ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR WITH OUTSOLE BONDED TO CUSHIONING COMPONENT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING AN ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR

• US 20170055636A1
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Campos, Fidencio II, Elder, Zachary M., Monfils, Benjamin J., Patton, Levi J., Peyton, Lee D., Taylor, Danielle L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0072 made at least partially of transparent or translucent materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/141 with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/186 Differential cushioning region, e.g. cushioning located under the ball of the foot resilient heel not included in the sole A43B21/26; resilient supports for the heel of the foot A43B21/32
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/189 filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel, water
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/20 Pneumatic soles filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas inflatable linings for skiboots A43B5/0407
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/206 provided with tubes or pipes or tubular shaped cushioning members
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/38 Built-in insoles joined to uppers during the manufacturing process, e.g. structural insoles; Insoles glued to shoes during the manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/0009 by injection moulding; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/0063 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/122 Soles
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/128 Moulds or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/086 EVOH, i.e. ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0026 Transparent

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an article of footwear includes disposing a first polymer sheet and a second polymer sheet in a mold assembly, and disposing a preformed unitary outsole in the mold assembly adjacent the second polymer sheet. The method includes closing the mold assembly to compress the first and second polymer sheets and the outsole, and thermally bonding the first and second polymer sheets to one another in the mold assembly to form a cushioning component with a chamber, a top wall, a bottom wall, a medial side wall, and a lateral side wall. A bottom portion of the outsole is thermally bonded to the bottom wall, a medial side portion of the outsole is thermally bonded to the medial side wall, and a lateral side portion of the outsole is thermally bonded to the lateral side wall.

Claims

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;

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

thermally bonding in the mold assembly;

the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet to one another to form a 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 outsole to the bottom wall of the cushioning component;

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

the lateral side portion of the outsole to the lateral side wall of the cushioning component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

injection molding the unitary outsole to preform the unitary outsole.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said thermally bonding the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet to one another in the mold assembly comprises establishing a peripheral flange where the first and second polymer sheets are bonded to one another.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

bonding the peripheral flange to side surfaces of an additional footwear component.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional footwear component is a footwear upper;

and

wherein bonding the peripheral flange to side surfaces of the footwear upper isolates the footwear upper from the medial side portion and the lateral side portion of the outsole.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional footwear component is a footwear upper;

and further comprising;

bonding the peripheral flange to the upper at a rear of the heel portion and at a front of the forefoot portion.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional footwear component is a footwear upper;

and further comprising;

securing an insole to the upper.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

heating the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet prior to said disposing the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet in the mold assembly.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

thermoforming the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet in the mold assembly.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

vacuum forming the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet in the mold assembly.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disposing a tether element in the mold assembly between the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet; and

wherein said thermally bonding includes thermally bonding the tether element to an inner surface of the first polymer sheet and to an inner surface of the second polymer sheet.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the tether element includes:

a first plate thermally bonded to the top wall;

a second plate thermally bonded to the bottom wall; and

a plurality of tethers secured to the first plate and to the second plate and extending in the chamber between the first plate and the second plate.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

inflating the chamber to place the tethers in tension.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said inflating the chamber is prior to said disposing the tether element in the mold assembly.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said thermally bonding the tether element to the inner surface of the first polymer sheet and to the inner surface of the second polymer sheet is simultaneous with said thermally bonding the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet to one another to establish the peripheral flange.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the cushioning component has a midfoot portion and a heel portion rearward of the midfoot portion;

at least one of the lateral side portion and the medial side portion of the outsole forms at least one peak disposed at or rearward of the midfoot portion of the cushioning component, and at least one valley disposed rearward of the at least one peak; and

said disposing the preformed unitary outsole adjacent to the second polymer sheet includes aligning the at least one peak with the tether element.

17. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear comprising:

disposing a first polymer sheet, a second polymer sheet, and a tether element in a mold assembly with the tether element between the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet;

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 at least one of the lateral side portion and the medial side portion forms at least one peak and at least one valley disposed rearward of the at least one peak;

wherein said disposing the preformed unitary outsole adjacent to the second polymer sheet includes aligning the at least one peak with the tether element;

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

thermally bonding in the mold assembly;

the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet to one another to form a cushioning component that encloses a fluid-filled chamber;

wherein the cushioning component has a midfoot portion and a heel portion rearward of the midfoot portion;

the bottom portion of the outsole to a bottom wall of the cushioning component, the medial side portion of the outsole to the medial side wall of the cushioning component, and the lateral side portion of the outsole to the lateral side wall of the cushioning component;

the tether element to an inner surface of the first polymer sheet and to an inner surface of the second polymer sheet; and

wherein the at least one peak is disposed at or rearward of the midfoot portion of the cushioning component.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said thermally bonding the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet to one another in the mold assembly comprises establishing a peripheral flange where the first polymer sheet and the second polymer sheet are bonded to one another.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

bonding the peripheral flange to side surfaces of an additional footwear component.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the additional footwear component is a footwear upper;

and

wherein bonding the peripheral flange to side surfaces of the footwear upper isolates the footwear upper from the medial side portion and the lateral side portion of the outsole.