Article of footwear incorporating an illuminable fluid-filled chamber

• US 8,356,430 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Beers, Tiffany A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patterson, Marie
• Application Number:
  US12/704,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20110192053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 369/137, 369/103, 369/29, 362/103, 362/101, 362/84
• US Class Current: 36/137
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0027 made at least partially from a material having special colours
• 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 3/36 with light sources

Abstract

An article of footwear may have an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure includes a chamber and at least one illuminable element. The chamber is formed from an at least partially transparent polymer material that encloses a fluid, and a portion of an exterior surface of the chamber is exposed to form a portion of an exterior surface of the footwear. The illuminable element is located within the sole structure and adjacent to the exterior surface the chamber. Light from the illuminable element may pass out of the sole structure by passing through the chamber, thereby imparting the configuration of an illuminable fluid-filled chamber.

Claims

1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:

a chamber formed from an at least partially transparent polymer material that encloses a fluid, a portion of an exterior surface of the chamber being exposed to form a portion of an exterior surface of the footwear; and

at least one illuminable element located within the sole structure and adjacent to the exterior surface the chamber;

wherein the illuminable element is located along an upper-most surface of the chamber.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the illuminable element is an electroluminescent wire.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the electroluminescent wire is located adjacent to a periphery of the sole structure.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the electroluminescent wire repeatedly-crosses from a lateral side to a medial side of the sole structure.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the illuminable element is one of an electroluminescent sheet and a light emitting diode.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the illuminable element is positioned between the upper and the chamber.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the sole structure further includes a polymer foam element located between the upper and the chamber, and the illuminable element is positioned between the polymer foam element and the chamber.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the chamber and the illuminable element extend from a forefoot region to a heel region of the footwear, and the chamber forms the portion of the exterior surface of the footwear from the forefoot region to the heel region on both a lateral side and a medial side of the sole structure.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the footwear further includes a power source electrically-coupled to the illuminable element.

10. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:

a chamber formed from an at least partially transparent polymer material that encloses a fluid, the chamber extending from a forefoot region to a heel region of the footwear, and the chamber extending from a medial side to a lateral side of the footwear, the chamber having;

(a) an upper surface oriented to face the upper,

(b) a lower surface positioned opposite the upper surface and oriented to face a ground-engaging surface of the sole structure, and

(c) a peripheral surface extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, at least a portion of the peripheral surface being exposed to an exterior of the footwear from the forefoot region to the heel region on both the medial side and the lateral side; and

at least one illuminable element embedded within the sole structure and in contact with the upper surface of the chamber, the illuminable element extending from the forefoot region to the heel region.

11. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the illuminable element is one of an electroluminescent wire, an electroluminescent panel, and a light emitting diode.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the sole structure further includes a polymer foam element located between the upper and the chamber, and the illuminable element is positioned between the polymer foam element and the upper surface of the chamber.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the footwear further includes a power source electrically-coupled to the illuminable element.

14. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:

a fluid-filled chamber formed from an at least partially transparent polymer material, the chamber having an exterior surface, a first area of the exterior surface being exposed to an exterior of the footwear, and a second area of the exterior surface being located within the sole structure;

an opaque material secured to a portion of the second area of the exterior surface; and

at least one illuminable element located between the opaque material and the second area of the exterior surface;

wherein light from the illuminable element is capable of passing (a) into the chamber through the first area of the exterior surface and (b) out of the chamber through the second area of the exterior surface; and

wherein the illuminable element has a continuous, planar arrangement.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the illuminable element is one of an electroluminescent wire, an electroluminescent sheet, and a light emitting diode.

16. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the opaque material is a polymer foam element that extends between the upper and the chamber, and the illuminable element is positioned between the polymer foam element and the chamber.

17. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the chamber and the illuminable element extend from a forefoot region to a heel region of the footwear.

18. The article of footwear recited in claim 17, wherein the first area of the exterior surface is exposed from the forefoot region to the heel region.

19. The article of footwear recited in claim 17, wherein the first area of the exterior surface is positioned on a lateral side and a medial side of the footwear.

20. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the footwear further includes a power source electrically-coupled to the illuminable element.