CONTOURED FLUID-FILLED CHAMBER WITH A TENSILE MEMBER

摘要

A fluid-filled chamber (33) may include an outer barrier (40), a tensile member (50), and a fluid. The tensile member may be located within barrier and formed from a textile element that includes a pair of spaced layers (51, 52) joined by a plurality of connecting members (53). A method of manufacturing the chamber may include locating a textile tensile member between two polymer elements (41, 42). Pressure and heat are applied to the tensile member and the polymer elements in a first area and in a second area. The pressure is greater in the first area than in the second area. In addition, the polymer elements are bonded together around a periphery of the tensile member. Other means to impart a tapered configuration to the chamber are also disclosed.