A method of manufacturing an article that includes providing an element formed of an elastomeric material or composite; placing the surface of the element in contact with a substrate; and affixing the element to the substrate. The element includes an uncured, partially cured, or fully cured UV radiation curable elastomeric material and optionally one or more regions of an adhesive material. The element is affixed to the substrate while the surface of the element is in contact with a surface of the substrate by increasing a temperature of at least a portion of the element, applying pressure to at least a portion of the element, or exposing the uncured or partially cured UV radiation curable material to UV radiation in an amount and for a duration of time that is sufficient to partially cure the uncured material or to fully cure the partially cured material.

An article of footwear includes a sole having a lower surface, and a reactive element disposed on the lower surface of the sole. The reactive element has an exposed surface, and the reactive element is configured to transition the exposed surface between a first state and a second state in response to a compression force applied to the reactive element by an external ground surface in a user activity, to prevent accumulation of ground surface material, such as mud, dirt, clay, sand, slush, etc., compacting on the sole of the article of footwear in the user activity. The reactive element may include an elastomeric dome shaped popper that compresses flat in response to a compression force and then pops back to a non-compressed state in response to release of the compression force.

The present invention relates to an enhanced method for the manufacture of a plastic component (135), in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, the method comprising: opening a mold (100) by a predetermined amount into a loading position, wherein the mold comprises at least two mold parts (110, 112) and wherein the amount by which the mold is opened influences an available loading volume of the mold, loading a material comprising expanded particles (130) into the loading volume, closing the mold into a closed position, wherein during closing of the mold the mold parts are moved together over different distances (140) in different areas of the mold, compressing the expanded particles by closing the mold and fusing at least the surfaces of the expanded particles to mold the plastic component.

A method of manufacturing a skate boot shell, and more particularly a non-lasted skate boot shell, including shaping tridimensional outer and inner sub-shells, and bonding the shaped sub-shells together through lamination. The lamination is performed after the sub-shells are shaped and includes applying heat to the sub-shells and/or pressure on one of the sub-shells toward the other against a mold surface. A skate boot shell with multiple sub-shells is also discussed, including an outer sub-shell, and inner sub-shell and a reinforcement sub-shell.

Molded rubber objects may be molded and de-molded by defining both a desired final form for the molded rubber object and a tab extending from the final form of the molded rubber object using a cavity in a mold. Rubber pellets may be dispensed in predetermined amounts at desired location(s) within the cavity to provide the rubber needed to form the molded rubber object. Heat and pressure may be applied to the mold to cause the rubber pellets to fill the cavity defining both the desired final form of the molded rubber object and the tab. After the heat and pressure has been applied, a gripping device may grasp the tab and move the tab in a direction and with sufficient force to peel the rubber object from the mold cavity. If desired, the tab may be removed from the molded rubber object.

The present disclosure encompasses three-dimensional articles comprising flexible-composite materials and methods of manufacturing said three-dimensional articles. More particularly, the present system relates to methods for manufacturing seamless three-dimensional-shaped articles usable for such finished products as airbags/inflatable structures, bags, shoes, and similar three-dimensional products. A preferred manufacturing process combines composite molding methods with specific precursor materials to form fiber-reinforced continuous shaped articles that are flexible and collapsible.

Described are methods for the manufacture of a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such a method, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. According to an aspect of the invention, a method for the manufacture of a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, is provided which includes loading a mold with a first material which includes particles of an expanded material, and, during loading the mold, pre-heating the particles by supplying energy, wherein the energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

A skate including a tridimensional skate boot shell with a sole insert embedded in or received in the skate boot shell such that at least part of a thickness of the sole portion is defined under the sole insert, and a holder under the skate boot shell configured for retaining a ground-engaging skate element. The holder is connected to the sole insert by at least one fastener extending through the at least part of the thickness of the sole portion. A method of manufacturing a skate boot is also discussed.

A method of making a midsole for an article of footwear includes forming a plurality of foam layers, arranging the plurality of foam layers in a mold to form the midsole, piercing the plurality of foam layers with pins, and introducing heat with the pins to bond the plurality of layers together.

Methods for manufacturing cushioning elements for sports apparel are described. A method is provided for manufacturing a cushioning element for sports apparel from randomly arranged particles of an expanded material. The method includes positioning a functional element within a mold and loading the mold with the particles of the expanded material, wherein the loading occurs through at least two openings within the mold and/or wherein the loading occurs between different movable parts of the mold.