Composite footwear upper and method of manufacturing a composite footwear upper

• US 20020071946A1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ADC Composites, LLC
• Original Assignee: ADC Composites, LLC
• Inventors: Smotrycz, Zenon O., Norton, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US09/948,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20020071946A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/304.4
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0215 Plastics or artificial leather
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/026 Laminated layers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0295 Pieced uppers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/002 Mountain boots or shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/04 Ski or like boots
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/049 with an upper made of composite material, e.g. fibers or core embedded in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/146 Uppers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249958 Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249988 Of about the same composition as, and adjacent to, the void-containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/15 Including a foam layer

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a multi-layer, composite footwear upper having a three-dimensional geometry includes forming a substantially planar composite sheet from two or more layers, heating the composite sheet, and shaping the composite sheet into the three-dimensional geometry of the footwear upper. The composite sheet can be formed by laminating a first layer of thermoplastic foam to a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU). A third layer of mesh fabric can be interposed between the first and second layers. The composite sheet can be shaped by compression molding in a mold cavity or by lasting to achieve the desired three-dimensional geometry.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a footwear upper having a three-dimensional geometry, the method comprising:

forming a composite sheet from two or more layers; and

shaping the composite sheet into the three-dimensional geometry of the footwear upper.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the composite sheet comprises the step of laminating the two or more layers to form the composite sheet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the two or more layers are bonded together by a bonding agent.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the two or more layers are heat bonded.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the layers of the composite sheet includes a thermoformable material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite sheet comprises

a first layer of thermoplastic foam, and

a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic foam is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second layer is a TPU film.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the TPU film comprises

a top layer of formed of a thermoset urethane and a bottom layer formed of a thermoplastic urethane, the bottom layer being proximate the first layer of thermoplastic foam.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the composite sheet further comprises

a third layer of fabric interposed between the first and second layers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the fabric is a mesh fabric formed from nylon, polyester, polycotton, cotton, acetate, or acrylic.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping comprises compression molding the composite sheet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein compression molding comprises

positioning the composite sheet in a first mold member having a mold cavity, and

compressing the composite sheet in the mold cavity with a second mold member.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the composite sheet.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping comprises compression molding the composite sheet into separate sections of the upper and assembling the sections to form the footwear upper.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping comprises compression molding the composite sheet into a seamless, unitary footwear upper.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite sheet is substantially planar.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping comprises lasting the composite sheet into the three-dimensional geometry of the footwear upper.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein lasting comprises

pre-forming the composite sheet into a non-planar configuration,

positioning the composite sheet on a last, and

attaching a lasting board to the composite sheet.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the pre-forming comprises

cutting the composite sheet into a desired shape,

attaching two or more edges of the composite sheet to provide a preliminary three-dimensional geometry to the composite sheet.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the lasting board is bonded to the composite sheet.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising heating the composite sheet.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein lasting comprises

pre-forming the composite sheet into a non-planar configuration,

positioning the composite sheet on a last, and

attaching a lasting sock to the composite sheet.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the pre-forming comprises

cutting the composite sheet into a desired shape,

attaching two or more edges of the composite sheet to provide a preliminary three-dimensional geometry to the composite sheet.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the lasting sock is stitched to the composite sheet.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising heating the composite sheet.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising attaching the lasting board to the last prior to positioning the composite sheet on the last.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the lasting board is attached to the composite sheet after positioning the composite sheet on the last.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the lasting board is bonded to the composite sheet.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising heating the composite sheet to a temperature sufficient to render the composite sheet malleable.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising

cutting the composite sheet into a desired shape,

attaching two or more edges of the composite sheet to provide a preliminary three-dimensional geometry to the composite sheet.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the composite sheet comprises

a first layer of thermoplastic foam, and

a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU).

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising heating the composite sheet to a temperature sufficient to integrate second layer of TPU into the first layer of thermoplastic foam.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the thermoplastic foam is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the second layer is a TPU film.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the composite sheet further comprises

a third layer of fabric interposed between the first and second layers.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the fabric is a mesh fabric formed from nylon, polyester, polycotton, cotton, acetate, or acrylic.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the upper is bonded to the sole.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising assembling an inner liner within the upper.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the composite sheet comprises

a first layer of thermoplastic foam, and

a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU).

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the composite sheet further comprises

a third layer of fabric interposed between the first and second layers.

49. The method of claim 27, wherein the composite sheet comprises

a first layer of thermoplastic foam, and

a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU).

27. A method of manufacturing a footwear upper having a three-dimensional geometry, the method comprising:

forming a composite sheet from two or more layers;

positioning the composite sheet on a last to shape the composite sheet into the three-dimensional geometry of the footwear upper, and

attaching a lasting board to the composite sheet.

39. A method of manufacturing footwear comprising the steps of:

constructing an upper having a three-dimensional geometry by forming composite sheet from two or more layers,

positioning the composite sheet on a last to shape the composite sheet into the three-dimensional geometry of the footwear upper, and

attaching a lasting board to the composite sheet, and attaching the upper to a sole.

44. A method of manufacturing a footwear upper having a three-dimensional geometry, the method comprising:

forming a composite sheet from two or more layers;

positioning the composite sheet on a last to shape the composite sheet into the three-dimensional geometry of the footwear upper, and

attaching a lasting sock to the composite sheet.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising attaching the lasting sock to the composite sheet prior to positioning the composite sheet on the last.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the lasting sock is stitched to the composite sheet.

47. The method of claim 44, further comprising heating the composite sheet to a temperature sufficient to render the composite sheet malleable.

48. The method of claim 44, further comprising

cutting the composite sheet into a desired shape,

attaching two or more edges of the composite sheet to provide a preliminary three-dimensional geometry to the composite sheet.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising heating the composite sheet to a temperature sufficient to integrate second layer of TPU into the first layer of thermoplastic foam.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the thermoplastic foam is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein the second layer is a TPU film.

53. The method of claim 49, wherein the composite sheet further comprises

a third layer of fabric interposed between the first and second layers.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the fabric is a mesh fabric formed from nylon, polyester, polycotton, cotton, acetate, or acrylic.

55. A method of manufacturing footwear comprising the steps of:

constructing an upper having a three-dimensional geometry by forming composite sheet from two or more layers,

positioning the composite sheet on a last to shape the composite sheet into the three-dimensional geometry of the footwear upper, and

attaching a lasting sock to the composite sheet, and attaching the upper to a sole.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the upper is bonded to the sole.

57. The method of claim 55, further comprising assembling an inner liner within the upper.

58. The method of claim 55, wherein the composite sheet comprises

a first layer of thermoplastic foam, and

a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU).

59. The method of claim 55, wherein the composite sheet further comprises

a third layer of fabric interposed between the first and second layers.