Article of footwear having a sole structure with a fluid-filled chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11297898-B2
Application number	US-201715454854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2017
Priority date	Mar 23, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

An article of footwear has an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure includes a chamber that encloses a pressurized fluid. The chamber includes subchambers laterally extending in a medial to lateral direction of the bladder. A bottom surface of the chamber may include at least one bond that laterally extends across the bottom surface of the chamber from one side edge to another side edge of the chamber in the medial to lateral direction. The bond may cooperate with an indentation in the bottom surface that separates one subchamber from an adjacent subchamber. A diameter of the subchambers may decrease in a direction from a heel region of the bladder to a forefoot region of the chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:
a first barrier portion including a first surface;
a second barrier portion including a second surface that opposes the first surface, the second barrier portion joined to the first barrier portion to form a chamber enclosing a fluid between the first surface and the second surface and including a sidewall surrounding an outer perimeter of the chamber;
first substantially parallel bonds that extend in a direction between a medial side of the sole structure and a lateral side of the sole structure and join the first surface of the first barrier portion and the second surface of the second barrier portion, the first bonds each including a first end that is spaced apart from the sidewall at the medial side, a second end that is spaced apart from the sidewall at the lateral side, and a central portion extending between the first end and the second end and having a width in a first direction extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the sole structure that is less than a width of each of the first end and the second end in the first direction extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sole structure, the first bonds defining a first plane and extending continuously and uninterrupted along the central portion between the first end and the second end across a majority of a width of the sole structure;
second substantially parallel bonds that extend in the direction between the medial side of the sole structure and the lateral side of the sole structure and join the first surface of the first barrier portion and the second surface of the second barrier portion, the second bonds each including a first end that is spaced apart from the sidewall at the medial side and a second end that is spaced apart from the sidewall at the lateral side;
first indentations formed by the second barrier portion extending in a direction toward the first barrier portion, the first indentations extending from the first end of respective ones of the first bonds toward the sidewall and increasing in width in a direction from the first end toward the sidewall at the first plane; and
second indentations formed by the second barrier portion extending in a direction toward the first barrier portion, the second indentations extending from the second end of respective ones of the first bonds toward the sidewall and increasing in width in a direction from the second end toward the sidewall at the first plane;
wherein the first bonds alternate with the second bonds along a length of the chamber between a heel region of the chamber and a forefoot region of the chamber.

2. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first indentations and the second indentations extend to the sidewall.

3. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall forms an outer surface of the sole structure.

4. The sole structure of claim 3 , wherein the indentations form corresponding indentations in the outer surface of the sole structure.

5. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the second barrier portion is spaced apart from the first barrier portion at the first indentations and at the second indentations.

6. The sole structure of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of elongate subchambers that extend between the medial side of the sole structure and the lateral side of the sole structure, the subchambers being defined by one of the first bonds and one of the second bonds.

7. The sole structure of claim 6 , wherein a size of the subchambers decreases in a direction from a heel region of the sole structure to a forefoot region of the sole structure.

8. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first bonds, the first indentations, and the second indentations cooperate to form recesses that extend continuously from the medial side of the sole structure to the lateral side of the sole structure.

9. A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:
a first barrier portion including a first surface;
a second barrier portion including a second surface that opposes the first surface, the second barrier portion joined to the first barrier portion to form a chamber enclosing a fluid between the first surface and the second surface and including a sidewall surrounding an outer perimeter of the chamber and forming an outer surface of the sole structure;
first substantially parallel bonds that extend in a direction between a medial side of the sole structure and a lateral side of the sole structure and join the first surface of the first barrier portion and the second surface of the second barrier portion, the first bonds each including a first end that is spaced apart from the sidewall at the medial side, a second end that is spaced apart from the sidewall at the lateral side, and a central portion extending between the first end and the second end and having a width in a first direction extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the sole structure that is less than a width of each of the first end and the second end in the first direction extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sole structure, the first bonds extending continuously and uninterrupted along the central portion from the first end to the second end across a majority of a width of the sole structure;
second substantially parallel bonds that extend in the direction between the medial side of the sole structure and the lateral side of the sole structure and join the first surface of the first barrier portion and the second surface of the second barrier portion, the second bonds each including a first end that is spaced apart from the sidewall at the medial side and a second end that is spaced apart from the sidewall at the lateral side;
first indentations formed by the second barrier portion extending in a direction toward the first barrier portion, the first indentations extending from the first end of respective ones of the first bonds to the sidewall to form corresponding indentations in the outer surface of the sole structure; and
second indentations formed by the second barrier portion extending in a direction toward the first barrier portion, the second indentations extending from the second end of respective ones of the first bonds to the sidewall to form corresponding indentations in the outer surface of the sole structure;
wherein the first bonds alternate with the second bonds along a length of the chamber between a heel region of the chamber and a forefoot region of the chamber.

10. The sole structure of claim 9 , wherein the first indentations increase in width in a direction from the first end toward the sidewall.

11. The sole structure of claim 10 , wherein the second indentations increase in width in a direction from the second end toward the sidewall.

12. The sole structure of claim 9 , further comprising an outsole attached to the second barrier portion on an opposite side of the second barrier portion than the second surface.

13. The sole structure of claim 12 , wherein the outsole extends into the first indentations and into the second indentations.

14. The sole structure of claim 9 , wherein the second surface of the second barrier portion is spaced apart from the first barrier portion at the first indentations and at the second indentations.

15. The sole structure of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of elongate subchambers that extend between the medial side of the sole structure and the lateral side of the sole structure, the subchambers being defined by one of

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Dolan Robert W
• Ernst Travis K
• Holt Scott C
• Hovey Lisa M
• Schindler Eric S
• Shyllon Tamimu A

Classifications

• A43B13/206

  provided with tubes or pipes or tubular shaped cushioning members · CPC title

• A43B9/04 Primary

  Welted footwear (welts A43B15/00) · CPC title

• A43B13/122

  characterised by the outsole or external layer · CPC title

• A43B13/186

  Differential cushioning region, e.g. cushioning located under the ball of the foot (resilient heel not included in the sole A43B21/26; resilient supports for the heel of the foot A43B21/32) · CPC title

• A43B13/20 Primary

  Pneumatic soles {filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas (inflatable linings for skiboots A43B5/0407)} · CPC title