Sole structure for article of footwear

• US 10,149,513 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2018
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Eldem, Can, Flanagan, Wade, Nyberg, Ryan, Patton, Levi J., Schindler, Eric S., Small, Jessica
• Primary Examiner(s): Quinn, Richale
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOZAK, ANNE M
• Application Number:
  US15/885,676
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: 36 29
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0072 made at least partially of transparent or translucent materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/122 characterised by the outsole or external layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/125 characterised by the midsole or middle layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/16 Pieced soles with several layers of different material A43B13/12
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/186 Differential cushioning region, e.g. cushioning located under the ball of the foot resilient heel not included in the sole A43B21/26; resilient supports for the heel of the foot A43B21/32
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/187 Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/188 Differential cushioning regions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/189 filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel, water
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/20 Pneumatic soles filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas inflatable linings for skiboots A43B5/0407
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/206 provided with tubes or pipes or tubular shaped cushioning members
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/223 Profiled soles
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/00 Heels; Top-pieces or top-lifts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/08 Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/088 Heel stiffeners A43B23/10, A43B23/14, A43B23/16, A43B23/17 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/17 made of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0063 U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes

Abstract

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a forefoot region disposed adjacent an anterior end, a heel region disposed adjacent a posterior end, and a mid-foot region disposed intermediate the forefoot region and the heel region. The sole structure further includes fluid-filled bladder having a first segment extending along a medial side in the heel region, a second segment extending along a lateral side in the heel region, and a web area disposed between the first segment and the second segment. Additionally, the sole structure includes an outer sole member having an upper portion extending from a first end in the forefoot region to a second end in the heel region. The second end of the outer sole member is received on a first side of the web area. The outer sole member also includes a rib extending downwardly from the upper portion and defining a cavity.

Claims

1. A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:

a forefoot region disposed adjacent an anterior end;

a heel region disposed adjacent a posterior end;

a mid-foot region disposed intermediate the forefoot region and the heel region;

a fluid-filled bladder having a first segment extending along a medial side in the heel region, a second segment extending along a lateral side in the heel region, and a web area disposed between the first segment and the second segment, the first segment, the second segment, and the web area defining a pocket;

an outer sole member having an upper portion extending from a first end in the forefoot region to a second end in the heel region and received on a first side of the web area and a rib extending downwardly from the upper portion within the forefoot region and defining a cavity in a forefoot region of the sole structure, the cavity cooperating with the pocket of the fluid-filled bladder to define a recess that extends continuously from the forefoot region to the heel region; and

an inner sole member extending from a first end disposed within the cavity defined by the rib at the forefoot region to a second end received within a portion of the cavity defined by the web area, the inner sole member, the outer sole member, and the fluid-filled bladder defining a portion of a ground-contacting surface of the sole structure.

2. The sole structure of claim 1, wherein the outer sole member is formed of a first foamed polymeric material and the inner sole member is formed of a second polymeric material having a greater density than the first foamed polymeric material.

3. The sole structure of claim 1, wherein the rib is formed along an outer periphery of the sole structure in the forefoot region and the mid-foot region.

4. The sole structure of claim 1, wherein the rib has a first width in the mid-foot region and a second width in the forefoot region.

5. The sole structure of claim 1, wherein the first segment terminates at a first distal end in the mid-foot region and the second segment terminates at a second distal end in the mid-foot region, and wherein the rib extends continuously from a first terminal end opposing the first distal end in the mid-foot region to a second terminal end opposing the second distal end in the mid-foot region.

6. The sole structure of claim 1, wherein the rib includes a first rib segment extending along the lateral side within the mid-foot region and a second rib segment extending along the lateral side within the forefoot region, the second rib segment having a greater width than the first rib segment.

7. The sole structure of claim 1, wherein the fluid-filled bladder further includes a third segment fluidly coupling the first segment to the second segment and extending along an arcuate path around the posterior end, a thickness of the fluid-filled bladder tapering continuously and at a constant rate from the posterior end to a first distal end of the fluid-filled bladder.

8. The sole structure of claim 7, further comprising a heel counter extending along each of the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment and formed of the same material as the fluid-filled bladder.

9. A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:

a fluid-filled bladder disposed in a heel region of the sole structure and tapering from a first thickness at a posterior end of the sole structure to a second thickness at a mid-foot region of the sole structure;

an outer sole member including an upper portion extending from a first end in a forefoot region of the sole structure to a second end received by the fluid-filled bladder, and a rib extending downwardly from the first end of the upper portion and defining a cavity in a forefoot region of the sole structure; and

an inner sole member having a first end received in the cavity of the outer sole member and a second end received by the fluid-filled bladder in the heel region, the inner sole member, the outer sole member, and the fluid-filled bladder each defining a portion of a ground-engaging surface of the sole structure.

10. The sole structure of claim 9, further comprising a heel counter extending from the fluid-filled bladder and overlaying the upper portion of the outer sole member.

11. The sole structure of claim 9, wherein each of the fluid-filled bladder, the outer sole member, and the inner sole member includes one or more traction elements disposed on the ground-engaging surface.

12. The sole structure of claim 11, wherein a first plurality of the traction elements includes protuberances extending therefrom and a second plurality of the traction elements includes a plurality of serrations formed therein.

13. The sole structure of claim 9, wherein the outer sole member includes a plurality of channels formed in a lower surface of the rib along a direction from a medial side of the sole structure to a lateral side of the sole structure.

14. The sole structure of claim 9, wherein the first end of the inner sole member includes a traction element extending from the forefoot region through the mid-foot region and having a plurality of serrations formed therein.

15. The sole structure of claim 9, wherein the second end of the inner sole member includes a bulge disposed within the fluid-filled bladder and having a convex shape.

16. The sole structure of claim 9, wherein the outer sole member includes a sidewall configured to extend onto an upper of the article of footwear.