Article of footwear having a flexible fluid-filled chamber
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorScott C. Holt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article of footwear may include an upper forming a void within the footwear, a sole structure secured to the upper, and a chamber that encloses a pressurized fluid. The sole structure includes a depression. The chamber is located within the void of the upper and located on the depression of the sole structure. The chamber may include a plurality of fluid-filled subchambers, a manifold, and a connection fluidically-connected at least one of the subchambers to the manifold. The subchambers may enclose the pressurized fluid at different pressures. The subchambers may be separated from one another by a bonded area in the direction extending between the heel and toe of the chamber.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A mold comprising:
- a first recess defining a shape of a first fluid-filled chamber, the first fluid-filled chamber including a first plurality of subchambers and a first manifold in fluid communication with at least one subchamber of the first plurality of subchambers;
- a second recess defining a shape of a second fluid-filled chamber, the second fluid-filled chamber including a second plurality of subchambers and a second manifold in fluid communication with at least one subchamber of the second plurality of subchambers;
- and
- a third recess extending between and in fluid communication with the first recess and the second recess, the third recess operable to form a main conduit (i) connected to the first fluid-filled chamber and the second fluid-filled chamber and (ii) in fluid communication with the first manifold and the second manifold.
A method comprising:
- forming a first fluid-filled chamber having a first plurality of subchambers and a first manifold in fluid communication with at least one subchamber of the first plurality of sub chambers;
- forming a second fluid-filled chamber having a second plurality of subchambers and a second manifold in fluid communication with at least one subchamber of the second plurality of subchambers;
- and
- simultaneously supplying the first manifold and the second manifold with a fluid via a main conduit extending between and in fluid communication with the first fluid-filled chamber and the second fluid-filled chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.