Nike, Inc.

Chin-yuan Cheng

Steven H Walker

A system for a footwear sole component to control an incline in between a footbed and an outsole. An incline adjuster is positioned between the footbed and the outsole. The incline adjuster has a polymeric housing having a first fluid chamber, a second fluid chamber, and a fluid transfer channel; a controller having a processor, a memory, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a low energy wireless communication module. The controller determines whether forces from a wearer foot on the first fluid chamber and on the second fluid chamber are creating a pressure within the first fluid chamber that is higher than a pressure within the second fluid chamber, or vice versa.

Electrorheological fluid structure with attached conductor and method of fabrication

A method of forming an electrorheological fluid structure with attached conductor and method of fabrication. A polymeric housing may have a channel defined therein. A first conductive trace may at least partially coincide with the channel. A first wire may have a first conductor surrounded by a first insulating jacket. The first conductor may be in electrical communication with the first conductive trace. A jacket bonding region of the first jacket may be welded to a housing bonding region of the housing. The jacket bonding region and the housing bonding region may be formed from a common type of polymer.

An article may include a first polymeric material layer having a surface. A first conductive trace may form at least a portion of the first layer surface. The article may further include a second polymeric material layer. The second layer may have a first surface, a portion of the second layer first surface being bonded to a portion of the first layer surface. The second layer may have a portion of a channel defined therein, the channel at least partially coinciding with a portion of the first conductive trace. The article may also include a first patch interposed between the first layer surface and the second layer first surface. The first patch may span the channel and cover a portion of the first conductive trace.

Electrorheological fluid structure having strain relief element and method of fabrication

A sole structure may include chambers and a transfer channel containing an electrorheological fluid. Electrodes may be positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the electrorheological fluid in the transfer channel. The sole structure may further include a controller including a processor and memory. At least one of the processor and memory may store instructions executable by the processor to perform operations that include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-inhibiting levels at which flow of the electrorheological fluid the through the transfer channel is blocked, and that further include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-enabling levels permitting flow of the electrorheological fluid through the transfer channel.

Footwear including an incline adjuster

A polymeric housing may have a channel defined therein. A first conductive trace may at least partially coincide with the channel. A first wire may have a first conductor surrounded by a first insulating jacket. The first conductor may be in electrical communication with the first conductive trace. A jacket bonding region of the first jacket may be welded to a housing bonding region of the housing. The jacket bonding region and the housing bonding region may be formed from a common type of polymer.

A housing of an incline adjuster may include a medial fluid chamber in fluid communication with a lateral fluid chamber through a serpentine transfer channel. The housing of the incline adjuster may include channels through which electrorheological fluid may be injected into the chambers. A method of filling an electrorheological fluid structure may include introducing electrorheological fluid into an interior volume of a housing. The electrorheological fluid within the housing may then be subjected to a sub-atmospheric pressure. Subsequently, the interior volume may be sealed relative to an exterior of the housing.

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Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Chin-yuan Cheng