An article includes a foamed member including a polymeric material, and a core embedded in the foamed member, the core includes a first surface, a second surface and a sidewall, the foamed member covers at least a portion of the first surface, and covers the entire sidewall and the entire second surface. A method of manufacturing an article includes providing a molding device including a first mold and a second mold, the first mold includes a supporting member protruded from an inner wall. The method further includes disposing a core on the supporting member; disposing the second mold over the first mold to form a mold cavity, the core is disposed within the mold cavity; injecting a first material into the mold cavity; and foaming the first material to form a first foamed member, wherein at least a portion of the first foamed member is in contact with the core.

The present invention describes a shaped footwear device intended to be used as a supportive insole or orthotic and a system and methods for making the same. The footwear device includes a top foam layer, a light-cured composite material layer, and a bottom textile layer. The footwear device is created by conforming a pre-cured insole assembly to the plantar surface of a foot or foot mold and then exposing the pre-cured insole assembly to light to create a shaped footwear device with a light-cured composite material support plate.

A method for manufacturing a pad with dynamic massage bubbles includes: preparing an upper-half foam substrate and a lower-half foam substrate; and bonding the upper-half foam substrate and the lower-half foam substrate together by means of hot press so that air bubbles are formed therebetween. Particularly, then form-setting bake is performed under a progressively decreased baking temperature, so that as the pad is cooled gradually, the air bubbles are well shaped. The method provides improved dimensional control of air bubbles, thereby significantly enhancing manufacturing precision and yield.

A method for making an article of footwear includes placing a purified recombinant resilin composition in a mold with a cross-linking solution, incubating the recombinant resilin composition in the cross-linking solution to generate a solid resilin material, fabricating a cushioning element of the article of footwear including at least a portion of the solid resilin material, and assembling the cushioning element insole with at least an upper of the article of footwear.

Systems and methods for supporting an object to be printed in an additive manufacturing process are disclosed. Support structures (202, 302, 402, 502, 602) are prefabricated and positioned in the build area of a 3D printing device prior to printing the 3D object. When the object has been printed, the support is removed and can be reused to print another object by repositioning the support structure in the building area of the additive manufacturing device.

Aspects hereof relate to a multi-part mold assembly for use in manufacturing articles. The mold assembly provides for contouring, shaping and cutting materials to form articles via a continuous single processing operation. The mold assembly includes an upper mold portion with a three-dimensional contouring/shaping portion and a first cutting edge, a lower mold portion with a three-dimensional contouring/shaping portion and a second cutting edge, and a base portion into which the lower mold portion may retract during use. Upon application of a first force, the upper and lower mold portions cooperate to contour/shape a material from which an article is to be formed. Upon application of a second force greater than the first, the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge interact to shear the material that extends beyond the respective cutting edges. The result is an article that is contoured, shaped and cut/trimmed utilizing a single processing operation.

Aspects hereof relate to a multi-part mold assembly for use in manufacturing articles. The mold assembly provides for contouring, shaping and cutting materials to form articles via a continuous single processing operation. The mold assembly includes an upper mold portion with a three-dimensional contouring/shaping portion and a first cutting edge, a lower mold portion with a three-dimensional contouring/shaping portion and a second cutting edge, and a base portion into which the lower mold portion may retract during use. Upon application of a first force, the upper and lower mold portions cooperate to contour/shape a material from which an article is to be formed. Upon application of a second force greater than the first, the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge interact to shear the material that extends beyond the respective cutting edges. The result is an article that is contoured, shaped and cut/trimmed utilizing a single processing operation.

An article of footwear includes an upper and a midsole coupled with the upper. The midsole includes at least a portion of a solid resilin material comprising a cross-linked recombinant resilin and a polar nonaqueous solvent.

The present invention relates to bead foams made of thermoplastic polyurethane and polystyrene produced moldings, to processes for the production of the bead foams and moldings, and also to the use of the moldings for shoe intermediate soles, shoe insoles, shoe combisoles, or cushioning elements for shoes.

The invention relates to a device comprising: a first layer (11) of a thermoformable material that is inelastically deformable in a thermoforming temperature range, a second layer (1) of a viscoelastic material that is elastically deformable in a temperature range including a use temperature range of the device and the thermoforming temperature range, and wherein: the use temperature range is lower than the thermoforming temperature range, the first layer is bonded to the second layer, the thermoformable material is elastically deformable and more rigid than the viscoelastic material in the use temperature range, the thermoformable material is less rigid than the viscoelastic material in the thermoforming temperature range.