# US 11,992,086 B2 · Articulating footwear strobel with bladder and tensile component > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,992,086 B2 - Document ID: US11992086B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/690,819 - Filed: 2022-03-09 - Published: 2022-10-13 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-12 - Assignees: NIKE, Inc. - Applicants: NIKE, Inc. - Inventors: Ryan P. Callahan; Jeremy L. Connell; Carrie L. Davis; Windra Fahmi; Gjermund Haugbro; Fiona L. Lesecq; Jason R. Meeker; Benjamin Stewart; Dylan S. Van Atta; Darlan Zacharia - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992086B2 ## CPC - A43B 7/1425: situated under the ball of the foot, i.e. the joint between the first metatarsal and first phalange - A43B 13/20: Pneumatic soles {filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas (inflatable linings for skiboots A43B5/0407)} - A43B 7/143: situated under the lateral arch, i.e. the cuboid bone - A43B 7/1445: situated under the midfoot, i.e. the second, third or fourth metatarsal - A43B 7/145: situated under the toes, i.e. the phalanges - A43B 9/02: Footwear stitched or nailed through - A43B 13/127: {the midsole being multilayer} - A43B 13/189: {filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel, water} - A43B 13/40: with cushions - A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR ## Abstract A strobel for an article of footwear includes a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A first bond secures opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder to one another and extends transversely inward from a medial side of the peripheral flange only partway transversely across the interior cavity. A second bond is rearward of the first bond. The second bond extends transversely inward from a lateral side of the peripheral flange only partway transversely across the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity. An outer edge of the tensile component extends transversely inward at and borders a perimeter of the first bond and a perimeter of the second bond. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A strobel for an article of footwear, the strobel comprising: a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity, the polymeric bladder having a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity; a first bond securing opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder to one another and extending transversely inward from a medial side of the peripheral flange only partway transversely across the interior cavity to an end of the first bond; a second bond separate and distinct from the first bond, the second bond rearward of the first bond, securing the opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder to one another, and extending transversely inward from a lateral side of the peripheral flange only partway transversely across the interior cavity to an end of the second bond; and a unitary tensile component disposed in the interior cavity and secured to the opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder; wherein an outer edge of the unitary tensile component extends transversely inward at and borders a perimeter of the first bond both forward and rearward of the first bond and continuing around the end of the first bond, and borders a perimeter of the second bond both forward and rearward of the second bond and continuing around the end of the second bond, the unitary tensile component disposed between the end of the first bond and the end of the second bond. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The strobel of claim 1, wherein the polymeric bladder extends in a forefoot region and a midfoot region of the strobel and tapers in width in the midfoot region to a rear extent of the unitary tensile component. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The strobel of claim 1, wherein: the unitary tensile component has an aperture in a forefoot region of the strobel disposed between a hallux portion and a second toe portion of the forefoot region; and the opposing inner surfaces are bonded to one another at the aperture. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The strobel of claim 1, wherein the first bond curves rearward from the medial side of the peripheral flange. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The strobel of claim 1, wherein the second bond curves forward from the lateral side of the peripheral flange. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The strobel of claim 1, wherein: the polymeric bladder includes a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet secured to one another at and forming the peripheral flange, the first bond, and the second bond; the opposing inner surfaces including a first inner surface of the first polymeric sheet and a second inner surface of the second polymeric sheet; and the unitary tensile component includes a first tensile layer secured to the first inner surface, a second tensile layer secured to the second inner surface, and a plurality of tethers spanning the interior cavity from the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer and connecting the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The strobel of claim 6, wherein; the first polymeric sheet is joined to the first tensile layer at a first partial bond that protrudes inward from the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet only partially across the plurality of tethers; and the first partial bond extends across the first polymeric sheet from the first bond to the second bond. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The strobel of claim 1, wherein: the peripheral flange has a medial protrusion protruding transversely inward at the medial side of the peripheral flange to define a boundary between a toe section of a forefoot region of the strobel and a metatarsal section of the forefoot region of the strobel; and the outer edge of the unitary tensile component extends transversely inward at and borders the medial protrusion of the peripheral flange. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The strobel of claim 1, wherein: the peripheral flange has a lateral protrusion protruding transversely inward at the lateral side of the peripheral flange to define a boundary between a toe section of a forefoot region of the strobel and a metatarsal section of the forefoot region of the strobel; and the outer edge of the unitary tensile component extends transversely inward at and borders the lateral protrusion of the peripheral flange. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The strobel of claim 9, wherein: the peripheral flange has a medial protrusion protruding transversely inward at the medial side of the peripheral flange between the toe section and the metatarsal section of the forefoot region of the strobel; and the outer edge of the unitary tensile component extends transversely inward at and borders the medial protrusion of the peripheral flange. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The strobel of claim 10, wherein: the polymeric bladder includes a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet secured to one another at and forming the peripheral flange, the first bond, and the second bond; the opposing inner surfaces including a first inner surface of the first polymeric sheet and a second inner surface of the second polymeric sheet; the unitary tensile component includes a first tensile layer secured to the first inner surface, a second tensile layer secured to the second inner surface, and a plurality of tethers spanning the interior cavity from the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer and connecting the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer; the first polymeric sheet is joined to the first tensile layer at a transverse partial bond that protrudes inward from the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet only partially across the plurality of tethers; and the transverse partial bond extends from the lateral protrusion to the medial protrusion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The strobel of claim 1, wherein the peripheral flange is wider forward of the first bond than rearward of the first bond at both the medial side and the lateral side. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The strobel of claim 12, wherein the peripheral flange defines a groove extending lengthwise along the peripheral flange from the medial side to the lateral side and forward of the first bond. ### Claim 14 A strobel for an article of footwear, the strobel comprising: a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity, the polymeric bladder having a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity; a first bond securing opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder to one another and extending transversely inward from a medial side of the peripheral flange only partway transversely across the interior cavity; a second bond rearward of the first bond, securing the opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder to one another, and extending transversely inward from a lateral side of the peripheral flange only partway transversely across the interior cavity; and a tensile component disposed in the interior cavity and secured to the opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder; wherein an outer edge of the tensile component extends transversely inward at and borders a perimeter of the first bond and a perimeter of the second bond; wherein: the peripheral flange has a lateral protrusion protruding transversely inward at the lateral side of the peripheral flange to define a boundary between a toe section of a forefoot region of the strobel and a metatarsal section of the forefoot region of the strobel; the outer edge of the tensile component extends transversely inward at and borders the lateral protrusion of the peripheral flange; the peripheral flange has a front protrusion protruding rearward from a front of the peripheral flange; the outer edge of the tensile component extends rearward at and borders the front protrusion of the peripheral flange; the peripheral flange has a medial protrusion protruding transversely inward at the medial side of the peripheral flange between the toe section and the metatarsal section of the forefoot region of the strobel; the outer edge of the tensile component extends transversely inward at and borders the medial protrusion of the peripheral flange; the polymeric bladder includes a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet secured to one another at and forming the peripheral flange, the first bond, and the second bond; the opposing inner surfaces including a first inner surface of the first polymeric sheet and a second inner surface of the second polymeric sheet; the tensile component includes a first tensile layer secured to the first inner surface, a second tensile layer secured to the second inner surface, and a plurality of tethers spanning the interior cavity from the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer and connecting the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer; the first polymeric sheet is joined to the first tensile layer at a transverse partial bond that protrudes inward from the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet only partially across the plurality of tethers; the transverse partial bond extends from the lateral protrusion to the medial protrusion; the first polymeric sheet is joined to the first tensile layer at a front partial bond that protrudes inward from the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet only partially across the plurality of tethers; and the front partial bond extends from the front protrusion rearward toward the transverse partial bond. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The strobel of claim 14, wherein: the tensile component has an aperture in the forefoot region of the strobel disposed between a hallux portion and a second toe portion of the toe section; the opposing inner surfaces are bonded to one another at a central bond at the aperture of the tensile component; and the transverse partial bond and the front partial bond extend to the central bond. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The strobel of claim 14, wherein: the first polymeric sheet is joined to the first tensile layer at a toe joint partial bond that protrudes inward from the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet only partially across the plurality of tethers; and the toe joint partial bond extends forward of the transverse partial bond and is non-intersecting with the transverse partial bond and non-intersecting with the front partial bond. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The strobel of claim 14, wherein: the first polymeric sheet is joined to the first tensile layer at a first partial bond that protrudes inward from the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet only partially across the plurality of tethers; the first partial bond extends across the first polymeric sheet from the first bond to the second bond; the first polymeric sheet is joined to the first tensile layer at a middle partial bond that protrudes inward from the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet only partially across the plurality of tethers; and the middle partial bond extends rearward of the transverse partial bond and forward of the first partial bond, and is non-intersecting with the transverse partial bond and the first partial bond. ### Claim 18 A strobel for an article of footwear, the strobel comprising: a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity, the polymeric bladder having a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity; and a tensile component disposed in the interior cavity and secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder; wherein the tensile component has an aperture in a forefoot region of the strobel between a hallux portion and a second toe portion of the forefoot region; wherein the aperture is entirely surrounded by the tensile component; and wherein the opposing inner surfaces are bonded to one another at the aperture. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The strobel of claim 18, wherein the peripheral flange has a medial protrusion protruding transversely inward at a medial side of the peripheral flange in the forefoot region and a lateral protrusion protruding transversely inward at a lateral side of the peripheral flange in the forefoot region; and wherein an outer edge of the tensile component extends transversely inward at and borders the medial protrusion and the lateral protrusion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The strobel of claim 19, wherein: the peripheral flange has a front protrusion protruding rearward from a front of the peripheral flange; and the outer edge of the tensile component extends rearward at and borders the front protrusion of the peripheral flange.