Method for manufacturing inflatable bladders for use in footwear and other articles of manufacture
First Claim
1. An article of footwear comprising:
- (a) a sole; and
(b) an upper attached to said sole, said upper including an inflatable bladder, said inflatable bladder comprising;
(i) a first film;
(ii) a release agent applied and cured to said first film in a pattern that corresponds to the shape of an inflatable compartment of said inflatable bladder; and
(iii) a second film adhered to said first film such that said release agent is disposed between said first film and said second film, and said first film and said second film do not adhere in the vicinity of the release agent thereby forming said inflatable compartment with a peripheral edge,wherein said inflatable bladder is devoid of raised weld lines or raised adhering seams and wherein at least a portion of the exterior surface of said inflatable bladder is textured.
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Abstract
The present invention is a method for manufacturing inflatable bladders for use in articles of manufacture. The method includes the steps of providing a first polymer film, applying a curable release coating to the polymer film in a pattern that corresponds to the configuration of the inflatable bladder, curing the release coating to the first polymer film, providing a second polymer film with the first polymer film to form a layered element such that the release coating is disposed between the polymer films, positioning the layered element between two plies of material, applying heat and pressure to adhere the polymer films together except in the area where the release coating has been applied to form an inflatable compartment surrounded by a sealed perimeter, and removing the plies of material from the adhered first and second polymer films.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An article of footwear comprising:
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(a) a sole; and (b) an upper attached to said sole, said upper including an inflatable bladder, said inflatable bladder comprising; (i) a first film; (ii) a release agent applied and cured to said first film in a pattern that corresponds to the shape of an inflatable compartment of said inflatable bladder; and (iii) a second film adhered to said first film such that said release agent is disposed between said first film and said second film, and said first film and said second film do not adhere in the vicinity of the release agent thereby forming said inflatable compartment with a peripheral edge, wherein said inflatable bladder is devoid of raised weld lines or raised adhering seams and wherein at least a portion of the exterior surface of said inflatable bladder is textured. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An article of footwear comprising:
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(a) an upper; (b) a sole attached to said upper; and (c) an inflatable bladder attached to the article of footwear, said inflatable bladder comprising; (i) a first single-layered film having an inner surface and a textured outer surface; (ii) a release agent applied and cured to said inner surface of said first single-layered film in a pattern that corresponds to the shape of an inflatable compartment of said inflatable bladder; (iii) a second single-layered film having an inner surface and a textured outer surface disposed in facing relationship with and adhered to said first single-layered film such that said release agent is disposed between said inner surface of said first single-layered film and said inner surface of said second single-layered film, said release agent preventing said first single-layered film from adhering to said second single-layered film in the area where said release agent is applied to form said inflatable compartment of said inflatable bladder. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. An article of footwear comprising:
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(a) an inflatable bladder, said inflatable bladder comprising; (i) a first film; (ii) a release agent applied and cured to said first film in a pattern that corresponds to the shape of an inflatable compartment of said inflatable bladder; and (iii) a second film adhered to said first film such that said release agent is disposed between said first film and said second film, and said first film and said second film do not adhere in the vicinity of the release agent thereby forming said inflatable compartment with a peripheral edge, wherein said inflatable bladder is devoid of raised weld lines or raised adhering seams and wherein at least a portion of the exterior surface of said inflatable bladder is textured. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification