US Patent 7409780 Bellowed chamber for a shoe

An inflatable cushioning device, and a process for making it, having a fluid-tight, enclosed area that is bordered by a first generally flat surface, a second generally flat surface and at least one bellowed surface, such that the bellowed surface will collapse when a force is applied. The cushioning device may include an inflation mechanism for selectively introducing air into the enclosed area. The cushioning device can be used in an athletic shoe.