The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 20, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 10, 2002
Jerry Stubblefield, Lake Oswego, OR (US);
Tuan N. Le, Portland, OR (US);
Thomas Austin, Nashua, NH (US);
Robert L. Peterson, West Linn, OR (US);
BMC Players, Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
A support structure for a shoe includes a bladder arrangement having at least one (and preferably two) fluid-filled chamber arranged in a heel region of the sole of the shoe. The fluid-filled chamber has outer walls with a pressurized fluid disposed therein. The fluid-filled chamber is configured to be compressively deformed when an external pressure is applied thereto, such as the pressure exerted by a wearer's foot. The support structure also includes at least one pillar disposed in the fluid-filled chamber. The pillars are configured to decrease the amount by which the fluid-filled chamber is compressively deformed when the external pressure is applied thereto, while still permitting the fluid-filled chambers to be deformed sufficiently to provide-adequate protection against the force of impact during use.