Article of footwear with a midsole assembly having a perimeter bladder element, a method of manufacturing and a mold assembly for same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016120263-A1
Application number	US-201514832347-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An article of footwear has a midsole assembly that includes a fluid-filled bladder element having a substantially arc-shaped heel portion and having a lateral arm portion and a medial arm portion spaced from the lateral arm portion. Each of the arm portions extend from the heel portion. The bladder element is configured to be positioned with the heel portion in the heel region of midsole assembly, and the arm portions extending from the heel region to a forefoot region along a peripheral region. A method of manufacturing and a mold assembly for such an article of footwear are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An article of footwear having a heel region, a forefoot region, and a peripheral region; and comprising:
a midsole assembly having:
a fluid-filled bladder element having a substantially arc-shaped heel portion and having a lateral arm portion and a medial arm portion spaced from the lateral arm portion, each of the arm portions extending from the heel portion, and the bladder element configured to be positioned with the heel portion in the heel region and the arm portions extending from the heel region to the forefoot region along the peripheral region.

2 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the arm portions have terminal ends positioned in the forefoot region.

3 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the midsole assembly further includes:
a resilient midsole layer secured to and resting on the bladder element and having at least one protrusion descending into a cavity formed between the arm portions.

4 . The article of footwear of claim 3 , wherein a lowest extent of said at least one protrusion terminates above a base surface of the bladder element so that said at least one protrusion is excluded from a ground contact surface of the article of footwear in the absence of at least a threshold loading force.

5 . The article of footwear of claim 4 , wherein said at least one protrusion includes multiple protrusions; and wherein the resilient midsole layer forms a flex groove extending generally lengthwise and positioned between at least some of the multiple protrusions.

6 . The article of footwear of claim 5 , wherein the resilient midsole layer forms laterally extending grooves between at least some of the multiple protrusions.

7 . The article of footwear of claim 3 , wherein a first portion of the resilient midsole layer adjacent an inward-facing surface of the bladder element is secured to the bladder element; and wherein a second portion of the resilient midsole layer adjacent the inward-facing surface of the bladder element is spaced from the bladder element in the absence of at least a threshold loading force and is configured to be moved into contact with the inward-facing surface of the bladder element under compression by the threshold loading force to attenuate the threshold loading force.

8 . The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the second portion has a surface profile substantially identical to a surface profile of the inward-facing surface of the bladder element.

9 . The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein a lowest extent of said at least one protrusion terminates above a base surface of the bladder element so that said at least one protrusion is excluded from a ground contact surface of the article of footwear in the absence of at least the threshold loading force, and is configured to move into operative contact with a ground plane under the threshold loading force.

10 . The article of footwear of claim 9 , wherein said at least one protrusion is configured to move into operative contact with the ground surface only after the second portion of the resilient midsole layer moves into contact with the inward-facing surface of the bladder element; and
wherein the midsole assembly provides a first stage of attenuation of the loading force when the second portion of the resilient midsole layer moves into contact with the inward-facing surface of the bladder element, and provides a second stage of attenuation of the loading force when the protrusions move into operative contact with the ground plane.

11 . The article of footwear of claim 9 , further comprising:
at least one outsole element secured to said at least one protrusion such that said at least one outsole element is excluded from the ground contact surface of the article of footwear in the absence of at least the threshold loading force, and contacts the ground plane only under the threshold loading force.

12 . The article of footwear of claim 3 , wherein the midsole assembly further includes:
an additional sole layer secured to the bladder element and on which the bladder element rests; wherein the additional sole layer has a substantially arc-shaped heel portion, a lateral arm portion, and a medial arm portion corresponding with the arc-shaped heel portion, the lateral arm portion and the medial arm portion of the bladder element, respectively, each of the arm portions extending from the heel portion to the forefoot region along the peripheral region.

13 . The article of footwear of claim 3 , wherein the bladder element forms a web connecting the lateral arm portion to the medial arm portion in the forefoot region.

14 . The article of footwear of claim 13 , wherein the bladder element forms fluid-filled pods within the web.

15 . The article of footwear of claim 14 , wherein the pods are at ambient pressure.

16 . The article of footwear of claim 14 , wherein the midsole assembly further includes:
an additional sole layer secured to the bladder element and on which the bladder element rests; and wherein the additional sole layer forms apertures configured to receive and support the fluid-filled pods of the web.

17 . The article of footwear of claim 3 , wherein the bladder element is formed from an upper sheet and a lower sheet;
wherein the bladder element has an inner flange forming an inner seam at which the sheets are joined at an inward-facing surface of the bladder element; and wherein the inner seam progresses upward along the arm portions from the heel portion toward the terminal ends.

18 . The article of footwear of claim 3 , wherein the bladder element is formed from an upper sheet and a lower sheet;
wherein the bladder element has an inner flange forming an inner seam at which the sheets are joined at an inward-facing surface of the bladder element; wherein the bladder element has an outer flange forming an outer seam at which the sheets are joined at an outward-facing surface of the bladder element; wherein the inner flange and the outer flange are generally at an upper portion of the bladder element from the heel portion to the terminal ends; and wherein the outer flange is a tapered, generally upwardly-extending flange.

19 . The article of footwear of claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the outer flange has a thickness in cross-section greater than a sum of the thicknesses of the upper and lower sheets away from the outer flange.

20 . The article of footwear of claim 19 , further comprising:
a footwear upper secured to and cupped by the outer flange.

21 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the midsole assembly further includes:
a first resilient midsole layer having a heel region, a forefoot region, and a peripheral region corresponding with the heel region, the forefoot region, and the peripheral region of the article of footwear, respectively; and wherein the fluid-filled bladder element is supported on the first resilient midsole layer and positioned substantially at the peripheral region of the first resilient midsole layer.

22 . The article of footwear of claim 21 , further comprising:
an overlaying component supported on the bladder element above the first resilient midsole layer such that an internal chamber at least partially defined by the first resilient midsole layer is sealed between the first resilient midsole layer, the overlaying component, and the bladder element.

23 . The article of footwear of claim 22 , wherein the overlaying

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Cortez Margarita L
• Elder Zachary M
• Peyton Lee D
• Quinonez Hector R

Classifications

• A43B13/12

  Soles with several layers of different materials · CPC title

• A43B13/206 Primary

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

• B29D35/122

  Soles · CPC title

• A43B13/20 Primary

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

• A43B3/0063

  U-shaped · CPC title