Patents by Inventor Kenneth T. Craig

Kenneth T. Craig 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).

  • Patent number: 9622518
    Abstract: Articles of apparel include: (a) a garment structure having one or more fabric elements structured and arranged to provide a close fit to at least one predetermined portion of a body (e.g., area(s) of the body for which enhanced position sensing and/or feedback are desired, such as the lower back, the arch of the foot, etc.); and (b) a body position feedback system engaged with or integrally formed as part of the garment structure. The body position feedback system may apply higher tensile or constricting forces to selected portions of the wearer's body, which can help stimulate or interact with nerves and deep tissue receptors located in various portions of the body. The increased forces at selected locations of the body give the wearer sensory feedback regarding the position or orientation of these parts of the body and can improve or accelerate development of “muscle memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Wright, Kenneth T. Craig
  • Publication number: 20170027284
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction. The knitted component includes a sock portion and a tongue portion. The sock portion has a hollow structure (a) forming an ankle opening in a heel region of the footwear and (b) extending between the heel region and a forefoot region of the footwear to define a void within the footwear for receiving a foot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth T. Craig
  • Publication number: 20160340813
    Abstract: A knit garment having locating features is provided. A first knit area of the garment is spaced from a second knit area. A knit locating feature is disposed between the first and the second areas. This locating feature is defined by an elastic border that surrounds a knit pocket that is less elastic than the border.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: HANNAH R. AMIS, Kenneth T. Craig, David Malul, Ronen Yehuda
  • Patent number: 9498023
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction. The knitted component includes a sock portion and a tongue portion. The sock portion has a hollow structure (a) forming an ankle opening in a heel region of the footwear and (b) extending between the heel region and a forefoot region of the footwear to define a void within the footwear for receiving a foot. The tongue portion has an elongate configuration (a) extending through at least a portion of a length of a throat area of the upper and (b) including two knit layers that lay adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth T. Craig
  • Publication number: 20160278441
    Abstract: A sock with zones of varying numbers of layers is formed as a single tube on a circular knitting machine. At least one end of the tube is doubled back over a portion of the remainder of the tube to form a double layer first zone. The sock further includes a single layer zone adjacent to the double layer first zone, where no such folding occurs. Optionally, a second end of the tube may also be folded to create a third zone having two layers of material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventor: Kenneth T. Craig
  • Publication number: 20160262488
    Abstract: An article of footwear including a textile upper and a split sole, the split sole having a forefoot portion and a heel portion separated by a gap under the instep portion of the article of footwear. An x-shaped bridge arches over the wearer's foot and connects the forefoot portion of the split sole to the heel portion of the split sole. The article of footwear is fabricated using injection molding to impregnate the fabric at the bottom of the textile upper and to form the split sole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Kenneth T. Craig, Elizabeth Langvin, Damon Clegg, Donald R. Reardon, Christopher L. Favela
  • Patent number: 9365960
    Abstract: A sock with zones of varying numbers of layers is formed as a single tube on a circular knitting machine. At least one end of the tube is doubled back over a portion of the remainder of the tube to form a double layer first zone. The sock further includes a single layer zone adjacent to the double layer first zone, where no such folding occurs. Optionally, a second end of the tube may also be folded to create a third zone having two layers of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth T. Craig
  • Patent number: 9320313
    Abstract: An article of footwear including a textile upper and a split sole, the split sole having a forefoot portion and a heel portion separated by a gap under the instep portion of the article of footwear. An x-shaped bridge arches over the wearer's foot and connects the forefoot portion of the split sole to the heel portion of the split sole. The article of footwear is fabricated using injection molding to impregnate the fabric at the bottom of the textile upper and to form the split sole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth T. Craig, Elizabeth Langvin, Damon Clegg, Donald R. Reardon, Christopher L. Favela
  • Publication number: 20140317833
    Abstract: There is provided herein, a sock comprising a toe and/or a heel area, wherein said toe area is divided to at least two sub-areas, wherein a borderline between at least two adjacent sub-areas is essentially vertical. There is also provided, a method for manufacturing a sock comprising forming a toe and/or a heel area divided to at least two sub-areas, wherein a borderline between at least two adjacent sub-areas is essentially vertical.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth T. Craig, Donna L. Marchant, Avi Cohen, David Maiul
  • Publication number: 20140230122
    Abstract: An athletic garment including a panel designed to reduce frictional and pressure drag around an appendage of an athlete competing in a high-speed event, such as running and cycling. The panel is positioned to encircle the appendage, and is provided with regions having different surface texture roughnesses. The leading edge of the panel includes texture designed to enhance the laminar boundary layer, while the adjacent portion of the panel includes texture intended to trip the boundary layer to turbulent flow. The drag-reducing panel may be the cuff of a sock, a sleeve, wristband, a headband, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Wright, Kenneth T. Craig, Richard C. MacDonald, Leonard W. Brownlie
  • Publication number: 20140230284
    Abstract: An article of footwear including a textile upper and a split sole, the split sole having a forefoot portion and a heel portion separated by a gap under the instep portion of the article of footwear. An x-shaped bridge arches over the wearer's foot and connects the forefoot portion of the split sole to the heel portion of the split sole. The article of footwear is fabricated using injection molding to impregnate the fabric at the bottom of the textile upper and to form the split sole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth T. Craig, Elizabeth Langvin
  • Patent number: 8745769
    Abstract: An athletic garment including a panel designed to reduce frictional and pressure drag around an appendage of an athlete competing in a high-speed event, such as running and cycling. The panel is positioned to encircle the appendage, and is provided with regions having different surface texture roughnesses. The leading edge of the panel includes texture designed to enhance the laminar boundary layer, while the adjacent portion of the panel includes texture intended to trip the boundary layer to turbulent flow. The drag-reducing panel may be the cuff of a sock, a sleeve, wristband, a headband, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Wright, Kenneth T. Craig, Richard C. MacDonald, Leonard W. Brownlie
  • Publication number: 20140137434
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction. The knitted component includes a sock portion and a tongue portion. The sock portion has a hollow structure (a) forming an ankle opening in a heel region of the footwear and (b) extending between the heel region and a forefoot region of the footwear to define a void within the footwear for receiving a foot. The tongue portion has an elongate configuration (a) extending through at least a portion of a length of a throat area of the upper and (b) including two knit layers that lay adjacent to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: NIKE, INC.
    Inventor: Kenneth T. Craig
  • Publication number: 20140137433
    Abstract: An article of footwear may include an upper having a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction. The knitted component includes a collar portion and a throat portion. The collar portion has a cylindrical configuration and the throat portion extends outward from the collar portion. In some configurations, the collar portion and the throat portion form (a) a first area of an exterior surface of the upper and (b) a first area of an interior surface of the upper. The upper may also include a cover component secured to the knitted component and forming (a) a second area of the exterior surface of the upper and (b) a second area of the interior surface of the upper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: NIKE, INC.
    Inventor: Kenneth T. Craig
  • Publication number: 20140059743
    Abstract: Articles of apparel include: (a) a garment structure having one or more fabric elements structured and arranged to provide a close fit to at least one predetermined portion of a body (e.g., area(s) of the body for which enhanced position sensing and/or feedback are desired, such as the lower back, the arch of the foot, etc.); and (b) a body position feedback system engaged with or integrally formed as part of the garment structure. The body position feedback system may apply higher tensile or constricting forces to selected portions of the wearer's body, which can help stimulate or interact with nerves and deep tissue receptors located in various portions of the body. The increased forces at selected locations of the body give the wearer sensory feedback regarding the position or orientation of these parts of the body and can improve or accelerate development of “muscle memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Wright, Kenneth T. Craig
  • Patent number: 8347413
    Abstract: An athletic garment including a panel designed to reduce frictional and pressure drag around an appendage of an athlete competing in a high-speed event, such as running and cycling. The panel is positioned to encircle the appendage, and is provided with regions having different surface texture roughnesses. The leading edge of the panel includes texture designed to enhance the laminar boundary layer, while the adjacent portion of the panel includes texture intended to trip the boundary layer to turbulent flow. The drag-reducing panel may be the cuff of a sock, a sleeve, wristband, a headband, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Wright, Kenneth T. Craig, Richard C. MacDonald, Leonard W. Brownlie
  • Publication number: 20120266362
    Abstract: A sock with zones of varying numbers of layers is formed as a single tube on a circular knitting machine. At least one end of the tube is doubled back over a portion of the remainder of the tube to form a double layer first zone. The sock further includes a single layer zone adjacent to the double layer first zone, where no such folding occurs. Optionally, a second end of the tube may also be folded to create a third zone having two layers of material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth T. Craig
  • Publication number: 20120192334
    Abstract: An athletic garment including a panel designed to reduce frictional and pressure drag around an appendage of an athlete competing in a high-speed event, such as running and cycling. The panel is positioned to encircle the appendage, and is provided with regions having different surface texture roughnesses. The leading edge of the panel includes texture designed to enhance the laminar boundary layer, while the adjacent portion of the panel includes texture intended to trip the boundary layer to turbulent flow. The drag-reducing panel may be the cuff of a sock, a sleeve, wristband, a headband, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: Nike Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Wright, Kenneth T. Craig, Richard C. MacDonald, Leonard W. Brownlie
  • Patent number: 8185971
    Abstract: An athletic garment including a panel designed to reduce frictional and pressure drag around an appendage of an athlete competing in a high-speed event, such as running and cycling. The panel is positioned to encircle the appendage, and is provided with regions having different surface texture roughnesses. The leading edge of the panel includes texture designed to enhance the laminar boundary layer, while the adjacent portion of the panel includes texture intended to trip the boundary layer to turbulent flow. The drag-reducing panel may be the cuff of a sock, a sleeve, wristband, a headband, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Wright, Kenneth T. Craig, Richard C. MacDonald, Leonard W. Brownlie
  • Publication number: 20110265252
    Abstract: There is provided herein, a sock comprising a toe and/or a heel area, wherein said toe area is divided to at least two sub-areas, wherein a borderline between at least two adjacent sub-areas is essentially vertical. There is also provided, a method for manufacturing a sock comprising forming a toe and/or a heel area divided to at least two sub-areas, wherein a borderline between at least two adjacent sub-areas is essentially vertical.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2007
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth T. Craig, Donna L. Marchant, Avi Cohen, David Malul