US 11,702,526 B2
Footwear component manufacturing methods
Paul Irving Archer, Portland, OR (US); Hossein Allen Baghdadi, Portland, OR (US); Jay Constantinou, Portland, OR (US); Gregory Paul Dufour, Portland, OR (US); Sami Mohamad Fakhouri, Portland, OR (US); Floyd Whitney Miles, Beaverton, OR (US); Joseph Thomas Muth, North Plains, OR (US); and Bradley C. Tutmark, Aloha, OR (US)
Assigned to NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed by NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed on Mar. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/195,086.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/137,872, filed on Jan. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/071,393, filed on Aug. 28, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/042,324, filed on Jun. 22, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/987,648, filed on Mar. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/987,329, filed on Mar. 9, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/987,227, filed on Mar. 9, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/987,224, filed on Mar. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0354345 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. C08J 9/12 (2006.01); B29D 35/00 (2010.01); B29D 35/12 (2010.01); A43B 1/14 (2006.01); B29D 35/08 (2010.01); B29D 35/14 (2010.01); B25J 15/00 (2006.01); B29C 44/10 (2006.01); B29C 45/00 (2006.01); G06K 19/04 (2006.01); A43D 119/00 (2006.01); B29C 44/58 (2006.01); B29C 44/60 (2006.01); B29C 45/04 (2006.01); B29C 45/78 (2006.01); B29K 67/00 (2006.01); B29L 31/50 (2006.01); B29K 21/00 (2006.01); B29K 105/04 (2006.01)
CPC C08J 9/12 (2013.01) [A43B 1/14 (2013.01); A43D 119/00 (2013.01); B25J 15/0019 (2013.01); B29C 44/105 (2013.01); B29C 44/58 (2013.01); B29C 44/60 (2013.01); B29C 45/0001 (2013.01); B29C 45/04 (2013.01); B29C 45/78 (2013.01); B29D 35/0036 (2013.01); B29D 35/0045 (2013.01); B29D 35/081 (2013.01); B29D 35/122 (2013.01); B29D 35/128 (2013.01); B29D 35/148 (2013.01); G06K 19/045 (2013.01); B29C 2945/76531 (2013.01); B29C 2945/76752 (2013.01); B29K 2021/003 (2013.01); B29K 2067/00 (2013.01); B29K 2105/04 (2013.01); B29L 2031/50 (2013.01); B29L 2031/504 (2013.01); C08J 2367/00 (2013.01); C08J 2467/00 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of physical foaming a footwear component, the method comprising:
temperature conditioning, at a temperature conditioning rack, a quantity of molds to a temperature from 15 degrees Celsius to 90 degrees Celsius;
selecting a mold from the quantity of molds at the temperature conditioning rack;
engaging the selected mold with a robotically conveyed end effector adapted to reversible engage with the selected mold;
conveying, with the end effector, the selected mold to a press;
applying a gas counter pressure to a cavity of the selected mold;
injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the selected mold;
releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the selected mold; and
removing the footwear component from the cavity of the selected mold.