Cushioning article with tensile component and method of manufacturing a cushioning article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10694814-B2
Application number	US-201815982749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2018
Priority date	May 18, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A cushioning article comprises a first and a second polymeric sheet bonded to one another and enclosing an interior cavity. The polymeric sheets retain a gas in the interior cavity. A tensile component disposed in the interior cavity includes a first tensile layer, a second tensile layer, and a plurality of tethers spanning the interior cavity and connecting the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer. An inwardly-protruding bond joins the first polymeric sheet to the first tensile layer, protrudes inward from the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet, and partially traverses the plurality of tethers. The first polymeric sheet is displaced from the first tensile layer adjacent to the inwardly-protruding bond by the gas. A method of manufacturing a cushioning article is disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cushioning article comprising:
a bladder enclosing an interior cavity and retaining a gas in the interior cavity;
a tensile component disposed in the interior cavity and including tensile layers and a plurality of tethers connecting the tensile layers, the tensile layers connected to an inner surface of the bladder at a plurality of bonds such that the tethers span across the interior cavity;
the plurality of bonds arranged in closed shapes surrounding domed portions of the bladder;
activated anti-weld material disposed on selected areas of the tensile component;
the plurality of bonds bonding the inner surface of the bladder to the tensile component, the domed portions of the bladder unbonded to the tensile component at the selected areas on which the activated anti-weld material is disposed, the domed portions displaced from the tensile component by the gas; and
wherein each of the plurality of bonds protrudes inward into the interior cavity and partially traverses the plurality of tethers such that the bladder is narrowed at the plurality of bonds.

2. The cushioning article of claim 1 , wherein the bladder comprises a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet bonded to one another at a peripheral flange and enclosing the interior cavity; and
wherein the tensile layers include a first tensile layer connected to the first polymeric sheet and a second tensile layer connected to the second polymeric sheet, at least one of the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet including the domed portions.

3. The cushioning article of claim 1 , wherein when an inflation pressure of the gas in the interior cavity is sufficient to tension the plurality of tethers, the plurality of bonds defines grooves at an outer surface of the bladder such that the cushioning article is articulated along the grooves.

4. The cushioning article of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bonds is a first plurality of bonds in a first region of the bladder, and the bladder has a second plurality of bonds arranged in closed shapes in a second region of the bladder, and portions of the bladder surrounded by the closed shapes in the second region are bonded to the tensile component.

5. The cushioning article of claim 4 , wherein the cushioning article is a sole component of an article of footwear, the first region is on a distal side of the bladder, and the second region is on a proximal side of the bladder.

6. The cushioning article of claim 4 , wherein the cushioning article is a sole component of an article of footwear, and the first region and the second region are both on a distal side of the bladder or are both on a proximal side of the bladder.

7. The cushioning article of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bonds are a first plurality of bonds in a first region of the bladder, and the bladder has a second plurality of bonds arranged in closed shapes in a second region of the bladder, and portions of the bladder surrounded by the closed shapes in the second region are unbonded to the tensile component at the selected areas on which the activated anti-weld material is disposed and form domed portions that are displaced from the tensile component by the gas.

8. A cushioning article for a footwear sole structure, comprising:
a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet bonded to one another and enclosing an interior cavity, the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet retaining a gas in the interior cavity;
a tensile component disposed in the interior cavity, the tensile component including a first tensile layer, a second tensile layer, and a plurality of tethers spanning the interior cavity from the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer and connecting the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer;
a plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds that join the first polymeric sheet to the first tensile layer, protrude inward from the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet, and partially traverse the plurality of tethers;
wherein the inwardly-protruding bonds are linear bonds arranged in closed polygonal shapes surrounding domed portions of the first polymeric sheet at which the first polymeric sheet is displaced from the first tensile layer by the gas;
wherein the inwardly-protruding bonds are spaced apart from the second polymeric sheet such that the interior cavity is narrowed at the inwardly-protruding bonds; and
wherein the closed polygonal shapes of the inwardly-protruding bonds surrounding three consecutive domed portions are arranged so that each has an inwardly-protruding bond aligned with a flexion axis of the footwear sole structure.

9. The cushioning article of claim 8 , wherein a portion of the interior cavity at a first side of each inwardly-protruding bond is in fluid communication with a portion of the interior cavity at a second side of the inwardly-protruding bond, the second side opposite of the first side.

10. The cushioning article of claim 8 , wherein:
the first tensile layer is spaced apart from the second tensile layer by a first distance at the domed portions;
the inwardly-protruding bonds are spaced apart from the second tensile layer by a second distance; and
the second distance is between 50 percent and 80 percent of the first distance.

11. The cushioning article of claim 8 , wherein:
the plurality of tethers includes tethers aligned with the inwardly-protruding bonds and tethers displaced from the inwardly-protruding bonds; and
the tethers aligned with the inwardly-protruding bonds are shorter, thicker, or both shorter and thicker than the tethers displaced from the inwardly-protruding bonds.

12. The cushioning article of claim 8 , wherein the flexion axis extends transversely in a forefoot region of the cushioning article.

13. The cushioning article of claim 8 , wherein the flexion axis extends in a heel region of the cushioning article.

14. The cushioning article of claim 8 , wherein the closed polygonal shapes of the inwardly-protruding bonds surrounding the three consecutive domed portions are pentagons.

15. The cushioning article of claim 8 , wherein the closed polygonal shapes of the inwardly-protruding bonds surrounding three additional consecutive domed portions are arranged so that each has an inwardly-protruding bond aligned with the flexion axis of the footwear sole structure, the flexion axis extending between the three consecutive domed portions and the three additional consecutive domed portions.

16. The cushioning article of claim 15 , wherein the closed polygonal shapes of the inwardly-protruding bonds surrounding the three consecutive domed portions and the three additional consecutive domed portions are pentagons.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Bailey Page J
• Connell Jeremy L
• Meeker Jason R

Classifications

• B29C66/004

  Preventing sticking together, e.g. of some areas of the parts to be joined · CPC title

• B29C65/14

  using wave energy {, i.e. electromagnetic radiation,} or particle radiation {(using mechanical waves B29C65/06; using ultrasonic waves B29C65/08; pressing means transparent to electromagnetic radiation B29C66/81267)} · CPC title

• B29C65/04

  Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding {, i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC} · CPC title

• B32B2437/02

  Gloves, shoes · CPC title

• B32B2307/7242

  Non-permeable · CPC title