Unified punch inflation and sealing tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10556359-B2
Application number	US-201615577220-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2016
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

A tool for inflating a chamber (50) in an article composed at least partially of polymer layers, such as thermoplastic layers. The tool can allow for forming an aperture in a polymer layer (350), inflating a chamber (50) or volume (130) in fluid communication with the aperture, and then welding or sealing the chamber (50) so that the inflation fluid is substantially retained in the chamber (50) and/or does not escape via the aperture. In various aspects, the formation of the aperture, inflation of the chamber (50), and sealing of the chamber (50) or aperture can be performed by a single tool and/or based on a single registration of the thermoplastic article with a tool. In some aspects, formation of the aperture is enabled in part by using a punch (100, 201, 205) with a cupped surface (341) that allows the top layer of a thermoplastic article to be breached without forming a hole in at least one lower layer (350).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for introducing fluid into a sealed volume comprising:
an electrode having an outer circumference and an inner circumference, the inner circumference defining a volume within the electrode, the electrode being mechanically coupled to a base at a first end of the electrode, the electrode being open at a second end;
an actuator mechanically coupled to the base;
a punch having a punch head, the punch being coupled to the actuator, the punch head residing within the volume in the electrode in a first punch position and being outside of the volume of the electrode in a second punch position, the punch head comprising a punch edge defining a perimeter, a surface of the punch within the perimeter of the punch edge being concave and defining a punch volume, an average depth of the punch volume being less than an average diameter of the punch edge; and
a first fluid delivery conduit, the first fluid delivery conduit being in fluid communication with the volume in the electrode and in fluid communication with the opening at the second end of the electrode.

2. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the punch volume is a conical volume or a conical frustum volume.

3. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the punch volume is a spheroid volume or an ovoid volume.

4. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the punch volume is an n-sided pyramidal volume where n is greater than or equal to three or a frustum volume based on an n-sided pyramidal volume where n is greater than or equal to three.

5. The tool of claim 1 , wherein an included angle at opposing points of the circumference of the punch is about 120° to about 160°.

6. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the average depth of the punch volume is less than 0.5 times an average diameter of the perimeter of the edge.

7. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the punch is mechanically coupled to the actuator by an adjustable mechanical coupling, the height of the punch head in the first position being adjustable based on the adjustable mechanical coupling.

8. The tool of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the punch is threaded, the punch being coupled to the actuator by a threaded screw coupling.

9. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a pneumatic cylinder.

10. The tool of claim 9 , wherein a piston volume of the pneumatic cylinder is in fluid communication with a second fluid delivery conduit.

11. The tool of claim 9 , wherein the pneumatic cylinder is a single acting pneumatic cylinder.

12. The tool of claim 11 , wherein a restoring force for the single acting pneumatic cylinder is provided by a spring.

13. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the inner circumference of the electrode is substantially circular.

14. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the inner circumference of the electrode varies along a height of the electrode.

15. The tool of claim 1 , wherein an axis of the punch is substantially concentric with an axis of the electrode.

16. The tool of claim 15 , wherein the actuator is a pneumatic cylinder, the axis of the punch substantially corresponding to an axis of motion of the pneumatic cylinder.

17. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the first punch position and the second punch position are separated by a distance along an axis of motion of the actuator.

18. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is substantially contained within the base.

19. The tool of claim 1 , wherein a clearance between the punch and the inner circumference is from about 0.0025 inches (0.064 mm) to about 0.01 inches (0.25 mm).

20. The tool of claim 1 , wherein a clearance between the punch head and the inner circumference is from about 0.0025 inches (0.064 mm) to about 0.01 inches (0.25 mm).

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Jacobs Dale E

Classifications

• B26F1/02

  Perforating by punching, e.g. with relatively-reciprocating punch and bed · CPC title

• B29C2793/0081

  before shaping · CPC title

• B29L2031/504

  Soles · CPC title

• B26F1/04

  with selectively-operable punches · CPC title

• B29K2075/00

  Use of {PU, i.e.} polyureas or polyurethanes {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title