Granted Patent B2

US 12,570,062 · App. 18/653,640 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Inventors: Matthias Hartmann (Forchheim, DE); Reinhold Sussmann (Scheinfeld, DE)

Assignee: PUMA SE

B29D35/122B29D35/0018B29D35/128

Abstract

Claims (29)

1 . A method for manufacturing a midsole of an article of footwear, the method comprising:

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;

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;

removing the negative mold with the midsole from the mold base; and

removing the negative mold from the midsole by chemically, mechanically, or thermally breaking down the negative mold.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

coupling an outsole to the midsole, the outsole including a plurality of pins that extend upwardly from an inner surface of the outsole,

wherein the midsole includes a plurality of mating recesses formed therein that are configured to receive the pins that extend from the outsole.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the midsole lattice structure has a first lattice structure and a second lattice structure.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the negative mold includes a first negative mold corresponding to the first lattice structure and a second negative mold corresponding to the second lattice structure.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first lattice structure includes a plurality of interconnected apertures that are surrounded by model midsole material.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the midsole lattice structure defines a unit cell that is a three-dimensional shape that is repeated in a tiled pattern to define the lattice structure.

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the midsole lattice structure defines a gyroid structure that includes triply periodic minimal surfaces.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the midsole lattice structure defines triangular-, spherical-, square-, rectangular-, or diamond-shaped unit cells.

9 . A method for manufacturing a midsole of an article of footwear, the method comprising:

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;

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;

removing the negative mold with the midsole from the mold base; and

removing the negative mold from the midsole,

wherein the midsole includes a midsole lattice that has a first lattice structure and a second lattice structure extending throughout the formed midsole,

wherein the first lattice structure defines a first unit cell and the second lattice structure defines a second unit cell,

wherein the first unit cell defines a different repeated pattern than the second unit cell.

10 . The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

coupling an outsole to the midsole, the outsole including a plurality of pins that extend upwardly from an inner surface of the outsole, and

wherein the midsole includes a plurality of mating recesses that are configured to receive the pins that extend from the outsole.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first lattice structure is formed in the midsole and includes one or more openings that are defined by interconnected segments and extend throughout the midsole.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the mating between the plurality of pins in the outsole and the surfaces forming the plurality of mating recesses in the midsole provide a mechanical coupling between the outsole and the midsole.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the pins and the mating recesses define a geometry that is configured to inhibit the pins from being removed from the mating recesses.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein ends of the pins each include a plug that is configured to be received within a corresponding recess of the plurality of mating recesses and inhibit decoupling of the outsole from the midsole.

Continuity (3)

References Cited (22)

Cited By (1)

US 1,143,504