Footwear including an incline adjuster

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9820531-B2
Application number	US-201514725218-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2015
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A sole structure may include chambers and a transfer channel containing an electrorheological fluid. Electrodes may be positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the electrorheological fluid in the transfer channel. The sole structure may further include a controller including a processor and memory. At least one of the processor and memory may store instructions executable by the processor to perform operations that include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-inhibiting levels at which flow of the electrorheological fluid the through the transfer channel is blocked, and that further include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-enabling levels permitting flow of the electrorheological fluid through the transfer channel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sole structure for an article of footwear comprising:
a footbed;
a first chamber positioned under and supporting a first portion of the footbed, the first chamber containing an electrorheological fluid and having a height that varies in response to transfer of the electrorheological fluid into and out of the first chamber;
a second chamber positioned under and supporting a second portion of the footbed, the second chamber containing the electrorheological fluid and having a height that varies in response to transfer of the electrorheological fluid into and out of the second chamber;
a transfer channel in fluid communication with interiors of the first and second chambers and containing the electrorheological fluid;
electrodes positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the electrorheological fluid in the transfer channel;
a controller including a processor and a memory comprising instructions stored on said memory, wherein the stored instructions are executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform steps that include (a) maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-inhibiting levels at which flow of the electrorheological fluid through the transfer channel is blocked, and that further include (b) maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-enabling levels permitting flow of the electrorheological fluid through the transfer channel; and
a top polymer sheet, a bottom polymer sheet, and a spacer sheet positioned between and bonded to the top and bottom polymer sheets, wherein the top polymer sheet, the bottom polymer sheet, and the spacer sheet define the first and the second chambers and the transfer channel, wherein the spacer sheet comprises a cutout having a shape corresponding to outlines of the first chamber, the transfer channel, and the second chamber in a transverse plane, and wherein a thickness of the spacer sheet defines side walls of the first and the second chambers and side walls of the transfer channel.

2. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second chambers comprises at least one flexible upper sidewall.

3. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the transfer channel includes multiple sections changing direction by 180°.

4. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions of the footbed are in a forefoot region, and further comprising:
a bottom support plate positioned under the first and the second chambers and above an outsole;
a top support plate positioned above the first and the second chambers and under the first and second portions of the footbed; and
a fulcrum element positioned between the first and the second chambers and between the bottom and top support plates,
wherein the fulcrum element is less compressible than the first and the second chambers when flow of electrorheological fluid through the transfer channel is permitted, and
wherein the fulcrum element is positioned to provide a fulcrum for tilting of the top support plate relative to the bottom support plate as the heights of the first and second chambers vary.

5. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are located on inner walls of the transfer channel.

6. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes comprise conductive ink printed on inner walls of the transfer channel.

7. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the top polymer sheet comprises a flexible polymer sheet forming at least a portion of a top and portions of an upper sidewall of the first chamber and at least a portion of a top and portions of an upper sidewall of the second chamber.

8. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the sole structure is part of an article of footwear, and wherein the stored instructions include instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
perform a step that includes determining that the article of footwear has not traveled a first predetermined distance,
perform step (a) in response to determining that the article of footwear has not traveled the first predetermined distance,
perform a step that includes determining that the article of footwear has traveled the first predetermined distance,
perform step (b) in response to determining that the article of footwear has traveled the first predetermined distance,
perform, after step (b), a step that includes resuming maintenance of the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-inhibiting levels,
perform a step that includes determining, after resumption of maintenance of the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-inhibiting levels, that the article of footwear has traveled a second predetermined distance, and
perform a step that includes resuming maintenance of the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-enabling levels in response to determining that the article of footwear has traveled the second predetermined distance.

9. The sole structure of claim 8 , further comprising a gyroscope and an accelerometer, wherein the gyroscope and the accelerometer are communicatively coupled to the controller, and wherein the stored instructions are executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the steps of determining that the article of footwear has not traveled the first predetermined distance, determining that the article of footwear has traveled the first predetermined distance, and determining that the article of footwear has traveled the second predetermined distance by determining numbers of steps taken by a wearer of the article of footwear.

10. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the sole structure is configured to increase an angle of a part of the footbed including the first and the second portions, relative to an outsole portion positioned under the first and the second chambers, by at least 5 degrees.

11. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the sole structure is configured to increase an angle of a part of the footbed including the first and the second portions, relative to an outsole portion positioned under the first and the second chambers, by at least 10 degrees.

12. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes extend over an entire length of the transfer channel.

13. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper;
a sole structure, the sole structure including
a first chamber containing an electrorheological fluid and having a height that varies in response to transfer of the electrorheological fluid into and out of the first chamber,
a second chamber containing the electrorheological fluid and having a height that varies in response to transfer of the electrorheological fluid into and out of the second chamber,
a transfer channel in fluid communication with interiors of the first and second chambers and containing the electrorheological fluid, and
electrodes positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the electrorheological fluid in the transfer channel, wherein the electrodes are located on inner walls of the transfer channel;

a controller including a processor and a memory comprising instructions stored on said memory, wherein the stored instructions are executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform steps that include (a) maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-inhibiting levels at which flow of the electrorheological fluid through the transfer channel is blocked, and that further include (b) maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-enabling levels permitting flow

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Walker Steven H
• Cheng Chin-Yuan

Classifications

• A43B7/24

  Insertions or other supports preventing the foot canting to one side  {, preventing supination or pronation} · CPC title

• A43B7/087

  in the bottom of the sole · CPC title

• A43B13/143 Primary

  provided with wedged, concave or convex end portions, e.g. for improving roll-off of the foot · CPC title

• A43B13/189

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

• A43B7/38

  Elevating, i.e. height increasing (with elevated heel parts inside A43B7/16; lengthening pieces for natural legs A61F3/00) · CPC title