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Article of footwear with outsole bonded to cushioning component and method of manufacturing an article of footwear

  • US 10,271,613 B2
  • Filed: 11/10/2016
  • Issued: 04/30/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear comprising:

  • disposing a first polymer sheet and a second polymer sheet in a mold assembly;

    disposing a preformed unitary outsole in the mold assembly adjacent to the second polymer sheet;

    wherein the preformed unitary outsole has a bottom portion, a medial side portion, and a lateral side portion;

    wherein the lateral side portion of the preformed unitary outsole and the medial side portion of the preformed unitary outsole each include a plurality of spaced fingers defining notches between adjacent ones of the spaced fingers;

    closing the mold assembly to compress the first polymer sheet, the second polymer sheet, and the preformed unitary outsole;

    thermally bonding in the mold assembly;

    the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet to one another to form a cushioning component establishing a peripheral flange where the first and second polymer sheets are bonded to one another, the cushioning component having a top wall, a bottom wall, a medial side wall, and a lateral side wall enclosing and defining a chamber;

    the bottom portion of the preformed unitary outsole to the bottom wall of the cushioning component;

    the medial side portion of the preformed unitary outsole to the medial side wall of the cushioning component; and

    the lateral side portion of the preformed unitary outsole to the lateral side wall of the cushioning component; and

    bonding the peripheral flange to a lateral side surface of a footwear upper and to a medial side surface of the footwear upper;

    wherein a bottom surface of the footwear upper is bonded to the top wall of the cushioning component, the outsole cups the cushioning component by wrapping partially up the lateral side wall and the medial side wall of the cushioning component, and the peripheral flange of the cushioning component cups the footwear upper by wrapping partially up the lateral side surface and the medial side surface of the footwear upper;

    wherein said disposing the preformed unitary outsole in the mold assembly is such that the plurality of spaced fingers is thermally bonded only to the lateral side wall and the medial side wall of the cushioning component and not to the footwear upper; and

    wherein bonding the peripheral flange to the lateral side surface and to the medial side surface of the footwear upper isolates the footwear upper from the plurality of spaced fingers of the lateral side portion and the medial side portion of the preformed unitary outsole.

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