Shoe with lattice structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10743610-B2
Application number	US-201715709801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper, a midsole connected to the upper, and an outsole connected to the midsole. The midsole includes a platform extending along a perimeter portion of the midsole and a lattice structure integrally formed with the platform, the lattice structure including a network of laths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sole assembly comprising a lattice structure including:
a plurality of laths, each lath of the plurality of laths having a longitudinal structure defining a longitudinal axis and a girth centered about the longitudinal axis, wherein:
a first portion of the plurality of laths is arranged within a first region of the sole assembly,
a second portion of the plurality of laths is arranged within a second region of the sole assembly, and
each lath in the first portion of laths has a first girth that is substantially different from a second girth of each lath in the second portion of laths, wherein the laths in the first portion and the laths in the second portion collectively form a plurality of cell units having a substantially uniform volume, with each cell unit of the plurality of cell units comprising at least two faces defined by an area within a plane formed by at least one vertex and at least a portion of two longitudinal axes of two laths of the plurality of laths that are joined together at the at least one vertex.

2. The sole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first region and the second region are distinct regions arranged relative to a toe end, a heel end, an arch side, and an outward side of a shoe.

3. The sole assembly of claim 2 , wherein a height of the lattice structure varies from the toe end to the heel end.

4. The sole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lattice structure further comprises:
a transition portion of laths disposed in a transition area arranged between the first region and the second region, wherein the laths in the transition portion of laths have girths that are gradations between the first girth and the second girth.

5. The sole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lattice structure is formed as a single unitary part.

6. The sole assembly of claim 5 , wherein the lattice structure is integrally formed without gate marks, sprue marks, parting line marks and ejector pin marks.

7. The sole assembly of claim 5 , wherein the lattice structure is formed by a printing process.

8. The sole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the a plurality of cell units comprise one or more complete cell units and one or more incomplete cell units.

9. A sole assembly comprising:
a lattice structure including a network of laths that intersect and join together to form a plurality of vertices, the plurality of vertices including one or more vertex disposed at a top of the network of laths, one or more vertex disposed at a bottom of the network of laths, and one or more vertex disposed between the top and the bottom of the network of laths, wherein the network of laths and the plurality of vertices form a plurality of cell units, including:
one or more complete cell units defined by a plurality of complete faces, each of the complete faces being defined, at least in part, by two or more complete laths from the network of laths and two or more vertices from the plurality of vertices; and
one or more incomplete cell units defined by one or more partial faces that are defined, at least in part, by one or more incomplete laths from the network of laths and one or more vertex from the plurality of vertices.

10. The sole assembly of claim 9 , wherein each face of the plurality of complete faces is further defined by an area within a plane formed by a plurality of adjacent vertices from the plurality of vertices.

11. The sole assembly of claim 9 , wherein each partial face of the one or more partial faces is further defined by an area within a plane formed by at least one vertex from the plurality of vertices that is formed where the one or more incomplete laths joins with other laths from the network of laths.

12. The sole assembly of claim 9 , further comprising:
a platform extending along a perimeter of the lattice structure, wherein the platform is formed integrally with the lattice structure.

13. The sole assembly of claim 9 , wherein the network of laths is positioned in at least a first zone and a second zone, wherein each lath in the first zone has one or more different physical properties from a lath in the second zone.

14. The sole assembly of claim 13 , wherein each lath in the first zone has a girth that is substantially different from a girth of each lath in the second zone.

15. The sole assembly of claim 9 , wherein the lattice structure is formed as a single unitary part.

16. A sole assembly comprising:
a lattice structure that is formed as a single unitary part and that includes a network of laths forming a plurality of cell units, wherein each lath of the network of laths has a longitudinal structure defining a longitudinal axis and a girth centered about the longitudinal axis, and wherein the plurality of cell units includes:
one or more uniform cells with uniform volumes, the one or more uniform cells being defined by a plurality of complete faces, each of the complete faces being defined by complete laths from the network of laths; and
one or more non-uniform cells with non-uniform volumes, the one or more non-uniform cells being defined by at least one partial face that is defined, at least in part, by one or more incomplete laths from the network of laths that terminate without extending to a vertex defined by the network of laths so that the non-uniform cells include less connections than the uniform cells.

17. The sole assembly of claim 16 , wherein the one or more uniform cells are not defined by any incomplete laths from the network of laths.

18. The sole assembly of claim 16 , wherein the non-uniform cells are included in at least one of a heel section of the sole assembly and an outer edge of the sole assembly.

Assignees

• Under Armour Inc

Inventors

• Guyan Alan
• Fallon Kevin
• Berns Jason

Classifications

• A43B13/125

  characterised by the midsole or middle layer · CPC title

• A43B13/181 Primary

  Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole · CPC title

• B29C64/10

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/112

  using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads · CPC title

• A43B13/12

  Soles with several layers of different materials · CPC title