Patent 8151486 was granted and assigned to Nike, Inc. on April, 2012 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A fluid-filled may include including an outer barrier, a tensile member, and a fluid. The tensile member may be located within barrier and formed from a textile element that includes a pair of spaced layers joined by a plurality of connecting members. In some configurations, an edge of the tensile member may have a finished configuration or the tensile member may be contoured. The fluid is also located within the barrier and pressurized to place an outward force upon the barrier. In manufacturing a fluid-filled chamber, a textile tensile member may be formed with at least one contoured surface or a finished edge. The tensile member is then located within a polymer barrier and bonded to opposite sides of the barrier.