Patent Application
20090090025
Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to footwear, and more particularly to footwear that includes a fluid-filled bladder system located between an upper member and an outsole of the footwear structure.
Conventional footwear products, and particularly athletic shoes, have included two primary elements, namely an upper member and a sole member or structure. The upper member provides a covering for the foot that securely receives and positions the foot with respect to the sole structure. In addition, the upper member may have a configuration that protects the foot and provides ventilation, thereby cooling the foot and removing perspiration. The sole structure generally is secured to a lower portion of the upper member and generally is positioned between the foot and the ground. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces, the sole structure may provide traction and control foot motions, such as pronation. Typically, the sole structure is attached to the upper member, e.g., using adhesives, stitching, welding, etc. Accordingly, the upper member and the sole structure operate cooperatively to provide a comfortable structure that is suited for a variety of ambulatory activities, such as walking and running.
The sole member or structure of athletic footwear generally has exhibited a layered configuration that includes a comfort-enhancing insole, a resilient midsole formed from a polymer foam material, and a ground-contacting outsole that provides both abrasion-resistance and traction. The midsole is the primary sole structure element that attenuates ground reaction forces and controls foot motions. Suitable polymer foam materials for the midsole include ethylvinylacetate or polyurethane that compress resiliently under an applied load to attenuate ground reaction forces. Conventional polymer foam materials are resiliently compressible, in part, due to the inclusion of a plurality of open or closed cells that define an inner volume substantially displaced by gas. Additional elements that attenuate ground reaction forces, or impacts, may include fluid-filled bladders that compress and deform to absorb the impact and thereby cushion the foot during the impact.
The present invention generally relates to new and novel sole structures for footwear that include one or more fluid-filled bladders.
The following presents a general summary of aspects of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of at least some of its aspects. This summary is not intended as an extensive overview of the disclosure. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure or to delineate the scope of the disclosure. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the disclosure in a general form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.
Aspects of this disclosure relate to footwear structures. Such structures may include an upper having a foot-receiving opening defined therein, wherein the upper defines an interior chamber and an exterior surface and a sole structure including a midsole, and an outsole. Such footwear structures may also have a heel plate and at least one lobe located between the upper and the outsole, wherein the at least one lobe extends laterally beyond a heel area of the upper (e.g. laterally outside of the footwear's heel counter perimeter, if any) and meets the heel plate at the lobe's edge that is laterally farthest away from the upper.
Additional aspects of this disclosure relate to an article of footwear with an upper and a sole structure including a midsole and an outsole. The footwear may also include a heel plate and at least one lobe located between the upper and the outsole. The lobe extends laterally beyond a heel area of the upper and meets the heel plate at the lobe's edge that is laterally farthest away from the upper so that the lobe is exposed. The lobe may be exposed such that when viewed from above, in a direction generally perpendicular to the sole (or generally downward from above), the lobe is at least partially visible beyond the sides of the heel area of the upper (e.g., outside the perimeter of the heel counter or other heel perimeter structure provided with the footwear structure).
In additional aspects of the disclosure the sole may include a heel plate that extends laterally beyond the heel counter and/or beyond the heel area perimeter of the upper. Further, the lobe may be a fluid-filled bladder (e.g., filled with air or other gas or fluid). Also, the footwear structure may include a plurality of lobes, such as three lobes, arranged around the heel area of the upper such that one lobe is positioned adjacent each of a medial side, a lateral side, and a rear side of a heel portion of the article of footwear. Further, the lobes may include a curved exterior extending between the midsole and the heel plate such that the curved exterior extends downwardly and away from the midsole toward the heel plate and so the curved exterior of the lobe terminates or meets the heel plate at a location where it is laterally farthest from the midsole. In such structures, the curved, exposed exterior portion of the lobe may not curve back toward an interior of the article of footwear.
A more complete understanding of the present disclosure and certain advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description in consideration with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:
In the following description of various example embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various example structures and systems in which aspects of the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other specific arrangements of parts, structures, example devices, systems, and the like may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Also, while the terms “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “side,” and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements of the disclosure, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g. based on the example orientations shown in the figures and/or orientations during typical use (for example, when standing still). Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three dimensional orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of this disclosure.
The heel plate may be enlarged relative to a heel plate sized to substantially correspond to the perimeter of the upper in a rear heel area or a heel counter's size and shape. This enlarged heel plate 20 may provide several features. For example, the enlarged heel plate 20 may provide additional stability for the footwear. More specifically, the enlarged heel plate 20 provides the sole structure 3 additional area around the heel to create a wider base. This wider base increases the stability of the footwear. For example, during an activity such as running or jogging, the wearer may have a stride wherein the heel makes contact with the ground before any other part of the footwear. Therefore, greater stability at the heel is desirable. In the disclosed embodiment, the additional area of the sole structure 3 on the medial and lateral sides can aid in creating additional stability during such a heel strike. Another consequence of the heel striking the ground before another part of the footwear is that the impact at the heel portion will be greater than at other parts of the footwear. By providing additional sole structure in the area around the heel, there is more area to add impact attenuating elements. The additional impact attenuating elements will aid to dissipate the impact forces from the heel strike. This will assist in attenuating the ground reaction forces caused by the impact of the heel on the ground.
The footwear in the depicted embodiment also has a fluid filled bladder 17. The fluid-filled bladder 17 can attenuate ground reaction forces or impacts. For example, the bladder 17 can aid in absorbing the impact forces caused by running, jumping or merely walking. The bladder 17 must be strong enough to withstand the repetitive impacts imparted to it during the normal wear, but the bladder 17 also must be flexible so as to absorb the impact forces imparted to the foot. The fluid in the bladder may be air or other gases. In such a case, the fluid-filled bladder 17 may be an airbag. The airbag may be made from a flexible material such as elastomer or plastic provided the material is both strong and flexible enough to realize the above features. Suitable fluid-filled bladder materials and constructions are known in the art, such as in commercially available footwear products marketed by NIKE, Inc. of Beaverton, Oreg., e.g., under various “AIR” brand trademarks.
The fluid-filled bladder 17 is positioned between the upper 2 and outsole 5. For example, the fluid-filled bladder 17 may be positioned at the midsole 4, within the midsole 4, between the midsole 4 and the outsole 5, between the upper 2 and the midsole 4, etc. The fluid-filled bladder 17 may include a single lobe or a plurality of lobes 25 positioned around the heel portion 15. In the depicted embodiment, a plurality of lobes 25 is shown and the lobes 25 are disposed at least partially on the enlarged heel plate 20. Further, as seen in
The fluid-filled bladder(s) 17 and/or lobe(s) 25 may rest on a top surface of the heel plate 20, e.g., as shown in
As shown in
As seen in
A further feature of the exposed bladder 17 is that less material, such as polymer foam material, is needed for the footwear. Because the bladder does not have to be surrounded by the polymer foam material, less of such material is need for creating the shoe. Therefore, the shoe will be lighter in weight and less expensive to produce.
In the depicted embodiment, the greater amount of deformation of the fluid-filled bladder 17 is due, in part, to the heel plate 20 being enlarged. Compared to a heel plate sized to substantially correspond to the perimeter of the upper in the rear heel area or a heel counter's size and shape, the enlarged heel plate 20 provides additional room for the bladder 17 to be exposed to empty space. As shown in the
Further, as mentioned above in the disclosed embodiment the lobes' curved exteriors 30 between the midsole 4 and the enlarged heel plate 20 are exposed. This is due, in part, to the enlarged heel plate 20 which allows the lobes to extend farther out beyond the heel area of the upper. In this way, when the footwear 1 is viewed from above, in a direction generally perpendicular to the sole 3, the lobes 25 are at least partially visible extending beyond a perimeter of the heel area of the upper 2. For example, in the depicted embodiment, which has a lobe 25 positioned at each of a rear, medial and lateral side of the heel, all three lobes would be at least partially visible when viewed from above. This is shown in the
Articles of footwear or components thereof may have a variety of different properties without departing from the invention. For example, while the “lobes” have generally been described herein as exposed portions of a fluid-filled bladder, this is not a requirement. Rather, if desired, the lobes may constitute a foam or other impact-attenuating material (e.g., polyurethane form or ethylvinylacetate foam material) that extends outward from a portion of the sole structure, e.g. through openings or “windows” provided in the sole structure (e.g., openings in the midsole, openings provided between the midsole and a heel plate and/or the outsole, etc.). As another example, any desired number of “lobes” and/or openings therefore may be provided in a footwear structure without departing from this invention. Not every lobe in a given footwear structure need have the same size, shape, and/or construction (e.g., one lobe may be from a fluid-filled bladder while another lobe may be a foam or other material, etc.).
As yet another example, if desired, the lobes may be formed as a single, one-piece structure, such as a single fluid-filled bladder structure or foam element structure, having the desired shape and number of lobes. Alternatively, if desired, multiple lobe containing elements may be included in a footwear structure (e.g., each lobe constituting a single and independent fluid-filled bladder or foam structure, multiple fluid-filled bladders or foam structures in a given footwear structure wherein each includes one or more independent lobes, etc.).
Footwear structures in accordance with examples of this invention may include additional features, including conventional features of footwear that are known and used in the art (e.g., laces, buckles, or other securing structures, etc.). Also, aspects of this invention may be practiced in any type of footwear or other foot-receiving device structure, such as athletic shoes, dress shoes, sandals, sport specific shoes, ski boots, etc.
The articles of footwear described herein also show the lobes openly and completely exposed to the exterior environment. This also is not a requirement. For example, if desired, the article of footwear may include a cage or other structural member overlaying the exposed exterior surface of one or more of the lobes, e.g. to protect it from the environment, sharp objects, damage, abrasion, or the like.
Therefore, while the disclosure has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the disclosure, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described structures and methods. Thus, the spirit and scope of the disclosure should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.
