Molded footwear with woven appearance and ventilation features
AssigneeCrocs, Inc.
InventorsStefano Ferniani, Federico Fongher, Dale Bathum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to embodiments of the invention, a precursor sheet is formed by injecting an EVA-based material into a mold cavity. The mold cavity is configured to create a series of indentations through a first portion of the precursor sheet and into a second portion of the precursor sheet. The precursor sheet is removed from the mold cavity and the second portion of the precursor sheet is removed from the first portion of the precursor sheet to create an isolated sheet with a series of through-holes. The isolated sheet is then formed into a portion of a shoe.
Claims12
A method of making at least a portion of a shoe comprising:
- injecting a material into a mold cavity to create a precursor sheet, wherein the mold cavity is configured to create a three-dimensional texture in a first surface of a first portion of the precursor sheet, the three-dimensional texture extending through the first portion of the precursor sheet;
- removing the precursor sheet from the mold cavity;
- removing a second portion of the precursor sheet from the first portion of the precursor sheet to create a second surface of the first portion of the precursor sheet that is opposite the first surface;
- and
- forming the first portion of the precursor sheet into at least a portion of a shoe.
A method of making at least a portion of a shoe comprising:
- injecting an EVA-based material into a mold cavity to form a precursor sheet, wherein the mold cavity is configured to create a series of indentations extending through a first surface of the precursor sheet and through a first section of the precursor sheet, wherein each indentation in the series of indentations includes a closed end in a second section of the precursor sheet;
- removing the precursor sheet from the mold cavity;
- separating the second section of precursor sheet from the first section of the precursor sheet, including removing the closed end of each indentation from the remaining portions of the indentations, to form an isolated section having a series of through holes;
- and
- forming the isolated section into at least a first portion of a shoe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.