Footwear with a sole structure incorporating a lobed fluid-filled chamber
First Claim
1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:
- a chamber having a first surface and an opposite second surface peripherally-joined to enclose a fluid, the first surface and the second surface being devoid of internal connections that secure interior portions of the first surface to interior portions of the second surface, the first surface and the second surface defining a plurality of lobes extending outward from a central area of the chamber, the lobes being in fluid communication with the central area, and the lobes defining spaces positioned between the lobes located adjacent to each other; and
a polymer foam material extending adjacent to and contacting at least one of the first surface and the second surface, and the polymer foam material extending into the spaces positioned between the lobes.
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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.
86 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:
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a chamber having a first surface and an opposite second surface peripherally-joined to enclose a fluid, the first surface and the second surface being devoid of internal connections that secure interior portions of the first surface to interior portions of the second surface, the first surface and the second surface defining a plurality of lobes extending outward from a central area of the chamber, the lobes being in fluid communication with the central area, and the lobes defining spaces positioned between the lobes located adjacent to each other; and
a polymer foam material extending adjacent to and contacting at least one of the first surface and the second surface, and the polymer foam material extending into the spaces positioned between the lobes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:
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a chamber having a first surface and an opposite second surface peripherally-joined to enclose a fluid, the first surface and the second surface defining a plurality of lobes extending outward from a central area of the chamber, the lobes being in fluid communication with the central area, and the lobes defining spaces positioned between the lobes located adjacent to each other; and
a polymer foam material having a surface that defines a concave area with a shape of at least a portion of the chamber, the chamber being positioned within the concave area such that one of the first surface and the second surface of the chamber are substantially co-planar with the surface of the polymer foam material. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of manufacturing a fluid-filled chamber for an article of footwear, the method comprising steps of:
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positioning a parison between a first portion and a corresponding second portion of a mold;
bending the parison with contours of the mold as the first portion and the second portion translate toward each other, the contours of the mold being positioned separate from a cavity within the mold, the cavity having a shape of the chamber;
shaping opposite sides of the parison to form the chamber within the cavity; and
bonding the opposite sides of the parison together. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification