Composite footwear upper and method of manufacturing a composite footwear upper

• US 6,670,029 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ADC Composites, LLC
• Original Assignee: ADC Composites, LLC
• Inventors: Smotrycz, Zenon O., Norton, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoner, Kiley
• Application Number:
  US09/948,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 428/304.4, 428/308.4, 428/542.8, 428/318.6, 428/319.7, 442/30, 442/56, 442/326, 442/324, 442/373, 36/87, 36/9.R, 36/45, 36/49, 36/465, 36/55, 36/98, 36/84, 36/93, 264/244, 264/257, 121/45, 121/46.C
• US Class Current: 428/308.4
• 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 the steps of forming a substantially planar composite sheet from two or more layers, heating the composite sheet, and compression molding the composite sheet into the three-dimensional geometry of the footwear upper. The composite sheet is formed by laminating a first layer of thermoplastic foam to a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU), preferably in the form of a TPU film. A third layer of mesh fabric can be interposed between the first and second layers. The composite sheet is compressed after heating in a mold cavity to achieve the desired three-dimensional geometry. The composite sheet can be compression molded into separate sections which are assembled after molding to form the footwear upper. Alternatively, the composite sheet can be compression molded into a seamless, unitary footwear upper that requires minimal, if any, assembly for completion. The multi-layer composite upper can be applied to a sole to form performance footwear suitable for use in a wide range of conditions.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a section of a footwear upper, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a composite sheet from plurality of layers including a first layer of thermoplastic foam, a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU), and a third layer of fabric interposed between the first and second layers;

heating said composite sheet; and

compression molding said composite sheet into a section of a footwear upper.

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

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of layers are bonded together by a bonding agent.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of layers are heated bonded.

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of compression molding comprises the steps of

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

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

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of heating said composite sheet occurs prior to positioning said composite sheet into said first mold member.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of heating said composite sheet occurs after said composite sheet is positioned in said first mold member.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of cutting said composite sheet into a pre-mold shape analogous in size and shape to the size and shape of said mold cavity.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of pre-forming said composite sheet into a non-planar configuration.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of cutting each of said layers of said composite sheet into a pre-mold shape analogous in size and shape to the size and shape of said mold cavity prior to forming said composite sheet.

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

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic foam is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the second layer is a TPU film.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the TPU film comprises a top layer of formed of a thermoset urethane and a bottom layer formed of a thermoplastic urethane, said bottom layer being proximate the first layer of thermoplastic foam.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the fabric is a mesh fabric formed from nylon, polyester, polycotton, cotton, acetate, or acrylic.

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

constructing a section of a footwear upper by providing a composite sheet from a plurality of layers including a first layer of thermoplastic foam, a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) and a third layer of fabric interposed between the first and second layers,

heating said composite sheet, and

compression molding said composite sheet into a section of a footwear upper;

providing a sole; and

attaching said upper to said sole.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said upper is bonded to said sole.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of assembling an inner liner within said upper.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said inner liner is a fabric or composite booty.

17. A composite shoot comprising:

a first layer of thermoplastic material, and

a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) film attached to the first layer, the TPU film comprising a top layer formed of a thermoset urethane and a bottom layer formed of a thermoplastic urethane, the bottom being proximate the first layer of thermoplastic material.

18. The composite sheet of claim 17, wherein the thermoplastic material is a thermoplastic foam.

19. The composite sheet of claim 18, wherein the thermoplastic foam is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam.

20. The composite sheet of claim 17, wherein the first and second layers are bonded together by a bonding agent.

21. The composite sheet of claim 17, wherein the first and second layers are heat bonded.

22. A composite sheet comprising:

a first layer of thermoplastic material, and

a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) film attached to the first layer, and

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

23. The composite sheet of claim 22, wherein the fabric is a mesh fabric formed from at least one of the following:

nylon, polyester, polycotton, cotton, acetate, and acrylic.

24. A method of manufacturing a composite sheet, the method comprising:

attaching a layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) film to a layer of fabric, and

attaching a layer of thermoplastic foam to the layer of fabric.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein attaching the layer of TPU film to the layer of fabric includes bonding the layer of TPU to the layer of fabric with a bonding agent.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein attaching the layer of TPU film to the layer of fabric includes heat bonding the layer of TPU to the layer of fabric.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein attaching the layer of thermoplastic foam to the layer of fabric includes bonding the layer of thermoplastic foam to the layer of fabric with a bonding agent.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein attaching the layer of thermoplastic foam to the layer of fabric includes heat bonding the layer of thermoplastic foam to the layer of fabric.

29. A method of manufacturing a section of a footwear upper, the method comprising:

providing a composite sheet from plurality of layers, including a first layer of thermoplastic foam, a second layer of thermoplastic urethane (TPU), and a third layer of fabric interposed between the first and second layers;

heating the composite sheet to a temperature greater than or equal to a heat activation temperature of the thermoplastic foam; and

compression molding the composite sheet into a section of the footwear upper.

30. The method of claim 29, 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.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein heating the composite sheet occurs prior to positioning the composite sheet into the first mold member.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein heating the composite sheet occurs after the composite sheet is positioned in the first mold member.