Cushioning member for article of footwear and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11529783-B2
Application number	US-201916427527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2019
Priority date	May 31, 2018
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A method of forming a polymeric foam material is provided and includes providing a precursor material having a first thickness, the precursor material being an open-cell foam material and applying a uniaxial compressive force to the precursor material to compress the precursor material to a second thickness, the compressive force causing a cell structure of the precursor material to collapse. The method also includes heating the precursor material at a molding temperature for a first time period while the compressive force is applied, the first time period being sufficient to heat the precursor material to a softening temperature, removing the compressive force from the precursor material, and maintaining the cell structure of the precursor material in a collapsed state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a polymeric foam material comprising:
providing a precursor material having a first thickness, the precursor material being an open-cell foam material;
providing an upper mold and a lower mold, the upper mold and the lower mold being movable towards each other to apply a uniaxial compressive force to the precursor material to compress the precursor material to a second thickness where a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is at least 1.5:1, the compressive force causing a cell structure along the entire second thickness of the precursor material to collapse;
heating the precursor material at a molding temperature for a first time period while the compressive force is applied, the first time period being sufficient to heat the precursor material to a softening temperature;
removing the compressive force from the precursor material; and
maintaining the cell structure of the precursor material in a collapsed state.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second thickness ranges from 3 mm to 25 mm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molding temperature ranges from 120° C. to 400° C.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first time period ranges from 120 seconds to 1100 seconds.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor material is low-density, open-cell polyurethane.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the precursor material at a cooling temperature for a second time period while the compressive force is applied, the cooling temperature being less than the softening temperature.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the cooling temperature ranges from 0° C. to 10° C.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first time period is sufficient to heat the precursor material above a softening temperature of the precursor material and the second time period is sufficient to cool the precursor material below the softening temperature.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compressive force is a pressure of approximately 30 kilograms per square centimeter.

10. A method of forming a cushioning member for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
providing precursor material having a first thickness, the precursor material being an open-cell foam material;
providing an upper mold and a lower mold;
moving the upper mold and the lower mold towards each other to apply a uniaxial compressive force to the precursor material to compress the precursor material to a second thickness where a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is at least 1.5:1, the compressive force causing cell structures along the entire second thickness of the precursor material to move to a collapsed state;
heating the precursor material to a first temperature above a softening temperature of the precursor material while maintaining the cells structures in the collapsed state; and
cooling the precursor material to a second temperature below the softening temperature of the precursor material while maintaining the cell structures in the collapsed state.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second thickness ranges from 3 mm to 25 mm.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the precursor material is heated at a molding temperature ranging from 120° C. to 400° C.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the precursor material is heated for a time period ranging from 120 seconds to 1100 seconds.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the precursor material is low-density, open-cell polyurethane.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the precursor material is cooled at a cooling temperature ranging from 0° C. to 10° C.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the compressive force is a pressure of 30 kilograms per square centimeter.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising shaping the precursor material into the shape of one of a sockliner, an insole, a midsole, a cushioning insert, and an outsole.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising incorporating the cushioning member into the article of footwear.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Fakhouri Sami
• Levy Cassidy R
• Prevo Brian
• Lin Pei-Jyun
• Tsai Ping-Hung

Classifications

• B29L2031/504

  Soles · CPC title

• A43B13/125

  characterised by the midsole or middle layer · CPC title

• A43B17/14

  made of sponge, rubber, or plastic materials · CPC title

• B29D35/122

  Soles · CPC title

• A43B13/04

  Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre · CPC title