Resilient bladder for use in footwear and method of making the bladder
US5993585A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 9, 1998 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 9, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/233
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The present invention includes a method for forming a resilient bladder structure for use in the sole of footwear. The method comprises the steps of forming a shell from a flexible material to have a floor and a perimeter sidewall extending from the floor; placing a core, having spaced apart outer surfaces connected together by a plurality of connecting members, into the shell within the area bounded by the sidewalls; enclosing the shell and core with a covering sheet; bonding the floor of the shell to one outer surface of the core and the covering sheet to the other outer surface of the core by applying pressure and heat to the shell-core-covering sheet assembly to compress the core during the bonding step; preventing bonding of the sidewall to the covering sheet during the compression of the core; and bonding the covering sheet to an outer edge of the perimeter sidewall of the shell to form a sealed bladder structure; and placing fluid into the interior of the bladder so that the plurality of connecting members are placed under tension.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.