Athletic shoe having air bladder pressure indicating means

An athletic shoe (20) having an inflatable air bladder (52) integrated into the design and construction of the shoe, and apparatus (50) for inflating the air bladder, as well as apparatus (82) for sensing and indicating the pressure in the bladder, all incorporated into the design of the shoe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention generally relates to the field of footwear, and more 
particularly to athletic footwear. Specifically, the present invention 
relates to athletic footwear which incorporate at least one inflatable air 
bladder for adjusting the comfort and fit of the athletic footwear, and an 
apparatus for visually displaying the pressure within the inflatable air 
bladder. 
In various types of athletic footwear, and in particular for footwear 
associated with particular types of athletic events, it is recognized that 
the comfort and fit of the footwear can affect the athletic performance. 
In order to increase both the comfort and fit of footwear, manufacturers 
have incorporated inflatable bladders of various designs into the 
construction of the footwear. The development, incorporation, and use of 
inflatable air bladders within athletic footwear was and is particularly 
appropriate for ski boots used for downhill skiing. Thus, a number of 
patents relate to the field of ski boots which incorporate inflatable air 
bladders, for example, German Patent No. 2,162,619, and more recently, 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,087. While the original designs for ski boots having 
air bladders incorporated the use of an external pressurizing device such 
as a hand pump, more recent designs incorporate the design of the pump 
into the article of footwear, such as for example the ski boot of U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,702,022. 
The demands for comfort and snugness of fit in other athletic events has 
resulted in the use of the inflatable bladders originally developed for 
ski boots in various types of athletic footwear, including athletic shoes 
used for basketball and other sports. There are presently available 
athletic shoes incorporating an air pump, such as depicted within U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,074,765, to inflate air bladders located within the sole of the 
shoe, or alternatively, bladders located in portions of the upper or the 
tongue of the athletic shoe. The advantages of these types of shoes is 
manifested primarily by their increased comfort and the secure positioning 
or fit of the foot within the shoe. Another benefit derived from the use 
of air bladders is the potential for reduction of forces transmitted 
through the shoe to the foot and ankle of the wearer during performance of 
the athletic endeavor. Thus, current athletic shoes having incorporated 
air bladders provide enhanced comfort and fit, while also reducing the 
occurrence of various types of injuries. 
For the athletic shoes currently available which incorporate both the 
inflatable air bladders and a pump inflation means, the comfort and fit of 
the article of footwear is adjusted by inflating the air bladder by use of 
the pump after securing the footwear about the foot. The wearer simply 
inflates the air bladder until a particular pressure level, or fit, is 
felt by the foot. However, due to the rigors of various athletic events, 
and because the human foot tends to swell and contract with varying levels 
of activity, it is very difficult for the individual to obtain a 
consistent fit from one use to the next, or to recognize the difference in 
their performance, based upon a pressure setting for the air bladders that 
is merely sensed by the foot. This problem is primarily related to the 
fact that there is no currently available means for indicating the 
particular pressure to which the user has inflated the air bladder. Thus, 
it would be beneficial to have a means for indicating the pressure within 
the air bladder, thereby indicating the particular fit which is most 
advantageous for enhanced performance. A visual reference to which the 
user may refer when first affixing the shoe to the foot, prior to a 
particular athletic use, or alternatively, during use, when it may be 
desirable to vary or restore a given fit, is therefore desirable. 
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an article of athletic 
footwear which incorporates inflatable air bladders, and which also 
includes a pressure sensing means and means for displaying the sensed 
pressure in the air bladders. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides an athletic shoe which incorporates an 
inflatable air bladder in the design and construction of the shoe, and 
means for inflating the air bladder, as well as means for sensing the 
pressure in the bladder and means for indicating the pressure sensed, all 
incorporated into the design of the shoe. 
More specifically, the article of footwear of the present invention 
includes an air bladder and an associated pump for inflating the air 
bladder. In addition, the air bladder is integrally connected to a means 
for sensing the pressure within the air bladder, and to a means for 
allowing a visual indication of the pressure sensed therein. 
In the preferred embodiment, the means for sensing the pressure is an 
inflatable, arcuately expanding, bellows. The bellows, which has a first 
end in open communication with the bladder and a second, closed end, is 
contained in a partial toroidal chamber, and is disposed beneath a clear 
plastic lens or window. Inflation of the inflatable bladder using the pump 
causes the bellows to expand, whereby the closed end of the bellows forces 
an indicator means across the arcuate length of the lens. The lens is 
disposed proximate to an indicia of pressure, such as a graduated pressure 
indicating scale. The scale preferably includes a plurality of markings, 
such as dashes and dots, spaced about the arcuate length of the lens. By 
this configuration, as the arcuately expanding bellows is inflated 
simultaneously with the inflation of the inflatable air bladder, the 
indicator traverses the scale between an unpressurized position and a 
fully pressurized position. Thereby, the user may simply affix the shoe to 
his or her foot, and then use the incorporated pump to inflate the air 
bladder (and bellows) to a particular pressure level as indicated by the 
location of the indicator. 
By the arrangement of the above assembly of elements, the user of the 
athletic shoe can inflate the incorporated air bladder(s) to a 
specifically identifiable pressure. Thereby, the user will be able, 
through trial and error, to determine the most appropriate pressure 
setting for any particular athletic endeavor. Thereafter, the user will be 
able to rapidly inflate or deflate the inflatable bladder to a specific 
pressure, accurately and repeatably, using the visual pressure indicating 
means as a pressure indicator, thereby optimizing his or her comfort and 
performance. 
A better understanding of the invention, along with its features and 
advantages, may be had from a consideration of the detailed description of 
its preferred embodiments which follows hereinafter, particularly if this 
description is read in conjunction with the associated drawing figures, a 
brief description of which now follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 schematically depicts a lace-up athletic shoe 20. The athletic shoe 
20 includes an upper 22 and a sole 24. The upper 22 includes a tongue 
opening 26 which is defined by opposing facing sides, or flaps, 28 and 30. 
Disposed beneath the opening 26 is a tongue 32 of the upper 22. The tongue 
32 generally overlays the instep of the wearer's foot and extends up to 
the level of the ankle, and in the exemplary embodiment of shoe 
illustrated, incorporates the pressurizing means 36 of the present 
invention, as detailed more fully below with respect to the following 
figures. As illustrated, the pressurizing means 36 of the present 
invention is preferably located at the top portion of the tongue 32, i.e. 
proximate the ankle opening of the athletic shoe 20. 
FIGS. 2 and 3 depict a frontal perspective view and a side perspective 
view, respectively, of the upper portion of the tongue 32. As illustrated 
in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pressurizing means 36 is disposed behind a facing 
plate 38. The facing plate 38 includes a lens 40 of clear plastic 
material, which allows viewing of an indicator means 42 disposed beneath 
the lens 40. Preferably, the facing plate 38 is an article of flexible 
molded rubber or polyurethane having the particular design features 
required for covering the various aspects of the pressurizing means 36, as 
will be defined in greater detail below. 
FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of the pressurizing means 36 of the 
present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 4, all of the elements of the 
pressurizing means 36 may be incorporated into the design of the tongue 32 
(FIG. 1) of the present invention. However, it should also be appreciated 
that various other configurations, including air bladders located at or 
within other portions of the shoe, may incorporate the design of the 
present invention. 
In FIG. 4, the pressurizing means 36 includes a pump means 50 for inflating 
a bladder means 52. The pump means 50 may be a simple rubber bulb 54 
having an associated one-way inlet valve 56 and a one-way outlet and 
pressure relief valve 58. Depressing the rubber bulb 54 directs air 
through valve 56 to a tee-joint 60 and conduit 62 leading to an inflation 
port 64 of the bladder means 52. 
The bladder means 52 is preferably constructed from a pair of 
air-impenetrable elastomeric sheets, each having a desired precut form, 
which are bonded or heat-welded together at or near the peripheral edges 
to form a flexible, air-tight cushion or pillow. Thus, the bladder means 
52 includes an upper member 66 and a lower member 68 bonded together at 
their peripheral edges 70. Additionally, assembly details, such as the 
fastener openings 71, as well as structural ribs 72 or connection points 
74 can be incorporated into the construction of the bladder means 52, 
e.g., by "heat-stitching", to define other details, such as pockets for 
inflation associated with particular areas or bone structure of the foot, 
and/or other features lending structural definition to the resulting 
cushion. 
The pump means 50 and bladder means 52 are also integrally attached 
pneumatically to a pressure sensing means 80 and means for indicating the 
sensed pressure 82. The pressure sensing means 80 and means for indicating 
the sensed pressure 82 combine to provide a visual indication of the 
pneumatic pressure within the bladder means 52. 
In the preferred embodiment, the pressure sensing means 80 comprises a 
bellows 84 having a first end 84a in open communication with the bladder 
means 52, and a closed, opposite second end 84b. Preferably, the bellows 
84 is configured to be arcuately expanding, as will be described in 
greater detail below. The bellows 84 is arranged to inflate concurrently 
with inflation of the bladder means 52, in response to operation of the 
pump means 50, because the bellows 84 is in continuous pneumatic 
interconnection with the inflatable portion of the bladder means 52 by way 
of the bellows' open end 84a. 
The means for indicating the sensed pressure 82 preferably comprises a 
plurality of elements constructed to work in combination to visually 
display the pressure within the bladder means 52 and bellows 84. In 
addition to the facing plate 38, lens 40, and indicator means 42, the 
means for indicating the sensed pressure also includes a main housing 85 
disposed behind the bladder means 52 and a lens cover 86 disposed in front 
of it. When assembled together, the main housing and lens cover combine to 
define a partial toroidal chamber 88. The lens cover 86 has an arcuate 
window or opening 89 in it to permit the indicator means 42 to be seen 
therethrough. A resilient means 90 is provided, preferably in the form of 
a coil spring 92, to force the indicator means 42 to a retracted position, 
collapsing the bellows 84, upon release of air from the bladder means 52 
by operation of the pressure relief valve 58. 
In the preferred configuration illustrated, the main housing 85 and lens 
cover 86 are assembled together, e.g., by fastener means 93, about the 
bellows 84 and indicator means 42 to define a partial toroidal chamber 88 
containing them. Thus, the bellows 84 can expand within the chamber 88, 
forcing the indicator means 42 to traverse the toroidal chamber beneath 
the window 89 and overlying lens 40. An observer looking through the lens 
40 will see the indicator means 42 behind it traversing across the arcuate 
length of the lens 40, and can utilize a number of pressure indicating 
marks 94, for example, molded into the cover of the facing plate 38, as 
references to determine the relative pressure within the bellows 84 and 
bladder means 52. 
In an alternative embodiment, the lens cover 86 can be molded of a clear 
plastic material, in which case, the window 89 can be eliminated, and the 
lens 40 feature conveniently molded integrally into the lens cover, 
thereby eliminating an extra piece and some additional assembly. 
In operation, depressing the bulb 54 of the pump means 50 causes air to 
flow through valve 58, tee-joint 60, and conduit 62, into the bladder 
means 52 and bellows 84, thereby inflating the bladder means 52 and 
expanding bellows 84. Expansion of the closed end 84b of bellows 84 
against the indicator means 42 causes the latter to rotate about its pivot 
point 96 (see, FIGS. 9 and 10) from a first position to a second position, 
depending upon the amount of pressure imparted to the bladder means 52 by 
repetitive depression of the pump means 50. Following any particular 
depression of the bulb 54, the bulb reinflates due to its inherent 
elastomeric characteristic while taking in air from ambient via the inlet 
valve 56. 
The pressurized air within the bladder means 52, as well as the bellows 84, 
can be released by depressing a pressure relief button 98 of valve 58. 
When the pressure is released, the inherent elastomeric characteristic of 
the bladder means 52, as well as the pressure being exerted on it by the 
foot and other portions of the shoe, will cause it to deflate. 
Additionally, the force exerted by the resilient means 90 (or spring 92) 
on the indicator means 42 will cause the bellows 84 to deflate and 
contract, thereby causing the indicator means 42 to traverse from the 
second position back to the first position beneath the lens 40. 
By the above configuration and operation, it may be appreciated that the 
combination of elements comprising the pressurizing means 36 of the 
present invention allows the user of the athletic shoe 20 to inflate the 
bladder means 52 to any particularly desired inflation pressure each time 
the user wears the athletic shoe 20. Additionally, since placing the shoe 
20 on the user's foot and tying the laces of the shoe will determine the 
initial comfort and fit of the shoe, the pressure indicating means of the 
present invention is designed to operate somewhat independently of the 
lacing mechanism. Thus, with the shoe laced to a particular tightness, the 
inflation of the bladder means will be affected by the tightness of the 
lacing, and the inflation pressure for the bladder and bellows will 
reflect the pressure exerted by the lace. The device of the present 
invention thereby allows a visual indication of the pressure in the 
bladder means 52. The device also allows the user to visually observe and 
set the comfort and fit of the shoe 20, dependent only in part on the 
particular tightness of the lacing thereof. 
FIG. 5 depicts a cross-sectional view through the top portion of the tongue 
32 taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 2. As illustrated, the facing plate 
38 covers the bulb 54 of the pump means 50, which interconnects with the 
valve 58, as well as the pressure relief button 98 of valve 58. Also 
illustrated in greater cross-sectional detail are the lens 40 and an end 
face 102 of the indicator means 42, as well as the partially cylindrical 
portion 104 of the indicator means. The end face 102 of the indicator 
means 42 is partially cut away in the figure to depict the closed end 106 
of the bellows 84. Also illustrated in the cross-sectional view are the 
main housing 85 and the portion of the lens cover 86 that combine to 
define the partial toroidal chamber 88. Finally, as illustrated, the 
indicator means 42 also includes an arm portion 110, which extends 
radially inward from a part-cylindrical portion 104 to define a 
cylindrical bore 112 about, and mounted to, a pin 114 about which the 
indicator means 42 is pivotable. In addition, concentrically mounted with 
the pin 114 is the spring 92, which is mounted about a post 116 and has a 
first end 118 secured to exert force against the arm portion 110 of the 
indicator means 42. The opposite end 120 of the spring 92 is positioned to 
abut against a segment defined by the main housing 85. 
Operation of the arcuately expandable bellows 84 is illustrated in FIGS. 6 
through 10. In FIG. 6, a partially cutaway, partially perspective view of 
the arcuately expanding bellows 84, lens 40, and indicator means 42, is 
illustrated. In this configuration, the bellows 84 is shown in the 
collapsed or deflated state wherein the arm portion 110 is shown being 
forced by the spring 92 to cause compaction of the bellows 84. 
Additionally, FIG. 6 illustrates the arrangement of the lens 40 within a 
bezel lens member 122, which includes a bezel element 124 (see FIG. 8) 
into which the lens 40 is affixed. The bezel element 124 provides a 
surface for affixing the lens 40 over the opening 89 in lens cover 87. 
Also illustrated is the spring 92, and the portion of the main housing 85 
into which the spring 92, pin 114 and post 114 elements are located, 
relative to the arcuate bellows 84 and lens 40. 
FIG. 7 depicts the arcuately expanding bellows 84 in an expanded state, 
corresponding to a pressurized state for the bladder means 52. In this 
configuration, the bellows 84 has expanded in an arcuate manner thereby 
forcing the indicator means 42 to pivot about the centerpoint 96 of pin 
114. The indicator means 42 traverses across a portion of the partial 
toroidal chamber 88, and can be viewed through the lens 40 and opening 89. 
Thus, by observing where the front edge or wall of the indicator means is 
located relative to the indicator marks 94, the pressure within the 
bellows 84 and the bladder means 52 can be determined, and for the 
relatively low pressure levels in the bladder means that are typically 
encountered in this type of application, the relationship between the 
position of the indicator means 42 and the pressure level within the 
bladder means is fairly linear, with little or no hysteresis in the 
position of the indicator means. 
FIG. 8 depicts an enlarged view of a portion of the facing plate 38 as well 
as the lens 40, and illustrates the position of the indicator means 42 
when the bellows 84 is pressurized in a manner similar to the cutaway 
perspective view of FIG. 7. In FIG. 8, the pressure can be determined 
versus the indicator marks 94, by the positioning of the indicator means 
42. Thus, the pressure within the bellows 84 corresponds to approximately 
the fifth dash-mark on the indicator marks 94. Following placement of the 
athletic shoe 20 upon the foot of the wearer and tieing of the laces 
thereof, the pressurization of the bladder means 52 and bellows 84 causes 
the indicator means 42 to traverse the partially toroidal chamber 88 
behind the lens 40 and opening 89. Thus, by determining the appropriate 
fit for the shoe, the user can pump up the inflatable bladder and bellows 
84 to a fixed level, as illustrated for example by the level shown in FIG. 
8, in order to provide a consistent fit between subsequent uses of the 
athletic shoe 20. 
FIG. 9 depicts in greater detail the operation of the arcuately expanding 
bellows 84. As may be appreciated from the illustration of FIG. 9, the 
arcuately expanding bellows 84 is specifically designed to include a 
smaller depth and pitch for the pleats along one side, i.e. at the 
radially internal portions, than at the other side, i.e. the radially 
external portions. By this configuration, the arcuately expanding bellows 
84 tends to expand and contract in a more nearly arcuate manner, as 
illustrated in FIG. 10, thereby reducing the amount of friction between 
the bellows and the walls defining the chamber in which it expands, as 
compared to using a linearly expanding type of bellows in an arcuate 
chamber. 
The radially expanding bellows 84 of FIGS. 9 and 10 is specifically 
designed to expand and contract in an arcuate manner. When deflated, 
bellows 84 has a generally cylindrical configuration, including a 
plurality of individual pleats defined by the pitch and depth thereof. As 
may be appreciated from the illustration of FIG. 10, the pitch (P) of the 
pleat at the radially inner portion of the bellows (Pi), is less than the 
pitch at the radially outer portion (Po). In addition, the depth (D) of 
the pleat at the radially inner portion (Di) is less than the depth of the 
pleat at the radially outer portion (Do). This combination of having a 
reduced pleat pitch and depth at one side as opposed to the opposite side 
causes the bellows to expand in the more nearly arcuate manner described 
above upon inflation. By this configuration, an arcuately expanding 
bellows can be used to display pressure using an arcuate, graded gauge. 
This particular configuration for a bellows pressure indicating means has 
not, heretofore, been available. 
Having detailed the specific elements comprising the pressurizing means 36 
of the athletic shoe 20 of the present invention, it may also be 
instructive to describe the operation of the pressurization means 
following placement of the athletic shoe 20 on the foot of the wearer. 
Following insertion of the foot into the shoe 20, the laces of the shoe 20 
will be securely tied to determine a first level of comfort or fit for the 
wearer. Following securing of the laces, the pump is utilized to inflate 
the bladder means 52 as well as to bias the pressure sensing means 80 
measuring the pressure within the bladder means 52. The means for 
indicating the sensed pressure 82 is referred to by the wearer in order to 
allow the wearer to inflate the bladder to a desired pressure level, which 
corresponds to the desired fit for the particular type of athletic 
activity in which the user is to engage. The means for indicating the 
sensed pressure 82 provides the visual reference allowing the user to 
readily select the particular comfort level, as well as the snugness of 
fit of the athletic shoe 20, to which the user has become accustomed for a 
particular athletic event. By this arrangement, following an initial trial 
and error period to determine the appropriate snugness and fit for the 
athletic shoe 20, the user will be able to rapidly place the shoe 20 on 
his or her foot and adjust the fit and snugness to the desired level. 
The pressure sensing means 80 preferably entails inflating the arcuately 
expanding bellows 84, which, in turn, causes the indicator means 42 to 
traverse an arcuate path beneath a reference indicia, such as indicator 
marks 94, and the visually transparent lens, which allows the user to 
determine the pressure setting based on the positioning of the indicator 
as against the indicia. In the case where the indicia has some type of 
numeric display associated with various markings on the indicia, a numeric 
representation of the pressure and comfort or snugness can be obtained. 
Thus, the user could refer to the pressure indicating means to determine a 
numeric value for the pressure of the air bladder contained within the 
shoe. 
Having detailed above the exemplary preferred embodiment for the 
configuration of the present invention, it will be appreciated that 
alternative embodiments and configurations will be readily apparent to 
those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is expected that the proper 
scope of the present invention will not be measured against the 
specification and drawings, but only by the proper interpretation of the 
appended claims.