CN108697197B

CN108697197B - Impact-attenuating support members for articles of footwear and methods of making the same

Info

Publication number: CN108697197B
Application number: CN201780011829.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 皮特·格奥尔基安; 拉利特·蒙蒂罗
Original assignee: Nike Inc
Current assignee: Nike Inc
Priority date: 2016-02-16
Filing date: 2017-02-16
Publication date: 2021-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 2037-02-16
Also published as: EP3416514B1; CN108697197A; EP3416514A1; WO2017143043A1

Abstract

A sole structure (45) for an article of footwear (10) includes an impact-attenuating support member. The impact-attenuating support member includes a first impact-attenuating element (102, 104) and a second impact-attenuating element (102, 104). The first and second impact-attenuating elements (102, 104) include one or more portions that are interconnected and movable relative to each other in at least one direction.

Description

Impact-attenuating support members for articles of footwear and methods of making the same

Background

Articles of footwear often include sole structures that provide various functions. For example, the sole structure generally protects the foot of the wearer from environmental elements and from the ground. In addition, the sole structure may attenuate impacts or forces caused by the ground or other footwear contacting surfaces. In addition, some sole structures may provide a responsive force against a footwear contact surface.

The present disclosure relates to an impact-attenuating support member for an article of footwear, the impact-attenuating support member including: a first impact-attenuating element configured to absorb force by longitudinal compression, the first impact-attenuating element including a core support portion, a first set of support struts extending from the core support portion, and a second set of support struts extending from the core support portion in a direction generally opposite the first set of support struts; and a second impact-attenuating element including a support frame at least partially enclosing a central cavity and including a first set of apertures and a second set of apertures, the second impact-attenuating element configured to dampen the force, attenuate the longitudinal compression, and resist lateral deflection of the first impact-attenuating element, wherein the core support portion is positioned in the central cavity and at least partially enclosed by the support frame, wherein the first set of support struts extend from the core support portion and through the first set of apertures, and wherein the second set of support struts extend from the core support portion and through the second set of apertures such that the first impact-attenuating element is interwoven with the second impact-attenuating element.

In one embodiment, the impact-attenuating support member further includes first and second base structures coupled to opposite ends of the first and second impact-attenuating elements and configured to mount the first and second impact-attenuating elements within a channel of a footwear midsole.

In one embodiment, the first impact-attenuating element includes a hyperboloid-shaped structure having the core support portion spaced between the first base structure and the second base structure.

In one embodiment, the first impact-attenuating element has a cross-section that includes an hourglass-shaped profile, the cross-section being taken along a reference plane that bisects the first impact-attenuating element by passing through the first and second sets of support struts and through the core support portion.

In one embodiment, the second impact-attenuating element includes an ellipsoidal wall having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, and wherein the ellipsoidal wall includes a radial segment that is generally aligned with the transverse axis and encloses the core support portion.

In one embodiment, the distal portions of the first set of support struts are coupled to the first base structure and the distal portions of the second set of support struts are coupled to the second base structure, and wherein the ellipsoid-shaped walls are coupled to the first and second base structures on opposite ends of the longitudinal axis.

In one embodiment, the impact-attenuating support member further includes a disc-shaped carrier mounted on the disc-shaped carrier, wherein the disc-shaped carrier is configured to seat within a groove of a footwear midsole.

The present disclosure also relates to a method of making an impact-attenuating support member according to the above, the method comprising: forming a bottom anchor plate from a resilient polymeric material; forming a first plurality of connection points on a surface of the bottom anchorage plate for coupling the first impact-attenuating element to the surface of the bottom anchorage plate, the first plurality of connection points being radially arranged about a central reference axis; forming at least one first connection point on the surface of the bottom anchorage plate radially inward from the first plurality of connection points for coupling the second impact-attenuating element to the surface of the bottom anchorage plate; forming a first portion of the first impact-attenuating element and a first portion of the second impact-attenuating element such that the first set of support struts extend from the first plurality of connection points to a radially smaller core-support portion spaced from the surface of the bottom anchorage plate, and such that the second impact-attenuating element extends away from the at least one first connection point to a radially larger intermediate portion that includes a radial segment that encloses the radially smaller core-support portion of the first impact-attenuating element; forming a second portion of the first impact-attenuating element and a second portion of the second impact-attenuating element such that the second set of support struts extend from the radially smaller core support portion and flare outwardly from the radially smaller core support portion to a second plurality of connection points, and such that the second impact-attenuating element extends from the radial segment to at least one second connection point radially inward from the second plurality of connection points; and forming a top anchorage plate to which the second plurality of connection points of the first impact-attenuating element and the at least one second connection point of the second impact-attenuating element are coupled.

In one embodiment, forming the first plurality of attachment points includes forming at least three attachment points, and wherein forming the first portion of the first impact-attenuating element includes additionally constructing a respective strut extending from each of the at least three attachment points, each strut being attached to the radially smaller core support portion.

In one embodiment, forming the second portion of the first impact-attenuating element includes additionally constructing at least three struts extending from the radially smaller core-supporting portion, each strut of the at least three struts terminating at a respective connection point of the second plurality of connection points.

In one embodiment, forming the second impact-attenuating element includes additionally constructing a wall having an aperture extending from the at least one first connection point to the at least one second connection point, and wherein each of the respective struts extends from the at least three connection points and each of the at least three struts passes through the aperture in the wall.

In one embodiment, additionally constructing the wall includes additionally constructing an ellipsoid-shaped wall, wherein the radial segment is substantially aligned with a transverse axis of the ellipsoid-shaped wall.

Brief Description of Drawings

The present technology is described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a side view of an article of footwear in accordance with aspects of the present technique;

FIG. 2A depicts a front view of an impact-attenuating support member, in accordance with aspects of the present technique;

FIG. 2B depicts the impact-attenuating support member of FIG. 2A with portions shown in phantom view, in accordance with aspects of the present technique;

FIG. 2C depicts the impact-attenuating support member of FIG. 2A with portions shown in phantom view, in accordance with aspects of the present technique;

FIG. 2D depicts an anterior lateral view of an impact-attenuating support member, in accordance with aspects of the present technique;

FIG. 2E depicts a cross-section of the impact-attenuating support member of FIG. 2D, in accordance with aspects of the present technique;

FIG. 3A depicts a carrier tray for supporting impact-attenuating support members in accordance with aspects of the present technique;

fig. 3B depicts a top view of the carrier tray of fig. 3A, in accordance with aspects of the present technique.

4A-4C depict an exemplary alternative impact-attenuating support member in accordance with aspects of the present technique; and

FIG. 5 depicts a flow chart illustrating a method in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The subject matter is described with specificity and detail throughout this specification in order to meet statutory requirements. The aspects described throughout this specification are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting, and the description itself is not intended to necessarily limit the scope of the claims. Rather, the claimed subject matter might be practiced in other ways to include different elements or combinations of elements similar to the ones described in this specification in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Alternative aspects may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the described aspects pertain after reading this disclosure, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is covered by and within the scope of the claims.

Summary of some aspects of the disclosure

The subject matter described in this specification relates generally to sole structures for articles of footwear. The sole structure includes, among other features, one or more impact-attenuating support members that are configured to dampen and attenuate impact forces exerted on the sole structure. For example, an exemplary article of footwear 10 is depicted in fig. 1, with the footwear 10 including a sole structure 45 having a plurality of impact-attenuating support members 30. Various features of the impact-attenuating support member 30, such as the structure that changes under load and the material from which the impact-attenuating support member 30 is constructed, may contribute to attenuating forces or impacts. These and other aspects of the disclosure will be described in more detail in other portions of this detailed description.

In fig. 1, sole structure 45 also includes an outsole 20 and a midsole portion 25, and sole structure 45 may include various other elements not illustrated in fig. 1 (e.g., an insole, a shoe insert, a heel counter, and the like). Article of footwear 10 also includes upper 15, tongue 50, and eyelets 60 for tightening lace 55. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that footwear 10 is merely an exemplary article of footwear and that many other configurations are possible without departing from aspects of the present disclosure. Although fig. 1 depicts one arrangement of one or more impact-attenuating support members 30, in other aspects of the art, the impact-attenuating support members 30 may have different sizes, groupings, locations, orientations, etc. The illustrative figures depict and the specification describes certain types of articles of footwear, such as articles of footwear (e.g., basketball shoes, cross-training shoes, running shoes, and the like) that are worn while participating in athletic activities. The subject matter described herein may be used in combination with other types of articles of footwear, such as dress shoes, sandals, casual shoes, boots, and the like.

In the illustrative article of footwear 10 in fig. 1, upper 15 and sole structure 45 generally form a foot-receiving space that encloses at least a portion of a foot when article of footwear 10 is worn or donned. The foot receiving space is accessible by inserting the foot through an opening 85 formed by, for example, the ankle collar 65. When describing various aspects of article of footwear 10, related terms may be used to aid in understanding the relative relationships. For example, article of footwear 10 may be divided into three general regions: forefoot region 75, midfoot region 80, and heel region 70. Article of footwear 10 also includes a lateral side, a medial side, an upper portion, and a lower portion. Forefoot region 75 generally includes portions of article of footwear 10 corresponding with the toes and joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges of a worn foot (not shown). Midfoot region 80 generally includes portions of article of footwear 10 corresponding with an arch area of a worn foot (not shown), and heel region 70 corresponds with rear portions of the worn foot including the calcaneus bone. Lateral and medial sides extend through each of

regions

70, 75, and 80 and correspond with opposite sides of article of footwear 10. More specifically, the lateral side corresponds with a lateral area of the foot that is worn (i.e., the surface that faces away from the other foot of the wearer), and the medial side corresponds with a medial area of the foot that is worn (i.e., the surface that faces toward the other foot of the wearer). In addition, upper and lower portions also extend through each of

regions

70, 75, and 80. When the foot of the wearer is positioned flat on the ground and the wearer stands upright, the upper portion generally corresponds to the top portion oriented toward the head of the wearer, whereas the lower portion generally corresponds to the bottom portion oriented toward the bottom of the foot of the wearer. These

regions

70, 75, and 80, sides, and portions are not intended to demarcate precise areas of article of footwear 10. On the other hand, they are intended to represent general areas of article of footwear 10 to aid in understanding the various descriptions provided in this specification. Additionally, the regions, sides, and portions are provided for purposes of explanation and illustration, and are not meant to require human interpretation.

As previously noted, sole structure 45 may include multiple components. In fig. 1, sole structure 45 includes an outsole 20 made of a relatively hard and durable material, such as rubber, with outsole 20 being in direct contact with the ground, floor, or other surface. Sole structure 45 also includes a midsole portion 25, with midsole portion 25 being formed from a material that provides cushioning and absorbs/attenuates impact forces during normal wear and/or athletic training or performance. Examples of materials often used in midsoles are, for example, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic elastomers (e.g., polyether block amides), and the like. Sole structure 45 may also have additional components, including additional cushioning components (e.g., springs, bladders, and the like), functional components (e.g., motion control elements to address pronation or supination), protective elements (e.g., resilient plates to prevent foot injury from hazards above the floor or ground), and the like. In addition, sole structure 45 may include one or more insoles, inserts, or other layers positioned between the foot-receiving space and outsole 20.

These various components of footwear 10 are depicted for purposes of explanation and are not necessarily entirely discrete components or layers. For example, outsole 20 may include one or more portions that also form a midsole, upper 15, or a portion of the midsole and upper, and the midsole may include portions that form outsole 20, upper 15, or a portion of outsole 20 and upper 15. One or both of midsole portion 25 and outsole 20 may be coupled to upper 15 throughout sole structure 45 or at different portions of sole structure 45. Additionally, the impact-attenuating support member 30 may be considered part of the midsole, outsole, insole, or any combination thereof.

Exemplary impact-attenuating support members

The impact-attenuating support member 30 includes various features that may contribute to a response to a load, such as when the article of footwear 10 is worn and a person is standing, walking, running, jumping, etc. For example, the impact-attenuating support member 30 may undergo various types of structural transitions, such as buckling, bending, hinging, pivoting, and the like. In one aspect, the impact-attenuating support member 30 is a three-dimensional (3D) columnar support structure, and the structural transformation includes a shortening, compression, or reduction in height of the 3D columnar support structure caused by the structural transformation under load. In this description, the term "column" describes a compression member structure that generally includes a support member having a column top (i.e., a column top) and a base (i.e., a column bottom), which transfers the weight (e.g., force) of a structure above the compression member structure to another structural element below the compression member structure. Although the term "cylindrical" may include circular or cylindrical support members, in other aspects of the disclosure, "cylindrical" may also include other full or partial prismatic shapes having a different number of sides or faces.

In further aspects, the compression member structure provides the desired energy return upon impact when the article of footwear 10 is worn and a person stands, walks, runs, jumps, etc. Energy return may be affected by the material from which the impact-attenuating support member 30 is constructed. For example, the impact-attenuating support member 30 may comprise a polymer or natural rubber material that is inherently elastic and capable of absorbing impact forces and at least partially returning energy, such as Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), nylon, PEBAX, Polyurethane (PU), rubber, or any other inherently elastic polymer material suitable for use in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, or any combination thereof.

In a further aspect, the impact attenuation and force dampening provided by the impact-attenuating support member 30 under load is caused, at least in part, by the structural configuration of the impact-attenuating support member 30. In this sense, the impact-attenuating support member 30 is at least partially a metamaterial, such that the impact-attenuating functionality may be derived at least partially from properties other than the underlying material (e.g., EVA or TPU) -although as described above, the properties of the underlying material also contribute to the impact-attenuating and energy-return functionality.

For a better understanding of the structural configuration of the impact-attenuating support member according to aspects of the present disclosure, reference is made to fig. 2A through 2E (which show various enlarged views of a single impact-attenuating support member 100). Fig. 2A illustrates a front view of the impact-attenuating support member 100, similar to the perspective and orientation of the impact-attenuating support member 30 in fig. 1. In general, the impact-attenuating support member 100 includes two discrete and interwoven elements, including a first interwoven element 102 and a second interwoven element 104. Both the first and second

interwoven elements

102, 104 are coupled to the top and

bottom anchorage plates

110, 115. As such, the respective positions of the first and second

interwoven elements

102, 104 are secured together at the top and

bottom anchorage plates

110, 115. In addition, each of the first and second

interwoven elements

102, 104 includes respective portions that are interconnected to each other but free to move in at least one direction between the top and

bottom anchor plates

110, 104.

Referring now to fig. 2B, additional aspects of the first interleaving element 102 will be described, and in fig. 2B, the second interleaving element 104 is depicted in a dashed view to better illustrate certain features of the first interleaving element 102. The first interlaced member 102 includes a central core support portion 180. In addition, the first interwoven element includes a first set of support struts 145A, 145C, and 145E extending from the central core support portion 180 and coupled to the top anchor plate 110. While only three support struts are depicted in the first set of support struts in fig. 2A and 2B, in an aspect of the present disclosure, another support strut (obscured in the view of fig. 2A and 2B) extends from the intermediate core support portion 180 and is coupled to the top anchorage plate 110. Each of support struts 145A, 145C, and 145E is connected to top anchorage plate 110 at respective connection points 240A, 240C, and 240E. In addition, first interwoven element 102 includes a second set of support struts 145B, 145D, and 145F extending from central core support portion 180 and coupled to bottom anchor plate 115. Each of

support columns

145B, 145D, and 145F is connected to bottom anchorage plate 115 at respective connection points 240B, 240D, and 240F.

Referring now to fig. 2C, additional aspects of the second interleaving element 104 will be described, and in fig. 2C, the first interleaving element 102 is depicted in a dashed view to better illustrate certain features of the second interleaving element 104. The second interweaving element 104 generally includes a substantially ellipsoidal shell wall 125. for purposes of explanation, the shell wall 125 is formed from a series of connecting strips (struts).

Fig. 2C illustratively depicts a set of generally vertically oriented connecting

bars

120A, 120B, 120C, and 120D, and a generally horizontally oriented connecting bar 122A. The terms "vertical" and "horizontal" are used for reference only when describing the second interlaced element 104 as depicted in fig. 2C, and it should be understood that when the second interlaced element includes an orientation that is different from the orientation depicted in fig. 2C, the identified connector strips may not be vertically oriented or horizontally oriented in other respects. The connection strips are connected and integrated in a networked manner to form an ellipsoid-shaped shell wall 125. In this sense, there is not necessarily a clear outline between one connecting strip and another integrally connected connecting strip.

For illustrative purposes, the connecting

strip joints

130A and 130B are identified in fig. 2C to depict joints where multiple connecting strips may be joined to one another to form an ellipsoid-shaped housing wall 125. In another aspect, each of the connection bars includes a generally rounded or convex outward facing surface, which contributes to the generally rounded nature of the generally ellipsoid-shaped housing wall 125. The ellipsoid-shaped shell wall 125 also includes an array of

voids

230A and 230C disposed throughout the ellipsoid-shaped shell wall 125 and spacing the tie bars from each other. A generally ellipsoidal shaped shell wall 125 is connected to top anchorage plate 110 and to bottom anchorage plate 115, and this aspect is more clearly illustrated in FIG. 2E by connection points 116A and 116B (connected to top anchorage plate 110) and connection points 117A and 117B (connected to bottom anchorage plate 115). Second interlaced element 104 may include other connecting strips and voids that are obscured in the view in fig. 2A and 2C.

Some structural features of the first interlaced member 102 and the second interlaced member 104 have been described with reference to fig. 2A-2C, including the central core support portion 180 and struts of the first interlaced member 102, and the connecting strips and voids that form the substantially ellipsoidal shell wall 125 of the second interlaced member 104. Referring now to fig. 2D and 2E, additional aspects of the present disclosure will be described, some of which include the interleaving properties of the first interleaving element 102 and the second interleaving element 104. Fig. 2D depicts a front, outside perspective view of the impact-attenuating support member 100, and fig. 2E depicts a cross-section of the impact-attenuating support member 100 taken along the reference plane 2E-2E in fig. 2D.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the ellipsoidal shell wall 125 at least partially surrounds the first interlaced element 102, particularly at the central core support portion 180 of the first interlaced element 102. In addition, each of the struts of the first interlaced member 102 extends from the central core support portion 180 and through a void in the ellipsoidal shell wall 125 of the second interlaced member 104. As such, while the central core support portion 180 of the first interwoven element 102 is inside the second interwoven element 104, the first interwoven element 102 includes members that extend outside the second interwoven element 104 at the top and bottom anchor plates 110 and 115 (i.e., the column top and base), respectively.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 2E, the cross-section of the first interlaced element 102 includes an hourglass-shaped profile having a substantially hollow core. As depicted, the central core support portion 180 and support struts 145A, 145B, 145C, 145D, 145E, and 145F at least partially enclose the cavity 200 with the interior surface 205 facing the cavity 200 and the exterior surface 210 facing away from the cavity 200. In one aspect, this configuration of first interlaced element 102 with a substantially hollow cavity can allow for a lighter construction with high energy return by providing cushioning through the inherent properties of the materials used in the construction of first interlaced element 102 (e.g., various elastomeric materials such as EVA, TPU, polyester, and the like), through a combination of interlaced structures, or through a combination of material properties and structures.

In addition, a first set of support struts 145A, 145C, and 145E form a top-of-column oriented portion of first interlaced member 102, and a second set of support struts 145B, 145D, and 145F form a base-of-column oriented portion of first interlaced member 102. The first interlaced element 102 includes

strut junctions

150A and 150B that transition from a first set of support struts to a second set of support struts. Further, the top post orientation portion may be substantially a mirror image of the base orientation portion. As such, an approximate distance 160 from engagement 150A to top anchorage plate 110 may be substantially similar to an approximate distance 170 from engagement 150A to bottom anchorage plate 115.

The first interleaving element 102 may also include various other dimensions as illustrated by fig. 2E. For example, the first interlaced element 102 includes a wall thickness 190A extending between an inner surface 205 and an outer surface 210. In addition, the central core support portion 180 includes a width 195 extending from one strut junction 150A to the other strut junction 150B, and a height 155. The struts also include certain dimensions, such as strut length 197, measured from the point of connection (to the anchor plate) to the point where the strut connects to the central core support portion 180.

As previously explained, a first set of support struts 145A, 145C, and 145E are attached to top anchorage plate 110 at a first set of connection points 240A, 240B, and 240C, and a second set of support struts 145B, 15D, and 145F are attached to bottom anchorage plate 115 at a second set of connection points 240D, 240E, and 240F. Additionally, as illustrated in fig. 2E, a first set of connection points are spaced apart by a width 110A and a second set of connection points are spaced apart by a width 115A.

In a further aspect of the disclosure, the tie-bar includes an inwardly facing surface (e.g., 215 in fig. 2E) and an outwardly facing surface 220. The inwardly facing surface 215 faces the outer surface 210 of the first interlaced member 102. The outwardly facing surface 220 faces away from the first interlaced member 102. Each tie strip includes a thickness (e.g., 190B) extending between an inward facing surface 215 and an outward facing surface 220.

As depicted in fig. 2E, ellipsoidal shell walls 125 are connected to top anchorage plate 110 at top connection points (e.g., 116A and 116B) and to bottom anchorage plate 115 at bottom connection points (e.g., 117A and 117B). In aspects of the present disclosure, the top connection points are spaced apart by a width 110B, which width 110B is less than the width 110A of the strut connection points. In this aspect, the walls of the ellipsoid shape are connected to top anchorage plates inward or inward of the stanchions. Similarly, the bottom connection points are spaced apart by a width 115B, which width 115B is less than the width 115A of the strut connection points. In this aspect, walls in the shape of an ellipsoid are connected to top and bottom anchor plates inward or inward of the stanchion.

The first and second

interlaced elements

102, 104 may be manipulated in various ways to contribute to the impact-attenuating characteristics of the impact-attenuating support member 100. In an aspect of the present disclosure, the first and

second interleaving elements

102, 104 are in an interleaved relationship such that portions of the elements are interconnected and spaced apart from each other. As such, these portions may form one or more cavities in the voids between the elements. In another aspect of the present disclosure, when the impact-attenuating support member 100 undergoes deformation due to a load (e.g., a reduction in height of the affected impact-attenuating support member, expansion of the outer side of the element 104, and the like), air occupying the space between the element 102 and the element 104 is substantially vented. As such, if the impact-attenuating support member receives a force of sufficient magnitude, the first interlaced element 102 may become in contact with the second interlaced element 104. For example, at least the top edge 1000A and the bottom edge 1000B (shown in fig. 2A) of the connecting strips forming the ellipsoid-shaped shell wall 125 may contact the struts that pass through the

voids

230A and 230C. In this aspect, the element 104 stabilizes the element 102 by encapsulating the central core support portion 180 to prevent possible lateral displacement of the element 102. As such, the interwoven relationship between first interwoven element 102 and second interwoven element 104 allows the two elements to abut each other when compressed and deformed by an impact force.

As previously described, the cross-section of the element 102 may comprise a generally hourglass shape when the cross-section is taken along a reference plane that bisects the element 102 by passing through the first and second sets of support struts and through the central core support portion. In other words, the elements 102 taper from a larger width near the top and bottom anchor plates to a smaller width near the central core support portion. Thus, according to aspects of the present disclosure, due at least in part to the reduced radius of the intermediate core support portion around the element 102, the element 102 may experience lateral displacement under impact forces, such as when the impact forces are not completely parallel to the longitudinal axis of the impact-attenuating support member. Thus, the ellipsoidal shell walls 125 of the element 104 are interwoven with the element 102 and encapsulate the central core support portion 180 of the element 102, at least partially stabilizing the element 102 and reducing lateral displacement of the element 102.

By adjusting various parameters and properties of the first and second

interlaced elements

102, 104, the amount of impact attenuation provided by the impact-attenuating support member may be adjusted. For example, the wall thickness 190A (extending between the inner surface 205 and the outer surface 210) of the first interlaced member 102 can be increased or decreased. In addition, the ratio between the width 195 of the central core support portion and the length 197 of each individual support strut can also be adjusted to affect the amount of cushioning and stability provided by the first interlaced member 102. Additionally, with respect to the second interweaving element 104, the wall thickness 190B, the length or width of the connecting strips, the size of the voids, or any combination thereof, may be modified. For example, depending on the material used, thicker struts or webs may provide "stiffer" impact-attenuating support members and/or more responsive impact-attenuating support members or less responsive impact-attenuating support members.

When used in an article of footwear configuration, such as the article of footwear configuration shown in fig. 1, two or more impact-attenuating support members 100 may be provided to provide balanced support from different areas of the sole structure 45. For example, the different regions may include, for example, a proximal region, a distal region, a lateral region, and a medial region to provide shock absorption in an article of footwear construction according to aspects of the present disclosure. Thus, to provide even greater stability, two or more impact-attenuating support members may be provided together by anchoring the two or more impact-attenuating support members to a disc-shaped carrier (e.g., disc-shaped carrier 300), as shown in fig. 3A.

The disc-shaped carrier 300 may serve the dual purpose of preventing displacement of each impact-attenuating support member and ensuring accurate and effective placement of each impact-attenuating support member within a designated location within the sole structure 45. In other words, the disc-shaped carrier (e.g., 300) may allow for the simultaneous and precise placement of two or more impact-attenuating support members within a given space within a sole structure, such as sole structure 45. For example, fig. 3A shows a disc-shaped carrier 300 having four anchored impact-attenuating support members (e.g., 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D), wherein the disc-shaped carrier 300 and the impact-attenuating

support members

100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D can be considered as a single piece when anchored together, and thus handled as a single piece, which simplifies handling of the impact-attenuating support members during manufacture. In addition, because the impact-attenuating

support members

100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D are anchored to the disc-shaped carrier 300, the impact-attenuating

support members

100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D remain in place even when the article of footwear that includes them is in any use condition (i.e., a medium, normal, or very severe use condition).

Fig. 3B illustrates a top plan view of a disc-shaped carrier 300 supporting four impact-attenuating

support members

100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D. Each impact-attenuating support member may be anchored to the disc-shaped carrier 300 by a bottom anchor plate of each impact-attenuating support member. The top anchor plates 110 of each impact-attenuating

support member

100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D may be separated from any other structure on their respective upper surfaces 304, which upper surfaces 304 are opposite their respective lower surfaces 302 that face the interwoven first and second impact-attenuating elements. Further, each impact-attenuating support member may include a respective raised structure 310 around the perimeter of the upper surface 304 of each top anchor plate. Each raised structure 310 may include a valley 320 at the center of each raised structure 310. The valley 320 may include a first perimeter that is smaller than a second perimeter of the raised structure 310 such that the valley 320 is completely enclosed within the raised lip 310. Additionally, the shape of the valley 320 may generally correspond to the shape of the raised lip 310, or alternatively, may have a different shape. When the disc-shaped carrier is installed within a receiving cavity of the sole structure (e.g., as shown in fig. 1), the valleys 320 may serve as anchoring points for locking each impact-attenuating support member in position within the medial top portion of the sole structure of the article of footwear. The disc-shaped carrier may also include a cavity 330 at its center to reduce the overall weight of the assembly of the disc-shaped carrier and the impact-attenuating support member. In addition, the cavity 330 may also serve as an anchor point for anchoring the disc-shaped carrier to an interior floor portion of the receiving cavity of the sole structure.

Alternative configurations of impact-attenuating support members

For illustrative purposes, fig. 4A-4C depict alternative configurations of impact-attenuating support members according to other aspects of the present disclosure. For example, fig. 4A depicts an impact-attenuating support member 400A having first 440 and second 410 interweaving elements. First interwoven element 440 includes a central core support portion from which three support struts 450A, 450D, and 450E extend toward bottom anchor plate 430 and are coupled to bottom anchor plate 430. In addition, first interwoven element 440 includes three support struts 450F, 450B, and 450C that extend toward top anchorage plate 420 and are coupled to top anchorage plate 420. The second interlaced member 410 includes a plurality of connecting

strips

460A and 460B that enclose at least a central core support portion of the first interlaced member 440. Although not depicted in fig. 4A, second interlaced element 410 may also include radial tie bars that connect tie bars and encircle the central core support portion of first interlaced element 440.

Fig. 4B depicts another impact-attenuating support member 400B having first 445 and second 415 interlaced elements. The first interwoven element 445 includes a middle core support portion from which two support struts 450C extend toward the bottom anchor plate 435 and are coupled to the bottom anchor plate 435. In addition, the first interweaving element 445 includes two

support columns

455A and 455B, the two

support columns

455A and 455B extending toward the top anchorage plate 425 and being coupled to the top anchorage plate 425. Second interlaced element 415 includes a plurality of connecting

strips

465A and 465B that at least partially enclose the intermediate core support portion of first interlaced element 445. Although not depicted in fig. 4B, second interlaced element 415 may also include radial connecting

strips connecting strips

465A and 465B and surrounding the intermediate core support portion of first interlaced element 445.

In another aspect, fig. 4C depicts an impact-attenuating support member 400C having first 447 and second 417 interwoven elements. The impact-attenuating support member 400C is similar to the impact-attenuating support member 100 depicted in fig. 2A-2E. For example, first interwoven element 447 includes a central core support portion from which support struts 457A, 457D, and 457E extend toward bottom anchor plate 437 and are coupled to bottom anchor plate 437. In addition, support struts 457E, 457B, and 457C extend toward the top anchor plate 427 and are coupled to the top anchor plate 427. In addition, the second interleaving element 417 comprises a network of connecting strips (e.g., 460A and 460B) that encapsulate at least the intermediate core support portion of the first interleaving element 447. However, rather than forming a wall with an ellipsoid shape (as in the impact-attenuating support member 100), the connecting strips of the second interlaced element 417 form a cylindrically-shaped wall having a plurality of apertures from which the support struts of the first interlaced element 447 are configured to extend.

Fig. 2A-2E and 4A-4C illustrate various alternative configurations of impact-attenuating support members having different numbers of connecting bars and struts. In other aspects of the disclosure, the impact-attenuating support member may include additional struts. For example, the impact-attenuating support member may include five or more struts connecting the middle core support portion to the top anchor plate and five or more struts connecting the middle core support portion to the bottom anchor plate.

Other aspects of impact attenuation systems for footwear

Referring back to fig. 1, the type or amount of compression of the impact-attenuating support member may depend on the system in which the impact-attenuating support member is integrated, according to aspects of the present disclosure. For example, impact-attenuating support members may be integrated into the sole structure 45 and coupled between the outsole 20 and a bottom heel portion of the article of footwear. The impact-attenuating support member may potentially be placed in other portions of the article of footwear, such as a front portion of the article of footwear, a middle portion of the article of footwear, or on the entire sole of the entire article of footwear.

Other aspects of the technology may include other variations from fig. 1. For example, one portion of the midsole may include one or more impact-attenuating support members having a first set of characteristics, while another portion of the midsole may include one or more impact-attenuating support members having a second set of characteristics that are different than the first set of characteristics. The first set of characteristics and the second characteristics may differ from each other in one or more characteristics including the number of struts for the first interlaced member and the shell wall structure, strut/tie bar thickness, strut/tie bar width, and the like for the second interlaced member. For example, the heel portion may have a first set of impact-attenuating support members with a first set of properties, and the forefoot portion may have a second set of impact-attenuating support members with a second set of properties that are different than the first set of properties. Additionally, the midfoot portion may have a third set of impact-attenuating support members with a third set of characteristics. The third set of characteristics may be the same as the first set of characteristics or the second set of characteristics, or the third set of characteristics may be different from both the first set of characteristics and the second set of characteristics. These various combinations of different and/or similar sets of characteristics in different portions of the sole are merely exemplary and are not meant to be exhaustive. Any combination of similar or different characteristics in the heel portion, midfoot portion and forefoot portion is intended to be included within the scope of the technology.

In another aspect, the impact-attenuating support members may be different within the same general area of the article of footwear. For example, the heel portion may include: impact-attenuating support members that include first interwoven elements having four or more struts, and impact-attenuating support members that include first interwoven elements having fewer than four struts. Further, the same general area may include impact-attenuating support members having different dimensions. In other aspects, the characteristics of the impact-attenuating support member (e.g., size, number of struts, material, strut/tie thickness, strut/tie width, lattice structure, number of layers, etc.) may gradually change from one portion of the article of footwear to another portion of the article of footwear. For example, the impact-attenuating support member properties may change gradually from the medial side of the midsole to the lateral side of the midsole. Additionally, the impact-attenuating support member properties may gradually change from a heel portion to a midfoot portion and/or from a midfoot portion to a forefoot portion of the article of footwear.

In another aspect, the impact-attenuating support member properties may vary from one portion of the impact-attenuating support member to another portion of the impact-attenuating support member. For example, one side of the impact-attenuating support member may have struts/webs with a first thickness and geometry that may gradually change as the struts and webs transition to the opposite side of the impact-attenuating support member.

In aspects of the technology, this variability of the impact-attenuating support members may be used to tune the performance of the midsole with respect to the amount of impact attenuation, responsiveness, and placement of the impact attenuation (e.g., lateral, medial, heel, forefoot, midfoot, etc.).

The impact-attenuating support member may be combined with one or more other midsole structures. For example, the impact-attenuating support members may be disposed in a heel portion of the midsole, and the forefoot and midfoot portions may include another type of impact-attenuating structure (e.g., foam, springs, fluid-filled chambers, and the like). In one aspect, the impact-attenuating support member is disposed in a box that is insertable and retainable between an outsole and another portion of the sole structure.

Although fig. 1 depicts an article of footwear having an upper 15 and a sole structure 45, other aspects of the present technology may be directed to sole structures without an upper. For example, another aspect relates to a midsole portion that includes an impact-attenuating support member and that may be combined with other sole components to construct a base unit for an article of footwear. In addition, another aspect includes sole structures (e.g., an outsole and a midsole) that include an impact-attenuating support member that may be coupled with an upper. Accordingly, some aspects may not include portions of the upper or outsole or portions of the midsole.

Method of making an impact-attenuating support member

Referring now to FIG. 5, a flowchart outlining steps for performing an exemplary method 500 for manufacturing impact-attenuating support members in accordance with aspects of the present technique is depicted. It should be noted that the depicted steps should not be construed as occurring in the order presented, but rather they are example steps that may be performed in a different order than presented herein. When describing the method 500, reference may also be made to one or more components described in the current detailed description with reference to other figures.

In step 510, an impact-attenuating support member may be fabricated by forming a bottom anchor plate (e.g., 115) from a resilient polymer material. For example, the bottom anchor plate may be cast, molded, 3D printed, laser sintered, ablated, or the like.

Step 520 includes forming a first plurality of connection points (e.g., 240B, 240D, and 240F) on a surface of the bottom anchorage plate for coupling a first impact-attenuating element (e.g., 102) to the surface of the bottom anchorage plate, the first plurality of connection points being radially arranged about the central reference axis. In one aspect, the first plurality of connection points are 3D printed onto the bottom anchor plate, however any of the other manufacturing techniques mentioned above may also be implemented.

In another aspect, at least one connection point (e.g., 117A or 117B) is formed on the surface of the bottom anchorage plate radially inward from the first plurality of connection points at step 530 for coupling a second impact-attenuating element (e.g., 104) to the surface of the bottom anchorage plate. The at least one connection point may be formed before the first plurality of connection points, after the first plurality of connection points, or simultaneously with the first plurality of connection points. Similar to the first plurality of connection points, at least one connection point may also be 3D printed onto the bottom anchor plate.

In step 540, a first portion of the first impact-attenuating element (e.g., 145B, 145D, and 145F) is formed extending from the first plurality of connection points such that the first impact-attenuating element tapers from the first plurality of connection points to a radially smaller intermediate portion (e.g., 180). The radially smaller intermediate portion is spaced from the surface of the bottom anchor plate. In one aspect, the first portion may be 3D printed by an additive manufacturing technique built from a first plurality of connection points.

In addition, step 550 includes forming a first portion of the second impact-attenuating element (e.g., the bottom portion of wall 125) from the at least one connection point such that the second impact-attenuating element extends away from the surface of the bottom anchor plate to a radially larger intermediate portion that includes a radial segment that encloses the radially smaller intermediate portion of the first impact-attenuating element. In one aspect, the first portion of the second impact-attenuating element is 3-D printed by additive manufacturing techniques building material from at least one connection point. The first portion of the second impact-attenuating element may be formed substantially simultaneously with the first portion of the first impact-attenuating element.

Step 560 includes forming the second portions of the first impact-attenuating element (e.g., struts 145A, 145C, and 145E) and the second portions of the second impact-attenuating element (e.g., connecting

bars

120A and 120B) such that the first impact-attenuating element extends away from the radially smaller middle portion, away from the central reference axis, and flares outward from the radially smaller middle portion to a second plurality of connection points. Additionally, the second portion of the second impact-attenuating element may be formed to taper toward at least a second connection point radially inward from the second plurality of connection points. As previously described, the second portions of the first and second impact-attenuating elements may be 3D printed by additive manufacturing techniques. For example, the second portion of the first impact-attenuating element may be built onto a radially smaller portion, and the second portion of the second impact-attenuating element may be built onto a radially larger portion. The second portions of the first and second impact-attenuating elements may be formed substantially simultaneously.

In step 570, a top anchor plate (e.g., 110) is formed, such as by casting, molding, 3D printing, laser sintering, ablation, and the like. The second plurality of connection points of the first impact-attenuating element are coupled to the top anchor plate. Additionally, at least one second connection point of a second impact-attenuating element is coupled to the top anchor plate.

Various aspects of the present disclosure have been provided in the foregoing description, and these aspects may be combined in different ways. For example, another aspect of the impact-attenuating support member includes a first impact-attenuating element that includes a central core support portion, a first set of support struts extending from the central core support portion, and a second set of support struts extending from the central core support portion in a direction generally opposite the first set of support struts. The first impact-attenuating element is configured to absorb force by longitudinal compression. The impact-attenuating support member also includes a second impact-attenuating element including a network of connecting bars joined together at connecting bar junctions, where the network of connecting bars forms a support frame at least partially enclosing the central cavity and including a first set of apertures and a second set of apertures. The central core support portion of the first impact-attenuating element is positioned in the central cavity of the second impact-attenuating element and is at least partially enclosed by the support frame of the second impact-attenuating element. When the first and second impact-attenuating elements are assembled together, the first set of support struts extend from the central core support portion of the first impact-attenuating element through the first set of apertures of the second impact-attenuating element, and the second set of support struts extend from the central core support portion of the first impact-attenuating element through the second set of apertures of the second impact-attenuating element, thereby interweaving the first and second impact-attenuating elements.

In general, the first impact-attenuating element may include an hourglass-shaped profile in cross-section taken along a reference plane bisecting the first impact-attenuating element by passing through the first and second sets of support struts and through the central core support portion. In other words, the first and second sets of support struts of the first impact-attenuating element taper from a larger width near the distal portions of the first and second sets of support struts to a smaller width at the central core support portion. The distal portions of the first and second sets of support struts of the first impact-attenuating element are coupled to the first and second base structures near the perimeters of the first and second base structures, respectively.

In addition, the support frame of the second impact-attenuating element may include an ellipsoid-shaped wall having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis. The ellipsoid-shaped wall includes a radial segment that is generally aligned with the transverse axis and is configured to enclose the intermediate core support portion of the first impact-attenuating element. The ellipsoid-shaped walls are also internally coupled to the first and second base structures on opposite ends of the longitudinal axis of the second impact-attenuating element from distal portions of the first and second sets of support struts of the first impact-attenuating element.

In various aspects, each of the impact-attenuating support members may include a first impact-attenuating element coupled to the bottom anchor plate at a first plurality of connection points and coupled to the top anchor plate at a second plurality of connection points. The first impact-attenuating element may additionally include a first intermediate portion between the first plurality of connection points and the second plurality of connection points. Each of the impact-attenuating support members may also include a second impact-attenuating element coupled to the bottom anchor plate at least a first connection point inward from the first plurality of connection points of the first impact-attenuating element. The second impact-attenuating element may also be coupled to the top anchor plate at least a second connection point inward from the second plurality of connection points of the first impact-attenuating element. The second impact-attenuating element may also include a second intermediate portion between the first connection and the second connection, where the second intermediate portion of the second impact-attenuating element is configured to at least partially surround the first intermediate portion of the first impact-attenuating support element.

The first impact-attenuating element may include at least two sets of two support struts extending from the first intermediate portion, where one set may terminate near a first set of connection points and another set may terminate near a second set of connection points, respectively. The first impact-attenuating element may taper from a first dimension near the first set of connection points to a smaller second dimension near the first intermediate portion, and from a third dimension near the second set of connection points to the smaller second dimension near the first intermediate portion.

In another aspect, the second impact-attenuating element may include an ellipsoidal wall having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, where the transverse axis is generally aligned with a radial segment of the ellipsoidal wall. An ellipsoid-shaped wall may be attached to the top and bottom anchor plates within the perimeter formed by at least two sets of two support struts. Further, the first impact-attenuating element may be in a interweaving relationship with the second impact-attenuating element by extending each of the at least two support struts of each set of support struts through each respective one of the plurality of through-holes in the ellipsoid-shaped wall.

Further, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, a disc-shaped carrier may be employed to mount one or more impact-attenuating support members via their corresponding bottom anchor plates. According to aspects of the present disclosure, a full-load disc-shaped carrier may be mounted within a receiving structure in a sole structure of an article of footwear.

Further, aspects herein relate to methods of manufacturing the impact-attenuating support members discussed above. For example, the impact-attenuating support member may be manufactured by initially forming the bottom anchor plate from a resilient polymer material. A first plurality of connection points may then be formed on the surface of the bottom anchorage plate for coupling the first impact-attenuating element to the surface of the bottom anchorage plate, wherein the first plurality of connection points may be radially arranged about the central reference axis. Simultaneously or subsequently, at least one connection point radially inward from the first plurality of connection points may also be formed on the surface of the bottom anchorage plate that couples the second impact-attenuating element to the surface of the bottom anchorage plate. Then, a first portion of the first impact-attenuating element and a first portion of the second impact-attenuating element may be formed on the surface of the bottom anchorage plate such that the first impact-attenuating element tapers from the first plurality of connection points to a radially smaller intermediate portion spaced from the surface of the bottom anchorage plate, and such that the second impact-attenuating element extends away from the surface of the anchorage plate to a radially larger intermediate portion that includes a radial segment that encloses the radially smaller intermediate portion of the first impact-attenuating element. Then, the second portion of the first impact-attenuating element and the second portion of the second impact-attenuating element may be formed simultaneously or subsequently such that the first impact-attenuating element extends away from the radially smaller middle portion, away from the central reference axis, and flares outwardly from the radially smaller middle portion to a second plurality of connection points, and the second impact-attenuating element tapers toward at least a second connection point radially inward from the second plurality of connection points.

Finally, a top anchorage plate may be formed to which the second plurality of connection points of the first impact-attenuating element and the at least one second connection point of the second impact-attenuating element are coupled.

Impact-attenuating support members according to aspects herein may be manufactured, for example, using additive manufacturing methods such as, for example, laser sintering, 3D printing, Fused Deposition Molding (FDM), polymer jetting (PolyJet), Stereolithography (SLA), or any other type of technique that may be used according to aspects herein. The particular fabrication methods and techniques may be selected based on the complexity and applicability of the method and the type of materials desired for use in accordance with aspects herein.

According to aspects herein, the first and second impact-attenuating elements of each impact-attenuating support member may be made from one or more natural rubbers, synthetic elastomeric polymers such as polyester, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), Polyurethane (PU), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), nylon, or any other suitable available material or mixture of available materials. The materials may be selected based on their physical properties such as elasticity, durability, resiliency, stability, ease of handling, visual appeal (e.g., color, gloss), and the like. Further, the first impact-attenuating element may be made of the same material as the second impact-attenuating element, or alternatively, the first impact-attenuating element may be made of a different material than the second impact-attenuating element.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this aspect of the present invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects set forth above, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is covered by and within the scope of the claims.

Since many possible configurations and alternatives may be made by the aspects herein without departing from the scope hereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. An impact-attenuating support member for an article of footwear, the impact-attenuating support member comprising: a first impact-attenuating element configured to absorb force by longitudinal compression, the first impact-attenuating element including a core support portion, a first set of support struts extending from the core support portion, and a second set of support struts extending from the core support portion in a direction opposite the first set of support struts; and a second impact-attenuating element including a support frame at least partially enclosing a central cavity and including a first set of apertures and a second set of apertures, the second impact-attenuating element configured to dampen the force, attenuate the longitudinal compression, and resist lateral deflection of the first impact-attenuating element, wherein the core support portion is positioned in the central cavity and at least partially enclosed by the support frame, wherein the first set of support struts extend from the core support portion and through the first set of apertures, and wherein the second set of support struts extend from the core support portion and through the second set of apertures such that the first impact-attenuating element is interwoven with the second impact-attenuating element.

2. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 1, further comprising first and second base structures coupled to opposite ends of the first and second impact-attenuating elements and configured to mount the first and second impact-attenuating elements within a slot of a footwear midsole.

3. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 2, wherein the first impact-attenuating element includes a hyperboloid-shaped structure having the core support portion spaced between the first and second base structures.

4. An impact-attenuating support member according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the second impact-attenuating element includes an ellipsoidal wall having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, and wherein the ellipsoidal wall includes a radial segment that is aligned with the transverse axis and that envelopes the core support portion.

5. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 4, wherein distal portions of the first set of support struts are coupled to the first base structure and distal portions of the second set of support struts are coupled to the second base structure, and wherein the ellipsoid-shaped walls are coupled to the first and second base structures on opposite ends of the longitudinal axis.

6. The impact-attenuating support member of any one of claims 1-3 and 5, wherein a cross-section of the first impact-attenuating element includes an hourglass-shaped profile, the cross-section being taken along a reference plane that bisects the first impact-attenuating element by passing through the first and second sets of support struts and through the core support portion.

7. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 4, wherein a cross section of the first impact-attenuating element includes an hourglass-shaped profile, the cross section being taken along a reference plane that bisects the first impact-attenuating element by passing through the first and second sets of support struts and through the core support portion.

8. The impact-attenuating support member of any of claims 1-3, 5, and 7, further comprising a disc-shaped carrier on which the impact-attenuating support member is mounted, wherein the disc-shaped carrier is configured to seat within a groove of a footwear midsole.

9. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 4, further comprising a disc-shaped carrier on which the impact-attenuating support member is mounted, wherein the disc-shaped carrier is configured to seat within a groove of a footwear midsole.

10. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 6, further comprising a disc-shaped carrier on which the impact-attenuating support member is mounted, wherein the disc-shaped carrier is configured to seat within a groove of a footwear midsole.

11. A method of manufacturing the impact-attenuating support member of claim 1, the method comprising: forming a bottom anchor plate from a resilient polymeric material; forming a first plurality of connection points on a surface of the bottom anchorage plate for coupling the first impact-attenuating element to the surface of the bottom anchorage plate, the first plurality of connection points being radially arranged about a central reference axis; forming at least one first connection point on the surface of the bottom anchorage plate radially inward from the first plurality of connection points for coupling the second impact-attenuating element to the surface of the bottom anchorage plate; forming a first portion of the first impact-attenuating element and a first portion of the second impact-attenuating element such that the first set of support struts extend from the first plurality of connection points to a radially smaller core-support portion spaced from the surface of the bottom anchorage plate, and such that the second impact-attenuating element extends away from the at least one first connection point to a radially larger intermediate portion that includes a radial segment that encloses the radially smaller core-support portion of the first impact-attenuating element; forming a second portion of the first impact-attenuating element and a second portion of the second impact-attenuating element such that the second set of support struts extend from the radially smaller core support portion and flare outwardly from the radially smaller core support portion to a second plurality of connection points, and such that the second impact-attenuating element extends from the radial segment to at least one second connection point radially inward from the second plurality of connection points; and forming a top anchorage plate to which the second plurality of connection points of the first impact-attenuating element and the at least one second connection point of the second impact-attenuating element are coupled.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the first plurality of connection points includes forming at least three connection points, and wherein forming the first portion of the first impact-attenuating element includes additionally constructing a respective strut extending from each of the at least three connection points, each strut being connected to the radially smaller core support portion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein forming the second portion of the first impact-attenuating element includes additionally constructing at least three struts extending from the radially smaller core-supporting portion, each strut of the at least three struts terminating at a respective connection point of the second plurality of connection points.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the second impact-attenuating element includes additionally constructing a wall with an aperture extending from the at least one first connection point to the at least one second connection point, and wherein each of the respective struts extends from the at least three connection points and each of the at least three struts passes through the aperture in the wall.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein additionally constructing the wall comprises additionally constructing an ellipsoid-shaped wall, wherein the radial segment is aligned with a transverse axis of the ellipsoid-shaped wall.

16. An impact-attenuating support member for an article of footwear, the impact-attenuating support member comprising:

a first impact-attenuating element including a central core support portion, a first set of support struts extending from the central core support portion, and a second set of support struts extending from the central core support portion in a direction opposite the first set of support struts, wherein the first impact-attenuating element is configured to absorb force by longitudinal compression; and

a second impact-attenuating element including a network of connecting bars joined together at connecting bar junctions, the network of connecting bars forming a support frame at least partially enclosing a central cavity and including a first set of apertures and a second set of apertures,

wherein the central core support portion of the first impact-attenuating element is positioned in the central cavity of the second impact-attenuating element and is at least partially enclosed by the support frame of the second impact-attenuating element,

wherein the first set of support struts extend from the central core support portion of the first impact-attenuating element and through the first set of apertures of the second impact-attenuating element, and

wherein the second set of support struts extend from the central core support portion of the first impact-attenuating element and through the second set of apertures of the second impact-attenuating element such that the first impact-attenuating element is interwoven with the second impact-attenuating element.

17. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 16, further comprising first and second base structures coupled to opposite ends of the first and second impact-attenuating elements.

18. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 17, wherein the first set of support struts of the first impact-attenuating element is coupled to the first base structure and the second set of support struts of the first impact-attenuating element is coupled to the second base structure, the first and second sets of support struts supporting the intermediate core support portion of the first impact-attenuating element between the first and second base structures, and wherein the first impact-attenuating element tapers from a larger width at the first and second base structures to a smaller width at the intermediate core support portion.

19. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 18, wherein a cross section of the first impact-attenuating element includes an hourglass-shaped profile, the cross section being taken along a reference plane that bisects the first impact-attenuating element by passing through the first and second sets of support struts and through the central core support portion.

20. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 18, wherein the second impact-attenuating element includes an ellipsoidal wall having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, and wherein the ellipsoidal wall includes a radial segment that is aligned with the transverse axis and that encloses the intermediate core support portion of the first impact-attenuating element.

21. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 20, wherein distal portions of the first and second sets of support struts of the first impact-attenuating element are coupled to the first and second base structures near a perimeter of the first and second base structures, and wherein the ellipsoid-shaped wall is coupled internally to the first and second base structures from the distal portions of the first and second sets of support struts of the first impact-attenuating element on opposite ends of the longitudinal axis.

22. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 16, wherein the first and second impact-attenuating elements are formed from at least one of natural rubber and a resilient synthetic polymer material.

23. An impact-attenuating support member for an article of footwear, the impact-attenuating support member comprising:

a bottom anchor plate;

a top anchor plate opposite the bottom anchor plate and spaced apart from the bottom anchor plate;

a first impact-attenuating element coupled to the bottom anchor plate at a first plurality of connection points and coupled to the top anchor plate at a second plurality of connection points, the first impact-attenuating element including a first intermediate portion between the first and second plurality of connection points; and

a second impact-attenuating element coupled to the bottom anchor plate by at least one first connection portion inward from the first plurality of connection points and coupled to the top anchor plate by at least one second connection portion inward from the second plurality of connection points, the second impact-attenuating element including a second intermediate portion between the at least one first connection portion and the at least one second connection portion, wherein the second intermediate portion at least partially surrounds the first intermediate portion.

24. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 23, wherein the first impact-attenuating element tapers from a first dimension near the first plurality of connection points to a smaller second dimension near the first intermediate portion, and wherein the first impact-attenuating element tapers from a third dimension near the second plurality of connection points to the smaller second dimension near the first intermediate portion.

25. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 24, wherein the second impact-attenuating element includes an ellipsoid-shaped wall having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, and wherein the radial segment at the second intermediate portion is aligned with the transverse axis.

26. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 25, wherein the first impact-attenuating element includes at least two support struts extending from the first intermediate portion and terminating near the first plurality of connection points, and wherein the at least one first connection portion is attached to the bottom anchor plate within a perimeter formed by the at least two support struts.

27. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 26, wherein the at least two support struts extend through a set of through holes in the ellipsoid-shaped wall.

28. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 25, wherein the first impact-attenuating element includes at least two support struts extending from the first intermediate portion and terminating near the second plurality of connection points, and wherein the at least one second connection portion is attached to the top anchor plate within a perimeter formed by the at least two support struts.

29. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 28, wherein the at least two support struts extend through a set of through holes in the ellipsoid-shaped wall.

30. The impact-attenuating support member of claim 23, further comprising a disc-shaped carrier on which the bottom anchor plate is mounted.

31. A method of making an impact-attenuating support member for an article of footwear, the method comprising:

forming a bottom anchor plate from a resilient polymeric material;

forming a first plurality of connection points on a surface of the bottom anchorage plate for coupling a first impact-attenuating element to the surface of the bottom anchorage plate, the first plurality of connection points being radially arranged about a central reference axis;

forming at least one first connection point on the surface of the bottom anchorage plate radially inward from the first plurality of connection points, the at least one first connection point for coupling a second impact-attenuating element to the surface of the bottom anchorage plate;

forming a first portion of the first impact-attenuating element and a first portion of the second impact-attenuating element such that the first impact-attenuating element tapers from the first plurality of connection points to a radially smaller intermediate portion spaced from the surface of the bottom anchor plate and such that the second impact-attenuating element extends away from the surface of the bottom anchor plate to a radially larger intermediate portion that includes a radial segment that encloses the radially smaller intermediate portion of the first impact-attenuating element;

forming a second portion of the first impact-attenuating element and a second portion of the second impact-attenuating element such that the first impact-attenuating element extends away from the radially smaller intermediate portion, away from the central reference axis, and flares outwardly from the radially smaller intermediate portion to a second plurality of connection points, and the second impact-attenuating element tapers toward at least one second connection point radially inward from the second plurality of connection points; and

forming a top anchorage plate to which the second plurality of connection points of the first impact-attenuating element and the at least one second connection point of the second impact-attenuating element are coupled.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein forming the first plurality of connection points includes forming at least three connection points, and wherein forming the first portion of the first impact-attenuating element includes additionally constructing a respective strut extending from each of the at least three connection points, each strut being connected to the radially smaller intermediate portion.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein forming the second portion of the first impact-attenuating element includes additionally constructing at least three struts extending from the radially smaller intermediate portion, each strut of the at least three struts terminating at a respective connection point of the second plurality of connection points.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein forming the first and second portions of the second impact-attenuating element includes additionally constructing a wall with an aperture that extends from the at least one first connection point to the at least one second connection point, wherein each of the respective posts of the first impact-attenuating element extends through the aperture in the wall of the second impact-attenuating element.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein additionally constructing the wall comprises additionally constructing an ellipsoid-shaped wall, wherein the radial segment is aligned with a transverse axis of the ellipsoid-shaped wall.