Back to results
US 7,356,946 B2Granted
Liquidproof seam for protective footwear
AssigneeGore Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
InventorsGregory E. Hannon, William G. Hardie, Timothy J. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Liquidproof seams are formed between laminates, most preferably those having a complex textile structure on the sealing side of the laminate, where at least a portion of the complex textile in the sealing region is removed, such as by skiving, to reduce the thickness in the seam, or sealing region, prior to the creation of a durably sealed liquidproof seam.
Claims15
A seamed footwear article comprising:
- (1) at least two laminate panels, each said laminate panel including
- (a) at least one layer of textile material comprising a complex textile structure, said textile material having a thickness;
- (b) at least one liquidproof barrier layer affixed to the textile material;
- and
- (c) a sealing region on at least a portion of each laminate panel wherein a portion of the thickness of the textile material is removed, whereby the thickness in at least a portion of the sealing region is less than the thickness of the remainder of the laminate, and
- (2) at least one liquidproof seam joining together the sealing regions of the at least two laminate panels, said liquidproof seam comprising
- (a) a seam tape adhered over said sealing region by
- (b) an adhesive which contacts said seam tape, penetrates said complex textile structure of the at least one layer of textile material, and contacts the at least one liquidproof barrier layer,
- wherein said joined laminate panels are within a footwear article.
6 more elements
A method of forming liquidproof footwear incorporating laminate panels comprising:
- (1) providing at least two laminate panels, each said laminate panel including (a) at least one layer of textile material having a thickness, and (b) at least one liquidproof barrier layer affixed to the textile material;
- (2) skiving at least a portion of the textile material to remove at least a portion of the thickness, thereby forming a sealing region in each of the at least two laminate panels, said sealing regions having a thickness in at least a portion thereof which is less than the thickness of the remainder of the laminate;
- and
- (3) joining together the sealing regions of the at least two laminate panels by forming at least one liquidproof seam there between, said liquidproof seam comprising
- (a) a seam tape adhered over said sealing region by
- (b) an adhesive which contacts said seam tape, penetrates said complex textile structure of the at least one layer of textile material, and contacts the at least one liquidproof barrier layer;
- and
- (4) incorporating said joined laminate panels into an article of footwear.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.