Nike, Inc.

Gary Allen Kokstis

Tiffany A Beers

Joshua P Heard

David A Goodwin

Steven D Buchanan, Sr

Richard M Hogan

Edward Nathaniel Thomas

A fluid-filled structure, such as a bladder, is disclosed. The bladder has a first surface and an opposite second surface that are peripherally joined to define various edges. The bladder encloses a fluid between the first surface and the second surface. A portion of the edges may have a concave configuration, or the edges may have both concave and convex configurations. A shape of the bladder may be a tessellation pattern so that a plurality of the bladder may be efficiently. The edges may also have a linear configuration, and the bladder may enclose a tensile member.

Fluid-filled bladder for footwear and other applications

A bladder for use as a cushioning element and footwear incorporating the bladder. The enclosed core is formed of spaced apart first and second fabric layers connected together by a plurality of connecting yarns. The shell is formed of see-through plastic material whereby the connecting yarns are visible through the sidewall. The plurality of connecting yarns preferably are arranged in bands with gaps devoid of connecting yarns between adjacent bands, and the ends of the bands and the gaps are visible through the sidewall.

Resilient bladder for use in footwear

The present invention includes a method for forming a resilient bladder structure for use in the sole of footwear. The method comprises the steps of forming a shell from a flexible material to have a floor and a perimeter sidewall extending from the floor; placing a core, having spaced apart outer surfaces connected together by a plurality of connecting members, into the shell within the area bounded by the sidewalls; enclosing the shell and core with a covering sheet; bonding the floor of the shell to one outer surface of the core and the covering sheet to the other outer surface of the core by applying pressure and heat to the shell-core-covering sheet assembly to compress the core during the bonding step; preventing bonding of the sidewall to the covering sheet during the compression of the core; and bonding the covering sheet to an outer edge of the perimeter sidewall of the shell to form a sealed bladder structure; and placing fluid into the interior of the bladder so that the plurality of connecting members are placed under tension.

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Vancouver, WA, United States of America

Gary Allen Kokstis