Article of footwear having a sole structure including a fluid-filled chamber and an outsole, the sole structure, and methods for manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9750307-B2
Application number	US-201514641789-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2015
Priority date	Feb 21, 2013
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

The disclosure id directed to an article of footwear including an upper and the sole structure, to the sole structure, and to a method for manufacturing the sole structure and a method for manufacturing the article of footwear. The sole structure includes a fluid-filled chamber and an outsole that at least partially surrounds the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sole structure for an article of footwear comprising an upper and a sole structure, the sole structure comprising:
a component including a plurality of fluid-filled segments, each fluid-filled segment having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an edge extending between the upper surface and the lower surface; and
an outsole having a plurality of individual compartments that each correspond to a fluid-filled segment, the plurality of individual compartments each having a segment-engaging surface and a ground-engaging surface and each at least partially co-extensive with the lower surface of the corresponding fluid-filled segment and with at least a part of the edge of the corresponding fluid-filled segment, the segment-engaging surface of at least one of the plurality of individual compartments including lands that are bonded to the lower surface of the corresponding fluid-filled segment and grooves that are recessed from the lands and are spaced apart from the lower surface of the corresponding fluid-filled segment,
wherein at least one of the individual compartments includes a first portion extending along one of a medial side of the sole structure and a lateral side of the sole structure, a second portion extending from the first portion toward the other of the medial side and the lateral side and having a distal end that terminates between the lateral side and the medial side, and a third portion extending from the first portion toward the other one of the medial side and the lateral side.

2. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the lands and the grooves provide the segment-engaging surface of the at least one of the plurality of individual compartments with a regularly repeating pattern.

3. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the grooves are non-parallel.

4. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the grooves provide the segment-engaging surface of the at least one of the plurality of individual compartments with lands having a square shape or a diamond shape.

5. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of individual compartments are C-shaped.

6. The sole structure of claim 5 , wherein one of the at least two of the plurality of individual compartments is disposed at the medial side of the sole structure and the other of the at least two of the plurality of individual compartments is disposed at the lateral side of the sole structure.

7. The sole structure of claim 6 , wherein distal ends of the at least two of the plurality of individual compartments oppose one another.

8. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the ground-engaging surface includes a plurality of ground-engaging lugs.

9. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the lands are attached to the lower surface of the corresponding fluid-filled segment by an adhesive.

10. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the lands are fused to the lower surface of the corresponding fluid-filled segment by fusing a material of the corresponding fluid-filled segment with a material of the outsole.

11. A sole structure for an article of footwear comprising an upper and a sole structure, the sole structure comprising:
a component including a plurality of fluid-filled segments, each fluid-filled segment having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an edge extending between the upper surface and the lower surface; and
an outsole having a plurality of individual compartments that each correspond to a fluid-filled segment, the plurality of individual compartments each having a segment-engaging surface and a ground-engaging surface and each at least partially co-extensive with the lower surface of the corresponding fluid-filled segment and with at least a part of the edge of the corresponding fluid-filled segment, the segment-engaging surface of at least one of the plurality of individual compartments including a textured surface having a regularly repeating pattern including raised portions that are bonded to the lower surface of the corresponding fluid-filled segment and recessed portions that are spaced apart from the lower surface of the corresponding fluid-filled segment,
wherein at least one of the individual compartments includes a first portion extending along one of a medial side of the sole structure and a lateral side of the sole structure, a second portion extending from the first portion toward the other of the medial side and the lateral side and having a distal end that terminates between the lateral side and the medial side, and a third portion extending from the first portion toward the other one of the medial side and the lateral side.

12. The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the recessed portions are grooves that are recessed from the raised portions.

13. The sole structure of claim 12 , wherein the grooves are non-parallel.

14. The sole structure of claim 12 , wherein the grooves provide the segment-engaging surface of the at least one of the plurality of individual compartments with raised portions having a square shape or a diamond shape.

15. The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein at least two of the plurality of individual compartments are C-shaped.

16. The sole structure of claim 15 , wherein one of the at least two of the plurality of individual compartments is disposed at the medial side of the sole structure and the other of the at least two of the plurality of individual compartments is disposed at the lateral side of the sole structure.

17. The sole structure of claim 16 , wherein distal ends of the at least two of the plurality of individual compartments oppose one another.

18. The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the ground-engaging surface includes a plurality of ground-engaging lugs.

19. The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the raised portions are attached to the lower surface of the corresponding fluid-filled segment by an adhesive.

20. The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the raised portions are fused to the lower surface of the corresponding fluid-filled segment by fusing a material of the corresponding fluid-filled segment with a material of the outsole.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Campos Ii Fidencio
• Monfils Benjamin J
• Peyton Lee D

Classifications

• A43B13/26

  projecting beyond the sole surface · CPC title

• A43B13/189

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

• A43B13/223

  Profiled soles · CPC title

• A43B13/16

  Pieced soles (with several layers of different material A43B13/12) · CPC title

• A43B13/22

  Soles made slip-preventing or wear-resisting, e.g. by impregnation or spreading a wear-resisting layer · CPC title