Footwear structures providing compression and thermal treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12569025-B2
Application number	US-202418785284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2024
Priority date	Jul 28, 2023
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

Footwear components apply heat, cooling, and/or pressure to a wearer's foot/leg/ankle. Such footwear includes one or more of: (a) an interior upper layer formed from one or more interior upper component parts; (b) an exterior upper layer formed from one or more exterior upper component parts and engaged with the interior upper layer, wherein the interior and exterior upper layers define an ankle-receiving chamber of the footwear upper; (c) a fluid-filled bladder system including a first fluid chamber located between the interior and exterior upper layers; (d) a heating and/or cooling system having at least a portion engaged with the first fluid chamber; (e) a fluid source component (e.g., pump, compressor, etc.) in fluid communication with the first fluid chamber and configured to supply fluid to the first fluid chamber; (f) a power source; and/or (g) a securing system for releasably securing the footwear upper to a wearer's foot/leg/ankle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An article of footwear, comprising:
a sole structure; a footwear upper engaged with the sole structure, wherein the footwear upper includes: (i) an interior upper layer formed from one or more interior upper component parts, (ii) an exterior upper layer formed from one or more exterior upper component parts and engaged with the interior upper layer, wherein the interior upper layer and the exterior upper layer define an ankle-containing chamber of the footwear upper, (iii) a fluid-filled bladder system including a first fluid chamber located between the interior upper layer and the exterior upper layer, and (iv) a securing system for releasably securing the footwear upper to a wearer's foot such that the footwear upper is configured to wrap around a wearer's ankle; a fluid source component in fluid communication with the first fluid chamber and configured to supply fluid to the first fluid chamber; and a power source for supplying power to the fluid source component for changing fluid pressure in the first fluid chamber; and a housing, wherein at least a pump or compressor component of the fluid source component is located in the housing, and wherein the housing is mounted on a rim of the sole structure that extends outward beyond the exterior upper layer at a heel portion of the article of footwear.

2 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the power source is engaged with the sole structure.

3 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the sole structure includes a midsole component, and wherein the power source is included with the midsole component.

4 . The article of footwear according to claim 3 , wherein the midsole component includes a top surface having a recess defined therein, and wherein at least a portion of the power source is received in the recess.

5 . The article of footwear according to claim 4 , wherein the top surface of the midsole component further includes a channel that extends from the recess to a heel portion of the midsole component, wherein the pump or compressor component of the fluid source component is located at the heel portion of the article of footwear, and wherein wiring extends along the recess and is coupled to the power source and to the pump or compressor component.

6 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , further comprising a foam moderator component positioned between and fixed to each of an interior surface of the housing and the exterior upper layer.

7 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the footwear upper includes a body portion that extends from a first edge to a second edge located opposite the first edge, wherein the body portion is oriented to extend around and form a rear heel portion of the footwear upper such that the first edge defines a forward foot-insertion opening edge of the footwear upper and the second edge extends at least to the forward foot-insertion opening edge when the securing system places the footwear upper in a closed configuration, and wherein the securing system includes: (i) a first fastener component located at the first edge, (ii) a second fastener component located at a second edge, wherein the first fastener component releasably engages the second fastener component to secure the article of footwear to the wearer's foot, and (iii) a grip element located at the second edge.

8 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , further comprising a foam moderator component positioned between the housing and the exterior upper layer.

9 . An article of footwear, comprising:
a sole structure: a footwear upper engaged with the sole structure, wherein the footwear upper includes: (i) an interior upper layer formed from one or more interior upper component parts, (ii) an exterior upper layer formed from one or more exterior upper component parts and engaged with the interior upper laver, wherein the interior upper layer and the exterior upper layer define an ankle-containing chamber of the footwear upper, (iii) a fluid-filled bladder system including a first fluid chamber located between the interior upper layer and the exterior upper layer, and (iv) a securing system for releasably securing the footwear upper to a wearer's foot such that the footwear upper is configured to wrap around a wearer's ankle; a fluid source component in fluid communication with the first fluid chamber and configured to supply fluid to the first fluid chamber; a power source for supplying power to the fluid source component for changing fluid pressure in the first fluid chamber; a housing, wherein at least a pump or compressor component of the fluid source component is located in the housing; and a foam moderator component positioned between the housing and the exterior upper layer.

10 . The article of footwear according to claim 9 , wherein the housing is mounted on a rim of the sole structure that extends outward beyond the exterior upper layer at a heel portion of the article of footwear.

11 . An article of footwear, comprising:
a footwear upper that includes: (i) a fluid-filled bladder system including a first fluid chamber, (ii) a temperature controlling system, and (iii) a securing system for releasably securing the footwear upper to a wearer's foot; a sole component engaged with the footwear upper, the sole component including an outer perimeter rim located outwardly beyond an exterior surface of the footwear upper at a heel area of the article of footwear to provide a top surface portion of the sole component outside of the footwear upper at the heel area of the article of footwear, wherein a recess is defined in the sole component, wherein one or more vents are defined in a material of the sole component, the one or more vents including one or more elongated channels defined in a material of the sole component and extending from the recess to the top surface portion of the sole component located outside of the footwear upper at the heel area of the article of footwear; and a power source at least partially received in the recess for supplying power to the temperature controlling system, wherein wiring connected to the power source extends through a first elongated channel of the one or more elongated channels to the top surface portion.

12 . The article of footwear according to claim 11 , wherein the sole component includes a midsole component formed at least in part from a polymer foam material, wherein the recess and the first elongated channel are defined in the polymer foam material.

13 . The article of footwear according to claim 12 , wherein the midsole component includes a top surface that forms the top surface portion of the sole component located outside of the footwear upper at the heel area of the article of footwear, wherein the top surface further has the recess and the first elongated channel defined therein.

14 . The article of footwear according to claim 12 , wherein the one or more elongated channels are defined in a top surface of the midsole component, and wherein the top surface of the midsole component extends to form the top surface portion of the sole component located outside of the footwear upper at the heel area of the article of footwear.

15 . The article of footwear according to claim 11 , further comprising a housing engaged with the top surface portion of the sole component at the heel area of the article of footwear.

16 . The article of footwear according to claim 15 , further comprising a foam moderator component positioned between the housing and the footwear upper.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Hatfield Tobie D
• Owings Andrew A

Classifications

• A43B23/0285

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

• A43B7/083

  with pumping means or valves · CPC title

• A43B3/34

  with electrical or electronic arrangements · CPC title

• A43B7/02

  with heating arrangements  (with electric heating arrangements A43B3/35) · CPC title

• A43C11/00

  Other fastenings specially adapted for shoes (dress fastenings in general A44B) · CPC title