Bladder with improved construction

Abstract

The invention relates to a bladder and incorporation of a bladder in a shoe for cushioning a wearer's foot having an outsole, an upper, and a bladder adapted to receive the foot and being placed between the outsole and the upper. The bladder further has a first chamber and a second chamber, where the first chamber is in contact with the second chamber for providing continuous cushioning. The bladder is also removably placed between the upper and outsole. In other aspects of the invention, the bladder is integrally placed between the upper and outsole.

1 . A shoe for cushioning a wearer's foot, comprising: 
 an outsole;    an upper;    a bladder adapted to receive the foot and being placed between said outsole and said upper;    said bladder includes a first chamber and a second chamber;    said first chamber being adjacent to said second chamber for continuous cushioning;    said first chamber includes a first filler;    said second chamber includes a second filler; and    said first filler being different than said second filler.    
     
     
         2 . The shoe according to  claim 1 , said first filler being removably placed within said first chamber and said first filler having a property selected from the group consisting of a user determined density, a user determined volume, a user determined weight, a user determined texture, a user determined consistency, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The shoe according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of chambers.  
     
     
         4 . The shoe according to  claim 3 , each chamber having a filler different from a next filler.  
     
     
         5 . The shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein said first chamber is in contact with said second chamber.  
     
     
         6 . The shoe according to  claim 1 , said bladder includes a top sheet and a bottom sheet and said top and bottom sheets are sealed together along a periphery of said top and bottom sheets.  
     
     
         7 . The shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein said first chamber includes a baffle for inhibiting movement of said first filler.  
     
     
         8 . The shoe according to  claim 7 , said baffle includes a contact point between said top and bottom sheets within the periphery of said top and bottom sheets.  
     
     
         9 . The shoe according to  claim 7 , said baffle includes a wall with a top end connected to said top sheet and a bottom end connected to said bottom sheet.  
     
     
         10 . The shoe according to  claim 7 , said baffle is a permeable membrane.  
     
     
         11 . The shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein said bladder extends from a toe area to a heel area and from a left side to a right side.  
     
     
         12 . The shoe according to  claim 1 , wherein said outsole extends from a toe area to a heel area and from a left side to a right side.  
     
     
         13 . The shoe according to  claim 12 , wherein said bladder extends from said toe area of said outsole to said heel area of said outsole and from said left side of said outsole to said right side of said outsole.  
     
     
         14 . The shoe according to  claim 10 , wherein said membrane extends from a toe area to a heel area and from a left side to a right side.  
     
     
         15 . The shoe according to  claim 12 , wherein said membrane extends from said toe area of said outsole to said heel area of said outsole and from said left side of said outsole to said right side of said outsole.  
     
     
         16 . A shoe for cushioning a wearer's foot, comprising: 
 an outsole;    an upper;    a bladder adapted to receive the foot and being placed between said outsole and said upper;    said bladder includes a first chamber and a second chamber; and    said first chamber being in contact with said second chamber for providing continuous cushioning.    
     
     
         17 . The shoe according to  claim 16 , further comprising a first filler removably placed within said first chamber and said first filler includes a property selected from the group consisting of a user determined density, a user determined volume, a user determined weight, a user determined texture, a user determined consistency, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The shoe according to  claim 16 , the shoe further comprising a baffle within said first chamber.  
     
     
         19 . The shoe according to  claim 16 , further comprising a socklining placed on top of said bladder adapted to receive a wearer's foot.  
     
     
         20 . The shoe according to  claim 16 , wherein a distance between said first and second chambers is fixed.  
     
     
         21 . The shoe according to  claim 16 , wherein said first chamber is adjacent to said second chamber.  
     
     
         22 . The shoe according to  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of chambers and a plurality of fillers, each filler corresponding to each chamber.  
     
     
         23 . A shoe for cushioning a wearer's foot, comprising: 
 an outsole;    an upper;    a bladder adapted to receive the foot and being placed between said outsole and said upper;    said bladder includes a plurality of chambers, each chamber of said plurality of chambers being adjacent to a next chamber; and    a plurality of fillers corresponding to said plurality of chambers, each filler of said plurality of fillers being different than a next filler.    
     
     
         24 . The shoe according to  claim 23 , wherein said bladder is removably placed between said upper and said outsole.  
     
     
         25 . The shoe according to  claim 23 , wherein said bladder is integrally placed between said outsole and said upper.  
     
     
         26 . A bladder, comprising: 
 a top sheet having a periphery;    a bottom sheet having a periphery;    said top sheet in contact with said bottom sheet along said peripheries of said top and bottom sheets; and    said top sheet is in contact with said bottom sheet in a localized area for defining a first chamber and a second chamber.    
     
     
         27 . The bladder according to  claim 26 , wherein said localized area extends across said top and bottom sheets from one side to an opposite side.  
     
     
         28 . The bladder according to  claim 26 , wherein said first chamber includes a baffle for inhibiting movement of said first filler.  
     
     
         29 . The bladder according to  claim 28 , said baffle includes a contact point between said top and bottom sheets within said peripheries of said top and bottom sheets.  
     
     
         30 . The bladder according to  claim 26 , wherein said first chamber is in contact with said second chamber.  
     
     
         31 . The bladder according to  claim 26 , wherein said first chamber includes a first filler and said second chamber includes a second filler, wherein said first filler is different than said second filler.  
     
     
         32 . The bladder according to  claim 26 , further comprising a plurality of chambers, each chamber of said plurality of chambers being adjacent to a next chamber, and a plurality of fillers corresponding to said plurality of chambers, each filler of said plurality of fillers being different than a next filler.  
     
     
         33 . A shoe for cushioning a wearer's foot, comprising: 
 an outsole;    an upper;    a bladder adapted to receive the foot and being placed between said outsole and said upper;    said bladder includes wicking material;    said bladder includes a first chamber and a second chamber removably attached to said wicking material;    said first chamber being adjacent to said second chamber for continuous cushioning;    said first chamber includes a first filler;    said second chamber includes a second filler;    said first filler being different than said second filler;    said first filler is integrally connected with said first chamber to form a single unit; and    said second filler is integrally connected with said second chamber to form a single unit.    
     
     
         34 . The shoe according to  claim 33 , said first filler and said first chamber are both removably attached to said wicking material and said first filler and said first chamber have a property selected from the group consisting of a user determined density, a user determined volume, a user determined weight, a user determined texture, a user determined consistency, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         35 . The shoe according to  claim 33 , further comprising a plurality of chambers.  
     
     
         36 . The shoe according to  claim 35 , each chamber being different from a next chamber.  
     
     
         37 . The shoe according to  claim 35 , wherein said first chamber is in contact with said second chamber for providing continuous cushioning.  
     
     
         38 . The shoe according to  claim 35 , wherein said first chamber is adjacent to said second chamber.