Cushioning member
View Patent ↗A cushioning member for an article of footwear is disclosed. The article of footwear comprises a sole; and a cushioning member disposed in the sole, the cushioning member comprising: a substantially u-shaped heel chamber having an anterior wall, a curved posterior wall, and medial and lateral sidewalls disposed between the anterior wall and the posterior wall; a forefoot chamber; and a passage connecting the heel chamber and the forefoot chamber, wherein the sole is formed around the cushioning member such that at least a portion of the medial heel sidewall and the lateral heel sidewall are visible.
1. An article of footwear, comprising:
a sole; and
a cushioning member disposed in said sole, said cushioning member comprising:
a substantially symmetrical u-shaped heel chamber, said heel chamber having an anterior wall, a posterior wall, and medial and lateral sidewalls disposed between the anterior wall and the posterior wall;
a discrete forefoot chamber, wherein said forefoot chamber comprises an anterior wall, a posterior wall, and medial and lateral forefoot sidewalls disposed between the forefoot anterior wall and the forefoot posterior wall, and wherein said sole is formed around said cushioning member such that at least a portion of the medial forefoot sidewall and the lateral forefoot sidewall are visible, and wherein a first weld line is formed in said forefoot chamber along the medial forefoot sidewall and at least a portion of the first weld line is spaced from the medial forefoot sidewall and a second weld line is formed in said forefoot chamber along the lateral forefoot sidewall and at least a portion of the second weld line is spaced from the lateral forefoot sidewall; and
a passage connecting said heel chamber and said forefoot chamber,
wherein said sole is formed around said cushioning member such that at least a portion of the medial heel sidewall and the lateral heel sidewall are visible.
2. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein said sole is formed around said cushioning member such that at least a portion of the heel posterior wall is visible.
3. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein said sole is formed around said cushioning member such that the medial heel sidewall, the lateral heel sidewall, and the heel posterior wall are visible.
4. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein said passage comprises first and second fluid ports in communication with said forefoot chamber.
5. The article of footwear according to claim 4 , further comprising a depression formed in said cushioning member between said first and second air ports.
6. The article of footwear according to claim 5 , wherein said depression is adapted to be disposed beneath the metatarsal region of a wearer of the article of footwear.
7. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein said cushioning member is filled with a gas.
8. The article of footwear according to claim 7 , wherein the gas is Nitrogen.
9. The article of footwear according to claim 7 , wherein the pressure of the gas in said cushioning member is in the range of from about 1 psi to about 7 psi when said cushioning member is in an unloaded condition.
10. The article of footwear according to claim 7 , wherein the pressure of the gas in said cushioning member is about 2 psi when said cushioning member is in an unloaded condition.
11. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein said cushioning member is filled with ambient air.
12. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of said heel chamber is greater than the thickness of said forefoot chamber by a ratio of about 2 to 1.
13. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , further comprising means for controlling the flow of fluid in said cushioning member, said means formed in said heel chamber.
14. The article of footwear according to claim 13 , wherein said flow control means comprises at least one weld line.
15. The article of footwear according to claim 14 , wherein said at least one weld line comprises a plurality of weld lines formed around the periphery of said heel chamber.
16. The article of footwear according to claim 13 , wherein said flow control means comprises at least one dot weld formed in said forefoot chamber.
17. A cushioning member filled with a pressurized gas disposed in an article of footwear having a sole, the cushioning member comprising:
a heel chamber having an anterior wall, a curved posterior wall, and medial and lateral sidewalls disposed between the anterior wall and the posterior wall;
a forefoot chamber having an anterior wall, a posterior wall, and medial and lateral forefoot sidewalls disposed between the forefoot anterior wall and the forefoot posterior wall; and
a passage connecting said heel chamber and said forefoot chamber,
wherein the sole is formed around said cushioning member such that at least a portion of the medial heel sidewall and the lateral heel sidewall are visible and at least a portion of the forefoot chamber is visible and wherein a first weld line is formed in said forefoot chamber along the medial forefoot sidewall and at least a portion of the first weld line is spaced from the medial forefoot sidewall and a second weld line is formed in said forefoot chamber along the lateral forefoot sidewall and at least a portion of the second weld line is spaced from the lateral forefoot sidewall.
18. The cushioning member according to claim 17 , wherein the pressure of the gas in the cushioning member is in the range of from about 1 psi to about 7 psi when the cushioning member is in an unloaded condition.
19. The cushioning member according to claim 17 , wherein the thickness of said heel chamber is greater than the thickness of said forefoot chamber by a ratio of about 2 to 1.
20. A fluid-filled cushioning member disposed in an article of footwear having a sole, the cushioning member comprising:
a substantially symmetrical u-shaped heel chamber having an anterior wall, a posterior wall, and medial and lateral sidewalls disposed between the anterior wall and the posterior wall;
a forefoot chamber having an anterior wall, a posterior wall, and medial and lateral sidewalls disposed between the forefoot anterior wall and the forefoot posterior wall; and
a passage connecting said heel chamber and said forefoot chamber, said passage comprising first and second air ports in communication with said forefoot chamber, and a depression formed between said first and second air ports,
wherein the sole is formed around said cushioning member such that at least a portion of the heel chamber is visible and at least a portion of the forefoot chamber is visible,
wherein the sole is formed around said cushioning member such that at least a portion of the medial and lateral heel sidewalls are visible and at least a portion of the medial and lateral forefoot sidewalls are visible, and wherein a first weld line is formed in said forefoot chamber along the medial forefoot sidewall and at least a portion of the first weld line is spaced from the medial forefoot sidewall and a second weld line is formed in said forefoot chamber along the lateral forefoot sidewall and at least a portion of the second weld line is spaced from the lateral forefoot sidewall.
21. The cushioning member according to claim 20 , further comprising means for controlling the flow of fluid in the cushioning member, said means formed in said heel chamber.
22. The cushioning member according to claim 21 , wherein said flow control means comprises a plurality of weld lines.
23. The cushioning member according to claim 22 , wherein said plurality of weld lines is formed around the periphery of said heel chamber.