Article of footwear with a harness and fluid-filled chamber arrangement
First Claim
1. An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper having a medial side surface and a lateral side surface;
a sole structure comprising a lateral side portion, an opposite medial side portion, a top portion proximate the upper, and an opposite bottom portion having a ground-contacting surface, the sole structure being secured to the upper and including an outsole, an impact-attenuating structure comprising at least one fluid-filled chamber, and a midsole disposed between the at least one fluid-filled chamber and the upper;
and a structural harness extending between the upper and the impact-attenuating structure in a tensile arrangement, the structural harness extending continuously from a first end disposed on the medial side surface of the upper, along and directly contacting the at least one fluid-filled chamber in an area between the outsole and the at least one fluid-filled chamber, to a second end disposed on the lateral side surface of the upper to bias the at least one fluid-filled chamber toward the midsole,wherein the at least one fluid-filled chamber includes a lateral side wall and a medial side wall, the structural harness extending along and directly contacting the lateral side wall of the at least one fluid-filled chamber and the medial side wall of the at least one fluid-filled chamber, andwherein the midsole includes a lateral side and a medial side, the structural harness extending between the midsole and the outsole and along and directly contacting the lateral side of the midsole and the medial side of the midsole;
wherein the structural harness comprises;
a first base layer; and
a thread layer bonded to the first base layer, the thread layer including a plurality of threads, each of the plurality of threads transmitting tensile forces and restricting stretch in a longitudinal direction of the thread, the structural harness further comprising a second base layer bonded to the thread layer on an opposite side of the thread layer from the first base layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An article of footwear is disclosed having a structural harness and impact-attenuating structure arrangement that includes a fluid-filled chamber. The article includes an upper, a sole secured to the upper having an impact-attenuating structure including a fluid-filled chamber and a structural harness. The structural harness may extend between the upper and fluid-filled chamber in a tensile arrangement that biases the fluid-filled chamber toward the upper and compresses the chamber. The structural harness may include a first layer, a thread layer bonded to the first layer and a second layer bonded to the thread layer on an opposite side of the thread layer. The thread layer may include threads configured to transmit tensile forces and restrict stretch in a longitudinal direction of the threads.
70 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An article of footwear, comprising:
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an upper having a medial side surface and a lateral side surface; a sole structure comprising a lateral side portion, an opposite medial side portion, a top portion proximate the upper, and an opposite bottom portion having a ground-contacting surface, the sole structure being secured to the upper and including an outsole, an impact-attenuating structure comprising at least one fluid-filled chamber, and a midsole disposed between the at least one fluid-filled chamber and the upper; and a structural harness extending between the upper and the impact-attenuating structure in a tensile arrangement, the structural harness extending continuously from a first end disposed on the medial side surface of the upper, along and directly contacting the at least one fluid-filled chamber in an area between the outsole and the at least one fluid-filled chamber, to a second end disposed on the lateral side surface of the upper to bias the at least one fluid-filled chamber toward the midsole, wherein the at least one fluid-filled chamber includes a lateral side wall and a medial side wall, the structural harness extending along and directly contacting the lateral side wall of the at least one fluid-filled chamber and the medial side wall of the at least one fluid-filled chamber, and wherein the midsole includes a lateral side and a medial side, the structural harness extending between the midsole and the outsole and along and directly contacting the lateral side of the midsole and the medial side of the midsole; wherein the structural harness comprises;
a first base layer; and
a thread layer bonded to the first base layer, the thread layer including a plurality of threads, each of the plurality of threads transmitting tensile forces and restricting stretch in a longitudinal direction of the thread, the structural harness further comprising a second base layer bonded to the thread layer on an opposite side of the thread layer from the first base layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An article of footwear, comprising:
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an upper having a medial side surface and a lateral side surface; a midsole having a first midsole surface opposing the upper and a second midsole surface formed on an opposite side of the midsole than the first midsole surface; and an expansion-limited gas spring, the expansion-limited gas spring comprising; at least one gas-filled chamber having a first chamber surface opposing the second midsole surface and a second chamber surface formed on an opposite side of the gas-filled chamber than the first chamber surface, and an expansion-limiter disposed outside of the at least one gas-filled chamber and extending continuously from a first end disposed on the medial side surface of the upper, along and directly contacting the at least one gas-filled chamber at the second chamber surface, to a second end disposed on the lateral side surface of the upper, the expansion-limiter configured to mechanically limit expansion of the at least one gas-filled chamber in a downward direction away from the upper, wherein the at least one gas-filled chamber includes a lateral side wall and a medial side wall, the expansion-limiter extending along and directly contacting the lateral side wall of the at least one gas-filled chamber, the medial side wall of the at least one gas-filled chamber, and the second chamber surface of the at least one gas-filled chamber, and wherein the midsole includes a lateral side and a medial side, the expansion-limiter extending along and directly contacting the lateral side of the midsole and the medial side of the midsole; wherein the expansion-limiter comprises a harness having a plurality of structural threads; and wherein the harness further comprises;
a first base layer;
a thread layer bonded to the first base layer, the thread layer including the plurality of structural threads; and
a second base layer bonded to the thread layer on a side of the thread layer opposite the first base layer. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification