Article of footwear having a fluid-filled chamber with flexion zones

Abstract

An article of footwear is disclosed that includes a fluid-filled chamber with one or more flexion zones. The flexion zones may be areas of the chamber where a tensile element, for example, is absent, or the flexion zones may be areas of the chamber where opposite surfaces of the chamber are bonded together. The footwear may also include a sole structure with a flexion zone, and the flexion zone of the chamber may be aligned with the flexion zone of the sole structure. In other configurations, the chamber may include a chamber secured within a depression of a midsole of the footwear.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing Summary, as well as the following Detailed Description, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a lateral elevational view of an article of footwear having a first sole structure in accordance with aspects of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a medial elevational view of the article of footwear.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the article of footwear.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the article of footwear, as defined by section lines 4A and 4B in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a partial lateral elevational view of the article of footwear in a flexed configuration.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the first sole structure.

FIGS. 7A-7G are cross-sectional views of the first sole structure, as defined by section lines 7A-7G in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second sole structure.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the second sole structure.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the second sole structure.

FIGS. 11A-11D are cross-sectional views of the second sole structure, as defined by section lines 11A-11D in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a third sole structure.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the third sole structure.

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the third sole structure.

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of another chamber configuration.

FIG. 16 is a lateral elevational view of an article of footwear with a fourth sole structure.

FIG. 17 is a schematic bottom plan view of the fourth sole structure.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a fluid-filled chamber of the fourth sole structure.

FIG. 19 is a top plan view of the chamber.

FIGS. 20A and 20B are cross-sectional views of the chamber, as defined by section lines 20A and 20B in FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a top plan view of yet another chamber configuration.

FIGS. 22A and 22B are cross-sectional views of the chamber, as defined by section lines 22A and 22B in FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a top plan view of another chamber configuration.

FIGS. 24A and 24B are cross-sectional views of the chamber, as defined by section lines 24A and 24B in FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a lateral side elevational view of an article of footwear with a fifth sole structure.

FIG. 26 is an exploded lateral side view of the article of footwear having the fifth sole structure.

FIG. 27 is bottom plan view of the article of footwear having the fifth sole structure.

FIGS. 28A-28C are cross-sectional views of the footwear having the fifth sole structure, as defined by section lines 28A and 28B in FIG. 27.

FIGS. 29A-29D are cross-sectional views corresponding with FIG. 28A and depicting alternate configurations for the fifth sole structure.

Claims

1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising: a midsole element having an upper surface an opposite lower surface, the upper surface being positioned adjacent the upper, and the lower surface defining a depression extending upward and into the midsole element; anda fluid-filled chamber secured within the depression and extending outward from the depression, the chamber including at least one flexion bond wherein opposite sides of the chamber are bonded to each other.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein an outsole is secured to a lower surface of the chamber.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the outsole includes a plurality of discrete outsole sections.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 3, wherein the chamber includes a plurality of the flexion bonds, and the outsole sections are located between the flexion bonds.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the chamber includes a plurality of the flexion bonds.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 5, wherein the flexion bonds include at least one lateral flexion bond extending across a width of the chamber.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 5, wherein the flexion bonds include at least one longitudinal flexion bond extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the chamber.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 5, wherein the flexion bonds include: a plurality of lateral flexion bonds extending across a width of the chamber, andat least one longitudinal flexion bond extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the chamber.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 5, wherein the flexion bonds include: a plurality of lateral flexion bonds extending across a width of the chamber,a first longitudinal flexion bond extending through a longitudinal length of the chamber, anda second longitudinal flexion bond extending through only a portion of the longitudinal length of the chamber.

10. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising: a midsole element having an upper surface an opposite lower surface, the upper surface being positioned adjacent the upper;a fluid-filled chamber secured to the lower surface of the midsole element, the chamber including a plurality of flexion lines; andan outsole secured to the chamber to form a ground-contacting surface of the footwear.

11. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the lower surface of the midsole element defines an indentation extending upward and into the midsole element, and the chamber is secured within the indentation.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the chamber extends outward from the indentation.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the outsole includes a plurality of discrete outsole sections located between the flexion lines.

14. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the flexion lines are areas of the chamber where opposite sides of the chamber are bonded to each other.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the flexion lines include at least one lateral flexion line extending across a width of the chamber.

16. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the flexion lines include at least one longitudinal flexion line extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the chamber.

17. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the flexion lines include: a plurality of lateral flexion lines extending across a width of the chamber, andat least one longitudinal flexion line extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the chamber.

18. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the flexion lines include: a plurality of lateral flexion lines extending across a width of the chamber,a first longitudinal flexion line extending through a longitudinal length of the chamber, anda second longitudinal flexion line extending through only a portion of the longitudinal length of the chamber.

19. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the chamber includes a plurality of sub-chambers isolated from fluid communication.

20. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising: a midsole element having an upper surface an opposite lower surface, the upper surface being positioned adjacent the upper;a fluid-filled chamber secured to the lower surface of the midsole element, the chamber having a plurality of flexion bonds that extend between sub-chambers of the chamber; andan outsole secured to the chamber, the outsole including a plurality of outsole sections that are located between the flexion bonds,

21. The article of footwear recited in claim 20, wherein the sub-chambers are isolated from fluid communication with each other.

22. The article of footwear recited in claim 20, wherein the lower surface of the midsole element defines an indentation extending upward and into the midsole element, and the chamber is secured within the indentation.

23. The article of footwear recited in claim 22, wherein the chamber extends outward from the indentation.

24. The article of footwear recited in claim 20, wherein the flexion bonds include: a plurality of lateral flexion bonds extending across a width of the chamber, andat least one longitudinal flexion bond extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the chamber.

25. The article of footwear recited in claim 20, wherein the flexion bonds include: a plurality of lateral flexion bonds extending across a width of the chamber,a first longitudinal flexion bond extending through a longitudinal length of the chamber, anda second longitudinal flexion bond extending through only a portion of the longitudinal length of the chamber.

26. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising: a midsole element having an upper surface an opposite lower surface, the upper surface being positioned adjacent the upper, and the lower surface defining a depression extending upward and into the midsole element;a fluid-filled chamber secured within the depression and extending outward from the depression, the chamber including a plurality of flexion bonds where opposite sides of the chamber are bonded to each other, the flexion bonds including: a plurality of lateral flexion bonds extending across a width of the chamber, andat least one longitudinal flexion bond extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the chamber; andan outsole secured to a lower surface of the chamber, the outsole including a plurality of discrete outsole sections located between the flexion bonds.

27. The article of footwear recited in claim 26, wherein the flexion bonds define sub-chambers of the chamber.

28. The article of footwear recited in claim 26, wherein the sub-chambers are isolated from fluid communication with each other.

29. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising: a fluid-filled chamber having a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion separated by a chamber flexion line; andan outsole having a first outsole element and a separate second outsole element, the first outsole element being secured to the first chamber portion, and the second outsole element being secured to the second chamber portion,

30. The article of footwear recited in claim 29, wherein opposite sides of the chamber are bonded to each other in the chamber flexion zone.

31. The article of footwear recited in claim 29, wherein the chamber flexion line is oriented to extend in one of a longitudinal direction of the footwear and a direction between a medial side and a lateral side of the footwear.

32. The article of footwear recited in claim 29, wherein a first portion of the chamber flexion line is oriented to extend in a longitudinal direction of the footwear, and a second portion of the chamber flexion line is oriented to extend in a direction between a medial side and a lateral side of the footwear.

33. The article of footwear recited in claim 29, wherein the first chamber portion and the second chamber portion are isolated from fluid communication.

34. The article of footwear recited in claim 29, further including a midsole element having an upper surface an opposite lower surface, the upper surface being positioned adjacent the upper, and the lower surface defining a depression extending upward and into the midsole element, the chamber being secured within the depression.

35. The article of footwear recited in claim 34, wherein the chamber extends outward from the depression.

36. The article of footwear recited in claim 29, wherein the chamber flexion line includes: a plurality of lateral flexion lines extending across a width of the chamber, andat least one longitudinal flexion line extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the chamber.

37. The article of footwear recited in claim 29, wherein the chamber flexion line includes: a plurality of lateral flexion lines extending across a width of the chamber,a first longitudinal flexion line extending through a longitudinal length of the chamber, anda second longitudinal flexion line extending through only a portion of the longitudinal length of the chamber.