Article of footwear

• US 5,893,219 A
• Filed: 08/06/1997
• Issued: 04/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Reebok International Limited (Authentic Brands Group, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Reebok International Limited (Authentic Brands Group, LLC)
• Inventors: White, Spencer, Foley, Peter M., Smith, Steven F.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US08/906,970
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 36/28, 36/29, 36/3 R, 36/3 A, 36/3 D
• US Class Current: 36/3.00B
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/203 provided with a pump or valve
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/029 Pneumatic upper, e.g. gas filled
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/0407 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/081 the air being forced from outside

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an article of footwear including an upper, a sole and a pumping chamber for producing a continuous supply of fluid. The sole includes a midsole and an outsole. The pumping chamber is formed between the bottom surface of the midsole and the upper surface of the outsole and includes at least one inlet and at least one outlet. Movement of the wearer'"'"'s foot causes fluid to be drawn into and expelled from the pumping chamber. The fluid produced by the pumping chamber may be used to inflate an expandable bladder or to provide ventilation to the wearer'"'"'s foot.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper defining an interior for receiving a foot of a wearer;

a sole attached to said upper, said sole comprising a midsole having a thickness and an outsole having a thickness, said midsole and said outsole being joined to define a chamber for receiving a fluid, said chamber having a top wall and a bottom wall;

a chamber inlet for providing a fluid passageway between said interior of said upper and said chamber, said chamber inlet extending through said thickness of said midsole and said top wall of said chamber;

an inlet check valve disposed within said chamber inlet to permit fluid to flow into said chamber;

a chamber outlet for providing a fluid passageway between said chamber and said interior of said upper, said chamber outlet extending through said top wall of said chamber and said thickness of said midsole;

an outlet check valve disposed within said chamber outlet to permit fluid to flow out of said chamber; and

an inflatable bladder disposed in the footwear for providing customized support to the foot of the wearer, said inflatable bladder having a bladder inlet disposed in fluid communication with said chamber outlet;

wherein movement of the foot by the wearer causes fluid to be continuously drawn into said chamber through said chamber inlet and expelled from said chamber through said chamber outlet to inflate said inflatable bladder.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said inflatable bladder is disposed within said interior of said upper.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said inflatable bladder further comprises a bladder outlet.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3 further comprising a regulator for maintaining a predetermined pressure within said inflatable bladder and wherein said regulator is in fluid communication with said bladder outlet.

5. The article of footwear of claim 4, wherein said inflatable bladder further comprises a release valve to release fluid from said inflatable bladder.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said midsole is formed from a cushioning material and said outsole is formed from an abrasive resistant material.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said midsole comprises a first recess located in a forefoot region of the article of footwear to define a forefoot chamber and a second recess located in a heel region of the article of footwear to define a heel chamber.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said outsole comprises a first concavity located in a forefoot region of the article of footwear to define a forefoot chamber and a second concavity located in a heel region of the article of footwear to define a heel chamber.

9. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper defining an interior for receiving a foot of a wearer; and

a sole attached to said upper, said sole comprising;

a midsole having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first recess formed in said bottom surface of said midsole in a forefoot region of the article of footwear and a second recess formed in said bottom surface of said midsole in a heel region of the article of footwear;

an outsole having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first concavity formed in said top surface of said outsole in a forefoot region of the article of footwear and a second concavity formed in said top surface of said outsole in a heel region of the article of footwear, said midsole and said outsole being disposed in a facing relationship so that said first recess and said first concavity form a forefoot pumping chamber having a top wall and a bottom wall and said second recess and said second concavity form a heel pumping chamber having a top wall and a bottom wall;

a first chamber inlet for providing a fluid passageway between said interior of said upper and said forefoot pumping chamber, said first chamber inlet extending through said midsole and said top wall of said forefoot pumping chamber in a substantially vertical manner;

a second chamber inlet for providing a fluid passageway between said interior of said upper and said heel pumping chamber, said second chamber inlet extending through said midsole and said top wall of said heel pumping chamber in a substantially vertical manner;

a first inlet check valve disposed in said first chamber inlet for permitting fluid to flow into said forefoot pumping chamber;

a second inlet check valve disposed in said second chamber inlet for permitting fluid to flow into said heel pumping chamber;

a first chamber outlet for providing a fluid passageway between said forefoot pumping chamber and said interior of said upper, said first chamber outlet extending through said top wall of said forefoot pumping chamber and said midsole in a substantially vertical manner;

a second chamber outlet for providing a fluid passageway between said heel pumping chamber and said interior of said upper, said second chamber outlet extending through said top wall of said heel pumping chamber and said midsole in a substantially vertical manner;

a first outlet check valve disposed within said first chamber outlet for permitting fluid to flow out of said forefoot pumping chamber;

a second outlet check valve disposed within said second chamber outlet for permitting fluid to flow out of said heel pumping chamber; and

an inflatable bladder for providing customized support to the foot of the wearer, said inflatable bladder having at least one bladder inlet disposed in fluid communication with one of said first chamber outlet or said second chamber outlet;

wherein movement of the foot of the wearer causes fluid to be drawn into said forefoot pumping chamber and said heel pumping chamber through said first chamber inlet and said second chamber inlet and expelled from said forefoot pumping chamber and said heel pumping chamber through said first chamber outlet and said second chamber outlet to inflate said inflatable ladder.

10. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein said inflatable bladder is disposed within said interior of said upper.

11. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein said inflatable bladder further comprises a bladder outlet.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11 further comprising a regulator for maintaining a predetermined pressure within said inflatable bladder and wherein said regulator is in fluid communication with said bladder outlet.

13. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein said inflatable bladder further comprises a release valve to release fluid from said inflatable bladder.

14. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein said midsole is formed from a cushioning material and said outsole is formed from an abrasive resistant material.

15. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein said inflatable bladder further comprises a second bladder inlet disposed in fluid communication with the other of said first chamber outlet or said second chamber outlet.

16. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein said first and second inlet check valves comprise a cylindrical housing having a valve ball.

17. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein said first and second outlet check valves comprise an elastomeric tube having a duck-bill exit opening.

18. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein said first concavity is approximately 3.5 mm deep.

19. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein said second concavity is approximately 5.5 mm deep.

20. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper defining an interior area for receiving a foot of a wearer;

a sole attached to said upper, said sole comprising a midsole having a thickness and an outsole having a thickness, said midsole and said outsole being joined to define a chamber for receiving a fluid, said chamber having a top wall and a bottom wall;

a chamber inlet for providing a fluid passageway between said interior area of said upper and said chamber, said chamber inlet extending from said interior area of said upper through said thickness of said midsole to said chamber in an area posterior to metatarsal heads of the wearer'"'"'s foot and anterior to a calcaneus of the wearer'"'"'s foot;

an inlet check valve disposed within said chamber inlet to permit fluid to flow into said chamber;

a chamber outlet for providing a fluid passageway between said chamber and said interior area of said upper, said chamber outlet extending from said chamber through said thickness of said midsole to said interior area of said upper in an area posterior to metatarsal heads of the wearer'"'"'s foot and anterior to a calcaneus of the wearer'"'"'s foot;

an outlet check valve disposed within said chamber outlet to permit fluid to flow out of said chamber; and

an inflatable bladder for providing customized support to the foot of the wearer, said inflatable bladder having a bladder inlet disposed in fluid communication with said chamber outlet;

wherein movement of the foot by the wearer causes fluid to be continuously drawn into said chamber through said chamber inlet and expelled from said chamber through said chamber outlet to inflate said inflatable bladder.