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US 2025/0082064 A1Published application
Articles of footwear with adaptive-height bladder elements
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsAaron B. Weast, Peter P. Williams, II, Alexander S. Siegel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Articles of footwear can include an adaptive-height sole structure that includes a variable height bladder system. The sole structure can include one or more bladder systems positioned between a midsole and a banking plate. The banking plate can change its relative orientation to the midsole based on an inflation level of the bladder systems.
Claims20
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper;
- a sole structure having a lateral side and a medial side, at least one adjustable height bladder system comprising at least one cavity containing a fluid to change a banking angle of the article of footwear;
- one or more sensors configured to detect a change in a directional movement of the article of footwear;
- and
- a fluid control system configured to adjust an amount of inflation of the at least one adjustable height bladder system by adjusting an amount of the fluid in the at least one cavity based on the detected change in the directional movement,
- wherein the banking angle is an angle at which an upper surface of the sole structure is inclined about a longitudinal axis of the article of footwear relative to a horizontal plane.
3 more elements
A method of adjusting a banking angle in an article of footwear, the method comprising:
- detecting a change in a directional movement of the article of footwear using one or more sensors;
- transmitting a signal from the sensors to a fluid control system based on the detected change in the directional movement;
- and
- adjusting an amount of fluid in at least one adjustable height bladder system based on the signal to change the banking angle of the article of footwear,
- wherein the banking angle is an angle at which an upper surface of a sole structure is inclined about a longitudinal axis of the article of footwear relative to a horizontal plane.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.