Electronically controlled bladder assembly
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsJames Molyneux, Aaron B. Weast
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronically controlled bladder assembly includes an adjustable pressure bladder and a reservoir connected by an electronically controlled valve. The electronically controlled valve is operated in a manner that inflates the adjustable bladder when the current pressure is below a target pressure and in a manner that deflates the adjustable bladder when the current pressure is above the target pressure. The system and process described herein allows the bladder pressure to be iteratively increased toward and decreased toward the target pressure.
Claims20
A system for controlling gas pressure in a bladder of an article of footwear, comprising:
- a bladder located in a heel region of a sole structure of the article of footwear;
- a reservoir located in a midfoot region and/or a forefoot region of the sole structure of the article of footwear;
- an electronically controlled valve having a first fluid port configured to be placed in fluid communication with the bladder and a second fluid port configured to be placed in fluid communication with the reservoir;
- and
- an electronic control unit for controlling the electronically controlled valve, the electronic control unit including:
- (a) a first input port configured to receive pressure sensor data indicative of fluid pressure within the bladder, (b) a central processing unit, and (c) an output port in communication with the electronically controlled valve, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control operation of the electronically controlled valve to permit transfer of fluid:
- (i) to the bladder from the reservoir via the electronically controlled valve or (ii) from the bladder to the reservoir via the electronically controlled valve to thereby adjust fluid pressure in the bladder to a target bladder pressure or within a predetermined range of the target bladder pressure.
A system for controlling gas pressure in a bladder of an article of footwear, comprising:
- an electronically controlled valve having a first fluid port configured to be placed in fluid communication with a bladder and a second fluid port configured to be placed in fluid communication with a reservoir;
- and
- an electronic control unit for controlling the electronically controlled valve, the electronic control unit including:
- (a) a first input port configured to receive pressure sensor data indicative of fluid pressure within the bladder, (b) a second input port configured to receive input information from a first sensor, (c) a central processing unit, and (d) an output port in communication with the electronically controlled valve, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control operation of the electronically controlled valve to permit transfer of fluid:
- (i) to the bladder from the reservoir via the electronically controlled valve or (ii) from the bladder to the reservoir via the electronically controlled valve to thereby adjust fluid pressure in the bladder to a target bladder pressure or within a predetermined range of the target bladder pressure,
- wherein the input information received from the first sensor via the second input port includes one of:
- gyroscope data, accelerometer data, or GPS data, and wherein the electronic control unit automatically adjusts the target bladder pressure in response to data received from the first sensor via the second input port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.