Tooling and components of an injection-molding system may be used to mold a foam article. The tooling and components may include features that control parameters of the injection-molding and foaming process, such as temperature, pressure, shot size, shot placement, and the like.

Tooling and components of an injection-molding system may be used to mold a foam article. The tooling and components may include features that control parameters of the injection-molding and foaming process, such as temperature, pressure, shot size, shot placement, and the like.

A foam article, such as a cushioning element for an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment is provided that comprises a foam component, such as a midsole, having a number of beneficial physical characteristics. The cushioning element is a low-density foamed component with a surface skin that encases the remaining foam volume. The cushioning element has a number of foam volumes, arranged to achieve a more consistent foam component. Additionally, the cushioning element includes a series of concentric ridges extending radially outwardly from injection gate vestige locations, and a number of striation bands near the perimeter of the cushioning element. The location of the gate vestiges can be beneficially arranged to produce intersecting flow boundaries that are located away from key strain areas of the cushioning element. The cushioning element is more environmentally-friendly, requiring less energy to produce while still providing acceptable energy return and low density.

A method for forming a molded article having an insert includes temporarily protecting features of the insert during a molding process using a malleable plugging material. In one step, the method includes disposing a plug including the plugging material within a receptacle of the insert, where each receptacle includes an engagement feature. The insert and the plugging material are placed into a mold, and a liquid molding material is applied to an exterior surface of the insert. The liquid molding material is solidified, forming the molded article including the insert embedded in the solidified molding material. The molded article is removed from the mold, and the plugging material is removed from the receptacle of the insert that is embedded in the molded article to expose the engagement feature.

The present invention provides a method. for making a sole structure with a knitted fabric and a sole structure. The method comprises steps of: placing a thermoplastic filling material in a knitted fabric, sealing an opening of the knitted fabric, placing the knitted fabric with the opening sealed in a mold, applying a heating temperature to melt the thermoplastic filling material of the knitted fabric, and restricting a shape of the knitted fabric via the mold to make a sole structure. The sole structure includes a compressible elastomer and a knitting texture wrapped around the compressible elastomer and fused with a surface of the compressible elastomer. The compressible elastomer is formed from the thermoplastic filling material after being melted and cooled. The knitting texture is formed from the knitted fabric and is capable of being directly observed from an appearance of the sole structure,

The present invention relates to a mold for manufacturing a sole from a plurality of particles.

A process of making a sole includes mixing a foaming material with a nucleating agent to form a plurality of local blanks belonging to different portions of a sole wherein the local blanks belonging to different portions have different ratios of the nucleating agent; injection molding the local blanks to form a plurality of cold molds which are joined together along a horizontal direction to form a sole blank; sulfurizing the sole blank; and subjecting the sole blank to supercritical foaming to produce a finished sole.

A foam article, such as a cushioning element for an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment is provided that comprises a foam component, such as a midsole, having a number of beneficial physical characteristics. The cushioning element is a low-density foamed component with a surface skin that encases the remaining foam volume. The cushioning element has a number of foam volumes, arranged to achieve a more consistent foam component. Additionally, the cushioning element includes a series of concentric ridges extending radially outwardly from injection gate vestige locations, and a number of striation bands near the perimeter of the cushioning element. The location of the gate vestiges can be beneficially arranged to produce intersecting flow boundaries that are located away from key strain areas of the cushioning element. The cushioning element is more environmentally-friendly, requiring less energy to produce while still providing acceptable energy return and low density.

A sole assembly for footwear includes a base plate and at least two sole pods disposed adjacent one another but spaced apart by a gap. The sole pods define respective apertures that form an integral truss in each. The apertures can be aligned and parallel with one another and/or a longitudinal axis of the base plate and sole assembly. The truss system of the respective pods can independently deform to provide underfoot cushioning, but also can conform around and absorb underfoot terrain features. A method of manufacturing the sole assembly can include forming the sole pods adjacent one another in a planar configuration, rotating each of the sole pods to an upright configuration and joining those sole pods to one another but separating them from one another with a gap.

Components for articles of footwear and athletic equipment including a foam are provided. The foam portion of the components and articles include a composition which includes a thermoplastic copolyester, the composition having a foam structure. A polymer layer is provided on at least on surface of the foam portion. The polymer layer can control or reduce the water uptake of the foam portion. Methods of making the compositions, foams, and components are provided, as well as methods of making an article of footwear including one of the foam components. In some aspects, the foams and foam components can be made by injection molding, or injection molding followed by compression molding.