Textiles and articles and processes for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11998080-B2
Application number	US-202016945441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2020
Priority date	Aug 2, 2019
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

Films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles including thermoplastic elastomeric compositions are described, as are methods of making the films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles. These films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles can be used to make articles of apparel, footwear, and sporting equipment. When thermoformed, the thermoplastic elastomeric compositions can impart abrasion resistance, traction, and other advantageous properties to the articles. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An outsole for an article of footwear, comprising:
a textile comprising a thermoformed network of yarns comprising a first core yarn and a first polymeric composition, wherein the first polymeric composition consolidates the thermoformed network of yarns by surrounding at least a portion of the first core yarn and occupying at least a portion of spaces between yarns in the thermoformed network of yarns, and wherein the first polymeric composition comprises a thermoplastic elastomeric polyurethane, wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric polyurethane is a thermoplastic elastomeric polyester polyurethane, a thermoplastic elastomeric polyether polyurethane, or any combination thereof, wherein the first polymeric composition has a Durometer Hardness of from about 70 to about 80 Shore A, as determined using the Durometer Hardness Test;
wherein the thermoformed network of yarns is a thermoformed product of a first textile comprising a first network of yarns including a first coated yarn comprising the first core yarn and a first coating, the first coating comprising the first polymeric composition, the first core yarn comprising a second polymeric composition, wherein the first coating is axially centered surrounding the core yarn, the first coating has a nominal average outer diameter of the coated yarn is up to about 1.0 millimeter, the first coating has an average radial coating thickness of about 50 micrometers to about 200 micrometers, and wherein, in the thermoformed network of yarns, the first polymeric composition consolidating the thermoformed network of yarns is a re-flowed and re-solidified product of the first polymeric composition of the first coating of the first coated yarn;
wherein, in the first coated yarn, the first polymeric composition has a first melting temperature greater than about 110 degrees Celsius and less than about 190 degrees Celsius, the second polymeric composition of the first core yarn has a second deformation temperature, and the second deformation temperature is at least 50 degrees Celsius greater than the first melting temperature of the first polymeric composition;
wherein a first side of the thermoformed network defines at least a portion of a surface of the outsole configured to be externally-facing or ground-facing or ground-contacting when the outsole is part of a finished article of footwear, and
the first polymeric composition when thermoformed has a cold Ross flex of about 120,000 to about 180,000.

2. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the thermoformed network of yarns defines at least a portion of the surface of the outsole configured to be ground-contacting when the outsole is part of the finished article of footwear, and the thermoformed network further comprises a layer of a third polymeric composition, wherein the third polymeric composition is a thermoplastic elastomeric composition comprising thermoplastic elastomeric polyurethane; wherein a first side of the layer defines the surface of the outsole configured to be ground-contacting when the outsole is part of a finished article of footwear, and a second side of the layer opposite the first side is thermally bonded to a first side of the textile via the first polymeric composition of the textile.

3. The outsole of claim 2 , wherein the layer of the third polymeric composition is an extruded layer or an injection molded layer or a film layer.

4. The outsole of claim 2 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric polyurethane of the first polymeric composition and the thermoplastic elastomeric polyurethane of the third polymeric composition each have the same chemical structure, or wherein the first polymeric composition and the third polymeric composition each have melting temperatures within about 10 degrees Celsius of each other, or both.

5. The outsole of claim 2 , wherein the layer of the third polymeric composition has a thickness of from about 0.1 millimeter to about 5 millimeters.

6. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the textile is bonded to a foam sole component.

7. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric polyurethane is a thermoplastic elastomeric polyester polyurethane, a thermoplastic polyether polyurethane, or any combination thereof.

8. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric polyurethane comprises an aromatic polyester thermoplastic elastomeric polyurethane, an aliphatic polyester thermoplastic elastomeric polyurethane, or a combination thereof.

9. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the first polymeric composition has a melt flow index of about 2 grams/10 minutes to about 50 grams/10 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius using a test weight of 2.16 kilograms as determined using ASTM D1238-13, or a melt flow index greater than about 2 grams/10 minutes at 190 degrees centigrade or 200 degrees Celsius when using a test weight of 10 kilograms as determined using the Melt Flow Index Test.

10. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the first core yarn comprises a polyester or a polyamide having a linear density from about 100 denier to about 300 denier.

11. The outsole of claim 2 , wherein the first polymeric composition or the third polymeric composition has a dry dynamic coefficient of friction (COF) of greater than 1.0 as determined against dry smooth concrete using the Coefficient of Friction Test.

12. The outsole of claim 2 , wherein the first polymeric composition or the third polymeric composition has a wet dynamic coefficient of friction (COF) of greater than 0.3 as determined against wet smooth concrete using the Coefficient of Friction Test.

13. The outsole of claim 2 , wherein, for the first polymeric composition or the third polymeric composition, a difference between a wet dynamic coefficient of friction and a dry dynamic coefficient of friction is less than 40 percent as determined using the Coefficient of Friction Test.

14. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein, for the thermoformed network of yarns, a difference between a dry dynamic coefficient of friction and a wet coefficient of friction is less than 55 percent as determined using the Coefficient of Friction Test.

15. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein a difference between a static coefficient of friction of a dry surface and a wet surface of the textile is less than 40 percent as determined using the Coefficient of Friction Test.

16. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the textile has a dry shoe traction of greater than 6 and a wet shoe traction of greater than 5 as determined using the Method to Determine Whole Shoe Traction after Biomechanical Abrasion.

17. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the textile has an abrasion loss of less than 0.50 cubic centimeters lost after 3,000 cycles as determined using the Akron Abrasion Test.

18. The outsole of claim 1 , wherein the textile has an abrasion loss of less than 0.30 cubic centimeters lost as determined using the DIN Abrasion Test.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Frazier Devon
• Hancock Walter M
• Klinger Dave
• Mervar Robert
• Prevo Brian G
• Walker Hilary

Classifications

• A43B13/12

  Soles with several layers of different materials · CPC title

• A43B13/02

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• B29D35/122

  Soles · CPC title

• B29D35/146

  Uppers · CPC title

• A43B23/0265

  having different properties in different directions · CPC title