US 11,986,051 B2
Foamed articles and methods of making the same
Yihua Chang, Portland, OR (US); Lyle R. Hanson, Beaverton, OR (US); Petr Khlyabich, Beaverton, OR (US); and Richard L. Watkins, Portland, OR (US)
Assigned to NIKE, INC., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed by NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed on Jan. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/647,022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/244,077, filed on Sep. 14, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0082467 A1, Mar. 16, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A43D 95/06 (2006.01); A43B 13/18 (2006.01); B29D 35/12 (2010.01); B29K 21/00 (2006.01)
CPC A43B 13/187 (2013.01) [A43D 95/06 (2013.01); B29D 35/122 (2013.01); B29D 35/126 (2013.01); B29K 2021/003 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for making a decorated foamed article, the method comprising:
placing an article and carbon dioxide (CO2) in a vessel, wherein the article comprises a solid foamable material which is a thermoplastic elastomeric material comprising one or more first thermoplastic elastomers;
after the placing, maintaining the vessel at a first pressure and first temperature, wherein the first pressure and first temperature are a pressure and temperature at which the carbon dioxide is a liquid and the liquid carbon dioxide is soluble in the solid foamable material, and wherein the maintaining includes holding the article and the liquid carbon dioxide in the vessel for a duration of time sufficient for at least a portion of the liquid carbon dioxide to infuse into the solid foamable material of the article;
following the maintaining and holding, optionally exposing the infused article to a second pressure and second temperature at which the carbon dioxide remains infused within at least a portion of the solid foamable material;
following the maintaining and holding and the optional exposing, subjecting the article to a third pressure and third temperature at which the carbon dioxide infused in the solid foamable material phase transitions to a gas, thereby expanding the solid foamable material into a foamed material and forming the foamed article;
wherein the foamed article comprises a decorative element, and the decorative element is a printed element, an embroidered element, an embossed element, a debossed element, a coating, a painted element, a sprayed element, a film element, a yarn or cable element, a textile element, an injection molded element, or any combination thereof; optionally wherein the decorative element comprise a pigment or a dye or both a pigment and a dye.