Footwear sole structure incorporating a plurality of chambers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12207699-B2
Application number	US-201815987060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2018
Priority date	Mar 16, 2011
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

A plurality of fluid-filled chambers may be incorporated into sole structures of articles of footwear. The chambers may be configured to be substantially diamond-shaped. The chambers may lie within cavities formed by a lower surface of the midsole and may extend into apertures in the outsole. The apertures in the outsole may be aligned with the cavities of the midsole. The chambers may be bounded by bounding regions between and at the perimeter of the chambers. The bounding regions may be formed of a polymer foam material of the midsole. The chambers may additionally be connected.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sole structure for an article of footwear including an upper, the sole structure comprising:
a midsole having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface positioned adjacent to the upper and the lower surface defining an array of cavities, each cavity of the array of cavities having tapered interior walls and a perimeter that is coplanar with the lower surface of the midsole;
an outsole secured to the midsole and including a first surface that forms a first portion of a ground-contacting surface of the article of footwear, an array of apertures formed through the first surface and the ground-contacting surface and respectively aligned with one of the array of cavities, and a second surface formed on an opposite side of the outsole than the first surface; and
an array of fluid-filled chambers formed separately from both the midsole and the outsole, each fluid-filled chamber in the array of fluid-filled chambers having a shape corresponding to a cavity in the array of cavities and an aperture in the array of apertures, the array of fluid-filled chambers at least partially received within the cavities of the midsole, each of the fluid-filled chambers protruding outward from the cavities through a respective one of the apertures of the outsole, each of the fluid-filled chambers including a second surface that is coplanar with the first surface of the outsole and forms a second portion of the ground-contacting surface of the article of footwear, the fluid-filled chambers joined to one another by a plurality of connections, a first portion of at least one of the plurality of connections being disposed between the outsole and the lower surface of the midsole and contacting the second surface of the outsole and the lower surface of the midsole.

2. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the chambers form at least part of an edge surface of the sole structure.

3. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the at least one of the plurality of connections is visible at an aperture of the array of apertures.

4. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein another of the plurality of connections is visible at an aperture of the array of apertures.

5. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the chambers have a shape of a polygon.

6. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein a majority of the chambers are located in a forefoot region of the article of footwear.

7. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of connections are aligned with a mediolateral axis of the article of footwear.

8. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein a second portion of the at least one of the plurality of connections extends from the first portion of the at least one of the plurality of connections, toward a chamber of the array of fluid-filled chambers, and is visible through an aperture of the outsole.

9. A sole structure for an article of footwear including an upper, the sole structure comprising:
a midsole having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface positioned adjacent to the upper and the lower surface defining an array of cavities, each cavity of the array of cavities having tapered interior walls and a perimeter that is coplanar with the lower surface of the midsole;
an outsole including a first surface secured to the midsole, a second surface formed on an opposite side of the outsole than the first surface, and an array of apertures extending through the first surface and the second surface and respectively aligned with one of the array of cavities, each aperture in the array of apertures having a shape that is the same as a shape of a corresponding cavity in the array of cavities, the second surface forming a first portion of a ground-contacting surface of the article of footwear; and
an array of fluid-filled chambers each formed separately from both the midsole and the outsole, each fluid-filled chamber in the array of fluid-filled chambers having a shape corresponding to a cavity in the array of cavities and an aperture in the array of apertures, the array of fluid-filled chambers at least partially received within the cavities of the midsole, each of the fluid-filled chambers protruding outward from the cavities through a respective one of the apertures of the outsole, each of the fluid-filled chambers including a second surface that is coplanar with the second surface of the outsole and forms a second portion of the ground-contacting surface of the article of footwear, the fluid-filled chambers joined to one another by a plurality of connections, a first portion of at least one of the plurality of connections being in contact with the first surface of the outsole and the lower surface of the midsole.

10. The sole structure of claim 9 , wherein the chambers form at least part of an edge surface of the sole structure.

11. The sole structure of claim 9 , wherein a portion of the at least one of the plurality of connections is visible at an aperture of the array of apertures.

12. The sole structure of claim 9 , wherein another of the plurality of connections is visible at an aperture of the array of apertures.

13. The sole structure of claim 9 , wherein at least some of the chambers have a shape of a polygon.

14. The sole structure of claim 9 , wherein a majority of the chambers are located in a forefoot region of the article of footwear.

15. The sole structure of claim 9 , wherein at least some of the plurality of connections are aligned with a mediolateral axis of the article of footwear.

16. The sole structure of claim 9 , wherein a second portion of the at least one of the plurality of connections extends from the first portion of the at least one of the plurality of connections and to a chamber of the array of fluid-filled chambers.

17. The sole structure of claim 16 , wherein the second portion of the at least one of the plurality of connections is visible through an aperture of the outsole.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Dekovic Denis
• Long Bradley S
• Santa Maria Brian E
• Shaffer Benjamin A
• Taylor Danielle L

Classifications

• A43B13/184

  the structure protruding from the outsole · CPC title

• A43B13/141

  with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion · CPC title

• A43B7/148

  Recesses or holes filled with supports or pads · CPC title

• A43B7/1445

  situated under the midfoot, i.e. the second, third or fourth metatarsal · CPC title

• A43B13/189

  filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel, water · CPC title