Article of footwear with a sole structure having fluid-filled support elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9486037-B2
Application number	US-201113029820-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2011
Priority date	Oct 19, 2007
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

An article of footwear is disclosed that includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure incorporates a support element that includes a fluid-filled chamber. The chamber may be bonded to other portions of the sole to secure the chamber within the sole. A surface of the chamber may also be angled to form a corresponding bevel in a lower surface of the sole structure, potentially in a rear-lateral area of the sole structure. A plate may also extend under a portion of the chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:
a void positioned in a heel region of the article of footwear and defining an upper surface and an opposite lower surface;
a plurality of fluid-filled chambers located within the void and extending between the upper surface and the lower surface;
an outsole that defines a depression spaced inward from sides of the sole structure, the outsole forming a peripheral portion of the lower surface of the void; and
a plate having a rigid or semi-rigid property, the plate being positioned between the outsole and the plurality of fluid-filled chambers, the plate being located within the depression in the outsole, and the plate forming a central portion of the lower surface of the void,
wherein each of the plurality of fluid-filled chambers is formed of a flexible material, the plate is formed of a material that has a greater modulus of elasticity than the flexible material of the fluid-filled chambers, and a material of the outsole is softer than the material of the plate, and
wherein each of the plurality of fluid-filled chambers is located above areas of both the peripheral portion and the central portion of the lower surface of the void, and each of the plurality of fluid-filled chambers is in contact with a surface portion of the plate.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1 , wherein the depression is defined in an upper surface of the outsole.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 1 , wherein the plate extends under more than eighty percent of an area of the plurality of fluid-filled chambers.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 1 , wherein the plate extends under more than fifty percent of an area of the plurality of fluid-filled chambers.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 1 , wherein the surface portion of the plate includes attachment members formed from a thermoplastic material, the attachment members being heat bonded to the plurality of fluid-filled chambers.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 5 , wherein at least one of the attachment members is contoured to conform with a shape of a respective one of the plurality of fluid-filled chambers.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fluid-filled chambers are heat bonded to the plate and adhesively-bonded to the outsole.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 1 , wherein the outsole has an upward bevel in a medial-to-lateral direction and a front-to-back direction in a rear lateral area of the article of footwear.

Assignees

• Cook Christopher S
• Farris Bryan N
• Johnson Jeffrey L
• Smith Steven F
• Vandomelen Paul
• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Cook Christopher S
• Farris Bryan N
• Johnson Jeffrey L
• Smith Steven F
• Vandomelen Paul

Classifications

• A43B13/026 Primary

  Composites, e.g. carbon fibre or aramid fibre; the sole, one or more sole layers or sole part being made of a composite · CPC title

• A43B13/12

  Soles with several layers of different materials · CPC title

• A43B13/20

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

• A43B21/28 Primary

  Pneumatic heels {filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas} · CPC title

• A43B13/148

  Wedged end portions · CPC title