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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11633011-B2
Application number	US-202017095088-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2020
Priority date	May 18, 2017
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

A cushioning article includes a bladder enclosing an interior cavity and retaining a gas in the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity and includes tensile layers and a plurality of tethers connecting the tensile layers. The tensile layers are connected to an inner surface of the bladder such that the tethers span across the interior cavity. The bladder has an inwardly-protruding bond that joins an inner surface of the bladder to the tensile component, protrudes inward into the interior cavity, and partially traverses the plurality of tethers such that the bladder is narrowed at the inwardly protruding bond and the gas in the interior cavity fluidly communicates across the inwardly-protruding bond. A method of manufacturing a cushioning article is disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole structure including a sole layer, a bladder, and a tensile component;
wherein the bladder is secured to the sole layer, encloses an interior cavity, and retains a gas in the interior cavity;
wherein the tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity and includes tensile layers and a plurality of tethers connecting the tensile layers, the tensile layers connected to an inner surface of the bladder such that the tethers span across the interior cavity;
wherein the bladder has an inwardly-protruding bond that joins the inner surface of the bladder to the tensile component, protrudes inward into the interior cavity, and partially traverses the plurality of tethers such that the bladder is narrowed at the inwardly-protruding bond and the gas in the interior cavity fluidly communicates across the inwardly-protruding bond;
wherein the inwardly-protruding bond establishes a flexion axis of the sole structure;
wherein the inwardly-protruding bond is one of a plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds on a proximal side of the bladder arranged in a symmetrical pattern about an axis of symmetry of the bladder; and
wherein the plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds include a first set of bonds and a second set of bonds spaced apart from one another and having parallel segments, the first set and the second set establishing articulation axes when the bladder is secured to the sole layer with the axis of symmetry rotated counterclockwise by a first angle from a longitudinal bending axis of the article of footwear.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:
the bladder includes a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet bonded to the first polymeric sheet to enclose the interior cavity;
the inwardly-protruding bond protrudes inward from the first polymeric sheet; and
an outer surface of the first polymeric sheet has a groove at the inwardly-protruding bond at which the sole structure articulates.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the sole layer is a foam sole layer.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the bladder is secured to a forefoot region of the sole layer.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:
a peripheral flange establishes an outer periphery of the bladder; and
the flexion axis extends substantially from the peripheral flange at a medial side of the bladder to the peripheral flange at a lateral side of the bladder.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein a peripheral flange establishes an outer periphery of the bladder and is symmetrical about a longitudinal axis of the bladder.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds further include:
a third set of bonds and a fourth set of bonds spaced apart from one another and having parallel segments; the third set and the fourth set establishing articulation axes when the bladder is secured to the sole layer with the axis of symmetry rotated clockwise by the first angle from the longitudinal bending axis of the article of footwear.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:
a distal side of the bladder has a plurality of inwardly-protruding recesses arranged in the symmetrical pattern about the axis of symmetry; and
the inwardly-protruding bonds protrude further inward than the inwardly-protruding recesses.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8 , wherein:
the bladder includes a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet bonded to the first polymeric sheet to enclose the interior cavity;
the tensile layers include a first tensile layer and a second tensile layer;
entire interfacing portions of the inner surface of the first polymeric sheet and the first tensile layer are bonded to one another;
entire interfacing portions of the inner surface of the second polymeric sheet and the second tensile layer are bonded to one another;
the plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds are at the first polymeric sheet; and
the plurality of inwardly-protruding recesses are at the second polymeric sheet.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:
the bladder includes a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet bonded to the first polymeric sheet to enclose the interior cavity;
the tensile layers include a first tensile layer and a second tensile layer;
entire interfacing portions of the inner surface of the first polymeric sheet and the first tensile layer are bonded to one another; and
entire interfacing portions of the inner surface of the second polymeric sheet and the second tensile layer are bonded to one another.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein:
the second tensile layer is spaced apart from the first tensile layer by a first distance at a location adjacent to the inwardly-protruding bond;
the inwardly-protruding bond is 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.

12. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the interior cavity at a first side of the 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.

13. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of tethers includes tethers aligned with the inwardly-protruding bond and tethers displaced from the inwardly-protruding bond; and
the tethers aligned with the inwardly-protruding bond are both shorter and thicker than the tethers displaced from the inwardly-protruding bond.

14. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the bladder has a recess corresponding with and extending inward toward the inwardly-protruding bond when the interior cavity is inflated.

15. The article of footwear of claim 14 , wherein the inwardly protruding bond is deeper than the recess.

16. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the bladder is secured to a foot-facing surface of the sole layer.

17. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole structure including a sole layer, a bladder, and a tensile component;
wherein the bladder is secured to the sole layer, encloses an interior cavity, and retains a gas in the interior cavity;
wherein the tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity and includes tensile layers and a plurality of tethers connecting the tensile layers, the tensile layers connected to an inner surface of the bladder such that the tethers span across the interior cavity;
wherein the bladder has an inwardly-protruding bond that joins the inner surface of the bladder to the tensile component, protrudes inward into the interior cavity, and partially traverses the plurality of tethers such that the bladder is narrowed at the inwardly protruding bond and the gas in the interior cavity fluidly communicates across the inwardly-protruding bond;
wherein the inwardly-protruding bond establishes a flexion axis of the sole structure;
wherein the bladder includes a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet bonded to the first polymeric sheet to enclose the interior cavity;
wherein the tensile layers include a first tensile layer and a second tensile layer;
wherein an entire outer surface of the first tensile layer is bonded to the inner surface of the first polymeric sheet; and
wherein an entire outer surface of the second tensile layer is bonded to the inner surface of the second polymeric sheet.

18. The article of footwear of claim 17 , wherein:
the

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Auyang Arick
• Bailey Page J
• Connell Jeremy L
• Houng Derek
• Meeker Jason R

Classifications

• A43B13/186 Primary

  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

• A43B13/04

  Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre · CPC title

• A43B13/20 Primary

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

• A43B9/12

  Stuck or cemented footwear · CPC title

• B29D35/142

  Soles · CPC title