Impact Force Attenuating Bladder Components Having Controlled Re-Expansion Rates And Methods Of Making and Using Such Components

Abstract

Bladder components and footwear uppers and/or articles of footwear that include such bladder components attenuate impact forces incident on an upper and/or a wearer's foot. Such bladder components, uppers, and footwear may dampen impact forces applied by a game ball to the footwear upper (and thus to the wearer's foot) and/or reduce the energy returned to the game ball from the footwear upper. These features may better enable ball control (e.g., by limiting the ball's rebound force/distance off the foot) and/or improve wearer's comfort. Further, delayed re-expansion of the bladder chamber and/or foam material may keep the bladder chamber and/or foam in a compressed configuration as the wearer kicks the ball in further play. In this manner, the force applied to the ball during the kick will not be substantially reduced due to the presence of the bladder chamber and/or foam material in the upper.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bladder, comprising:
 a thermoplastic envelope defining an interior chamber that is movable between an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration, wherein a first through hole opening is defined through the thermoplastic envelope, the first through hole opening permitting fluid from an external environmental area to enter the interior chamber;   a first fluid line in fluid communication with the interior chamber and with the external environmental area, wherein the first fluid line is separate from the first through hole opening;   a first valve located and configured with respect to the first fluid line to allow fluid to exit the interior chamber via the first fluid line but inhibiting fluid from the external environmental area from entering the interior chamber via the first fluid line; and   a resilient component located in the interior chamber, the resilient component applying a force to the thermoplastic envelope in a direction toward the expanded configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The bladder according to  claim 1 , wherein the first through hole opening is one of a plurality of through hole openings defined through the thermoplastic envelope, the plurality of through hole openings permitting fluid from the external environmental area to enter the interior chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The bladder according to  claim 2 , wherein the resilient component is configured to change between an expanded state and a compressed state within the interior chamber, and wherein a sufficient external force applied to the thermoplastic envelope: (a) fluid within the interior chamber to exit the interior chamber through the first fluid line and the first valve and (b) a change in the resilient component from the expanded state to the compressed state. 
     
     
         4 . The bladder according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of through hole openings are sized such that when the resilient component has changed to the compressed state, fluid from the external environmental area is permitted to enter the interior chamber through the plurality of through hole openings at an overall fluid entry rate that delays re-expansion of the resilient component to the expanded state. 
     
     
         5 . The bladder according to  claim 1 , wherein the resilient component includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of: an open cell foam material; a closed cell foam material; a rubber material; an elastomeric material; a resilient plastic material; and a spring. 
     
     
         6 . The bladder according to  claim 1 , wherein the first through hole opening is sized such that when the resilient component is in a compressed state, fluid from the external environmental area is permitted to enter the interior chamber through the first through hole opening at a fluid entry rate that delays expansion of the resilient component to an expanded state. 
     
     
         7 . A bladder, comprising:
 a first thermoplastic layer fixed to a second thermoplastic layer at a seam, wherein an interior chamber is defined between the first thermoplastic layer and the second thermoplastic layer and inside the seam, and wherein a first through hole opening is defined through the first thermoplastic layer, the first through hole opening permitting fluid from an external environmental area to enter the interior chamber;   a first fluid line in fluid communication with the interior chamber and with the external environmental area, wherein the first fluid line is separate from the first through hole opening;   a first valve located and configured with respect to the first fluid line to allow fluid to exit the interior chamber via the first fluid line but inhibiting fluid from the external environmental area from entering the interior chamber via the first fluid line; and   a foam material located in the interior chamber.   
     
     
         8 . The bladder according to  claim 7 , wherein the first through hole opening is one of a plurality of through hole openings defined through at least one of the first thermoplastic layer and the second thermoplastic layer, the plurality of through hole openings permitting fluid from the external environmental area to enter the interior chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The bladder according to  claim 8 , wherein the foam material is configured to change between an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration within the interior chamber, and wherein a sufficient external force applied to the first thermoplastic layer causes: (a) fluid within the interior chamber to exit the interior chamber through the first fluid line and the first valve and (b) a change in the foam material from the expanded configuration to the compressed configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The bladder according to  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of through hole openings are sized such that when the foam material has changed to the compressed configuration, fluid from the external environmental area is permitted to enter the interior chamber through the plurality of through hole openings at an overall fluid entry rate that delays re-expansion of the foam material to the expanded configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The bladder according to  claim 7 , further comprising a cover member positioned and configured to selectively change the first through hole opening between an open configuration and a closed configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The bladder according to  claim 7 , wherein the seam constitutes at least a portion of one or more seams that form the interior chamber into a plurality of chamber lobes that are in fluid communication with one another via fluid passageways that interconnect two chamber lobes of the plurality of chamber lobes. 
     
     
         13 . The bladder according to  claim 7 , wherein the interior chamber defines a first chamber lobe, a second chamber lobe, and a fluid passageway extending between and directly connecting the first chamber lobe and the second chamber lobe. 
     
     
         14 . The bladder according to  claim 7 , wherein the foam material is configured to change between an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration within the interior chamber, wherein the interior chamber defines a first volume V 1 , wherein in the expanded configuration the foam material defines a second volume V 2 , and wherein V 2  is at least 60% of V 1  and less than 95% of V 1 . 
     
     
         15 . The bladder according to  claim 7 , wherein the first through hole opening defines a length direction extending through the first thermoplastic layer and a width direction extending across the first through hole opening, and wherein the first through hole opening has a width dimension across the width direction of less than 2 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The bladder according to  claim 7 , wherein the first through hole opening is sized such that when the foam material is in a compressed configuration, fluid from the external environmental area is permitted to enter the interior chamber through the first through hole opening at a fluid entry rate that delays expansion of the foam material to an expanded configuration. 
     
     
         17 . An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper base member formed from one or more upper component parts; and   a bladder engaged with the upper base member, the bladder comprising:
 a first thermoplastic layer fixed to a second thermoplastic layer at a seam, wherein an interior chamber is defined between the first thermoplastic layer and the second thermoplastic layer and inside the seam, and wherein a first through hole opening is defined through the first thermoplastic layer, the first through hole opening permitting fluid from an external environmental area to enter the interior chamber, 
 a first fluid line in fluid communication with the interior chamber and with the external environmental area, wherein the first fluid line is separate from the first through hole opening, 
 a first valve located and configured with respect to the first fluid line to allow fluid to exit the interior chamber via the first fluid line but inhibiting fluid from the external environmental area from entering the interior chamber via the first fluid line, and 
 a foam material located in the interior chamber. 
   
     
     
         18 . The upper according to  claim 17 , wherein the first through hole opening defines a length direction extending through the first thermoplastic layer and a width direction extending across the first through hole opening, and wherein the first through hole opening has a width dimension across the width direction of less than 2 mm. 
     
     
         19 . The upper according to  claim 17 , wherein the first through hole opening is sized such that when the foam material is in a compressed configuration, fluid from the external environmental area is permitted to enter the interior chamber through the first through hole opening at a fluid entry rate that delays expansion of the foam material to an expanded configuration. 
     
     
         20 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper according to  claim 17 ; and   a sole structure engaged with the upper.