Abstract: The invention relates to an orthotic or prosthetic joint device with an upper part and a lower part arranged in a hinged manner on the latter, and fastening means for securing the joint device on a user, with at least one hydraulics unit between the upper part and the lower part, which hydraulics unit has a piston that is movable in a housing with an extension chamber and a flexion chamber and that is coupled to the upper part or the lower part, and which hydraulics unit is assigned a pressure supply device with a pump and a pressure accumulator via which the piston, controlled by a control device, is subjected to a pressure, wherein the pump can be operated in generator mode, the pressure accumulator can be coupled drivingly to the pump, and the hydraulic fluid can be conveyed by the pressure accumulator through the pump to the hydraulics unit.

Abstract: A method of using a marriage mold includes providing an upper plate having a first wall and at least one second wall, and a lower plate having a marriage cavity and a top wall. At least two midsole components are provided, which are made of a first material, and each have a first region and a void structure. The at least two midsole components are positioned into the marriage cavity. The upper plate is secured to the lower plate such that the first wall and the top wall form a seal. The at least two midsole components are joined together to form a midsole having a second void structure.

Abstract: Process for making a solid alkali metal salt (A) of an aminocarboxylate complexing agent, said process comprising the steps of (a) providing a 40 to 80% by weight aqueous solution or slurry comprising salt (A), (b) optionally, heating said slurry or solution to a temperature in the range of from 50 to 150° C., (c) introducing the slurry or solution from step (a) or, if applicable, step (b) into an essentially horizontal cylindrical drying apparatus containing a stirring element that rotates around an essentially horizontal axis and that is charged with solid particles of salt (A), and (d) removing most of the water by evaporation, (e) removing solid salt (A) as granule.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a midsole of an article of footwear includes arranging an insert into a mold cavity of a mold base. The insert including a region of solid volume that corresponds with an empty volume within the midsole. The method further includes supplying a midsole material to the mold cavity of the mold base to form the midsole around a negative mold so that the negative mold is embedded within the midsole material to form a midsole lattice structure within the midsole. The method further includes removing the negative mold with the midsole from the mold base. The method further includes removing the negative mold from the midsole.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a foam component includes printing a preform with a three-dimensional printer. The preform is formed from a pre-saturated mixture of a base material that is at least partially saturated with a foaming agent. The preform is foamed by heating the preform to be at or above a glass transition temperature of the base material, thereby causing the foaming agent to nucleate and expand to form the foam component. Foaming occurs at atmospheric pressure. The preform includes a preliminary lattice structure that corresponds with a final lattice structure of the foam component.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a shoe having a shoe upper and a sole part connected to the shoe upper, wherein the sole part includes a sole body having a bottom region and a side wall region, wherein the bottom region and the wall region form a receiving chamber which is open at the top, wherein the receiving chamber is filled with a bulk material, wherein the bulk material consists at least partially, of a thermoplastic elastomer and wherein the filled receiving chamber is sealed by a closure body. Further, the closure body is a knitted fabric that forms a lattice structure, wherein the lattice structure has a mesh width (w1, w2) of at least 0.5 mm. The disclosure further relates to a method for producing such a shoe.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for controlling the firing of neurons within a neuron layer of a spiking neural network. The method includes, by a handshake controller associated with the neuron layer, receiving a request for firing the neurons and, in response, generating a tick signal. The method further comprising, by the respective neurons, updating a neuron state when receiving a neuron input; and upon receiving the tick signal, by the respective neurons, firing the respective neurons that fulfil a firing condition based on the neuron state.

Abstract: A sole structure includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region along a longitudinal direction of the article of footwear. The sole structure includes a midsole, which has a plurality of cavities defined by outer edges, and each of the cavities of the plurality of cavities extends between a lateral side of the footwear and a medial side of the footwear. Each cavity of the plurality of cavities is defined by a first rounded end, a second rounded end opposite of the first rounded end, a front side edge, and a rear side edge. The front side edge and the rear side edge connect the first rounded end with the second rounded end and the plurality of cavities is configured to programmably collapse or deform the sole structure when a force is applied downward.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a midsole of an article of footwear includes generating a positive model of a midsole. The positive model includes a region of empty volume that defines an aperture or channel. The method further includes creating a negative model based on the positive model, and printing, layer by layer, a negative mold to form a physical representation of the negative model. The negative mold includes a region of solid volume that corresponds with the region of empty volume in the positive model. The method further includes supplying a midsole material to the negative mold to form the midsole. The midsole includes a midsole aperture or channel formed therein by the region of solid volume in the negative mold.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an article of footwear defining a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region includes providing a sole structure and an upper. The method further includes coupling the sole structure to the upper at least in part by winding a first continuous thread around the sole structure and the upper in a first direction in the midfoot region and the forefoot region, winding the first continuous thread around the sole structure and the upper in a second direction in the heel region, and receiving the first continuous thread within a channel of a plurality of channels that are defined by a sole surface of the sole structure. Winding the first continuous thread around the sole structure and the upper is, at least in part, configured to couple the sole structure to the upper. The first direction is different than the second direction.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure that defines a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The sole structure comprises densified wood and includes an upper midsole cushioning member, a lower midsole cushioning member, an outsole coupled with a bottom surface of the lower midsole cushioning member, and a plate positioned between the upper midsole cushioning member and the lower midsole cushioning member.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a sole (1) of a shoe.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear includes providing a frame and a support component, and defining a plurality of anchor points on the frame. The method further includes winding a first continuous thread around the plurality of anchor points defined on the frame and around the support component so that the first continuous thread extends from the frame to the support component, and securing the first continuous thread.

Abstract: A method of making a midsole includes selecting a plurality of yarns. At least two yarns of the plurality of yarns have different properties relative to one another. The method further includes bundling the plurality of yarns to form a bundled yarn structure and intertwining the bundled yarn structure to form a twisted yarn structure. Further, the method includes depositing the twisted yarn structure into a first mold within an autoclave and applying a supercritical fluid to the twisted yarn structure. The method further includes supercritical fluid infiltrating and saturating the twisted yarn structure, depressurizing the autoclave to cause a foaming process therein to convert the twisted yarn structure into an anisotropic foam blank, and depositing the anisotropic foam blank within a second mold that is configured as a midsole for an article of footwear.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure. The sole structure has a longitudinal extension in a longitudinal direction and a vertical extension in a vertical direction. The sole structure defines a plurality of recesses arranged at least in a rearfoot region thereof and extend at least partially into the sole structure in a transverse direction and along a straight line that extends in the longitudinal direction. Without external forces on the sole structure, each recess of the plurality of recesses is larger in a first direction than in a second direction. The sole structure is configured to provide predetermined dampening and spring deflection characteristics such that, when an external force is applied to the sole structure, the plurality of recesses collapse in a predetermined manner and, when the external force is removed, the plurality of recesses expand back to their original shape.

Abstract: The invention relates to a shoe (1), in particular a sports shoe, having an upper (2) and a sole (3) connected to said upper (2). In order to achieve good resilience properties of the sole of the shoe together with excellent wearing comfort, at least some areas of the sole (3) consist of a number of hollow bodies (4) embedded in a carrier material (5), wherein said carrier material (5) consists of a foamed plastic material.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure. The sole structure has a longitudinal extension in a longitudinal direction and a vertical extension in a vertical direction and defines a plurality of recesses that extend into the sole structure at least in a transverse direction. The plurality of recesses includes a first row of recesses arranged toward the upper and a second row of recesses arranged vertically below the first row of recesses. Each recess of the plurality of recesses has, without external forces on the sole structure, a peripheral contour forming a shape of a lemniscate when viewed in the transverse direction and are larger in a first direction that in a second direction. The sole structure is configured such that, when an external force is applied to the sole structure, the plurality of recesses collapse in a predetermined manner.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a foam component of a sole structure includes positioning a preformed component within a cavity of an autoclave, heating the preformed component to be at or above a glass transition temperature of a material of the preformed component, and pressurizing the autoclave. The method further includes injecting a blowing agent into the cavity of the autoclave, which becomes a supercritical fluid that saturates the preformed component, and dropping the pressure within the cavity. The drop in pressure causes nucleation of the supercritical fluid within the preformed component to expand and crystallize the material of the preformed component to form the final foam component so that the foam component has a substantially uniform density.

Abstract: An article of footwear is provided that includes a sole structure and an upper attached to the sole structure. The upper includes an exterior layer and a base layer, and the exterior layer includes a biodegradable layer and a biologically active agent capable of biodegrading the biodegradable layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sole (1) of a shoe, particularly of an athletic shoe, wherein the sole (1) has an extension in a longitudinal direction (L) and an extension in a vertical direction (V) perpendicular thereto, wherein a number of recesses (2) is introduced into the sole (1), wherein the recesses (2) extend in a transverse direction (Q) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L) and perpendicular to the vertical direction (V) and permeate the sole (1) at least in part.