Footwear and Footwear Components Including Uppers with Fluid-Filled Bladder Chambers

Abstract

Footwear and footwear uppers include one or more fluid-filled bladder chambers. At least some examples of such uppers further may include lace-engaging tensile elements, e.g., that wrap the sides of a wearer's foot and/or pass through the upper, to provide a secure fit and feel. The lace-engaging tensile element(s) may pass through openings defined in a base upper component and overlie or underlie at least portions of the fluid-filled bladder chamber(s). In some examples, one or more lace-engaging tensile elements may overlie or underlie a fluid passageway that extends between two adjacent chamber portions of a fluid-filled bladder chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An upper component for an article of footwear, the upper component comprising:
 an exterior upper layer including a first continuous sheet of material forming: an exterior lateral heel region, an exterior lateral midfoot region, an exterior lateral forefoot region, an exterior central forefoot region, an exterior medial forefoot region, an exterior medial midfoot region, and an exterior medial heel region; and   an interior upper layer including a second continuous sheet of material fixed to the first continuous sheet of material, the second continuous sheet of material forming: an interior lateral heel region, an interior lateral midfoot region, an interior lateral forefoot region, an interior central forefoot region, an interior medial forefoot region, an interior medial midfoot region, and an interior medial heel region,   wherein a fluid chamber is defined between the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer, wherein the fluid chamber defines a continuous fluid path that extends through one or more upper regions as follows: (a) from a lateral heel region of the upper component, to a lateral midfoot region of the upper component, to a lateral forefoot region of the upper component, and/or (b) from a medial forefoot region of the upper component, to a medial midfoot region of the upper component, and to a medial heel region of the upper component, and/or (c) around a forefoot region of the upper component from a lateral forefoot side of the upper component to a medial forefoot side of the upper component, and/or (d) around a heel region of the upper component from a lateral heel side of the upper component to a medial heel side of the upper component.   
     
     
         2 . The upper component according to  claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of the fluid chamber is formed directly by: (a) an interior surface of the exterior upper layer and (b) an interior surface of the interior upper layer. 
     
     
         3 . The upper component according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid chamber includes a first lateral ring chamber formed in one of the lateral heel region of the upper component, the lateral midfoot region of the upper component, or the lateral forefoot region of the upper component. 
     
     
         4 . The upper component according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid chamber includes: (i) a first lateral ring chamber, (ii) a second lateral ring chamber, and (iii) a first lateral fluid passageway extending between and connecting the first lateral ring chamber and the second lateral ring chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The upper component according to  claim 4 , wherein the fluid chamber further includes a second lateral fluid passageway extending between and connecting the first lateral ring chamber and the second lateral ring chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The upper component according to  claim 4 , wherein the fluid chamber further includes: (i) a third lateral ring chamber, and (ii) at least one additional lateral fluid passageway extending between and connecting the second lateral ring chamber and the third lateral ring chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The upper component according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid chamber includes: (i) a first medial ring chamber, (ii) a second medial ring chamber, and (iii) a first medial fluid passageway extending between and connecting the first medial ring chamber and the second medial ring chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The upper component according to  claim 7 , wherein the fluid chamber further includes a second medial fluid passageway extending between and connecting the first medial ring chamber and the second medial ring chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The upper component according to  claim 7 , wherein the fluid chamber further includes: (i) a third medial ring chamber, and (ii) at least one additional medial fluid passageway extending between and connecting the second medial ring chamber and the third medial ring chamber. 
     
     
         10 . An upper component for an article of footwear, the upper component consisting essentially of:
 an exterior continuous layer of material forming: an exterior lateral heel region, an exterior lateral midfoot region, an exterior lateral forefoot region, an exterior central forefoot region, an exterior medial forefoot region, an exterior medial midfoot region, and an exterior medial heel region; and   an interior continuous layer of material fixed directly to the exterior continuous layer of material, the interior continuous layer of material forming: an interior lateral heel region, an interior lateral midfoot region, an interior lateral forefoot region, an interior central forefoot region, an interior medial forefoot region, an interior medial midfoot region, and an interior medial heel region,   wherein a fluid chamber is defined between the exterior continuous layer of material and the interior continuous layer of material.   
     
     
         11 . The upper component according to  claim 10 , wherein the fluid chamber defines a continuous fluid path that extends continuously between two or more regions of the upper component selected from the group consisting of: a lateral heel region of the upper component, a lateral midfoot region of the upper component, a lateral forefoot region of the upper component, a forward forefoot region of the upper component, a medial forefoot region of the upper component, a medial midfoot region of the upper component, and a medial heel region of the upper component. 
     
     
         12 . An upper for an article of footwear, the upper comprising:
 an exterior upper layer formed from a first sheet of material;   an interior upper layer formed from a second sheet of material, wherein the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer are fixed together to form or contain: (i) a first fluid chamber, (ii) a second fluid chamber, and (iii) a first fluid passageway between the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material, the first fluid passageway extending between and placing the first fluid chamber in fluid communication with the second fluid chamber, wherein a first through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer on a first side of the first fluid passageway, and wherein a second through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer on a second side of the first fluid passageway; and   a first tensile element extending through each of the first through hole and the second through hole, the first tensile element extending across the first fluid passageway.   
     
     
         13 . The upper according to  claim 12 , wherein the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer are fixed together to additionally form a second fluid passageway between the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material, the second fluid passageway extending between and placing the first fluid chamber in fluid communication with the second fluid chamber,
 wherein a third through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer proximate to the second fluid passageway, and wherein the first tensile element further extends through the third through hole and across the second fluid passageway.   
     
     
         14 . The upper according to  claim 13 , wherein the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer are fixed together to form: (i) a third fluid chamber, (ii) a third fluid passageway between the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material, the third fluid passageway extending between and placing the second fluid chamber in fluid communication with the third fluid chamber, and (iii) a fourth fluid passageway between the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material, the fourth fluid passageway extending between and placing the second fluid chamber in fluid communication with the third fluid chamber, wherein a fourth through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer on a first side of the third fluid passageway, wherein a fifth through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer between the third fluid passageway and the fourth fluid passageway, wherein a sixth through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer proximate to the fourth fluid passageway, and wherein the upper further comprises:
 a second tensile element extending through each of the fourth through hole, the fifth through hole, and the sixth through hole, the second tensile element extending across the third fluid passageway and the fourth fluid passageway.   
     
     
         15 . The upper according to  claim 14 , wherein the first fluid chamber, the second fluid chamber, the third fluid chamber, the first fluid passageway, the second fluid passageway, the third fluid passageway, the fourth fluid passageway, the first tensile element, and the second tensile element are located on a lateral side of the upper. 
     
     
         16 . The upper according to  claim 14 , wherein the first fluid chamber, the second fluid chamber, the third fluid chamber, the first fluid passageway, the second fluid passageway, the third fluid passageway, the fourth fluid passageway, the first tensile element, and the second tensile element are located on a medial side of the upper. 
     
     
         17 . The upper according to  claim 16 , wherein, at a lateral side of the upper, the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer are fixed together to form: (i) a fourth fluid chamber, (ii) a fifth fluid chamber, and (iii) a fifth fluid passageway between the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material, the fifth fluid passageway extending between and placing the fourth fluid chamber in fluid communication with the fifth fluid chamber, wherein a seventh through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer on a first side of the fifth fluid passageway, and wherein an eighth through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer on a second side of the fifth fluid passageway; and
 a third tensile element extending through each of the seventh through hole and the eighth through hole, the third tensile element extending across the fifth fluid passageway.   
     
     
         18 . The upper according to  claim 17 , wherein the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer are fixed together to additionally form a sixth fluid passageway between the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material, the sixth fluid passageway extending between and placing the fourth fluid chamber in fluid communication with the fifth fluid chamber,
 wherein a ninth through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer proximate to the sixth fluid passageway, and wherein the third tensile element further extends through the ninth through hole and across the sixth fluid passageway.   
     
     
         19 . The upper according to  claim 18 , wherein the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer are fixed together to form: (i) a sixth fluid chamber, (ii) a seventh fluid passageway between the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material, the seventh fluid passageway extending between and placing the fifth fluid chamber in fluid communication with the sixth fluid chamber, and (iii) an eighth fluid passageway between the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material, the eighth fluid passageway extending between and placing the fifth fluid chamber in fluid communication with the sixth fluid chamber, wherein a tenth through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer on a first side of the seventh fluid passageway, wherein an eleventh through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer between the seventh fluid passageway and the eighth fluid passageway, wherein a twelfth through hole is defined through the exterior upper layer and the interior upper layer proximate to the eighth fluid passageway, and wherein the upper further comprises:
 a fourth tensile element extending through each of the tenth through hole, the eleventh through hole, and the twelfth through hole, the fourth tensile element extending across the seventh fluid passageway and the eighth fluid passageway.   
     
     
         20 . The upper according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first fluid chamber or the second fluid chamber is a ring chamber.