US 11,840,615 B2
Methods of manufacturing articles utilizing foam particles
Jay Constantinou, Beaverton, OR (US); Harleigh Doremus, Portland, OR (US); Luis Folgar, Beaverton, OR (US); Brandon Kvamme, Beaverton, OR (US); Joseph Thomas Muth, North Plains, OR (US); and Denis Schiller, Vancouver, WA (US)
Assigned to NIKE, INC., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed by NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed on Feb. 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/649,857.
Application 17/649,857 is a continuation of application No. 16/688,501, filed on Nov. 19, 2019, granted, now 11,401,396.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/776,124, filed on Dec. 6, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/776,129, filed on Dec. 6, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0153950 A1, May 19, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C08J 9/228 (2006.01); A43B 13/04 (2006.01); B32B 5/16 (2006.01); A43B 13/18 (2006.01); B32B 7/12 (2006.01); B32B 27/14 (2006.01); B32B 27/36 (2006.01); B41M 5/00 (2006.01); C08J 9/224 (2006.01); C08J 9/232 (2006.01); C08J 9/236 (2006.01)
CPC C08J 9/228 (2013.01) [A43B 13/04 (2013.01); A43B 13/187 (2013.01); B32B 5/16 (2013.01); B32B 7/12 (2013.01); B32B 27/14 (2013.01); B32B 27/36 (2013.01); B41M 5/0041 (2013.01); C08J 9/224 (2013.01); C08J 9/232 (2013.01); C08J 9/236 (2013.01); B32B 2264/0285 (2013.01); B32B 2307/72 (2013.01); B32B 2307/732 (2013.01); B32B 2437/02 (2013.01); C08J 2203/22 (2013.01); C08J 2207/00 (2013.01); C08J 2300/26 (2013.01); C08J 2367/02 (2013.01); C08J 2371/02 (2013.01); C08J 2387/00 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming an article, the method comprising:
arranging thereby forming arranged foam particles arranged foam particles, wherein the foam particles comprise a first thermoplastic elastomeric material, and wherein the arranged foam particles have a number average particle size of about 0.04 millimeters to about 10 millimeters in a longest dimension;
affixing together at least a portion of the arranged foam particles, wherein the arranging and affixing are carried out for two or more iterations, to form the article; and
decorating the article;
wherein affixing together comprises
increasing a temperature of the at least a portion of the arranged foam particles with actinic radiation under conditions effective to melt or soften the first thermoplastic elastomer material at a first surface of at least one of the arranged foam particles; and
decreasing the temperature of the melted or softened first thermoplastic elastomer material, thereby solidifying the melted or softened first thermoplastic elastomer material and forming fused foam particles in the article;
wherein the increasing the temperature is carried out for each of the two or more iterations.