US 11,903,443 B2
Footwear bladder system
Patrick Case, Portland, OR (US); Zachary M. Elder, Portland, OR (US); Dervin A. James, Hillsboro, OR (US); and Lee D. Peyton, Tigard, OR (US)
Assigned to NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed by NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed on Nov. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/529,467.
Application 17/529,467 is a continuation of application No. 16/671,810, filed on Nov. 1, 2019, granted, now 11,213,094.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/769,852, filed on Nov. 20, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0071352 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A43B 13/20 (2006.01); A43B 21/28 (2006.01); A43B 13/02 (2022.01); A43B 13/04 (2006.01); A43B 13/12 (2006.01); A43B 13/18 (2006.01)
CPC A43B 13/206 (2013.01) [A43B 13/20 (2013.01); A43B 21/28 (2013.01); A43B 13/023 (2013.01); A43B 13/04 (2013.01); A43B 13/12 (2013.01); A43B 13/189 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sole structure for an article of footwear comprising:
a midsole including a bladder system having a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, wherein the bladder system defines:
a first sealed chamber retaining fluid as a first cushioning layer; and
discreet chambers retaining fluid in isolation from one another, each of the discreet chambers disposed at one side of the first sealed chamber, and fluidly isolated from the first sealed chamber;
wherein:
the bladder system defines a foot-facing surface and a ground-facing surface;
the first sealed chamber is disposed between the foot-facing surface and the discreet chambers;
the first sealed chamber extends over the forefoot region, the midfoot region, and the heel region;
the discreet chambers are disposed between the ground-facing surface and the first sealed chamber;
the bladder system comprises domed pods extending at the ground-facing surface;
at least one of the discreet chambers includes fluidly-connected sub-chambers, the sub-chambers corresponding with the domed pods; and
one of the discreet chambers includes an annular ring portion that is fluidly isolated from and surrounds only one of the sub-chambers of the one of the discreet chambers.