Cushioning elements for apparel and other products and methods of manufacturing the cushioning elements
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorDavid Turner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for manufacturing the cushioning elements may include utilizing a die with a plurality of die elements positioned in a particular arrangement. A polymer material, which may be a polymer foam material, is located between the die and an extractor. The polymer material is compressed between the die and the extractor, and the die elements cut the polymer material to form a plurality of pad components, which are arranged like the die elements. The die and the extractor are separated, and the pad components are secured to the extractor in the arrangement of the die elements. Additionally, the pad components are bonded to at least one material layer such that the pad components remain in the arrangement of the die elements.
Claims16
A method of manufacturing a cushioning element, the method comprising:
- locating a plurality of pad components between a first material layer and a second material layer;
- joining the pad components to the first material layer and the second material layer;
- securing the first material layer to the second material layer around a perimeter of the pad components with a bonding element;
- wherein the step of bonding includes configuring the bonding element to have an aperture that exposes a central area of the first material layer.
A method of manufacturing a cushioning element, the method comprising:
- providing a die and an extractor, the die having a plurality of die elements positioned in an arrangement;
- locating a polymer material between the die and the extractor;
- compressing the polymer material between the die and the extractor, the die elements cutting the polymer material to form a plurality of pad components;
- separating the die and the extractor, the pad components being secured to the extractor, and the pad components having the arrangement of the die elements;
- securing a bonding element formed from a thermoplastic polymer material to a first material layer, the bonding element being positioned adjacent to an edge of the first material layer, and the bonding element being absent from a central area of the first material layer;
- compressing the pad components against the central area of the first material layer with the extractor to bond the pad components to the first material layer in the arrangement of the die elements;
- compressing the pad components against a second material layer to bond the pad components to the second material layer;
- and
- compressing the first material layer against the second material layer to bond the first material layer and the second material layer together with the bonding element.
A method of manufacturing a cushioning element, the method comprising:
- locating a plurality of pad components between a first material layer and a second material layer;
- joining the plurality of pad components to the first material layer and the second material layer;
- configuring a bonding element to have an aperture that exposes a central area of the first material layer;
- locating the bonding element at an edge of the first material layer;
- and
- securing the first material layer to the second material layer around a perimeter of the plurality of pad components with the bonding element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.