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US 12,171,300 B2Granted
Sole structure of an article of footwear
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsDevin Bailly, Wade Flanagan, Eric S. Schindler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a midsole and a fluid-filled chamber. The midsole includes a plurality of projections. At least one of the plurality of projections forms a first portion of a peripheral side wall of the sole structure. The fluid-filled chamber includes a central portion, a plurality of lobes extending outward from the central portion, and a plurality of channels formed between the plurality of lobes. A first lobe of the plurality of lobes is disposed between at least two of the plurality of projections such that the first lobe forms a second portion of the peripheral side wall of the sole structure.
Claims18
A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:
- a midsole having a plurality of projections, at least one of the plurality of projections forming a first portion of a peripheral side wall of the sole structure;
- and
- a fluid-filled chamber located in a heel region of the sole structure and being asymmetric about a central axis extending between a medial side of the fluid-filled chamber and a lateral side of the fluid-filled chamber, the fluid-filled chamber having a central portion, a plurality of lobes extending outward from the central portion and between respective projections of the plurality of projections to form a second portion of the peripheral side wall of the sole structure, a plurality of tunnels fluidly coupling respective lobes of the plurality of lobes to the central portion, a plurality of channels defined by adjacent lobes of the plurality of lobes and adjacent tunnels of the plurality of tunnels, at least one channel of the plurality of channels having a different shape than an adjacent channel of the plurality of channels, the plurality of channels including a lateral side channel and a medial side channel, both the lateral side channel and the medial side channel including a T-shape, a length of one of the lateral side channel and the medial side channel along a central, longitudinal axis of the fluid-filled chamber being shorter than a length of the other of the lateral side channel and the medial side channel along the central, longitudinal axis, and a parting line defining an exposed edge extending arcuately along the peripheral side wall of the sole structure from a first terminal end at an upper region of the fluid-filled chamber to a second terminal end at a bottom region of the fluid-filled chamber, the fluid-filled chamber being asymmetric about the central, longitudinal axis of the fluid-filled chamber, the central, longitudinal axis extending along a length of the sole structure from an anterior end to a posterior end, wherein at least one lobe of the plurality of lobes includes a thickness at a first end that tapers continuously in a direction from the heel region toward a forefoot region to a thickness at a second end that is less than the thickness at the first end.
A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:
- a midsole having a plurality of projections, at least one of the plurality of projections forming a first portion of a peripheral side wall of the sole structure;
- and
- a fluid-filled chamber located in a heel region of the sole structure and being asymmetric about a central, lateral axis extending between a medial side of the fluid-filled chamber and a lateral side of the fluid-filled chamber, the fluid-filled chamber having a central portion, a plurality of lobes extending outward from the central portion and between respective projections of the plurality of projections to form a second portion of the peripheral side wall of the sole structure, a plurality of tunnels fluidly coupling respective lobes of the plurality of lobes to the central portion, a plurality of channels defined by adjacent lobes of the plurality of lobes and adjacent tunnels of the plurality of tunnels, at least one channel of the plurality of channels having a different size than an adjacent channel of the plurality of channels, the plurality of channels including a lateral side channel and a medial side channel, both the lateral side channel and the medial side channel including a T-shape, a length of one of the lateral side channel and the medial side channel along a central, longitudinal axis of the fluid-filled chamber being shorter than a length of the other of the lateral side channel and the medial side channel along the central, longitudinal axis, and a parting line defining an exposed edge extending arcuately along the peripheral side wall of the sole structure from a first terminal end at an upper region of the fluid-filled chamber to a second terminal end at a bottom region of the fluid-filled chamber, the fluid-filled chamber being asymmetric about the central, longitudinal axis of the fluid-filled chamber, the central, longitudinal axis extending along a length of the sole structure from an anterior end to a posterior end, wherein at least one lobe of the plurality of lobes includes a thickness at a first end that tapers continuously in a direction from the heel region toward a forefoot region to a thickness at a second end that is less than the thickness at the first end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.