Patents by Inventor Jeffrey S. To
Jeffrey S. To 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: 12262784Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity. The tensile component is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The groove serves as a guide path for an operator or for a machine to follow when stitching or otherwise securing the strobel to the upper. A method of manufacturing footwear is included.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2023Date of Patent: April 1, 2025Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Jason R. Meeker, Eric A Schmalzer, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A Weston
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Patent number: 12201184Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity and is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The strobel also includes a lasting component configured to extend along the peripheral flange around the at least a portion of the perimeter of the interior cavity. The lasting component is secured to the peripheral flange. A method of manufacturing footwear that includes the strobel is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2023Date of Patent: January 21, 2025Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Jason R. Meeker, Eric A. Schmalzer, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Patent number: 11992085Abstract: An article of footwear includes an outsole, an upper secured to the outsole and defining a foot-receiving cavity and an ankle opening, and a unitary, full-length midsole having a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, and configured to be removably inserted into the foot-receiving cavity through the ankle opening. The midsole includes a first cushioning body having a first hardness and a second cushioning body having a second hardness greater than the first hardness. The midsole has a lateral side, a medial side, a forwardmost extent disposed in the forefoot region, and a rearmost extent disposed in the heel region. The second cushioning body includes a lateral segment that extends through the lateral side in the forefoot region, and a portion of the lateral segment of the second cushioning body is closer to the forwardmost extent than to the midfoot region.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2022Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Kristina L. S. Kurcinka, Jeffrey S. To
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Publication number: 20240122298Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity. The tensile component is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The groove serves as a guide path for an operator or for a machine to follow when stitching or otherwise securing the strobel to the upper. A method of manufacturing footwear is included.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2023Publication date: April 18, 2024Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Jason R. Meeker, Eric A. Schmalzer, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Publication number: 20240108102Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity and is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The strobel also includes a lasting component configured to extend along the peripheral flange around the at least a portion of the perimeter of the interior cavity. The lasting component is secured to the peripheral flange. A method of manufacturing footwear that includes the strobel is disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Jason R. Meeker, Eric A. Schmalzer, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Publication number: 20240108103Abstract: A strobel for an article of footwear comprises a polymeric bladder that defines an interior cavity. The polymeric bladder is configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The polymeric bladder may include a first polymeric sheet bonded to a second polymeric sheet at the peripheral flange and joined to the second polymeric sheet at a plurality of interior welds. Methods of manufacturing a strobel and manufacturing footwear are included.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Eric A. Schmalzer, Matthew Temple, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Patent number: 11882899Abstract: A strobel for an article of footwear comprises a polymeric bladder that defines an interior cavity. The polymeric bladder is configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The polymeric bladder may include a first polymeric sheet bonded to a second polymeric sheet at the peripheral flange and joined to the second polymeric sheet at a plurality of interior welds. Methods of manufacturing a strobel and manufacturing footwear are included.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2022Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Eric A. Schmalzer, Matthew Temple, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Patent number: 11877622Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity and is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The strobel also includes a lasting component configured to extend along the peripheral flange around the at least a portion of the perimeter of the interior cavity. The lasting component is secured to the peripheral flange. A method of manufacturing footwear that includes the strobel is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2022Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Jason R. Meeker, Eric A. Schmalzer, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Patent number: 11877621Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity. The tensile component is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The groove serves as a guide path for an operator or for a machine to follow when stitching or otherwise securing the strobel to the upper. A method of manufacturing footwear is included.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2021Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Jason R. Meeker, Eric A. Schmalzer, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Publication number: 20230035794Abstract: An article of footwear includes an outsole, an upper secured to the outsole and defining a foot-receiving cavity and an ankle opening, and a unitary, full-length midsole having a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, and configured to be removably inserted into the foot-receiving cavity through the ankle opening. The midsole includes a first cushioning body having a first hardness and a second cushioning body having a second hardness greater than the first hardness. The midsole has a lateral side, a medial side, a forwardmost extent disposed in the forefoot region, and a rearmost extent disposed in the heel region. The second cushioning body includes a lateral segment that extends through the lateral side in the forefoot region, and a portion of the lateral segment of the second cushioning body is closer to the forwardmost extent than to the midfoot region.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2022Publication date: February 2, 2023Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Kristina L.S. Kurcinka, Jeffrey S. To
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Patent number: 11517073Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a connecting portion coupled to a siped portion. The connecting portion extends across the sole structure, with an upper surface operative to be secured to an upper of the article of footwear. The siped portion extends from a ground-facing side of the connecting portion and includes a plurality of sole elements. Each of the plurality of sole elements is at least partially defined by one or more of a plurality of sipes that extend from the ground-contacting surface to the ground-facing side of the connecting portion. At least one of the plurality of sipes is a lateral sipe that is located within the midfoot region and extends from the medial side to the lateral side of the sole structure. This at least one lateral sipe is sized to permit plantarflexion of the sole structure without deformation of an adjacent sole element.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2020Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Rolando Hernandez Garcilazo, Jeffrey S. To
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Patent number: 11490684Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a unitary sole with a first cushioning body having a first hardness and a second cushioning having a second hardness greater than the first hardness. Both the first and the second cushioning bodies are exposed at a periphery of the sole. The second cushioning body may have a wedge surface that interfaces with a lateral extremity of the first cushioning body and angles laterally outward toward a lateral side exterior surface of the sole from a lower extent to an upper extent of the wedge surface. The second cushioning body may underlie the first cushioning body in a portion of a forefoot region of the sole such that the first cushioning body establishes a foot-facing exterior surface and the second cushioning body establishes a ground-facing exterior surface of the sole where the first cushioning body overlies the second cushioning body.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2020Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Kristina L. S. Kurcinka, Jeffrey S. To
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Patent number: 11395524Abstract: An article of footwear and a method of manufacturing an article of footwear includes a strobel having a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The strobel may define a forefoot through hole in the forefoot region and a heel through hole in the heel region. The shape, the position, or both the shape and the position of the forefoot through hole and the heel through hole may be based on a foot pressure map. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear comprises securing a midsole to a strobel, wherein the strobel has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, the strobel defines a forefoot through hole in the forefoot region and a heel through hole in the heel region, and the shape and/or position of the forefoot through hole and the heel through hole are based on a foot pressure map.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2019Date of Patent: July 26, 2022Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Ernest E. Kim, Fabricio da Costa Pereira Machado, Jeffrey S. To
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Publication number: 20220132985Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity and is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The strobel also includes a lasting component configured to extend along the peripheral flange around the at least a portion of the perimeter of the interior cavity. The lasting component is secured to the peripheral flange. A method of manufacturing footwear that includes the strobel is disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2022Publication date: May 5, 2022Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Jason R. Meeker, Eric A. Schmalzer, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Publication number: 20220117356Abstract: A strobel for an article of footwear comprises a polymeric bladder that defines an interior cavity. The polymeric bladder is configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The polymeric bladder may include a first polymeric sheet bonded to a second polymeric sheet at the peripheral flange and joined to the second polymeric sheet at a plurality of interior welds. Methods of manufacturing a strobel and manufacturing footwear are included.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2022Publication date: April 21, 2022Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Eric A. Schmalzer, Matthew Temple, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Publication number: 20220087363Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity. The tensile component is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The groove serves as a guide path for an operator or for a machine to follow when stitching or otherwise securing the strobel to the upper. A method of manufacturing footwear is included.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2021Publication date: March 24, 2022Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Jason R. Meeker, Eric A. Schmalzer, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Patent number: 11253026Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity and is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The strobel also includes a lasting component configured to extend along the peripheral flange around the at least a portion of the perimeter of the interior cavity. The lasting component is secured to the peripheral flange. A method of manufacturing footwear that includes the strobel is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2019Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Jason R. Meeker, Eric A. Schmalzer, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Patent number: 11241063Abstract: A strobel for an article of footwear comprises a polymeric bladder that defines an interior cavity. The polymeric bladder is configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The polymeric bladder may include a first polymeric sheet bonded to a second polymeric sheet at the peripheral flange and joined to the second polymeric sheet at a plurality of interior welds. Methods of manufacturing a strobel and manufacturing footwear are included.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2019Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Eric A. Schmalzer, Matthew Temple, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Patent number: 11219271Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity. The tensile component is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The groove serves as a guide path for an operator or for a machine to follow when stitching or otherwise securing the strobel to the upper. A method of manufacturing footwear is included.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2019Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Arick Auyang, Derek Houng, Jason R. Meeker, Eric A. Schmalzer, Jeffrey S. To, Geoffrey A. Weston
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Publication number: 20210068500Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a unitary sole with a first cushioning body having a first hardness and a second cushioning having a second hardness greater than the first hardness. Both the first and the second cushioning bodies are exposed at a periphery of the sole. The second cushioning body may have a wedge surface that interfaces with a lateral extremity of the first cushioning body and angles laterally outward toward a lateral side exterior surface of the sole from a lower extent to an upper extent of the wedge surface. The second cushioning body may underlie the first cushioning body in a portion of a forefoot region of the sole such that the first cushioning body establishes a foot-facing exterior surface and the second cushioning body establishes a ground-facing exterior surface of the sole where the first cushioning body overlies the second cushioning body.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2020Publication date: March 11, 2021Applicant: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Kristina L.S. Kurcinka, Jeffrey S. To