Method for the manufacture of a plastic component, plastic component, and shoe

• US 10,645,992 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Le, Tru Huu Minh, Holmes, Christopher Edward, Robertson, Christopher, Kurtz, Maximilian Philipp, Romanov, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Yi, Stella K
• Application Number:
  US15/016,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20160227876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/015 with shock-absorbing means A41D13/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/125 characterised by the midsole or middle layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/187 Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/32 with shock-absorbing means resilient soles A43B13/18
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0811 using induction
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0822 using IR radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0855 using microwave
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0861 using radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0805 using electromagnetic radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/205 comprising surface fusion, and bonding of particles to form voids, e.g. sintering
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/12 Producing parts thereof, e.g. soles, heels, uppers, by a moulding technique
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/122 Soles
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/003 PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/006 PBT, i.e. polybutylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/046 PLA, i.e. polylactic acid or polylactide
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/251 : Particles, powder or granules expandable particles B29K2105/046
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0037 : Other properties
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 : Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/504 : Soles
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2367/02 : Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds; C08J2367/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2367/04 : Polyesters derived from hydroxy carboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08J2367/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2371/00 : Characterised by the use of polyethers obtained by reactions forming an ether link in the main chain of polyacetals C08J2359/00; of epoxy resins C08J2363/00; of polythioether-ethers C08J2381/02; of polyethersulfones C08J2381/06; Derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2375/04 : Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2377/00 : Characterised by the use of polyamides obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic amide link in the main chain of polyhydrazides C08J2379/06; of polyamide-imides or polyamide acids C08J2379/08; Derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/38 : Destruction of cell membranes

Abstract

Described are methods for manufacturing a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such methods, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. The method for the manufacture of a plastic component includes loading a mold with a first material includes particles of an expanded material and fusing the surfaces of the particles by supplying energy. The energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

Claims

1. A method for the manufacture of a plastic component comprising:

loading a portion of a mold having a first partial region and a second partial region with a first material which comprises particles of an expanded material, wherein the particles comprise one or more of the following materials;

expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (“

eTPU”

), expanded polyamide (“

ePA”

), expanded polyetherblockamide, (“

ePEBA”

), polylactide (“

PLA”

), polyether-block-amide (“

PEBA”

), polyethylene terephthalate (“

PET”

), polybutylene terephthalate (“

PBT”

), and thermoplastic polyester ether elastomer (“

TPEE”

); and

fusing surfaces of the particles by supplying energy to the first partial region of the mold at a first frequency and to the second partial region of the mold at a second frequency, wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different from each other, and

wherein the energy is supplied to the first partial region of the mold and the second partial region of the mold in the form of at least one electromagnetic field in the form of at least one of radiation in the microwave range of 300 MHz-300 GHz or radiation in the radio frequency range of 30 kHz-300 MHz; and

wherein the particles absorb the energy in absence of an additional heat transfer medium being added to the particles or to any portion of the mold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein more energy is supplied to the particles in the first partial region of the mold than in the second partial region of the mold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mold is further loaded with a second material in the first partial region and/or second partial region, which is substantially unaltered by the at least one electromagnetic field.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the amount of energy absorbed by the first material to the total amount of energy absorbed by the first material and the mold lies in the range 1.0-0.2.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy supplied to the first partial region and the energy supplied to the second partial region originate from a single radiation source.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy supplied to the first partial region and the energy supplied to the second partial region originate from different radiation sources.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the plastic component is a cushioning element for a shoe, wherein the first partial region is oriented toward a forefoot portion of the cushioning element, and wherein the second partial region is oriented toward a heel portion of the cushioning element.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy supplied to the first partial region has a different intensity than the energy applied to the second partial region.