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US 12,179,411 B2Granted
System and method for forming textured bladder
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsJohn Cross, Dervin A. James, Ryan R. Larson, Kevin C. Sze, Adam Thuss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method including inserting into a mold a first tool having a first surface. The method further includes printing a second tool from a polymer material and inserting the second tool into the first tool. The second tool having a smaller wall thickness than the first tool and including a second surface opposing and in contact with the first surface of the first tool and a third surface formed on an opposite side of the second tool than the second surface.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- inserting into a mold a first tool having a base surface in contact with the mold and a first surface formed on an opposite side of the first tool than the base surface, a distance between the base surface and the first surface defining a thickness of the first tool, the first tool including a network of first vacuum ports that extend at least between the base surface and the first surface and are arranged to correspond with a plurality of vacuum ports arranged in the mold;
- inserting a second tool into the first tool, the second tool including a second surface opposing and in contact with the first surface of the first tool, a third surface formed on an opposite side of the second tool than the second surface, a distance between the second surface and the third surface defining a thickness of the second tool that is consistently thinner than the thickness of the first tool, the second tool including a network of second vacuum ports that extend at least between the second surface and the third surface and are arranged to correspond with the network of first vacuum ports and the plurality of vacuum ports arranged in the mold;
- inserting a first sheet of material into the mold, the first sheet of material opposing the third surface of the second tool;
- and
- applying a vacuum to the first sheet of material to draw the first sheet of material into contact with the third surface of the second tool.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- inserting into a mold a first tool having a base surface in contact with the mold and a first surface formed on an opposite side of the first tool than the base surface, a distance between the base surface and the first surface defining a thickness of the first tool, the first tool including a network of first vacuum ports arranged throughout the first tool that correspond with a plurality of vacuum ports arranged throughout the mold;
- printing a second tool from a polymer material;
- and
- inserting the second tool into the first tool, the second tool including a second surface opposing and in contact with the first surface of the first tool, a third surface formed on an opposite side of the second tool than the second surface, a distance between the second surface and the third surface defining a thickness of the second tool that is consistently thinner than the thickness of the first tool, the second tool including a network of second vacuum ports arranged throughout the second tool that correspond with the network of first vacuum ports and the plurality of vacuum ports arranged throughout the mold.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.