IP Library Granted Patent US 12,426,680
Granted Patent B2
US 12,426,680 · App. 17/719,678 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Sole structure for article of footwear

Inventors: Scott C. Holt (Portland, OR); Roger Paul Murphy (Beaverton, OR)
Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
A43B13/188A43B13/146A43B13/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,426,680
App. No.
17/719,678
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a chassis having a first side defining a footbed and a second side disposed on an opposite side from the first side, a first bladder attached to the second side of the chassis and including at least one first chamber defining a first polar axis oriented in a first direction, and a second bladder attached to second side of the chassis and including at least one second chamber defining a second polar axis oriented in a second direction transverse to the first direction.

Claims (26)

1. A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:

a chassis including a first side defining a footbed and a second side disposed on an opposite side from the first side, the chassis extending across a width of the sole structure from a medial side to a lateral side and from a forefoot region to a heel region;

a first bladder attached to the second side of the chassis and including a plurality of first chambers arranged along the lateral side of the sole structure, the plurality of first chambers each (i) defining a first polar axis oriented in a first direction and (ii) including a generally hemispherical first upper chamber wall;

a second bladder attached to the second side of the chassis and including a plurality of second chambers arranged along the medial side of the sole structure, the plurality of second chambers each (i) defining a second polar axis oriented in a second direction transverse to the first direction and (ii) including a generally hemispherical second upper chamber wall; and

a web disposed between the first bladder and the second bladder and extending continuously between the medial side of the sole structure and the lateral side of the sole structure and along a longitudinal axis of the sole structure.

2. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a first oblique angle oriented towards the lateral side of the sole structure and the second direction is a second oblique angle oriented towards the medial side of the sole structure.

3. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein first chambers of the plurality of first chambers are aligned with second chambers of the plurality of second chambers in a lateral direction of the sole structure.

4. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein each first chamber of the plurality of first chambers and each second chamber of the plurality of second chambers has an ellipsoidal shape.

5. The sole structure of claim 4 , wherein the ellipsoidal shape is truncated.

6. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the second side of the chassis includes a plurality of first sockets, each first socket attached to a respective first chamber of the plurality of first chambers, and a plurality of second sockets, each second socket attached to a respective second chamber of the plurality of second chambers.

7. The sole structure of claim 6 , wherein first sockets of the plurality of first sockets are oriented in the first direction and second sockets of the plurality of second sockets are oriented in the second direction.

8. The sole structure of claim 6 , wherein each first socket of the plurality of first sockets includes a first receptacle configured to receive a respective first chamber of the plurality of first chambers and each second socket of the plurality of second sockets includes a second receptacle configured to receive a respective second chamber of the plurality of second chambers.

9. The sole structure of claim 8 , wherein the first receptacle defines a first concave surface and the second receptacle defines a second concave surface.

10. A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:

a chassis including a top side defining a footbed and a bottom side disposed on an opposite side from the top side, the chassis extending across a width of the sole structure from a medial side to a lateral side and from a forefoot region to a heel region;

a first bladder attached to the chassis at the bottom side and including a plurality of first chambers arranged along the lateral side of the sole structure, the plurality of first chambers (i) distended beyond the footbed on the lateral side of the sole structure and (ii) each including a generally hemispherical first upper chamber wall;

a second bladder attached to the chassis at the bottom side and including a plurality of second chambers arranged along the medial side of the sole structure, the plurality of second chambers (i) distended beyond the footbed on the medial side of the sole structure and (ii) including a generally hemispherical second upper chamber wall; and

a web disposed between the first bladder and the second bladder and extending continuously between the medial side of the sole structure and the lateral side of the sole structure and along a longitudinal axis of the sole structure.

11. The sole structure of claim 10 , wherein first chambers of the plurality of first chambers extend at a first oblique angle oriented towards the lateral side of the sole structure and second chambers of the plurality of second chambers extend at a second oblique angle oriented towards the medial side of the sole structure.

12. The sole structure of claim 10 , wherein first chambers of the plurality of first chambers are aligned with second chambers of the plurality of second chambers in a lateral direction of the sole structure.

13. The sole structure of claim 10 , wherein each first chamber of the plurality of first chambers and each second chamber of the plurality of second chambers has an ellipsoidal shape.

14. The sole structure of claim 13 , wherein the ellipsoidal shape is truncated.

15. The sole structure of claim 10 , wherein the bottom side of the chassis includes a plurality of first sockets, each first socket attached to a respective first chamber of the plurality of first chambers and a plurality of second sockets, each second socket attached to a respective second chamber of the plurality of second chambers.

16. The sole structure of claim 15 , wherein first sockets of the plurality of first sockets are oriented towards the lateral side of the sole structure and second sockets of the plurality of second sockets are oriented towards the medial side of the sole structure.

17. The sole structure of claim 15 , wherein each first socket of the plurality of first sockets includes a first receptacle configured to receive a respective first chamber of the plurality of first chambers and each second socket of the plurality of second sockets includes a second receptacle configured to receive a respective second chamber of the plurality of second chambers.

18. The sole structure of claim 17 , wherein the first receptacle defines a first concave surface and the second receptacle defines a second concave surface.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: HOLT, SCOTT C.; MURPHY, ROGER PAUL
To: NIKE, INC.
Reel/Frame 061412/0452 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63174659 · Apr 14, 2021
Related Publication 20220330655A1 · Oct 20, 2022
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