one footwear component at least in part from a susceptor material that is thermally reactive to an electromagnetic field. The method may further include covering at least a portion of the last with two or more footwear components, wherein the two or more footwear components includes the at least one footwear component formed at least in part from a susceptor material. In addition, the method may include applying an electromagnetic field to the susceptor material, causing induction heating of the susceptor material and joining the two or more footwear components by melding the two or more components with the induction heating.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2015Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Eric A. Boardman, Jeffrey E. Darland, Jerry Hauth, Denis Schiller
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Publication number: 20160374435Abstract: The utilization of heat in the manufacturing of footwear may be accomplished through microwave energy. The microwave energy is conveyed to the footwear components through a microwave transparent window of a tool. The microwave transparent tool window forms as least a portion of a part-contacting surface of the tool. Another surface of the tool is formed from a microwave reflecting material, such as aluminum. The footwear component(s) are exposed to microwave energy while within the tool such that the microwave energy passes through the tool window to cause a dielectric heating of one or more materials within a tool cavity of the tool.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2016Publication date: December 29, 2016Inventor: Jeffrey E. Darland
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Publication number: 20150150340Abstract: A method of making an article of footwear may include providing a last shaped to resemble a human foot. The method may also include forming at least one footwear component at least in part from a susceptor material that is thermally reactive to an electromagnetic field. The method may further include covering at least a portion of the last with two or more footwear components, wherein the two or more footwear components includes the at least one footwear component formed at least in part from a susceptor material. In addition, the method may include applying an electromagnetic field to the susceptor material, causing induction heating of the susceptor material and joining the two or more footwear components by melding the two or more components with the induction heating.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2015Publication date: June 4, 2015Inventors: Eric A. Boardman, Jeffrey E. Darland, Jerry Hauth, Denis Schiller