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US 9,781,970 B2Granted
Cushioning element for sports apparel
Assigneeadidas AG
InventorsAngus Wardlaw, Stuart David Reinhardt, Christopher Edward Holmes, Tru Huu Minh Le
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Abstract
Improved cushioning elements for sports apparel, in particular for soles for sports shoes, are described. A cushioning element for sports apparel with a first deformation element is provided. The deformation element includes a plurality of randomly arranged particles of an expanded material, wherein there are first voids within the particles and/or between the particles.
Claims7
A shoe sole comprising at least one cushioning element for sports apparel, the at least one cushioning element further comprising:
- (a) a first deformation element comprising a plurality of randomly arranged expanded thermoplastic polyurethane particles that are directly bonded to each other at their outer surfaces while maintaining the integrity of the outer surfaces;
- and
- (b) wherein there are first voids between the particles;
- (c) wherein at least some of the first voids form sealed cavities within the first deformation element, wherein a gas is trapped inside the sealed cavities;
- and
- (d) wherein at least some of the first voids form one or more channels through the first deformation element that are permeable to air and/or liquids.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.