ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR INCLUDING A BLADDER ELEMENT HAVING A CUSHIONING COMPONENT WITH A SINGLE CENTRAL OPENING AND A CUSHIONING COMPONENT WITH MULTIPLE CONNECTING FEATURES AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING

• US 20170119096A1
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Greene, Pamela S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,070,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/187 Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/189 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: B29D 35/122 Soles

Abstract

An article of footwear is disclosed that comprises a sole structure having a bladder element that includes multiple cushioning components. Each cushioning component includes an enclosed fluid-filled cavity. The cushioning components may include a first cushioning component and a second cushioning component. The first cushioning component has a single central opening extending completely therethrough, and a continuous fluid-filled cavity surrounding the central opening. The second cushioning component has multiple connecting features positioned inward of an outer periphery of the second cushioning component. The connecting features connect a first side of the second cushioning component to a second side of the second cushioning component opposite the first side. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear with such cushioning components is disclosed.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole structure having a bladder element that comprises multiple cushioning components each including an enclosed fluid-filled cavity;

wherein the cushioning components comprise;

a first cushioning component having;

a single central opening extending completely therethrough; and

a continuous fluid-filled cavity surrounding the central opening; and

a second cushioning component having multiple connecting features positioned inward of an outer periphery of the second cushioning component and connecting a first side of the second cushioning component to a second side of the second cushioning component opposite the first side.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the cushioning components are spaced apart from one another so that an outer surface of each of the cushioning components is substantially decoupled from an outer surface of an adjacent one of the cushioning components.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the connecting features are tubular pillars.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3, wherein at least one of the tubular pillars comprises an opening extending completely through said at least one of the tubular pillars.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the connecting features are tethers positioned within the fluid-filled cavity of the second cushioning component.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein:

the cushioning components comprise a third cushioning component and a fourth cushioning component;

the third cushioning component includes;

a single central opening extending completely therethrough; and

a continuous fluid-filled cavity surrounding the central opening of the third cushioning component;

the fourth cushioning component includes multiple connecting features positioned inward of an outer periphery of the fourth cushioning component and connecting a first side of the fourth cushioning component to a second side of the fourth cushioning component opposite the first side of the fourth cushioning component;

the first cushioning component is positioned between a medial extremity of the sole structure and the third cushioning component;

the third cushioning component is positioned between a lateral extremity of the sole structure and the first cushioning component;

the second cushioning component is positioned between the medial extremity of the sole structure and the fourth cushioning component; and

the fourth cushioning component is positioned between the lateral extremity of the sole structure and the second cushioning component.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein:

the cushioning components comprise a fifth cushioning component having;

a single central opening extending completely therethrough; and

a continuous fluid-filled cavity surrounding the central opening of the fifth cushioning component;

the fifth cushioning component is rearward of the third cushioning component and positioned in a midfoot portion of the sole structure.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the cushioning components comprise a tubular cushioning component extending lengthwise along a medial extremity of the sole structure in a midfoot portion of the sole structure.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein:

the first cushioning component and the second cushioning component are both positioned in a forefoot portion of the sole structure; and

the second cushioning component is positioned forward of the first cushioning component.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the bladder element includes channels connecting adjacent ones of the cushioning components and establishing fluid communication between said adjacent ones of the cushioning components.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein:

at least one of the channels is sealed so that the adjacent ones of the cushioning components connected by the sealed channel are isolated from fluid communication with one another by the sealed channel.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the adjacent ones of the cushioning components connected by the sealed channel have different inflation pressures.

13. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein a gap is provided between adjacent ones of the cushioning components and extends from a medial extremity to a lateral extremity of the sole structure.

14. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first cushioning component is a regular ring torus or an irregular ring torus.

15. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the second cushioning component is in a heel portion of the article of footwear and includes tubular portions extending along a periphery of the sole structure in the heel portion.

16. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole structure having a bladder element that comprises a cushioning component;

wherein the cushioning component includes;

a fluid-filled cavity;

multiple tubular pillars positioned inward of an outer periphery of the cushioning component and connecting a first side of the cushioning component to a second side of the cushioning component opposite the first side such that the fluid-filled cavity surrounds the tubular pillars; and

wherein at least one of the tubular pillars comprises an opening extending completely therethrough.

17. The article of footwear of claim 16, further comprising:

an additional cushioning component including;

a single central opening extending completely therethrough; and

a continuous fluid-filled cavity surrounding the central opening; and

wherein the bladder element further comprises a channel connecting the cushioning component to the additional cushioning component.

18. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein the channel is sealed such that the fluid-filled cavity of the cushioning component is isolated from fluid communication with the fluid-filled cavity of the additional cushioning component by the sealed channel.

19. The article of footwear of claim 16, wherein the cushioning component is in one of a forefoot portion of the sole structure and a heel portion of the sole structure.

20. The article of footwear of claim 19, wherein:

the cushioning component is in the heel portion of the sole structure and includes tubular portions extending along an edge of the sole structure in the heel portion.

21. A method of manufacturing a sole structure of an article of footwear comprising:

forming a bladder element having multiple cushioning components each including a fluid-filled cavity;

wherein the cushioning components comprise;

a first cushioning component having;

a single central opening extending completely therethrough; and

a continuous fluid-filled cavity surrounding the central opening; and

a second cushioning component having multiple connecting features positioned inward of an outer periphery of the second cushioning component and connecting a first side of the second cushioning component to a second side of the second cushioning component opposite the first side;

wherein the second cushioning component is substantially decoupled from the first cushioning component.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the connecting features are hollow tubes; and

said forming the bladder element includes;

positioning polymeric sheets in the mold assembly; and

thermoforming the polymeric sheets in the mold assembly to include tubular pillars; and

the method further comprising;

punching holes in the polymeric sheets at the tubular pillars so that the tubular pillars are hollow.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said forming the bladder element comprises:

forming channels connecting adjacent ones of the cushioning components to establish fluid communication between the adjacent ones of the cushioning components;

forming an inflation port disposed at a periphery of the bladder element and in fluid communication with the adjacent ones of the cushioning components via the channels; and

the method further comprising;

inflating the bladder element through the inflation port to a first inflation pressure;

closing one of the channels to form a sealed first portion of the bladder element; and

inflating a remaining unsealed portion of the bladder element through the inflation port to a second inflation pressure, thereby establishing different inflation pressures in different ones of the cushioning components separated from one another by the closed channel.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

at least partially covering an outer surface of at least one of the cushioning components with foam.