Method for manufacturing inflatable footwear or bladders for use in inflatable articles

A method for continuous feed manufacture of customized inflatable bladders for footwear, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a database, wherein said database comprises at least one information record having at least one customized inflatable bladder design for incorporation into an article of footwear;
• (b) providing a continuous feed of a first thermoplastic film;
• (c) applying a baffler material to a first side of said first thermoplastic film in accordance with the configuration of said at least one customized inflatable bladder design of said at least one information record from said database, as said first thermoplastic film is continuously fed;
• (d) providing a continuous feed of a second thermoplastic film with said continuous feed of said first thermoplastic film, such that said baffler material faces said second thermoplastic film, to prevent said first thermoplastic film and said second thermoplastic film from adhering to each other to allow for inflation between said first thermoplastic film and said second thermoplastic film in the area where said barrier material has been applied;
• (e) adhering said continuous feed of said first thermoplastic film to said continuous feed of said second thermoplastic film in a continuous manner, to continuously form said customized inflatable bladder having a sealed periphery in the area where said barrier material has not been applied to said first thermoplastic film, and at least one customized inflatable compartment in the area where said barrier material has been applied to said first side of said first thermoplastic film, said customized inflatable bladder corresponding in configuration to said customized inflatable bladder design of said at least one information record;
• and
• (f) cutting along said sealed periphery to yield said customized inflatable bladder having said at least one customized inflatable compartment and a sealed peripheral edge.

A method for continuous feed manufacture of inflatable bladders for footwear, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a database, wherein said database comprises multiple information records, each one of said multiple information records having a design for an inflatable bladder for incorporation into an article of footwear;
• (b) providing a continuous feed of a first thermoplastic film;
• (c) selecting a design for an inflatable bladder from said database of said multiple information records;
• (d) applying a barrier material to a first side of said thermoplastic film in accordance with the configuration of said selected inflatable bladder design selected from said multiple information records, as said first thermoplastic film is continuously fed;
• (e) providing a continuous feed of a second thermoplastic film with said continuous feed of said first thermoplastic film, such that said barrier material faces said second thermoplastic film, to prevent said first thermoplastic film and said second thermoplastic film from adhering to each other to allow for inflation between said first thermoplastic film and said second thermoplastic film in the area where said barrier material has been applied;
• (f) adhering said continuous feed of said first thermoplastic film to said continuous feed of said second thermoplastic film in a continuous manner, to continuously form an inflatable bladder having a sealed periphery in the area where said barrier material has not been applied to said first thermoplastic film, and at least one inflatable compartment in the area where said barrier material has been applied to said first side of said first thermoplastic film, said inflatable bladder corresponding in configuration to said selected inflatable bladder design selected from said multiple information records;
• and
• (g) cutting along said sealed periphery to yield said inflatable bladder having at least one inflatable compartment and a sealed peripheral edge corresponding in shape to said selected inflatable bladder design.