Methods for manufacturing cushioning elements for sports apparel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849645-B2
Application number	US-201715452793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 13, 2013
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

Methods for manufacturing cushioning elements for sports apparel are described. A method is provided for manufacturing a cushioning element for sports apparel from randomly arranged particles of an expanded material. The method includes positioning a functional element within a mold and loading the mold with the particles of the expanded material, wherein the loading occurs through at least two openings within the mold and/or wherein the loading occurs between different movable parts of the mold.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a cushioning element for sports apparel from randomly arranged particles of an expanded material, comprising:
(a) positioning of a functional element within a mold; and
(b) loading the mold with the particles of the expanded material, wherein the particles of the expanded material surround the functional element from at least two different sides.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the particles are loaded into the mold within a stream of a transport liquid and/or a stream of steam.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the loading occurs through at least two openings within the mold.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the loading occurs between different movable parts of the mold.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the particles of the expanded material are treated within the mold with pressure and/or heat and/or steam.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional element comprises a foil comprising thermoplastic urethane.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the foil is provided as a container that contains randomly arranged particles of a second expanded material.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the particles of the expanded material and/or the particles of the second expanded material comprise a mixture of at least two different kinds of particles, which differ in their raw material and/or their size and/or their density and/or their color.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the particles of the expanded material are coated with a liquid matrix material in order to achieve a substantially even distribution of the particles within the liquid matrix material.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising heating at least a part of a wall of the mold to a temperature which at least partially or entirely melts the particles of the expanded material that lie adjacent to the part of the wall of the mold.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the individual steps of the method are carried out at two or more stations of an automated production facility.

12. A method for manufacturing a cushioning element for sports apparel from randomly arranged particles of an expanded material, comprising:
(a) loading a mold with the particles of the expanded material;
(b) wherein the particles are loaded into the mold within a stream of a transport liquid.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the transport liquid is at least partially removed from the mold.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the particles of the expanded material are treated within the mold with pressure and/or heat and/or steam after the transport liquid has been at least partially removed from the mold.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the transport liquid remaining in the mold solidifies under an influence of the pressure and/or heat and/or steam treatment.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein, after conclusion of the pressure and/or heat and/or steam treatment, the transport liquid and/or the solidified transport liquid is at least partially dissolved out and/or melted out and/or removed by pressure from the cushioning element.

17. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising positioning a functional element within the mold.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the loading occurs through at least two openings within the mold.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the at least two openings are arranged in such a manner that the loaded particles of the expanded material surround the functional element from at least two different sides.

20. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the loading occurs between different movable parts of the mold.

21. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the functional element comprises a foil comprising thermoplastic urethane.

22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the foil is provided as a container that contains randomly arranged particles of a second expanded material.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the particles of the expanded material and/or the particles of the second expanded material comprise a mixture of at least two different kinds of particles, which differ in their raw material and/or their size and/or their density and/or their color.

24. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the particles of the expanded material are coated with a liquid matrix material in order to achieve a substantially even distribution of the particles within the liquid matrix material.

25. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising heating at least a part of a wall of the mold to a temperature which at least partially or entirely melts the particles of the expanded material that lie adjacent to the part of the wall of the mold.

26. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the individual steps of the method are carried out at two or more stations of an automated production facility.

27. A method for manufacturing a cushioning element for sports apparel from randomly arranged particles of an expanded material, comprising:
(a) positioning of a functional element within a mold; and
(b) loading the mold with the particles of the expanded material, wherein the particles are distributed around the functional element within the mold.

Assignees

• Adidas Ag

Inventors

• Wardlaw Angus
• Manz Gerd Rainer
• Le Tru Huu Minh
• Freeman Warren

Classifications

• B29D35/148

  Moulds or apparatus therefor · CPC title

• B29D35/142 Primary

  Soles · CPC title

• B29D35/0063

  Moulds · CPC title

• B29L2031/504

  Soles · CPC title

• B29K2905/00

  Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, as mould material · CPC title