Method of manufacturing footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11396117-B2
Application number	US-201916592060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2019
Priority date	Oct 3, 2019
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a footwear sole component is provided including projecting elongated pins into a mold cavity in the shape of the footwear sole component and partially filled with an expandable material including multiple unexpanded beads, and introducing steam into the cavity through ports defined by one or more cavity walls and through the pins in an internal region of the expandable material, to expand both exterior beads and interior beads in the internal region a predetermined amount. With the elongated pins, the interior beads can be expanded more, less and/or the same amount as exterior beads to provide particular physical characteristics to the component. For example, the interior beads can be fully expanded to a similar density as exterior beads, or expanded less to provide more density and rigidity in the internal region, or expanded more to provide less density and rigidity in the internal region.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A method of manufacturing a footwear sole component comprising:
providing a first mold part defining a first cavity bounded by a first mold wall, the first mold wall defining a plurality of first ports in connection with a supply of fluid, the first mold wall including at least a lateral mold wall, a medial mold wall, a toe mold wall, a heel mold wall, and a bottom mold wall;
introducing an expandable material including a plurality of unexpanded beads into the first cavity such that a plurality of exterior unexpanded beads engage the first mold wall, with a plurality of interior unexpanded beads being distal from the first mold wall in an internal region of the first cavity;
placing a second mold part adjacent the first mold part to close the first cavity, the second mold part including a base, the base defining a plurality of pin ports,
projecting a plurality of elongated pins through the plurality of pin ports into the first cavity between the lateral mold wall and the medial mold wall, between the toe mold wall and the heel mold wall, and opposite the bottom mold wall, the plurality of elongated pins projecting into the internal region;
introducing a first fluid into the first cavity through the plurality of first ports defined by the first mold wall to expand the plurality of exterior unexpanded beads, the first fluid producing an inward force toward the internal region;
introducing a second fluid into the internal region via the plurality of elongated pins such that second fluid from the plurality of elongated pins expands the plurality of interior unexpanded beads in the internal region and exerts an outward force, away from the internal region, while the inward force produced by the first fluid counters the outward force;
forming with a plurality of expanded exterior beads a lateral sole wall, a medial sole wall, a toe sole wall, a heel sole wall, a bottom sole wall and an upper sole wall, configured to engage a Strobel board of an upper, of a sole component, the plurality of elongated pins extending through the upper sole wall;
removing the plurality of elongated pins out of the upper sole wall such that the plurality of elongated pins exit out of the sole component through the upper sole wall;
curing the sole component in the first cavity; and
moving the second mold part away from the first mold part so that the sole component can be removed from the first cavity.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of elongated pins includes a pin end and a pin sidewall,
wherein the pin end includes a distal aperture,
wherein the pin sidewall defines a plurality of pin sidewall apertures,
wherein the second fluid exits each pin via the distal aperture and the plurality of pin sidewall apertures.

3. The method of claim 2 ,
wherein the plurality of interior unexpanded beads expand due to the second fluid, which is in the form of steam, engaging the interior unexpanded beads as the second fluid exits the distal aperture and the plurality of pin sidewall apertures.

4. The method of claim 3 ,
wherein each of the plurality of elongated pins extends into the first cavity at least 25% of a thickness of the first cavity during the second fluid introducing step.

5. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the internal region is disposed in an arch region of the sole component,
wherein the plurality of interior unexpanded beads are expanded to the same extent as the plurality of expanded exterior beads after the curing step.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of elongated pins is a hollow tube,
wherein each hollow tube is in common fluid communication with a pressurized vessel of the second fluid which is in the form of steam,
wherein the second fluid travels through each hollow tube at a common pressure and temperature during the second fluid introducing step.

7. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein each of the plurality of first ports is in common fluid communication with the pressurized vessel of the second fluid.

8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are each steam that is at a pressure of at least 3 bar,
wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are each at a temperature of at least 100° C.

9. The method of claim 8 ,
wherein after the plurality of elongated pins are retracted from the sole upper wall, the sole upper wall defines a plurality of remnant deformations where the elongated pins were once located,
wherein after the curing step, the Strobel board is placed over the sole upper wall to conceal the remnant deformations.

10. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of first ports are defined in the lateral mold wall and the medial mold wall,
wherein the plurality of elongated pins include a plurality of sidewall apertures,
wherein the plurality of sidewall apertures point toward the lateral mold wall and the medial mold wall during the second fluid introducing step.

11. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the cured sole component is a midsole having a width extending from the lateral sole wall to the medial sole wall and a length extending from the toe sole wall to the heel sole wall,
wherein the midsole is joined with an outsole with adhesive,
wherein the midsole includes a forefoot region, an arch region and a heel region,
wherein the plurality of elongated pins are withdrawn from the sole upper wall in the heel region along a longitudinal axis of the midsole.

12. The method of claim 1 comprising:
expanding the plurality of interior unexpanded beads in the internal region to form a heel region of the sole component with a density substantially equal to a density of a forefoot region of the sole component.

13. The method of claim 1 comprising:
retracting the plurality of elongated pins out of the upper sole wall in a heel region of the sole component,
wherein the heel region has a heel thickness of at least 20 mm,
wherein each of the plurality of elongated pins projects into the first cavity less than 20 mm.

14. The method of claim 13 ,
wherein after the plurality of elongated pins are retracted from the upper sole wall in the heel region, the upper sole wall defines a plurality of remnant deformations where the plurality of elongated pins were once located in the heel region,
wherein after the curing step, the Strobel board is placed over the upper sole wall to conceal the remnant deformations.

15. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of first ports comprise:
a first plurality of first ports defined in the lateral mold wall, the first fluid introduced through the first plurality of first ports producing a first inward force toward the internal region; and
a second plurality of first ports defined in the medial mold wall, the medial mold wall disposed opposite the lateral mold wall and the first fluid introduced through the second plurality of first ports producing a second inward force toward the internal region opposing the first inward force; and

wherein the outward force exerted away from the internal region is countered by the first inward force and the second inward force at a location that is between the lateral mold wall and the medial mold wall.

16. A method of manufacturing a footwear sole component comprising:
providing a first mold part defining a first cavity bounded by a first mold wall, the first mold wall defining a plurality of first ports, the first cavity including a lateral mold wall, a medial mold wall, a toe mold wall, a

Assignees

• Saucony Inc

Inventors

• Ciccone Luca B
• Paulson Andrea A

Classifications

• B29K2105/048

  Expandable particles, beads or granules · CPC title

• B29C44/0407

  by regulating the temperature of the mould or parts thereof, e.g. cold mould walls inhibiting foaming of an outer layer · CPC title

• B29L2031/504

  Soles · CPC title

• B29C35/049

  using steam or damp · CPC title

• B29C44/58 Primary

  Moulds · CPC title