Patents by Inventor Markus BOCK

Markus BOCK 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).

  • Publication number: 20260060368
    Abstract: An article of footwear comprising an upper defining a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the article of footwear, and a sole structure coupled with the upper. The sole structure includes a midsole and an outsole coupled with a bottom surface of the midsole. A void structure is provided within the sole structure, which includes a plurality of voids defining channels that extend through an entire width of the sole structure. The void structure includes a plurality of first voids in the shape of a vertical lemniscate and a plurality of second voids in the shape of a horizontal lemniscate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2025
    Publication date: March 5, 2026
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Yihyun Lim, Hunmin Koh, Yasaman Tahouni, Will Walker, Federico Casalegno
  • Publication number: 20260007206
    Abstract: An article of footwear comprising an upper defining a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the article of footwear, and a sole structure coupled with the upper. The sole structure includes a midsole and an outsole coupled with a bottom surface of the midsole. A void structure is provided within the sole structure, which includes a plurality of voids defining channels that extend through an entire width of the sole structure. The void structure includes a plurality of first voids in the shape of a vertical lemniscate and a plurality of second voids in the shape of a horizontal lemniscate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2025
    Publication date: January 8, 2026
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Yihyun Lim, Hunmin Koh, Yasaman Tahouni, Will Walker, Federico Casalegno
  • Patent number: 12478134
    Abstract: An article of footwear comprising an upper defining a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the article of footwear, and a sole structure coupled with the upper. The sole structure includes a midsole and an outsole coupled with a bottom surface of the midsole. A void structure is provided within the sole structure, which includes a plurality of voids defining channels that extend through an entire width of the sole structure. The void structure includes a plurality of first voids in the shape of a vertical lemniscate and a plurality of second voids in the shape of a horizontal lemniscate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2025
    Assignee: PUMA SE
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Yihyun Lim, Hunmin Koh, Yasaman Tahouni, Will Walker, Federico Casalegno
  • Patent number: 12376652
    Abstract: A method for fastening a shoe is disclosed. The shoe has an upper part connected to a sole and a rotary closure that fastens the shoe using at least one tensioning element. The rotary closure has a rotatably arranged tensioning roller, and the tensioning roller is driven by an electric motor and a switching element. The switching element is connected to a controller, and includes touch sensitive sensors which form a surface that is accessible to the wearer. The switching element and the controller are configured to actuate the motor, and operation of fastening the shoe takes place by the controller detecting a first swipe signal over the touch sensitive sensors, and causing the fastening of the shoe at a first level of fastening force by the controller and the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2025
    Assignee: PUMA SE
    Inventor: Markus Bock
  • Patent number: 12364307
    Abstract: A display system for an article of footwear includes a display device with an optoelectronic display, a control module that is configured to communicate with the display device, and a power source. The display system has a visual characteristic that is configured to correspond with a gait cycle of a user wearing the article of footwear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: PUMA SE
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Reinhold Sussmann
  • Patent number: 12317961
    Abstract: A display system for an article of footwear includes a display device with an optoelectronic display, a control module that is configured to communicate with the display device, and a power source. The display device is configured to be removably received within a receptacle formed in the article of footwear such that the optoelectronic display is visible from an outside of the article of footwear when the display device is received within the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: PUMA SE
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Reinhold Sussmann
  • Patent number: 12317963
    Abstract: A footwear assembly includes at least one article of footwear with an upper, a sole structure coupled with the upper, a housing that houses a motor, a gear train that is configured to be driven by the motor, and a spool that is configured to loosen or tighten a first lace, a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are disposed under a cover of the housing, and a control printed circuit board (PCB) having a wireless communication module. The footwear assembly further includes an electronic device wirelessly coupled with the wireless communication module. The first lace can be incrementally tightened or loosened by tapping a region of the at least one article of footwear to initiate a tighten command or a loosen command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: PUMA SE
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Randolph Maussner
  • Publication number: 20250098819
    Abstract: An article of footwear defining a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral side, and a medial side includes an upper, a heel element, and a sole structure. The upper includes an outer surface, and the heel element is secured to the upper proximate to the heel region. The upper includes a knit fabric forming a first knit zone having a first elasticity, a second knit zone having a second elasticity, and a third knit zone having a third elasticity. Each of the first elasticity, the second elasticity, and the third elasticity are different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2024
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Andreas Siegismund
  • Patent number: 12239188
    Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper attached to a sole structure and a display system disposed on the upper. The display system includes a display portion, a control module, and a power source. The display portion includes a plurality of optoelectronic fibers. The control module is configured to communicate with the display portion. The power source provides electrical current to the control module and the plurality of optoelectronic fibers. The plurality of optoelectronic fibers each include a fabric layer disposed between a core electrode and an optoelectronic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: PUMA SE
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Reinhold Sussmann
  • Patent number: 12201187
    Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper, a heel element, a sole structure, a medial side, and a lateral side. The upper includes an outer surface that defines a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The upper includes a membrane layer and a material layer. The material layer includes a knit fabric and defines a first knit zone and a second knit zone. The first knit zone has a tighter knit than the second knit zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: PUMA SE
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Andreas Siegismund
  • Patent number: 12171306
    Abstract: An article of footwear includes a sole structure, an upper attached to the sole structure, and a lacing system. The lacing system includes a housing disposed on a tongue of the upper, a lateral side flap and a medial side flap that extend from the sole structure along lateral and medial sides of the upper, respectively, toward the tongue, a plurality of lateral lace retainers disposed along an upper end of the lateral side flap, a plurality of medial lace retainers disposed along an upper end of the medial side flap, and a lace that extends from the housing through the pluralities of lateral and medial lace retainers in a crisscrossing manner across the tongue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: PUMA SE
    Inventors: Arnaud Redon, Markus Bock, Romain Girard
  • Publication number: 20240225171
    Abstract: A display system for an article of footwear includes a display device, a control module, and a power source. The display device includes an optoelectronic display. The control module is configured to communicate with the display device. The power source is embedded within a plate of the article of footwear. The plate includes carbon fiber and conductive filaments embedded within a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Reinhold Sussmann
  • Publication number: 20240130461
    Abstract: A display system for an article of footwear includes a display device, a control module, and a power source. The display device includes an optoelectronic display. The control module is configured to communicate with the display device. The power source is embedded within a plate of the article of footwear. The plate includes carbon fiber and conductive filaments embedded within a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Reinhold Sussmann
  • Publication number: 20240057722
    Abstract: A method for fastening a shoe is disclosed. The shoe has an upper part connected to a sole and a rotary closure that fastens the shoe using at least one tensioning element. The rotary closure has a rotatably arranged tensioning roller, and the tensioning roller is driven by an electric motor and a switching element. The switching element is connected to a controller, and includes touch sensitive sensors which form a surface that is accessible to the wearer. The switching element and the controller are configured to actuate the motor, and operation of fastening the shoe takes place by the controller detecting a first swipe signal over the touch sensitive sensors, and causing the fastening of the shoe at a first level of fastening force by the controller and the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventor: Markus Bock
  • Publication number: 20240041155
    Abstract: A display system for an article of footwear includes a display device with an optoelectronic display, a control module that is configured to communicate with the display device, and a power source. The display device is configured to be removably received within a receptacle formed in the article of footwear such that the optoelectronic display is visible from an outside of the article of footwear when the display device is received within the receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Reinhold Sussmann
  • Publication number: 20240032642
    Abstract: A display system for an article of footwear includes a display device with an optoelectronic display, a control module that is configured to communicate with the display device, and a power source. The display system has a visual characteristic that is configured to correspond with a gait cycle of a user wearing the article of footwear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Reinhold Sussmann
  • Publication number: 20240008585
    Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper attached to a sole structure and a display system disposed on the upper. The display system includes a display portion, a control module, and a power source. The display portion includes a plurality of optoelectronic fibers. The control module is configured to communicate with the display portion. The power source provides electrical current to the control module and the plurality of optoelectronic fibers. The plurality of optoelectronic fibers each include a fabric layer disposed between a core electrode and an optoelectronic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Reinhold Sussmann
  • Patent number: 11805854
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for fastening a shoe (1), having an upper part (2) and a sole (3) connected thereto, a rotary closure (4) for fastening the shoe (1) on the wearer's foot by means of at least one tensioning element (5), the rotary closure (4) having a rotatably arranged tensioning roller (6), and the tensioning roller (6) being driven by means of an electric motor (7), and a switching element (8), which is connected to control means (9), wherein the switching element (8) and the control means (9) can actuate the electric motor (7), wherein the operation of fastening the shoe (1) takes place by virtue of the person using the shoe (1) using a finger (15) to actuate the switching element (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: PUMA SE
    Inventor: Markus Bock
  • Patent number: 11793275
    Abstract: The invention relates to a shoe (1), especially to a sports shoe, with a shoe upper (2) and a sole (3) connected with the shoe upper (2), wherein the shoe (1) comprises a central fastener (4) for lacing the shoe (1) at the foot of a wearer, wherein the central fastener (4) comprises at least one tensioning element (5) which is arranged on or in a region of the shoe upper (2) by which a lacing force can be exerted onto the region of the shoe upper (2) and at least one gear element (6) driven by an electric motor (7), wherein a section (8) of the tensioning element (5) can be pulled against a fixed location (9) of the shoe (1) by means of the gear element (6) to create a tensioning force for lacing the shoe (1) at the foot of the wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: PUMA SE
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Randolph Maussner
  • Patent number: 11771180
    Abstract: A lacing system for an article of footwear has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The system includes a sole structure, an upper attached to the sole structure, the upper having a lateral side, a medial side, and a tongue, a housing that is disposed along the tongue and entirely within the midfoot region, and an electronics assembly enclosed entirely within the housing. The electronics assembly includes at least a motor and a gear assembly. A first lace extends from the housing through a first aperture and a second aperture, and the first lace is drawn into the housing when the motor is activated by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: PUMA SE
    Inventors: Markus Bock, Randolph Maussner