Footwear sole structure
A sole structure for a footwear article includes a system of support structures that are arranged in a subunit. In some examples, the subunit can be at least partially enclosed by an exoskeleton. In some instances, the system of support structures can comprise at least a portion of a cartridge that can connect to another component in the sole structure. The cartridge can, in some examples, operate to attenuate a force.
1 . A footwear article comprising:
an upper;
a sole coupled to the upper;
the sole comprising:
a force attenuation component comprising a cartridge:
the cartridge comprising:
a top plate;
a bottom plate;
a system of tubular support structures that is between the top plate and the bottom plate and that attenuates forces operating on at least one of the top plate or the bottom plate, wherein each tubular support structure in the system of tubular structures comprises a reference axis extending through the each tubular support structure at an angle being in a range of about 30 to about 90 degrees relative to a reference plane of the bottom plate; and
an exoskeleton comprising a three-dimensional (3D) lattice of frame members comprising a network of interconnected nodes enclosing the system of tubular support structures, wherein each frame member is an elongated member interconnected to another elongated member and comprises a respective elongated member length between two nodes of the network of interconnected nodes.
2 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the system of support structures comprises a first tubular support structure stacked atop a second tubular support structure.
3 . The footwear article of claim 1 , the sole comprising: a first force attenuation component comprising a cavity and a wall; and a second force attenuation component, wherein the cartridge is configured to nest in the cavity of the first force attenuation component.
4 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein:
the system of support structures and the exoskeleton comprise a first discrete subunit;
the sole comprises a second discrete subunit comprising a second system of support structures that is between the top plate and the bottom plate and that operates to attenuate forces operating on at least one of the top plate or the bottom plate; and
a second exoskeleton that at least partially encloses the second system of support structures and that comprises a second lattice-type network of frame members.
5 . The footwear article of claim 4 , wherein the first discrete subunit comprises one or more properties that are different from the second discrete subunit.
6 . The footwear article of claim 5 , wherein the first discrete subunit imparts a first amount of impact attenuation and the second discrete subunit imparts a second amount of impact attenuation, which is different from the first amount of impact attenuation.
7 . The footwear article of claim 5 , wherein the first discrete subunit is in a first region of the sole and the second discrete subunit is in a second region of the sole, which is different from the first region.
8 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the 3D lattice of frame members comprises a first frame member having a first property and a second frame member having a second property that is different from the first property.
9 . The footwear article of claim 8 , wherein the first property and the second property comprise a respective cross-sectional shape.
10 . The footwear article of claim 8 , wherein the first property and the second property comprise a respective degree of rectilinearity or curvilinearity.
11 . The footwear article of claim 8 , wherein the first property and the second property comprise a respective cross-sectional width or a respective cross-sectional area.
12 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the exoskeleton comprises a repeating pattern of n-polygonal shapes.
13 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the sole comprises a recess, and wherein the cartridge is nested in the recess.
14 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the bottom plate comprises traction elements.
15 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of each tubular support structure is a minimal surface.
16 . A footwear article comprising:
an upper;
a sole coupled to the upper;
the sole comprising:
a force attenuation component comprising a cartridge:
the cartridge comprising:
a top plate;
a bottom plate;
a first system of tubular support structures that comprises a first discrete subunit enclosed within a first exoskeleton comprising a first three-dimensional (3D) lattice of first frame members, which comprises a first network of interconnected nodes enclosing the first system of tubular support structures, wherein the first frame members comprise a first average length; and
a second system of tubular support structures that comprises a second discrete subunit enclosed within a second exoskeleton comprising a second 3D lattice of second frame members, which comprises a second network of interconnected nodes enclosing the second system of tubular support structures, wherein the second frame members comprise a second average length, which is shorter than the first average length,
wherein the first discrete subunit and the second discrete subunit are positioned between the top plate and the bottom plate, wherein a first reference axis extending through the first discrete subunit and a second reference axis extending through the second discrete subunit are oriented at an angle being in a range of about 30 to about 90 degrees relative to a reference plane of the bottom plate, and wherein the first system of tubular support structures and the second system of tubular support structures attenuate forces operating on at least one of the top plate or the bottom plate.
17 . The footwear article of claim 16 , wherein the first discrete subunit comprises one or more properties that are different from the second discrete subunit.
18 . The footwear article of claim 16 , wherein the first discrete subunit imparts a first amount of impact attenuation and the second discrete subunit imparts a second amount of impact attenuation, which is different from the first amount of impact attenuation.
19 . The footwear article of claim 16 , wherein the first discrete subunit is in a first region of the sole and the second discrete subunit is in a second region of the sole, which is different from the first region.
20 . A footwear article comprising:
an upper;
a sole coupled to the upper;
the sole comprising:
a first force attenuation component comprising a recess;
a second force attenuation component comprising a cartridge nested in the recess and, the cartridge comprising:
a top plate;
a bottom plate; and
a system of tubular support structures that is between the top plate and the bottom plate and that operates to attenuate forces operating on at least one of the top plate or the bottom plate; and
an exoskeleton comprising a three-dimensional 3D lattice of elongated frame members, wherein the elongated frame members comprise a network of interconnected nodes enclosing the system of tubular support structures, wherein each tubular support structure in the system of tubular support structures comprises a reference axis extending through each tubular structure at an angle being in a range of about 30 to about 90 degrees relative to a reference plane of the bottom plate.