METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A MIDSOLE FORMED FROM TWO PREFORMS

• Main Author: Wan, Tee L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.05.2018
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; FOOTWEAR; HUMAN NECESSITIES; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULARARTICLES; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCESIN A PLASTIC STATE; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method of manufacturing a midsole for an article of footwear includes placing first and second preforms in a first mold, closing and heating the first mold to produce a midsole preform with a peripheral preform flange, removing the midsole preform from the first mold and allowing it to further expand and cool, placing the midsole preform in a second mold, with a volume of a midsole recess of the second mold being less than a volume of the midsole preform, and a volume of a peripheral recess of the second mold being less than a volume of the peripheral preform flange, closing the second mold thereby compressing the midsole preform and the peripheral preform flange, and heating the second mold to form a midsole with a peripheral flange, allowing the second mold to cool, opening the second mold, and cutting away a peripheral flange of the midsole.