Patent Application
20240206591
The present disclosure generally relates to a cushioning component for a wearable article that includes a bladder and a core of at least one polymeric sheet disposed in the bladder.
Wearable articles, such as articles of footwear, often include cushioning components. Some cushioning components are configured as fluid-filled bladders that enclose an interior cavity to retain a gas in the interior cavity, providing cushioning when loaded.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only, are schematic in nature, and are intended to be exemplary rather than to limit the scope of the disclosure.
The present disclosure generally relates to a wearable article that includes a cushioning component having a bladder and a core disposed in the bladder comprising at least one polymeric sheet, the at least one polymeric sheet bonded to inner sides of barrier sheets of the bladder to act as a tensile component. Providing a tensile component within a bladder may be useful in restraining the bladder when inflated, preventing it from adopting a ball-like shape. A tensile component such as the core according to the present disclosure enables bonding the at least one polymeric sheet to the barrier sheets at bonds having patterns that result in technical advantages both in performance aspects of the cushioning component and ease of manufacturing the cushioning component.
More specifically, a cushioning component for a wearable article comprises a bladder including a first barrier sheet and a second barrier sheet. The first barrier sheet and the second barrier sheet define an interior cavity between opposing inner surfaces of the first barrier sheet and the second barrier sheet and are sealed to one another along a peripheral bond to enclose the interior cavity and retain a gas in the interior cavity. The cushioning component includes a core disposed in the interior cavity such that it is spaced entirely inward of the peripheral bond. The core includes at least one polymeric sheet traversing the interior cavity between and directly bonded to the opposing inner surfaces of the first barrier sheet and the second barrier sheet at a plurality of bonds to tether the first barrier sheet to the second barrier sheet. The at least one polymeric sheet is displaced from the opposing inner surfaces by the gas at unbonded areas of the at least one polymeric sheet. The plurality of bonds are arranged such that the gas in the interior cavity is in fluid communication around the at least one polymeric sheet without the at least one polymeric sheet creating any sealed chambers within the bladder that are not in fluid communication with the interior cavity. In other words, the at least one polymeric sheet does not subdivide the interior cavity into separate, sealed subchambers.
In some implementations, the at least one polymeric sheet is a single polymeric sheet and is bonded to both inner surfaces of the barrier sheets. In other implementations, there are multiple polymeric sheets making up the core. By utilizing blocker ink disposed on the at least one polymeric sheet, the patterns of bonds of the core to the inner surfaces of the barrier sheets (and the bonds of adjacent polymeric sheets in embodiments in which the core includes more than one polymeric sheet) are controlled to determine the final geometry of the completed cushioning component, including height differentials in different regions of an article of footwear, toe spring, etc.
Moreover, utilizing blocker ink enables ease in manufacturing, as blocker ink patterns may be digitally implemented relatively easily in comparison to other tensile components that require specific molds or mold inserts to control bond formation of barrier sheets to internally placed polymeric sheets.
In some implementations, the core includes only a single polymeric sheet that is bonded to the opposing inner surfaces of the first and second barrier sheets. In an example, blocker ink patterns may be linear rows that result in a pattern of bonds providing a zig-zag arrangement of the single polymeric sheet between the barrier sheets. In still other embodiments, the blocker ink patterns result in a pattern of bonds extending outward from a central region in an array.
In other implementations, the core includes multiple polymeric sheets some of which have adjacent sides bonded to one another. The blocker ink patterns may result in a pattern of bonds providing a honeycomb arrangement of the polymeric sheets of the core within the interior cavity.
By disposing the blocker ink so that it extends to an outer perimeter of the core at the inner surfaces of the barrier sheets, and by ensuring that the outer perimeter of the core is entirely inward of the peripheral bond of the barrier sheets, the pattern of bonds of the core does not result in any sealed chambers within the bladder that are not in fluid communication with the interior cavity. In this way, the core itself controls the final geometry of the inflated cushioning component but does not affect the cushioning response of the cushioning component under dynamic loading. Additionally, by utilizing blocker ink, the cushioning component may be relatively flat prior to inflation.
The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present teachings are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the modes for carrying out the present teachings when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though in the following Figures embodiments may be separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.
As used herein, blocker ink may also be referred to as anti-weld ink or anti-weld material and may be printed according to a different predetermined programmed pattern for each side 22, 26 of the polymeric sheet 10 at all selected locations where bonds of the polymeric sheet 10 to barrier sheets 16, 18, described herein, are not desired. When bonded to one another such as by thermal processing, the stacked, flat polymeric sheet 10 and barrier sheets 16, 18 create bonds between adjacent sheets on all adjacent sheet surfaces except where the blocker ink is disposed. Accordingly, the patterns of blocker ink determine corresponding patterns of resulting bonds in the finished cushioning component 14.
It is apparent from
A width of each of the areas 22A, 22B, and 22C between the adjacent rows of blocker ink 24 on the second side 22 is less than a width of each of the rows E, F, and G of blocker ink 24 on the first side 26. Similarly, a width of each of the areas 26A and 26B between the adjacent rows of blocker ink 24 on the first side 26 is less than a width of each of the rows B and C of blocker ink 24 on the second side 22. A width of each of end areas 26D and 26C is less than a width of respective rows A and D of blocker ink 24. With this arrangement, no portion of any of the areas 22A, 22B, and 22C is opposed by a portion of the first side 26 that is not covered with blocker ink 24 and no portion of any of the areas 26A, 26B, 26C, and 26D is opposed by a portion of the second side 22 that is not covered with blocker ink 24.
As shown in
This placement of the patterns of the blocker ink 24 relative to the outer perimeter 34 as well as placing the core 12 so that the entire outer perimeter 34 is entirely inward of a peripheral bond 38 at which the first barrier sheet 16 is bonded to the second barrier sheet 18 ensures that the core 12 will tether the first and second barrier sheets 16 and 18 without creating any sealed chambers that are not in fluid communication with the interior cavity 21 defined between the opposing inner surfaces 17, 19 of the barrier sheets 16, 18. The core 12 will thus collapse to return toward the flat state under dynamic compressive loading of the cushioning component 14 and acts as a tether to control and vary the distance between the respective inner surfaces 17, 19 of the barrier sheets 16, 18 without affecting the ability of the bladder 20 to compress under loading.
Traditional tensile components may include a first polymeric sheet bonded only to the inner surface of the first barrier sheet, a second polymeric sheet bonded only to the inner surface of the second barrier sheet, and a plurality of tethers extending from the first polymeric sheet to the second polymeric sheet. Due to this configuration, such traditional tensile components are not relatively flat or sheet-like prior to inflating the interior cavity of a bladder in which they are disposed and are not amendable to heat pressing either to create a core of multiple polymeric sheets or to bond a core of a single polymeric sheet or multiple polymeric sheets to the inner surfaces of the barrier sheets.
The barrier sheets 16, 18 of the bladder 20 can be formed from a variety of materials including various polymers that can resiliently retain a fluid such as air or another gas. The polymeric sheet 10 may be formed of the same material or materials as the barrier sheets 16, 18 as described herein, or may be formed of a polymeric material that does not necessarily retain fluid, as, unlike the barrier sheets 16, 18, the polymeric sheet 10 functions as a tether but does not seal any interior cavity as do the barrier sheets 16, 18. Examples of polymer materials for the barrier sheets 16, 18 and the polymeric sheet 10 can include thermoplastic urethane, polyurethane, polyester, polyester polyurethane, and polyether polyurethane. Moreover, the barrier sheets 16, 18 and the polymeric sheet 10 can be formed of layers of different materials. In one embodiment, the barrier sheets 16, 18 and/or the polymeric sheet 10 is formed from thin films having one or more thermoplastic polyurethane layers with one or more barrier layers of a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl alcohol (EVOH) that is impermeable to the pressurized fluid contained therein as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,025, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. The barrier sheets 16, 18 and the polymeric sheet 10 may also be formed from a material that includes alternating layers of thermoplastic polyurethane and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,713,141 and 5,952,065 to Mitchell et al. which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. Alternatively, the layers may include ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, thermoplastic polyurethane, and a regrind material of the ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer and thermoplastic polyurethane. The barrier sheets 16, 18 and the polymeric sheet 10 May also be a flexible microlayer membrane that includes alternating layers of a gas barrier material and an elastomeric material, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,082,025 and 6,127,026 to Bonk et al. which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. Additional suitable materials for the barrier sheets 16, 18 and the polymeric sheet 10 are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,183,156 and 4,219,945 to Rudy which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. Further suitable materials for the barrier sheets 16, 18 and the polymeric sheet 10 include thermoplastic films containing a crystalline material, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,936,029 and 5,042,176 to Rudy, and polyurethane including a polyester polyol, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,013,340, 6,203,868, and 6,321,465 to Bonk et al. which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. In selecting materials for the barrier sheets 16, 18 and the polymeric sheet 10, engineering properties such as tensile strength, stretch properties, fatigue characteristics, dynamic modulus, and loss tangent can be considered. The thickness of the barrier sheets 16, 18 and the polymeric sheet 10 can be selected to provide these characteristics.
A first pattern of bonds 44 is formed at the interfacing areas of the first side 26 of the polymeric sheet 10 and the inner surface 17 of the first barrier sheet 16 (e.g., where there is not blocker ink 24 between the first side 26 and the inner surface 17). A second pattern of bonds 46 is formed at the interfacing areas of the second side 22 of the polymeric sheet 10 and the inner surface 19 of the second barrier sheet 18 (e.g., where there is not blocker ink 24 between the second side 22 and the inner surface 19). The blocker ink 24 prevents bonding at any interfacing areas where it is disposed. As can be seen in
The polymeric sheet 10 is displaced from the opposing inner surfaces 17, 19 by the gas at unbonded areas (areas where blocker ink 24 is initially disposed) of the polymeric sheet 10. The bonds 44, 46 are arranged in patterns (e.g., the first pattern of bonds 44 at the first barrier sheet 16 and the second pattern of bonds 46 at the second barrier sheet 18) such that the gas in the interior cavity 21 is in fluid communication around the polymeric sheet 10 without the polymeric sheet 10 creating any sealed chambers within the bladder 20 that are not in fluid communication with the interior cavity 21.
More specifically, because each of the rows of the blocker ink 24 extends to the outer perimeter 34 of the core 12 at the inner surface 17 of the first barrier sheet 16 (e.g., rows E, F, and G) or at the inner surface 19 of the second barrier sheet 18 (e.g., rows A, B, C, and D) there are no unbonded portions of the polymeric sheet 10 that are not open to the outer perimeter 34 and therefore none are cut off from fluid communication with the gas in the interior cavity 21. The second set of bonds 46 is offset from the first set of bonds 44 such that bonds 46 of the second set alternate with bonds 44 of the first set along the length of the single polymeric sheet 10 of the core 12, as shown in
As is apparent in
Similarly, tension created in the polymeric sheet 10 by the inflation of the interior cavity 21 causes portions of the second barrier sheet 18 inward of the outer perimeter 34 of the core 12 to be pulled upward at the bonds 46, as indicated by the contoured exterior surface 52 of the second barrier sheet 18. The pattern of blocker ink 24 printed on the polymeric sheet 10 and the resulting patterns of bonds 44, 46 of the polymeric sheet 10 of the core 12 to the barrier sheets 16, 18 can be selected to control the resulting contours of the exterior surfaces 50, 52 of the barrier sheets 16, 18.
The polymeric sheet 110 traverses the interior cavity 121 between and is directly bonded to the inner surface 117 of the first barrier sheet 116 and to the opposing inner surface 119 of the second barrier sheet 118 at a plurality of bonds 144, 146 to tether the first barrier sheet 116 to the second barrier sheet 118. The bonds 144 bond a first side 126 of the polymeric sheet 110 to the inner surface 117 of the first barrier sheet 116. The bonds 146 bond a second side 122 of the polymeric sheet 110 to the inner surface 119 of the second barrier sheet 118. The polymeric sheet 110 is displaced from the opposing inner surfaces 117, 119 by the gas at unbonded areas of the polymeric sheet 110 (all areas where blocker ink 24 is printed as shown in
The tension created in the polymeric sheet 110 by the inflation of the interior cavity 121 causes a top exterior surface 150 of the first barrier sheet 116 inward of the peripheral bond 138 to be pulled downward at the bonds 144. Similarly, tension created in the polymeric sheet 110 by the inflation of the interior cavity 121 causes a bottom exterior surface 152 of the second barrier sheet 118 inward of the peripheral bond 138 to be pulled upward at the bonds 146. The patterns of blocker ink printed 24 on the polymeric sheet 110 and the resulting patterns of bonds 144, 146 of the polymeric sheet 110 of the core 112 to the barrier sheets 116, 118 can be selected to control the resulting contours of the exterior surfaces 150, 152 of the barrier sheets 116, 118.
Because the outer perimeter 134 of the polymeric sheet 110 is entirely inward of the peripheral bond 138 between the barrier sheets 116, 118, and because the plurality of bonds 144, 146 are arranged in patterns specifically determined by the predetermined patterns of blocker ink 24 on the first and second sides 126, 122 of the polymeric sheet 110 (as described with respect to
The first set of bonds 144 and the second set of bonds 146 begin at an outer extent of a central region 160 and extend outward from the central region 160 of the single polymeric sheet 110 to the outer perimeter 134 of the polymeric sheet 110 in an array. The bonds 144 of the first set alternate with the bonds 146 of the second set around the central region 160, as best shown in
Blocker ink 24 is also printed on the second side 122 in a different predetermined pattern (referred to as a second predetermined pattern) than on the first side 126. The second predetermined pattern of blocker ink 24 printed on the second side 122 includes all areas except for equally spaced linear strips 164 extending in an array outward from the central region 160 on the second side 122. The strips 164 that have no blocker ink 24 thereon become the areas at the bonds 146 where the polymeric sheet 110 is bonded to the second barrier sheet 118 after thermal processing is carried out to produce cushioning component 114. In
Like the core 12, the core 112 lies relatively flat along with the barrier sheets 116, 118 prior to inflation of the interior cavity 121. The core 112 becomes tensioned to tether the barrier sheets 116, 118 to one another when inflated. Because the bonds 144 and 146 are linear bonds arranged to extend radially outward, the distance between adjacent bonds is greater at the outer perimeter 34 than at the central region 160. When the interior cavity 121 is inflated, this configuration of the bonds 144, 146 causes the distance between the first barrier sheet 116 and the second barrier sheet 118 to be less at the central region 160 than at the outer perimeter 134 of the core 112, with the distance between the sheets 116, 118 increasing linearly in the outward direction. The cushioning component 114 thus has greater height at the outer perimeter 134 than at the central region 160 and appears to be centrally depressed at both the exterior of the first barrier sheet 116 and the exterior of the second barrier sheet 118.
The first polymeric sheet 210 has area 222A between rows H and I, area 222B between rows I and J, and area 222C between rows J and K. Area 222D is between row H and edge 234C of the outer perimeter 234 of the core 212. Area 222E is between row K and edge 234D of the outer perimeter 234 of the core. Adjacent rows H and I, adjacent rows I and J, and adjacent rows J and K are spaced equal distances apart from one another so that each of the areas 222A, 222B, and 222C is of an equal size. No blocker ink 24 is disposed on areas 222A, 222B, 222C, 222D, and 222E.
The second polymeric sheet 211 has area 213A between rows L and N, area 213B between rows N and P, and area 213C between rows P and Q. Area 213D is between row Q and edge 234C of the outer perimeter 234 of the core 212. Area 213E is between row L and edge 234D of the outer perimeter 234 of the core 212. Adjacent rows L and N, adjacent rows N and P, and adjacent rows P and Q are spaced equal distances apart from one another so that each of the areas 213A, 213B, and 213C is of an equal size that is the same size as each of the areas 222A, 222B, and 222C. No blocker ink 24 is disposed on areas 213A, 213B, 213C, 213D, and 213E.
In
Referring again to
The barrier sheets 216, 218 and the core 212 are subjected to thermal processing so that the first side 222 of the first polymeric sheet 210 is directly bonded to the first inner surface 217 of the first barrier sheet 216 at a first set of bonds 244 of the plurality of bonds, the second side 213 of the second polymeric sheet 211 is directly bonded to the first inner surface 219 of the second barrier sheet 218 at a second set of bonds 246 of the plurality of bonds, the second side 226 of the first polymeric sheet 210 is bonded to the first side 215 of the second polymeric sheet 211 at a third set of bonds 247 of the plurality of bonds. The bonds of the third set of bonds 247 alternate with the bonds of the first set of bonds 244 along a length of the first polymeric sheet 210 (the length being between the first end 249A and the second end 249B of the first polymeric sheet 210 in
The core 212 is spaced entirely inward of the peripheral bond 238. Stated differently, the four edges 234A, 234B, 234C, and 234D of the outer perimeter 234 of the core 212 are entirely inward of the peripheral bond 238. As shown in
In the relatively extended states (e.g., in any of the inflated states of
The polymeric sheets 210 and 211 are displaced from the opposing inner surfaces 217, 219 by the gas at unbonded areas (at rows H, I, J, and K of
More specifically, because each of the rows H, I, J, and K of the blocker ink 24 extends to the opposite edges 234A, 234B of the outer perimeter 234 of the core 212 at the inner surface 217 of the first barrier sheet 216, each of the rows L, N, P, and Q extends to the opposite edges 234A, 234B of the outer perimeter 234 of the core 212 at the inner surface 219 of the second barrier sheet 218, and each of the rows R, S, T, U, and V extends to the opposite edges 234A, 234B of the outer perimeter 234 of the core 212 between the first and second polymeric sheets 210, 211 with row R extending along and at the edge 234C and row V extending along and at the edge 234D, there are no unbonded portions of the polymeric sheets 210 and 211 that are not open to the outer perimeter 234 and therefore cut off from fluid communication with the gas in the interior cavity 221.
Because the first set of bonds 244 are at the areas 222A, 222B, 222C, 222D, and 222E, the first set of bonds 244 are linear bonds arranged in rows. Because the second set of bonds 244 are at the areas 213A, 213B, 213C, 213D, and 213E, the second set of bonds 244 are also linear bonds arranged in rows. Because the third set of bonds 247 are at the areas 215A, 215B, 215C, and 215D, the third set of bonds 247 are also linear bonds arranged in rows.
As is apparent in
Similarly, tension created in the polymeric sheet 211 by the inflation of the interior cavity 221 causes portions of the second barrier sheet 218 inward of the outer perimeter 234 of the core 12 to be pulled upward at the bonds 246, as indicated by the contoured exterior surface 252 of the second barrier sheet 218. The pattern of blocker ink 24 printed on the polymeric sheets 210, 211 and the resulting patterns of bonds of the polymeric sheets 210, 211 of the core 212 to the barrier sheets 216, 218 can be selected to control the resulting contours of the exterior surfaces 250, 252 of the barrier sheets 216, 218. The cushioning component 214 having the patterns of the first, second, and third sets of bonds, 244, 246, 247 may be referred to as a honeycomb cushioning component as at least some of the resulting adjacent channels through the core 212 at the linear rows of blocker ink 24 appear to have a hexagonal shape in cross-section, creating a look similar to honeycomb.
The forefoot region 374 generally includes portions of the article of footwear 372 corresponding with the toes and the joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges of a wearer's foot. The midfoot region 376 generally includes portions of the article of footwear 372 corresponding with the arch area of the foot, and the heel region 378 corresponds with rear portions of the foot, including the calcaneus bone. The medial side 380 and the lateral side 382 extend through each of forefoot region 374, the midfoot region 376, and the heel region 378 and fall on opposite sides of a longitudinal midline LM of the article of footwear 372. The longitudinal midline LM is at the cross-sectional line of
In addition to the core 312, the cushioning component 314 includes a bladder 320 having a first barrier sheet 316 and a second barrier sheet 318. Similar to the cushioning component 214, the first barrier sheet 316 is bonded to the first polymeric sheet 310 at a first set of bonds 344, the second barrier sheet 318 is bonded to the second polymeric sheet 311 at a second set of bonds 346, and the first polymeric sheet 310 is bonded to the second polymeric sheet 311 at a third set of bonds 347. The bonds 344, 346, and 347 are linear rows of bonds and result due to blocker ink 24 disposed on the first polymeric sheet 310 and the second polymeric sheet 311 in first, second, and third predetermined patterns, respectively, that are the same as those described with respect to the cushioning component 214 except that there are a greater number of rows of blocker ink and hence a greater number of linear bonds in each of the patterns of bonds in the cushioning component 314 than in the cushioning component 214. Only some of the bonds 344, 346, and 347 and some of the blocker ink 24 is indicated with reference numbers in
The barrier sheets 316 and 318 are bonded to one another at a peripheral seam 338 to retain fluid within the interior cavity 321 defined between the barrier sheets 316, 318. An outer perimeter 334 of the core 312 is entirely inward of the peripheral seam 338, and blocker ink 24 is disposed on one or both of the inner surfaces 317, 319 of the barrier sheets 316, 318 inward of the peripheral bond 338 and outward of the outer perimeter 334 so that the barrier sheets 316, 318 do not bond to one another between the outer perimeter 334 and the peripheral seam 338.
These aspects and placement of the patterns of the blocker ink 24 relative to the outer perimeter 334 as well as placing the core 312 so that the entire outer perimeter 334 is entirely inward of the peripheral bond 338 ensures that the core 312 will tether the first and second barrier sheets 316 and 318 without creating any sealed chambers that are not in fluid communication with the interior cavity 321 defined between the opposing inner surfaces 317, 319 of the barrier sheets 316, 318. As described with respect to the core 212, the core 312 will collapse to return toward a flat state under dynamic compressive loading of the cushioning component 314 and thus acts as a tether to control and vary the distance between the inner surfaces of the barrier sheets 316, 318 without affecting the ability of the bladder 320 to compress under loading.
As is evident in
Spacing between adjacent bonds of the first group of bonds 344A, 346A, and 347A is less than spacing between adjacent bonds of the second group of bonds 344B, 346B, and 347B. Stated differently, two adjacent bonds 344A shown in the forefoot region 374 are closer to one another than are two adjacent bonds 344B in the midfoot region 376, for example, or two adjacent bonds 344B in the heel region 378. Likewise, two adjacent bonds 346A shown in the forefoot region 374 are closer to one another than are two adjacent bonds 346B in the midfoot region 376, for example, or two adjacent bonds 346B in the heel region 378. Still further, two adjacent bonds 347A shown in the forefoot region 374 are closer to one another than are two adjacent bonds 347B in the midfoot region 376, for example, or two adjacent bonds 347B in the heel region 378.
By placing adjacent bonds closer together in the forefoot region 374, the opposing inner surfaces 317 and 319 of the barrier sheets 316, 318 are held closer to one another by the polymeric sheets 310 and 311 in the first region (forefoot region 374) than in the second region (midfoot region 376 or heel region 378). This configuration results in toe spring, which is the gradual increasing elevation of the second barrier sheet 318 away from the ground surface GS in the forefoot region 374 in a forward direction when in a steady state position (e.g., unloaded or at least not under a dynamic compressive load) as shown in
In some embodiments, the spacing between the adjacent bonds of the first group of bonds progressively decreases from a rear of the first group of bonds to a front of the first group of bonds. In other words, the bonds 344A toward the rear of the forefoot region 374 are further apart than the bonds 344A toward the front of the forefoot region 374. Likewise, the bonds 346A toward the rear of the forefoot region 374 are further apart than the bonds 346A toward the front of the forefoot region 374, and the bonds 347A toward the rear of the forefoot region 374 are further apart than the bonds 347A toward the front of the forefoot region 374.
Referring to
A foam midsole layer 473 overlays the heel cushioning component 414 in a portion of the heel region 478 and in the midfoot region 476 and extends to the forefoot region 474. An upward-facing rear portion 414A of the heel cushioning component 414 is not overlain by the foam midsole layer 473.
The cores 512A and 512B are disposed in the interior cavity 521 and have respective outer perimeters 534A, 534B spaced entirely inward of the peripheral bond 538. A peripheral portion 521A of the interior cavity 521 outwardly surrounds each of the cores 512A, 512B between the peripheral bond 538 and the outer perimeters 534A, 534B.
Bonds 539A and 539B sealing the barrier sheets 516, 518 protrude inward from the peripheral bond 538 to partially separate the interior cavity 521, but fluid communication is permitted between a forward portion 521A of the interior cavity 521 around the front core 512A and a rearward portion 521B of the interior cavity 521 around the rear core 512B at a gap 541 between the bonds 539A, 539B.
The front core 512A includes a polymeric sheet 510A that traverses the interior cavity 521 between and is directly bonded to the opposing inner surfaces of the first barrier sheet 516 and the second barrier sheet 518 at a plurality of bonds to tether the first barrier sheet 516 to the second barrier sheet 518. The polymeric sheet 510A is displaced from the opposing inner surfaces of the barrier sheets 516, 518 by the gas at unbonded areas of the polymeric sheet 510A.
The rear core 512B includes a polymeric sheet 510B that traverses the interior cavity 521 between and is directly bonded to the opposing inner surfaces of the first barrier sheet 516 and the second barrier sheet 518 at a plurality of bonds to tether the first barrier sheet 516 to the second barrier sheet 518. The polymeric sheet 510B is displaced from the opposing inner surfaces by the gas at unbonded areas of the polymeric sheet 510B.
Blocker ink 24 is disposed on the front core 512A at the unbonded areas of the front core 512A and on the rear core 512B at the unbonded areas of the rear core 512B. As in the core 12, blocker ink 24 is disposed in spaced linear rows in alternating patterns on the opposing first and second sides of the polymeric sheet 510A, and in additional alternating patterns on opposing first and second sides of the polymeric sheet 510B. In addition to the areas marked in
More specifically, a first pattern of bonds 544A is formed at the interfacing areas of a first side (e.g., the top side in the plan view of
Similarly, a first pattern of bonds 544B is formed at the interfacing areas of a first side (e.g., the top side in the plan view of
The first and second cores 512A, 512B lay flat within the bladder 520 with the unbonded areas (areas at blocker ink 24) contacting the opposing inner surfaces when the interior cavity 521 of the bladder 520 is uninflated, and the polymeric sheets 510A, 510B are tensioned between the barrier sheets 516, 518 when the interior cavity 521 of the bladder 520 is inflated to control the height and outer contours of the bladder 520. Like the core 12, each of the polymeric sheets 510A, 510B will have a zig-zag orientation across the cavity 521 between the inner surface of the first barrier sheet 516 and the inner surface of the second barrier sheet 518.
With this arrangement of the patterns of bonds 544A, 544B, 546A, and 546B, gas in the interior cavity 521 is in fluid communication around the polymeric sheets 510A, 510B without the polymeric sheets 510A, 510B creating any sealed chambers within the bladder 520 that are not in fluid communication with the interior cavity 521.
In addition, spacing between adjacent bonds 544A and adjacent bonds 546A in the forefoot region 574 less than spacing between adjacent bonds 544A and adjacent bonds 546A in the midfoot region 576, and/or less than spacing between adjacent bonds 544B and adjacent bonds 546B in the heel region 578 to provide toe spring by causing the opposing inner surfaces of the barrier sheets 516, 518 to be held closer to one another by the polymeric sheet 510A in the forefoot region 574 than in the midfoot region 576 or heel region 578.
The outer perimeter 534B of the rear core 512B may be spaced further inward of the peripheral bond 538 in the heel region 378 than the outer perimeter 534A of the front core 512A is inward of the peripheral bond 538 in the forefoot region 574. This creates a larger and taller peripheral portion 521B of the interior cavity 521 around the rear core 512B in the heel region 578 than the peripheral portion 521A of the interior cavity 521 around the front core 512A in the forefoot region 574, nesting the cushioning component 514 around the heel, similar to as described with respect to cushioning component 314. Similar to the cushioning component 314, the bonds 544B, 546B may be configured so that the first barrier sheet 516 is recessed slightly downward over the heel core 512B between the medial side 580 and the lateral side 582 in the heel region 578, helping to cup the heel.
The bonds 644A, 644C1, and 644C2 bond the polymeric sheet 510A to the inner surface of the barrier sheet 516. Unlike bonds 544A which extend straight across the core 512A, the bonds 644A are V-shaped, extending outward from a vertex near a longitudinal centerline of the core 512A. Bonds 644C1 and 644C2 are also V-shaped, but each is disposed between two adjacent bonds 544A, and the bonds 644C1 and 644C2 extend outward from near the longitudinal centerline in opposite directions from one another.
Bonds 646A bond the opposite side of the polymeric sheet 510A to the inner surface of the barrier sheet 518 and are offset from the bonds 644A. The bonds 646A have V-shapes like those of bonds 644A. For clarity in the drawings, the bonds 644A, 644C1, and 644C2 bonding the polymeric sheet 510A to the top barrier sheet 516 are shown with solid lines in the plan view and the bonds 646A bonding the polymeric sheet 510A to the opposite barrier sheet 518 are shown with dashed lines.
Bonds 644B bond one side of the polymeric sheet 510B to the inner surface of the barrier sheet 516 and at least some are generally V-shaped, similar to bonds 644A. Bonds 646B bond the opposite side of the polymeric sheet 510B to the inner surface of the barrier sheet 518 and are offset from the bonds 644B. At least some of the bonds 646B have V-shapes like those of bonds 644A. For clarity in the drawings, the bonds 644B to the top barrier sheet 516 are shown with solid lines in the plan view and the bonds 646B to the opposite barrier sheet 518 are shown with dashed lines.
With this arrangement of the patterns of bonds 644A, 644B, 644C1, 644C2, 646A, and 646B, gas in the interior cavity 521 is in fluid communication around the polymeric sheets 510A, 510B without the polymeric sheets 510A, 510B creating any sealed chambers within the bladder 520 that are not in fluid communication with the interior cavity 521.
The bonds 744A1 and 744A2 bond a side of the polymeric sheet 510A to the inner surface of the barrier sheet 516. Similarly, bonds 744B bond the same side of the polymeric sheet 510B to the inner surface of the barrier sheet 516. Bonds 746A bond the opposite side of the polymeric sheet 510A to the inner surface of the barrier sheet 518 and are offset from the bonds 744A1 and 744A2. Bonds 746B bond the opposite side of the polymeric sheet 510B to the inner surface of the barrier sheet 518 and are offset from the bonds 744B.
With this arrangement of the patterns of bonds 744A1, 744A2, and 746A, and the patterns of bonds 744B and 746B, gas in the interior cavity 521 is in fluid communication around the polymeric sheets 510A, 510B without the polymeric sheets 510A, 510B creating any sealed chambers within the bladder 520 that are not in fluid communication with the interior cavity 521.
The following Clauses provide example configurations of a cushioning component for a wearable article disclosed herein.
Clause 1. A cushioning component for a wearable article, the cushioning component comprising: a bladder including a first barrier sheet and a second barrier sheet defining an interior cavity between opposing inner surfaces of the first barrier sheet and the second barrier sheet, the first barrier sheet and the second barrier sheet sealed to one another along a peripheral bond to enclose the interior cavity and retain a gas in the interior cavity; and a core disposed in the interior cavity and spaced entirely inward of the peripheral bond, the core including at least one polymeric sheet traversing the interior cavity between and directly bonded to the opposing inner surfaces of the first barrier sheet and the second barrier sheet at a plurality of bonds to tether the first barrier sheet to the second barrier sheet, the at least one polymeric sheet displaced from the opposing inner surfaces by the gas at unbonded areas of the at least one polymeric sheet, and the plurality of bonds arranged such that the gas in the interior cavity is in fluid communication around the at least one polymeric sheet without the at least one polymeric sheets creating any sealed chambers within the bladder that are not in fluid communication with the interior cavity.
Clause 2. The cushioning component of clause 1, wherein blocker ink is disposed on the core at the unbonded areas.
Clause 3. The cushioning component of any of clauses 1-2, wherein the core lays flat within the bladder with the unbonded areas contacting the opposing inner surfaces when the interior cavity of the bladder is uninflated.
Clause 4. The cushioning component of any of clauses 1-3, wherein a thickness of each polymeric sheet of the at least one polymeric sheet of the core is not greater than a thickness of the first barrier sheet and is not greater than a thickness of the second barrier sheet.
Clause 5. The cushioning component of any of clauses 1-4, wherein the plurality of bonds includes a first group of bonds in a first region of the bladder and a second group of bonds in a second region of the bladder; and wherein spacing between adjacent bonds of the first group of bonds is less than spacing between adjacent bonds of the second group of bonds such that the opposing inner surfaces are held closer to one another by the at least one polymeric sheet in the first region than in the second region.
Clause 6. The cushioning component of clause 5, wherein the wearable article is an article of footwear, the cushioning component is included in a sole structure of the article of footwear, the first group of bonds is in a forefoot region of the article of footwear and the second group of bonds is in one of a midfoot region or a heel region of the article of footwear.
Clause 7. The cushioning component of clause 6, wherein the spacing between the adjacent bonds of the first group of bonds progressively decreases from a rear of the first group of bonds to a front of the first group of bonds.
Clause 8. The cushioning component of clause 6, wherein an outer perimeter of the at least one polymeric sheet is spaced further inward of the peripheral bond in the heel region than in the forefoot region.
Clause 9. The cushioning component of any of clauses 1-4, wherein: the opposing inner surfaces of the bladder include a first inner surface of the first barrier sheet and a second inner surface of the second barrier sheet; the core is a single polymeric sheet having a first side bonded to the first inner surface of the first barrier sheet at a first set of bonds of the plurality of bonds and an opposing second side bonded to the second inner surface of the second barrier sheet at a second set of bonds of the plurality of bonds; and the second set of bonds is offset from the first set of bonds such that the bonds of the second set alternate with the bonds of the first set along a length of the single polymeric sheet.
Clause 10. The cushioning component of clause 9, wherein: the first set of bonds are linear bonds arranged in rows and the second set of bonds are linear bonds arranged in rows.
Clause 11. The cushioning component of clause 9, wherein: the first set of bonds are dot bonds arranged in rows and the second set of bonds are linear bonds arranged in rows, the rows.
Clause 12. The cushioning component of any of clauses 1-4, wherein: the opposing inner surfaces of the bladder include a first inner surface of the first barrier sheet and a second inner surface of the second barrier sheet; the core is a single polymeric sheet having a first side bonded to the first inner surface of the first barrier sheet at a first set of bonds of the plurality of bonds and an opposing second side bonded to the second inner surface of the second barrier sheet at a second set of bonds of the plurality of bonds; and the first set of bonds and the second set of bonds extend outward from a central region of the single polymeric sheet in an array with the bonds of the second set alternating with the bonds of the first set around the central region.
Clause 13. The cushioning component of any of clauses 1-4, wherein: the opposing inner surfaces of the bladder include a first inner surface of the first barrier sheet and a second inner surface of the second barrier sheet; the at least one polymeric sheet of the core includes a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet, the first polymeric sheet disposed between the first barrier sheet and the second polymeric sheet, and the second polymeric sheet disposed between the first polymeric sheet and the second barrier sheet such that a first side of the first polymeric sheet faces the first inner surface of the first barrier sheet, a second side of the first polymeric sheet faces a first side of the second polymeric sheet, and a second side of the second polymeric sheet faces the second inner surface of the second barrier sheet; and the first polymeric sheet having the first side directly bonded to the first inner surface of the first barrier sheet at a first set of bonds of the plurality of bonds, the second polymeric sheet having the second side directly bonded to the second inner surface of the second barrier sheet at a second set of bonds of the plurality of bonds, the second side of the first polymeric sheet bonded to the first side of the second polymeric sheet at a third set of bonds of the plurality of bonds, the bonds of the third set alternating with the bonds of the first set along a length of the first polymeric sheet, and the bonds of the third set alternating with the bonds of the second set along a length of the second polymeric sheet.
Clause 14. The cushioning component of clause 13, wherein the second set of bonds is aligned with the first set of bonds.
Clause 15. The cushioning component of clause 13, wherein at least some of the bonds of the plurality of bonds are linear bonds.
Clause 16. The cushioning component of any of clauses 1-4, wherein at least some of the bonds of the plurality of bonds are dot bonds.
Clause 17. The cushioning component of clause 16, wherein the dot bonds are arranged in rows with the dot bonds of adjacent ones of the rows offset from one another.
Clause 18. The cushioning component of any of clauses 1-4, wherein the plurality of bonds includes linear bonds arranged in rows and dot bonds arranged in rows, the rows of the dot bonds alternating with the rows of linear bonds.
To assist and clarify the description of various embodiments, various terms are defined herein. Unless otherwise indicated, the following definitions apply throughout this specification (including the claims). Additionally, all references referred to are incorporated herein in their entirety.
An “article of footwear”, a “footwear article of manufacture”, and “footwear” may be considered to be both a machine and a manufacture. Assembled, ready to wear footwear articles (e.g., shoes, sandals, boots, etc.), as well as discrete components of footwear articles (such as a midsole, an outsole, an upper component, etc.) prior to final assembly into ready-to-wear footwear articles, are considered and alternatively referred to herein in either the singular or plural as “article(s) of footwear”.
“A”, “an”, “the”, “at least one”, and “one or more” are used interchangeably to indicate that at least one of the items is present. A plurality of such items may be present unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All numerical values of parameters (e.g., of quantities or conditions) in this specification, unless otherwise indicated expressly or clearly in view of the context, including the appended claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about” whether or not “about” actually appears before the numerical value. “About” indicates that the stated numerical value allows some slight imprecision (with some approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonably close to the value; nearly). If the imprecision provided by “about” is not otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then “about” as used herein indicates at least variations that may arise from ordinary methods of measuring and using such parameters. In addition, a disclosure of a range is to be understood as specifically disclosing all values and further divided ranges within the range.
The terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, or components. Orders of steps, processes, and operations may be altered when possible, and additional or alternative steps may be employed. As used in this specification, the term “or” includes any one and all combinations of the associated listed items. The term “any of” is understood to include any possible combination of referenced items, including “any one of” the referenced items. The term “any of” is understood to include any possible combination of referenced claims of the appended claims, including “any one of” the referenced claims.
For consistency and convenience, directional adjectives may be employed throughout this detailed description corresponding to the illustrated embodiments. Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that terms such as “above”, “below”, “upward”, “downward”, “top”, “bottom”, etc., may be used descriptively relative to the figures, without representing limitations on the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims.
The term “longitudinal” particularly refers to a direction extending a length of a component. For example, a longitudinal direction of a shoe extends between a forefoot region and a heel region of the shoe. The term “forward” or “anterior” is used to particularly refer to the general direction from a heel region toward a forefoot region, and the term “rearward” or “posterior” is used to particularly refer to the opposite direction, i.e., the direction from the forefoot region toward the heel region. In some cases, a component may be identified with a longitudinal axis as well as a forward and rearward longitudinal direction along that axis. The longitudinal direction or axis may also be referred to as an anterior-posterior direction or axis.
The term “transverse” particularly refers to a direction extending a width of a component. For example, a transverse direction of a shoe extends between a lateral side and a medial side of the shoe. The transverse direction or axis may also be referred to as a lateral direction or axis or a mediolateral direction or axis.
The term “vertical” particularly refers to a direction generally perpendicular to both the lateral and longitudinal directions. For example, in cases where a sole is planted flat on a ground surface, the vertical direction may extend from the ground surface upward. It will be understood that each of these directional adjectives may be applied to individual components of a sole. The term “upward” or “upwards” particularly refers to the vertical direction pointing towards a top of the component, which may include an instep, a fastening region and/or a throat of an upper. The term “downward” or “downwards” particularly refers to the vertical direction pointing opposite the upwards direction, toward the bottom of a component and may generally point towards the bottom of a sole structure of an article of footwear.
The “interior” of an article of footwear, such as a shoe, particularly refers to portions at the space that is occupied by a wearer's foot when the shoe is worn. The “inner side” of a component particularly refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented toward the interior of the component or article of footwear in an assembled article of footwear. The “outer side” or “exterior” of a component particularly refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented away from the interior of the shoe in an assembled shoe. In some cases, other components may be between the inner side of a component and the interior in the assembled article of footwear. Similarly, other components may be between an outer side of a component and the space external to the assembled article of footwear. Further, the terms “inward” and “inwardly” particularly refer to the direction toward the interior of the component or article of footwear, such as a shoe, and the terms “outward” and “outwardly” particularly refer to the direction toward the exterior of the component or article of footwear, such as the shoe. In addition, the term “proximal” particularly refers to a direction that is nearer a center of a footwear component, or is closer toward a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Likewise, the term “distal” particularly refers to a relative position that is further away from a center of the footwear component or is further from a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Thus, the terms proximal and distal may be understood to provide generally opposing terms to describe relative spatial positions.
While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the embodiments. Any feature of any embodiment may be used in combination with or substituted for any other feature or element in any other embodiment unless specifically restricted. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.
While several modes for carrying out the many aspects of the present teachings have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which these teachings relate will recognize various alternative aspects for practicing the present teachings that are within the scope of the appended claims. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and exemplary of the entire range of alternative embodiments that an ordinarily skilled artisan would recognize as implied by, structurally and/or functionally equivalent to, or otherwise rendered obvious based upon the included content, and not as limited solely to those explicitly depicted and/or described embodiments.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/435,377, filed Dec. 27, 2022 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63435377 | Dec 2022 | US |
