Contoured fluid-filled chamber with a tensile member
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsZvi Rapaport, Darren C. Davison
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid-filled may include including an outer barrier, a tensile member, and a fluid. The tensile member may be located within barrier and formed from a textile element that includes a pair of spaced layers joined by a plurality of connecting members. A method of manufacturing the chamber may include locating a textile tensile member between two polymer elements. Pressure and heat are applied to the tensile member and the polymer elements in a first area and in a second area. The pressure is greater in the first area than in the second area. In addition, the polymer elements are bonded together around a periphery of the tensile member.
Claims16
A method of manufacturing a fluid-filled chamber, the method comprising:
- locating a textile tensile member between two polymer elements;
- applying pressure and heat to the tensile member and the polymer elements in a first area and in a second area, the pressure being greater in the first area than in the second area;
- bonding the polymer elements together around a periphery of the tensile member;
- and
- incorporating the chamber into an article of footwear by locating the first area in a forefoot region of the footwear and locating the second area in a heel region of the footwear.
A method of manufacturing a fluid-filled chamber, the method comprising:
- locating a textile tensile member between two polymer elements;
- positioning the tensile member and polymer elements between opposing surfaces of a laminating apparatus, a substantial majority of the surfaces that contact the polymer elements adjacent to the tensile member being non-parallel;
- compressing and heating the tensile member and the polymer elements with the laminating apparatus to bond the polymer elements to opposite sides of the tensile member to impart a non-uniform thickness to the tensile member;
- and
- bonding the polymer elements together around a periphery of the tensile member.
A method of manufacturing a fluid-filled chamber, the method comprising:
- locating a textile tensile member with a substantially uniform thickness between two polymer elements, the tensile member having a pair of tensile layers and a plurality of connecting members extending between the tensile layers, the tensile layers being substantially parallel to each other, and the connecting members having substantially uniform lengths;
- applying pressure to the tensile member and the polymer elements in a first area and in a second area, the pressure being greater in the first area than in the second area to impart a non-uniform thickness to the tensile member by decreasing a length of at least a portion of connecting members;
- and
- bonding the polymer elements together around a periphery of the tensile member.
A method of manufacturing a fluid-filled chamber, the method comprising:
- locating a textile tensile member between two polymer elements, the tensile member having a pair of tensile layers and a plurality of connecting members extending between the tensile layers, the tensile layers being substantially parallel to each other, and the connecting members having substantially uniform lengths;
- positioning the tensile member and polymer elements between opposing surfaces of an apparatus, at least a portion of the surfaces that contacts the polymer elements adjacent to the tensile member being non-parallel;
- compressing the tensile member and the polymer elements with the apparatus to (a) bond the polymer elements to the tensile layers and (b) decrease a length of at least a portion of the connecting members;
- and
- bonding the polymer elements together around a periphery of the tensile member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.