US 2016/0108198 A1 · Article with Controlled Cushioning

Abstract

Pellets, beads, particles, or other pieces of a thermoplastic elastomer having a maximum size in at least one dimension of 10 mm or less (collectively, “pellets”) are infused with a supercritical fluid in a pressurized container, then rapidly depressurized and heated either by immersion in a heated fluid or with infrared or microwave radiation to foam the pellets The pellets are prepared with at least two different densities. Pellets with different densities, thermoplastic elastomer compositions, or foam response rates are placed in different areas of a mold. The mold is filled with pellets, then the pellets are molded into a part. The part has areas of different density as a result of the placement of pellets of different density.

Claims21

Dependent claims

1-17. (canceled)

A molded article of a thermoplastic elastomer made by a process comprising

(a) receiving supercritical fluid-foamed thermoplastic pellets of a first density;
(b) receiving supercritical fluid-foamed thermoplastic pellets of a second density;
and then
(c) placing annealed supercritical fluid-foamed thermoplastic pellets of the first density in a first area of a mold and placing annealed supercritical fluid-foamed thermoplastic pellets of the second density in a second area of the mold, and molding both the annealed supercritical fluid-foamed thermoplastic pellets of the first density and the annealed supercritical fluid-foamed thermoplastic pellets of the second density to form a unitary molded foam article having a density gradient,
wherein either:
(i) the supercritical fluid-foamed thermoplastic pellets received in (a) or (b) or both are annealed supercritical fluid-foamed thermoplastic pellets, or
(ii) the process further comprises a step of annealing the supercritical fluid-foamed thermoplastic pellets of the first density, or annealing the supercritical fluid-foamed thermoplastic pellets of the second density, or annealing both to form the annealed supercritical fluid-foamed thermoplastic pellets before the placing of step (c) is conducted.

4 more elements

A molded article of a thermoplastic elastomer made by a process comprising

(a) providing pellets of a thermoplastic elastomer having a first density that were made by infusing the pellets with a supercritical fluid in a pressurized container, removing the pellets from the container, and foaming the pellets by one of
(i) heating the pellets with a fluid or
(ii) irradiating the pellets with infrared or microwave radiation to make foamed pellets of the first thermoplastic elastomer composition;
(b) providing pellets of a second thermoplastic elastomer composition different from the first thermoplastic elastomer that were made by infusing the pellets with a supercritical fluid in a pressurized container, removing the pellets from the container and foaming the pellets by one of
(i) heating the pellets with a fluid or
(ii) irradiating the pellets with infrared or microwave radiation to make foamed pellets of the second thermoplastic elastomer composition;
(c) placing foamed pellets having the first thermoplastic elastomer composition in a first area of a mold and placing foamed pellets having the second thermoplastic elastomer composition in a second area of the mold, wherein the first thermoplastic elastomer composition is different from the second thermoplastic elastomer composition, and molding the pellets to form the molded article,
wherein either
(I) at least one of the pellets provided in (a) and the pellets provided in (b) has been annealed or
(II) the process further comprises annealing the foamed pellets provided in one or both of steps (a) and (b) before step (c).

7 more elements

A process comprising

(a) providing pellets of a thermoplastic elastomer having a first density that were made by infusing the pellets with a supercritical fluid in a pressurized container, removing the pellets from the container and foaming the pellets by one of (i) heating the pellets with a fluid or (ii) irradiating the pellets with infrared or microwave radiation to make foamed pellets of a first density;
(b) providing pellets of the thermoplastic elastomer having a second density that were made by a process comprising infusing the pellets with a supercritical fluid in a pressurized container, removing the pellets from the container and foaming the pellets by one of (i) heating the pellets with a fluid or (ii) irradiating the pellets with infrared or microwave radiation to make foamed pellets of a second density different from the first density;
and then
(c) placing foamed pellets having the first density in a first area of a mold and placing foamed pellets having the second density in a second area of the mold and molding the pellets to form the molded article,
wherein:
(I) at least one of the pellets provided in (a) and (b) has been annealed or
(II) the process further comprises annealing the foamed pellets provided in one or both of steps (a) and (b) before step (c).

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Article with Controlled Cushioning

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Article with Controlled Cushioning

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21