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US 6,837,951 B2Granted
Method of thermoforming a bladder structure
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorZvi Rapaport
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for thermoforming a resilient, fluid-filled bladder structure with thermal contact molding is disclosed. The bladder includes two sheets of thermoplastic material that are separated by at least one core formed of two spaced outer layers connected together by a plurality of connecting members. The bladder is formed by bonding the sheets to the core, bonding the sheets to each other around the periphery of the core and forming a sidewall between the sheets in a single mold. A fluid is then inserted into the space bounded by the peripheral bond and the two sheets such that the connecting members are extended.
Claims35
A method for forming a resilient, fluid-filled bladder structure, the method comprising steps of:
- placing at least one core between a first sheet and a second sheet of thermoplastic material, said at least one core having a first outer layer and a second outer layer, said outer layers being spaced apart and connected together by a plurality of connecting members;
- heating said first sheet, said second sheet, and said at least one core;
- and
- bonding said first sheet to said first outer layer, bonding said second sheet to said second outer layer, and bonding said first sheet and said second sheet together around a periphery of said at least one core by compressing said first sheet, said second sheet, and said at least one core in a mold such that:
- a) a first portion of said mold contacts said first sheet adjacent to said first outer layer to bond said first sheet to said first outer layer, and said first portion of said mold contacts and shapes substantially all of a sidewall area of said first sheet to form a sidewall of said bladder from said sidewall area,
- b) a second portion of said mold contacts said second sheet adjacent to said second outer layer, thereby bonding said second sheet to said second outer layer, and
- c) said first sheet and said second sheet are compressed together around the periphery of said at least one core to form a peripheral bond between said second sheet and said sidewall of said first sheet.
4 more elements
A method for forming a resilient, fluid-filled bladder structure, the method comprising steps of:
- forming at least one core that includes a first outer layer and a second outer layer spaced apart and connected together by a plurality of connecting members, said first outer layer including a first coupling layer and said second outer layer including a second coupling layer, said coupling layers being formed of a thermoplastic material;
- placing said at least one core between a first sheet and a second sheet that are formed of said thermoplastic material such that said first outer layer is positioned adjacent to said first sheet and said second outer layer is positioned adjacent to said second sheet;
- heating said first sheet, said second sheet, and said at least one core;
- bonding said first sheet to said first outer layer, bonding said second sheet to said second outer layer, and bonding said first sheet and said second sheet together around a periphery of said at least one core by compressing said first sheet, said second sheet, and said at least one core between a first portion and a second portion of a mold such that:
- a) said first portion of said mold contacts said first sheet adjacent to said first outer layer, thereby bonding said first sheet to said first outer layer,
- b) said first portion of said mold forms a first part of said first sheet into a substantially planar first surface of said bladder, and said first portion of said mold contacts and shapes substantially all of a second part of said first sheet to form said second part of said first sheet into a sidewall of said bladder.
- c) said second portion of said mold contacts said second sheet adjacent to said second outer layer, thereby bonding said second sheet to said second outer layer,
- d) said second portion of said mold forms said second sheet into a substantially planar second surface of said bladder that is substantially parallel to said first surface, and
- e) said first sheet and said second sheet are compressed together around the periphery of said at least one core to form a peripheral bond between said second sheet and said second part of said first sheet, said peripheral bond being positioned at a location substantially coinciding with said second surface.
6 more elements
A method for forming a resilient, fluid-filled bladder structure, the method comprising steps of:
- placing at least one core between a first sheet and a second sheet of thermoplastic material, said at least one core having a first outer layer and a second outer layer, said outer layers being spaced apart and connected together by a plurality of connecting members;
- heating said first sheet, said second sheet, and said at least one core;
- and
- bonding said first sheet to said first outer layer, bonding said second sheet to said second outer layer, and bonding said first sheet and said second sheet together around a periphery of said at least one core by compressing said first sheet, said second sheet, and said at least one core in a mold and inserting a pressurized fluid into a space between said first and second sheets such that:
- a) a first portion of said mold contacts said first sheet adjacent to said first outer layer and said pressurized fluid presses said first sheet against said first portion of said mold to bond said first sheet to said first outer layer, and said first portion of said mold contacts and shapes substantially all of a sidewall area of said first sheet to form a sidewall of said bladder from said sidewall area, said sidewall area being located around the periphery of said at least one core,
- b) a second portion of said mold contacts said second sheet adjacent to said second outer layer and said pressurized fluid presses said second sheet against said second portion of said mold to bond said second sheet to said second outer layer, and
- c) said first sheet and said second sheet are compressed together around the periphery of said at least one core to form a peripheral bond between said second sheet and said sidewall of said first sheet.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.