Bladders, Footwear Uppers Including Bladders, and Articles of Footwear Including Bladders in the Upper

Abstract

Footwear uppers include a footwear upper base formed from one or more component parts and including: (i) an instep region including at least one of a tongue base region or instep base region and (ii) a heel-containing region. A bladder is engaged with the footwear upper. The bladder includes: (i) at least a first instep chamber engaged with the instep region, (ii) at least a first heel and/or ankle support chamber engaged with the heel-containing region, and (iii) a first fluid line connecting the first instep chamber and the first heel and/or ankle support chamber and placing the first instep chamber in fluid communication with the first heel and/or ankle support chamber. Fluid moving from the first instep chamber to the first heel and/or ankle support chamber (e.g., under force applied by a footwear securing strap) provides further support for the wearer's heel and/or ankle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A footwear upper, comprising:
 a footwear upper base formed from one or more component parts and including: (i) an instep region including at least one of a tongue base region or an instep base region and (ii) a heel-containing region; and   a bladder engaged with the footwear upper base, wherein the bladder includes:
 (a) a first thermoplastic sheet, 
 (b) a second thermoplastic sheet facing the first thermoplastic sheet, and 
 (c) a continuous outer perimeter seam sealing the first thermoplastic sheet to the second thermoplastic sheet, wherein the continuous outer perimeter seam defines a sealed interior volume between the first thermoplastic sheet and the second thermoplastic sheet, and wherein the continuous outer perimeter seam extends continuously to form the sealed interior volume to include: (i) a fluid supply chamber having a first major surface formed by the first thermoplastic sheet, (ii) a first heel and/or ankle support chamber, (iii) a first fluid line connecting the fluid supply chamber and the first heel and/or ankle support chamber through the sealed interior volume, (iv) a second heel and/or ankle support chamber, and (v) a second fluid line connecting the first heel and/or ankle support chamber and the second heel and/or ankle support chamber through the sealed interior volume, and 
   wherein the fluid supply chamber is engaged at the instep region, the first heel and/or ankle support chamber is engaged at a first side of the heel-containing region, and the second heel and/or ankle support chamber is engaged at a second side of the heel-containing region.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein each of a first volume defined by the first heel and/or ankle support chamber and a second volume defined by the second heel and/or ankle support chamber is at least 5 times greater than a third volume defined by the second fluid line. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein an axial length of the second fluid line from the first heel and/or ankle support chamber to the second heel and/or ankle support chamber is less than 25 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the continuous outer perimeter seam extends to form the fluid supply chamber as a multi-bulbed chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the continuous outer perimeter seam joins the first thermoplastic sheet and the second thermoplastic sheet in an adhesive free manner. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the first thermoplastic sheet and the second thermoplastic sheet are connected only by the continuous outer perimeter seam. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein all portions of the sealed interior volume defined by the first thermoplastic sheet, the second thermoplastic sheet, and the continuous outer perimeter seam are in fluid communication. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the first thermoplastic sheet and the second thermoplastic sheet are formed from a single thermoplastic sheet. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the first thermoplastic sheet and the second thermoplastic sheet are formed from separate thermoplastic sheets. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the first heel and/or ankle support chamber and the second heel and/or ankle support chamber are in fluid communication only via the second fluid line. 
     
     
         11 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , further comprising: an inflation port that is permanently sealed after the bladder is inflated, wherein after inflation and sealing, the bladder includes no gas inlet and no gas outlet and contains a fixed mass of gas within the sealed interior volume. 
     
     
         12 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more component parts of the footwear upper base includes a first component part, wherein at least a portion of the bladder is engaged with the first component part, and wherein the portion of the bladder engaged with the first component part is engaged in an adhesive free manner. 
     
     
         13 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more component parts of the footwear upper base includes a first component part, wherein at least a portion of the bladder is engaged with the first component part, and wherein the first component part is a knit component. 
     
     
         14 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid line has a transverse cross sectional area of less than 160 mm 2  over at least a 20 mm length of the first fluid line. 
     
     
         15 . The footwear upper according to  claim 14 , wherein the second fluid line has a transverse cross sectional area of less than 160 mm 2  over at least a 20 mm length of the second fluid line. 
     
     
         16 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid line is the only fluid line that places the fluid supply chamber in fluid communication with the first heel and/or ankle support chamber, and wherein the first fluid line has a transverse cross sectional area of less than 160 mm 2  over at least a 20 mm length of the first fluid line. 
     
     
         17 . The footwear upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid line extends along and proximate to a first side edge of a foot-receiving opening of the footwear upper. 
     
     
         18 . An article of footwear, comprising: (i) a footwear upper according to  claim 1 ; and (ii) a sole structure engaged with the footwear upper. 
     
     
         19 . A footwear upper, comprising:
 a footwear upper base formed from one or more component parts and including: (i) an instep region including at least one of a tongue base region or an instep base region and (ii) a heel-containing region; and   a bladder engaged with the footwear upper base, wherein the bladder includes:
 (a) a first thermoplastic sheet, 
 (b) a second thermoplastic sheet facing the first thermoplastic sheet, and 
 (c) a continuous outer perimeter seam sealing the first thermoplastic sheet to the second thermoplastic sheet, wherein the continuous outer perimeter seam defines a sealed interior volume between the first thermoplastic sheet and the second thermoplastic sheet, and wherein the continuous outer perimeter seam extends continuously to form the sealed interior volume to include: (i) a fluid supply chamber having a first major surface formed by the first thermoplastic sheet, (ii) a first heel and/or ankle support chamber, and (iii) a first fluid line connecting the fluid supply chamber and the first heel and/or ankle support chamber through the sealed interior volume, and 
   wherein the fluid supply chamber is engaged at the instep region and the first heel and/or ankle support chamber is engaged at a first side of the heel-containing region.   
     
     
         20 . The footwear upper according to  claim 19 , wherein the first fluid line is the only fluid line that places the fluid supply chamber in fluid communication with the first heel and/or ankle support chamber, and wherein the first fluid line has a transverse cross sectional area of less than 160 mm 2  over at least a 20 mm length of the first fluid line.