Method for forming foamed shoe insole and related article
AssigneeAscion, LLC
InventorsMartin B. Rawls-Meehan, Hsun-Chen Chang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure generally relates to a method for forming foamed shoe insoles as well as related shoe and shoe component articles. A foamed polymer having an open-cell foam interior structure and a continuous outer layer or skin can be formed conveniently such as by injection molding. The foamed polymer has a shape corresponding to two opposing shoe insole portions such that it can be cut or otherwise separated into two corresponding complementary foamed shoe insoles. The resulting open-cell foam interior structure and a continuous outer layer of the foamed shoe insoles can provide enhance spring or bounce effect when the insoles are incorporated into a shoe or sole component thereof.
Claims14
A method for forming foamed shoe insoles, the method comprising:
- (a) forming a foamed polymer in a mold, the foamed polymer comprising (i) an open-cell polymer foam interior body and (ii) a continuous polymer layer exterior surface,
- wherein the mold and foamed polymer have a shape corresponding to two opposing shoe insole portions integrally formed in a face-to-face configuration;
- (b) removing the foamed polymer from the mold;
- and
- (c) separating the foamed polymer between the two opposing shoe insole portions, thereby forming first and second complementary foamed shoe insoles, each foamed shoe insole comprising (i) an open-cell polymer foam interior body and top exterior surface, and (ii) a continuous polymer layer bottom exterior surface and side exterior surface.
A method for forming foamed shoe insoles, the method comprising:
- (a) forming a foamed polymer in a mold, the foamed polymer comprising (i) an open-cell polymer foam interior body and (ii) a continuous polymer layer exterior surface,
- wherein:
- the mold and foamed polymer have a shape corresponding to two opposing shoe insole portions integrally formed in a face-to-face configuration,
- the two opposing shoe insole portions of the foamed polymer correspond to a left foot shoe insole portion and a right foot shoe insole portion in which a top side of the left foot shoe insole portion is at a surface corresponding to a top side of the right foot shoe insole portion, and
- forming the foamed polymer comprises injection molding at least one of a foamed and a foaming liquid polymer component into the mold;
- (b) removing the foamed polymer from the mold;
- and
- (c) separating the foamed polymer between the two opposing shoe insole portions, thereby forming first and second complementary foamed shoe insoles, each foamed shoe insole comprising (i) an open-cell polymer foam interior body and top exterior surface, and (ii) a continuous polymer layer bottom exterior surface and side exterior surface,
- wherein the open-cell polymer foam top exterior surface of the first foamed shoe insole is complementary to the open-cell polymer foam top exterior surface of the second foamed shoe insole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.