Patents by Inventor Kristina L.S. Kurcinka

Kristina L.S. Kurcinka 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: 11779082
    Abstract: A lace guide for an article of footwear comprises a base, a body protruding from the base, and an enlarged head at a distal end of the body. The body, the base, and the enlarged head define an external channel that extends at least partially around the body to receive and retain a lace. The base may be a heel counter, and the lace guide and the heel counter may be an integral, one-piece component. Alternatively, the base of the lace guide may be a wing extending along a side of the upper, or may be secured to a footwear upper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Leo S. Chang, Kristina L. S. Kurcinka, Jun Peng
  • Publication number: 20230035794
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristina L.S. Kurcinka, Jeffrey S. To
  • Patent number: 11490684
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristina L. S. Kurcinka, Jeffrey S. To
  • Publication number: 20220192322
    Abstract: A lace guide for an article of footwear comprises a base, a body protruding from the base, and an enlarged head at a distal end of the body. The body, the base, and the enlarged head define an external channel that extends at least partially around the body to receive and retain a lace. The base may be a heel counter, and the lace guide and the heel counter may be an integral, one-piece component. Alternatively, the base of the lace guide may be a wing extending along a side of the upper, or may be secured to a footwear upper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Leo S. Chang, Kristina L.S. Kurcinka, Jun Peng
  • Patent number: 11337491
    Abstract: A lace guide for an article of footwear comprises a base, a body protruding from the base, and an enlarged head at a distal end of the body. The body, the base, and the enlarged head define an external channel that extends at least partially around the body to receive and retain a lace. The base may be a heel counter, and the lace guide and the heel counter may be an integral, one-piece component. Alternatively, the base of the lace guide may be a wing extending along a side of the upper, or may be secured to a footwear upper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Leo S. Chang, Kristina L. S. Kurcinka, Jun Peng
  • Publication number: 20210068500
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristina L.S. Kurcinka, Jeffrey S. To
  • Patent number: 10932522
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristina L. S. Kurcinka, Jeffrey S. To
  • Publication number: 20200015550
    Abstract: A lace guide for an article of footwear comprises a base, a body protruding from the base, and an enlarged head at a distal end of the body. The body, the base, and the enlarged head define an external channel that extends at least partially around the body to receive and retain a lace. The base may be a heel counter, and the lace guide and the heel counter may be an integral, one-piece component. Alternatively, the base of the lace guide may be a wing extending along a side of the upper, or may be secured to a footwear upper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Leo S. Chang, Kristina L.S. Kurcinka, Jun Peng
  • Patent number: 10455899
    Abstract: A lace guide for an article of footwear comprises a base, a body protruding from the base, and an enlarged head at a distal end of the body. The body, the base, and the enlarged head define an external channel that extends at least partially around the body to receive and retain a lace. The base may be a heel counter, and the lace guide and the heel counter may be an integral, one-piece component. Alternatively, the base of the lace guide may be a wing extending along a side of the upper, or may be secured to a footwear upper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Leo S. Chang, Kristina L. S. Kurcinka, Jun Peng
  • Publication number: 20190116929
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristina L.S. Kurcinka, Jeffrey S. To
  • Publication number: 20180116340
    Abstract: A lace guide for an article of footwear comprises a base, a body protruding from the base, and an enlarged head at a distal end of the body. The body, the base, and the enlarged head define an external channel that extends at least partially around the body to receive and retain a lace. The base may be a heel counter, and the lace guide and the heel counter may be an integral, one-piece component. Alternatively, the base of the lace guide may be a wing extending along a side of the upper, or may be secured to a footwear upper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Leo S. Chang, Kristina L.S. Kurcinka, Jun Peng