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US 12,138,900 B2Granted
Compositions for manufacturing footwear stiffeners
AssigneeStanbee Company, Inc.
InventorsDale Martell, Bruce Goldberg, Leo Provencher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microcellular shoe stiffener has at least one adhesive layer coextruded with and carried on a stiffener core. A liquid, such as liquid nitrogen, is introduced into the extruder for the stiffener core to produce a closed cell foam with a gaseous component. The gas reduces the weight and cost of the stiffener without significantly reducing stiffness and resiliency.
Claims14
A microcellular foam box toe stiffener material or heel counter stiffener material, comprising:
- a stiffener core with opposite first and second surfaces,
- at least a first adhesive layer coextruded with the stiffener core and carried on at least the first surface of the stiffener core,
- the stiffener core having a thickness in a range of about 0.55 mm to about 1.40 mm, and comprising a polymeric material, a nucleating agent, and nitrogen gas,
- the polymeric material being selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), PETG co-polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane (PU), polyethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), recycled PETG, recycled PET, recycled PU, recycled EVA, thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers (TPE), and combinations thereof,
- the nucleating agent comprises 0.014% to 0.25% by weight based on 100% by weight of the polymeric material,
- the nitrogen comprises from about 0.016% to about 0.0228% by weight based on 100% by weight of the polymeric material,
- wherein the stiffener core achieves a weight reduction of up to 30% compared to an identical stiffener core without the nitrogen gas, and
- wherein the stiffener core meets or exceeds 1st collapse and 10th collapse product specifications using SATRA TM83 test method.
5 more elements
A microcellular foam box toe stiffener material or heel counter stiffener material, comprising:
- a stiffener core having opposite first and second surfaces, and
- first and second adhesive layers coextruded with the stiffener core and carried respectively on the first and second surfaces of the stiffener core,
- the stiffener core having a thickness in a range of about 0.55 mm to about 1.40 mm, and comprising a recycled polymeric material, a thermoplastic elastomer, a nucleating agent, and nitrogen gas,
- wherein the recycled polymeric material comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET), wherein the nitrogen gas comprises from about 0.016% to about 0.0228% by weight based on 100% by weight of the recycled polymeric material and the thermoplastic elastomer,
- wherein the nucleating agent comprises 0.014% to 0.25% by weight based on 100% by weight of the recycled polymeric material and the thermoplastic elastomer,
- wherein the stiffener core achieves a weight reduction of up to 30% compared to an identical stiffener core without nitrogen gas, and
- wherein the stiffener core meets or exceeds 1st collapse and 10th collapse product specifications using SATRA TM83 test method.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.