Footwear with a sole structure incorporating a lobed fluid-filled chamber
First Claim
1. A sealed chamber formed from a polymer material and enclosing a fluid, the chamber comprising:
- a first subchamber having at least two outwardly-extending first lobes, the first subchamber having a first volume;
a second subchamber having at least two outwardly-extending second lobes, the second subchamber having a second volume that is less than the first volume; and
a third subchamber having a third volume that is less than the second volume, each of the first subchamber, the second subchamber, and the third subchamber having a first surface and an opposite second surface devoid of internal connections that secure interior portions of the first surface to interior portions of the second surface, and a pressure of the fluid being substantially equal to an ambient pressure of air surrounding the chamber.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fluid-filled chamber for an article of footwear and a method for manufacturing the chamber are disclosed. The chamber may be incorporated into a sole structure of the footwear and includes a central area and a plurality of lobes extending outward from the central area. The lobes are in fluid communication with the central area and are formed from a first surface, a second surface, and a sidewall. The sidewall joins with the first surface with the second surface to seal the fluid within the chamber, but no internal connections are generally utilized to join interior portions of the first surface with interior portions of the second surface. The fluid within the chamber may be air at a pressure that is approximately equal to an ambient pressure.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A sealed chamber formed from a polymer material and enclosing a fluid, the chamber comprising:
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a first subchamber having at least two outwardly-extending first lobes, the first subchamber having a first volume; a second subchamber having at least two outwardly-extending second lobes, the second subchamber having a second volume that is less than the first volume; and a third subchamber having a third volume that is less than the second volume, each of the first subchamber, the second subchamber, and the third subchamber having a first surface and an opposite second surface devoid of internal connections that secure interior portions of the first surface to interior portions of the second surface, and a pressure of the fluid being substantially equal to an ambient pressure of air surrounding the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An article of footwear with an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure having a sealed chamber that encloses a fluid, the chamber comprising:
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a first subchamber located in a lateral portion of the footwear, the first subchamber including at least two first lobes extending outward from the first subchamber and toward a lateral side of the sole structure; and a second subchamber in fluid communication with the first subchamber, the second subchamber being located in a medial portion of the footwear, and the second subchamber including at least two second lobes extending outward from the second subchamber and toward a medial side of the sole structure, each of the first subchamber and the second subchamber having a first surface and an opposite second surface devoid of internal connections that secure interior portions of the first surface to interior portions of the second surface. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An article of footwear with an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure having a sealed chamber that encloses a fluid, the chamber comprising:
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a first subchamber having at least two outwardly-extending first lobes, the first subchamber having a first volume; a second subchamber in fluid-communication with the first subchamber, the second subchamber having at least two outwardly-extending second lobes, and the second subchamber having a second volume that is less than the first volume; and a third subchamber in fluid-communication with the second subchamber, the third subchamber having a third volume that is less than the second volume, the chamber being at least partially located in a forefoot region of the footwear, each of the first subchamber, the second subchamber, and the third subchamber having a first surface and an opposite second surface devoid of internal connections that secure interior portions of the first surface to interior portions of the second surface. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification