Adhesive Composition

Abstract

An adhesive composition for a shoe outsole assembly is provided, as well as a method for forming the adhesive composition for the shoe outsole assembly. In one aspect, the adhesive composition has a fabric layer, wherein an adhesive is applied to a top surface. In another aspect, the adhesive composition has a fabric layer, wherein a barrier layer is applied to the top surface, and an adhesive is applied to the barrier layer opposite the fabric layer. The shoe outsole formed using the adhesive composition has a fabric material that is directly bonded to the outsole material, such that the outsole material partially permeates into the fabric. The adhesive is applied to opposite sides of the fabric, or optionally to the barrier layer on opposite sides of the fabric. The adhesive can then be used to bond the outsole to a shoe, such as an upper, midsole, etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to rubber shoe outsole compositions. More specifically, this disclosure relates to an adhesive composition, in some embodiments of which is operable to form a composition of a rubber shoe outsole and a fabric (such as a nonwoven fabric directly bonded to a rubber shoe outsole), thereby allowing the composition to be attached to a variety of different substrates via an adhesive. Background Technology

[0002] When assembling shoes, the outsole must typically be attached to the upper. In many cases, the outsole adheres to the upper and / or the midsole, which in turn is attached to the upper. Natural and synthetic rubbers are very common materials for manufacturing shoe outsoles. A variety of materials can be used for the upper and midsole. Some of these materials are more compatible with the adhesives that will be adhered to the rubber than others. For example, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is known to be difficult to adhere to rubber, especially with environmentally friendly water-based adhesives, due to the different properties between EVA and rubber. Rubber (such as SBR rubber) is nonpolar, while EVA is polar. Due to these different properties, many adhesives do not bond well to both. Many other materials face similar problems, making the bonding of rubber to the upper / midsole challenging, especially when using polluting and toxic solvent-based adhesives.

[0003] Furthermore, even for upper and midsole materials that bond well with rubber, not all adhesives work equally well for one upper / midsole material to another. Therefore, depending on the composition of each component in the outsole / midsole / upper, the outsole / midsole / upper combination will have different sets of acceptable adhesives. This leads to a great deal of variation and material selection, resulting in inefficiency, sourcing challenges, excessive storage space, and so on.

[0004] Therefore, what is needed is an adhesive composition that can be used to form a rubber shoe outsole composition that allows for easy bonding to a wide variety of materials. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In some cases, the subject matter of this application may relate to related products, alternative solutions to specific problems, and / or multiple different uses of a single system or item.

[0006] In one aspect, a method for forming a rubber outsole composition is provided. The method involves placing a quantity of rubber in a mold and then positioning a fabric material on top of the rubber in the mold. In some embodiments, the fabric material may be cut or shaped to have a peripheral shape that matches the peripheral contour of the mold. The rubber is then vulcanized in the mold using the fabric material in the mold. This causes the rubber to penetrate or permeate into the fabric, and then, during vulcanization, the rubber bonds directly to the fabric without the need for adhesives or other bonding materials to hold the two elements together. On the opposite sides of the fabric, an adhesive may be applied directly to the fabric or to a barrier layer bonded to the fabric opposite the outsole. The adhesive can then be used to bond the outsole to the upper or midsole.

[0007] In another aspect, a shoe outsole assembly is provided. The shoe outsole assembly is formed as an outsole made of rubber or a similar material. Fabric material is directly bonded to the outsole. This direct bonding occurs by the outsole material at least partially penetrating into the fabric and then being vulcanized or otherwise cured or hardened. Therefore, there is no adhesive between the fabric and the outsole.

[0008] On another front, shoes with the outsole as intended in this article are also provided. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 A view of one embodiment of this disclosure is provided.

[0010] Figure 2 A view of another embodiment of this disclosure is provided.

[0011] Figure 3 A view of yet another embodiment of this disclosure is provided.

[0012] Figure 4 A view of yet another embodiment of this disclosure is provided.

[0013] Figure 5 A view of another embodiment of this disclosure is provided.

[0014] Figure 6 Detailed views of embodiments of this disclosure are provided.

[0015] Figure 7 Views of an embodiment of a composition formed in a mold are provided.

[0016] Figure 8 A view of another embodiment of this disclosure is provided.

[0017] Figure 9 A view of yet another embodiment of this disclosure is provided.

[0018] Figure 10 Embodiments of the methods disclosed herein are provided.

[0019] Figure 11 Another embodiment of another method of this disclosure is provided.

[0020] Figure 12 Yet another embodiment of another method of this disclosure is provided.

[0021] Figure 13 Another embodiment of another method of this disclosure is provided. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The detailed description below, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, is intended to illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and does not represent the only forms in which this disclosure can be constructed and / or utilized. This description, in conjunction with the illustrated embodiments, illustrates the functions and sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention.

[0023] In general, this disclosure relates to a shoe outsole having a fabric (such as a nonwoven fabric bonded to a top surface). An adhesive, typically a water-based adhesive, can be applied to the fabric, and the outsole can be bonded to the midsole or upper. The bonded fabric of the outsole eliminates the need for complex systems capable of bonding rubber outsoles to different materials (such as EVA), because the adhesive is instead able to physically bond to the fabric. The porous nature of the fabric makes it virtually universally compatible with the adhesive, allowing the adhesive to “grab” the fabric and cure / solidify onto it. This also allows the rubber and fabric composition to be “universal,” as it can be attached to any kind of upper and midsole material via any adhesive / chemical best suited to a particular upper / midsole. This will increase operational efficiency, as factories will require fewer different adhesives / materials to bond outsoles to different substrates.

[0024] In other aspects, this disclosure relates to an adhesive composition formed from a fabric layer having an adhesive extruded onto the top surface of the fabric layer. The composition can then be bonded to a rubber material such as a shoe outsole. In another similar aspect, this disclosure relates to an adhesive composition formed from a fabric layer having a barrier layer extruded onto the top surface of the fabric layer. The composition can then be bonded to a rubber material (such as a shoe outsole). The adhesive can then be applied to the barrier layer before or after rubber vulcanization or bonding other rubbers to the fabric layer.

[0025] In many embodiments, the nonwoven fabric is directly bonded to the rubber during vulcanization / curing. This forms a direct physical bond between the outsole materials by partially penetrating into the fabric and curing. Throughout this disclosure, the term "direct bonding" refers to a material (such as outsole material and / or barrier material) at least partially penetrating the fabric and then curing, solidifying, vulcanizing, and / or hardening, thereby being held to the fabric by the hardened material bonded to it. This structure avoids the need for an adhesive between the fabric and the outsole. By avoiding this adhesive and direct bonding, manufacturing steps can be omitted, and material and labor costs can be reduced. In specific embodiments, the nonwoven fabric may be cut into a defined shape and placed in a mold along with the outsole material for vulcanization or curing.

[0026] In such embodiments, the outsole and fabric composition can be well-manufactured in advance and even separated from the point of assembly into a shoe because the direct bond between the rubber and fabric will not deteriorate over time or under environmental conditions. In one embodiment, the adhesive can be extruded onto the fabric before being bonded to the outsole. In another embodiment, the adhesive can be applied at any point after the outsole-fabric composition is formed for assembly into a shoe.

[0027] In some embodiments, a barrier material, such as plastic, may be bonded to the top side of the fabric opposite the outsole. The barrier material prevents the rubber outsole material from penetrating through and saturating the fabric, which would interfere with the adhesive's ability to bond to the opposite side of the fabric. The barrier material can be any continuous material capable of preventing rubber from passing through or around the fabric. Channels or leakage of rubber through the fabric can interfere with the adhesive—its ability to bond to the fabric—and contaminate the adhesive used to bond to the shoe midsole / upper. It may also be slightly flexible to help properly position the fabric onto the rubber before vulcanization / curing. In most cases, the barrier material will be a high melt temperature plastic, such as a high melt temperature thermoplastic polyurethane. These materials can be molded together with the rubber outsole material and fabric and withstand the vulcanization process without damage.

[0028] In embodiments with a barrier, an adhesive can be applied to the barrier layer and then adhered to the upper / midsole. The barrier material (such as thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”)) will be selected to be compatible with the adhesive used to bond the outsole to a particular upper or midsole. These barrier embodiments can be used in the same manner as the embodiments disclosed herein that only have an outsole and a fabric layer. In one embodiment, the barrier material can be extruded onto the fabric layer. In a further embodiment, the adhesive can be extruded onto the side of the barrier opposite the fabric layer simultaneously with or at different times, forming a three-layer composition. In either extrusion case, the fabric composition can then be included in a mold with an outsole during vulcanization / curing to bond the fabric to the outsole material. It should be understood that in all embodiments disclosed herein, such a barrier can be used on the opposite side of the fabric layer to separate the fabric from the adhesive.

[0029] In many cases, a release liner is applied to the adhesive during or after the adhesive is applied to the fabric or barrier layer. This release liner functions to protect the adhesive from scaling and / or premature adhesion.

[0030] The fabric used in this document can be any fabric capable of bonding to rubber materials and withstanding vulcanization or other curing processes. In many embodiments, nonwoven fabrics are used, but this is not mandatory, and woven or knitted fabrics can also be used. In one embodiment, the nonwoven fabric is a hydroentangled polyester.

[0031] This disclosure is particularly useful in conjunction with water-based adhesives, which are preferred due to their lack of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), low toxicity, benefits to worker health, and environmental friendliness. While any adhesive, including solvent-based and other adhesives, can be used, examples of adhesives that may be used herein include, but are not limited to, thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”) and ethylene vinyl acetate (“EVA”) copolymers. In one embodiment, for a shoe midsole / upper that accepts TPU bonding, the adhesive may be a TPU adhesive. For shoe midsoles / upper surfaces of EVA or other polyolefins, EVA copolymer-based adhesives may be used. Of course, other adhesives may be used without departing from the scope of this invention.

[0032] The term "rubber" is generally used herein to refer to natural and synthetic rubbers, as well as polymeric materials with rubber-like properties used in shoe outsoles. The disclosed invention is also applicable to other outsole materials, such as EVA, PVC, urethane, etc.

[0033] As noted, rubber composition systems are generally widely applicable to any number of uppers / midsoles and other bases. Typical materials that can bond outsole compositions include, but are not limited to, polyurethane, leather, fabric, polyvinyl chloride, and urethane.

[0034] Turn now Figure 1 A side view of an embodiment of the composition is provided. In this view, a rubber outsole 10 for a shoe or other footwear has a nonwoven material 12 bonded to rubber at its top surface 11. In this view, the rubber outsole 10 forms a continuous surface, and this continuous surface embodiment can be applied to all other disclosed embodiments. However, the outsole 10 does not need to be continuous in all embodiments, but may have openings or gaps depending on the design and outsole requirements. Prior to rubber vulcanization, the rubber upper surface 11 has penetrated into the void spaces in the nonwoven material 12 and is therefore directly bonded to the nonwoven material 12 without the use of adhesives. Figure 3 supply Figure 1 A view of a composition having an adhesive material 22 applied to the top surface of a nonwoven fabric 12.

[0035] Figure 2 A side view of another embodiment of the composition is shown. In this view, the rubber outsole 10 is aligned with... Figure 1 The rubber outsole 10 is bonded to the nonwoven fabric 12 in the same manner disclosed herein. A barrier material 21 is placed on top of the nonwoven fabric 12. As described above, the barrier material 21 can be varied and operated to prevent the rubber outsole 10 from completely penetrating the nonwoven fabric 12 during curing / vulcanization. An adhesive 22 is applied to the top surface of the barrier 21, allowing it to adhere to the shoe upper or midsole.

[0036] Figure 4 A view of an assembled shoe using the rubber composition of this disclosure is provided. Here, the upper 41 is bonded to the outsole by adhesive 22, which in turn bonds the nonwoven fabric 12 to both the upper 41 and the outsole. In other embodiments, as in some embodiments, the rubber outsole 10 is directly mechanically bonded to the nonwoven fabric 12, which in turn is bonded to the upper 41 via adhesive 22. In other embodiments (not shown), the midsole may be located between the adhesive 22 and the upper 41, such that the nonwoven fabric 12 is bonded to the midsole instead of the upper 41. The midsole can then be bonded to the upper using another layer of adhesive.

[0037] Figure 5 A view of an assembled shoe using the rubber composition of this disclosure is provided. Here, the upper 41 is bonded to the outsole by adhesive 22, which is bonded to a barrier 21. The barrier 21 is in turn bonded to a nonwoven fabric 12, which is bonded to the sole 10. The components are similar. Figure 2In one embodiment, the upper 41 is bonded thereto. In other embodiments, during curing / bonding, the rubber outsole 10 is directly mechanically bonded to the nonwoven fabric 12. The nonwoven fabric 12 is bonded to the barrier layer 21, and the upper 41 is bonded to the barrier 21 via adhesive 22. In other embodiments (not shown), the midsole may be located between the adhesive 22 and the upper 41, such that the barrier 21 is bonded to the midsole instead of the upper 41. Another layer of adhesive can then be used to bond the midsole to the upper.

[0038] Figure 6 A detailed view is provided of the mechanical bond between the outsole 10 and the nonwoven fabric 12. As can be seen at interface 61, the rubber has at least partially penetrated into and around the fibers of the nonwoven fabric 12. This provides a mechanical and direct bond between the two without the use of an adhesive.

[0039] Figure 7 A front view of a mold is provided, in which a rubber and nonwoven composition for the outsole can be positioned for molding and direct bonding. Mold 71 defines a sole shape 72. Rubber can be positioned within the sole shape 72 of mold 71, and a nonwoven layer 12 (or a nonwoven composition layer including a barrier layer and / or adhesive) can be positioned on top. Both can then be vulcanized / cured together to obtain the multilayer composition of this disclosure.

[0040] Figure 8 A side view of an embodiment of a fabric is provided, having a barrier layer extruded thereon and an adhesive layer applied to the barrier layer opposite the fabric layer. In this embodiment, barrier material 21 is extruded onto fabric layer 12. This causes barrier 21 to bond directly to fabric layer 12 because the barrier slightly penetrates fabric layer 12 when melted, and is directly and physically bonded to fabric layer 12 once it hardens. Adhesive 22 is also applied to barrier 21 on the side opposite fabric 12. Adhesive 22 can be applied during extrusion, optionally simultaneously extruding barrier 21 onto fabric 12. In other embodiments, adhesive 22 can be applied after barrier 21 has been applied to fabric 12 in a separate extrusion process, or by any other application means. This two- or three-layer composition of fabric 12 and barrier layer 21, or fabric 12, barrier layer 21, and adhesive 22, can then be included in a mold with rubber or other material for the outsole, and then vulcanized or cured in place, directly bonding fabric 12 to the outsole. Typically, Figure 8 The composition will have a cross-sectional shape that matches the sole to which the composition will be applied. However, in other embodiments, the embodiment may be formed as a large sheet, and the desired shape may be cut from the sheet. Figure 9 Provided with Figure 8A view similar to the embodiment shown, with adhesive 22 applied directly to fabric 12, omitting the barrier layer. Figure 8 As in the previous embodiment, adhesive 22 can be directly extruded onto fabric layer 12, or it can be applied in any other way.

[0041] Figure 10 A flowchart of a method for forming an embodiment of the rubber composition disclosed herein is provided. The method involves extruding a barrier layer material into a fabric layer. As described above, this extrusion process causes the barrier layer to partially penetrate into the fabric in a molten state, and the fabric is mechanically and directly bonded to the barrier layer as the barrier layer material hardens to a solid state. An adhesive is then applied to the barrier layer on the side opposite to the fabric layer, forming a three-layer fabric composition. As described above, in other embodiments, the adhesive may alternatively be applied directly to the fabric layer. The adhesive may be applied simultaneously, shortly after the barrier layer is extruded into the fabric, or long after the barrier layer has been extruded into the fabric. The rubber can then be positioned in a mold for vulcanization, and the fabric layer thus formed can be positioned on top of the rubber in the mold. Of course, in alternative embodiments, this can be reversed, with the fabric composition at the bottom of the mold and the rubber at the top. Depending on the mold configuration, orientation from one side to the other is also possible. The rubber with the fabric composition is then also vulcanized in the mold, forming the rubber and fabric composition.

[0042] Figure 11 A flowchart of a method for forming another embodiment of the rubber composition disclosed herein is provided. The method involves extruding a barrier layer material into a fabric layer to form a fabric composition. As described above, the extrusion process causes the barrier layer to partially penetrate into the fabric in a molten state, and the fabric is mechanically and directly bonded to the barrier layer as the barrier layer material hardens to a solid state. The rubber can then be positioned in a mold for vulcanization, and the fabric layer thus formed can be positioned on top of the rubber in the mold. Of course, in alternative embodiments, this can be reversed, with the fabric composition at the bottom of the mold and the rubber at the top. Orientation from one side to the other is also possible depending on the mold configuration. The rubber with the fabric composition is then vulcanized in the mold as well, forming a rubber and fabric composition. Vulcanization involves the direct adhesion of the fabric to the rubber, pre-vulcanization, penetration into the fabric, and hardening during vulcanization. In this embodiment, after vulcanization and direct bonding, the rubber and fabric composition are removed from the mold, and an adhesive is applied after removal.

[0043] Figure 12A flowchart of a method for manufacturing a shoe using the rubber composition of this disclosure is provided. The method includes obtaining an upper and / or midsole and obtaining a rubber outsole composition as described in the various embodiments herein. The adhesive of the rubber outsole composition is activated (made tacky) by, for example, heating, removal of contact paper, pressure sensitivity, etc. The adhesive is selected to bond to the upper / midsole material, as well as to a fabric or barrier layer that is also bonded to the rubber outsole composition. Examples of various adhesives are provided above. The outsole composition is then bonded to the upper / midsole, and the shoe can then be completed or proceed as a finished product toward further processing.

[0044] Figure 13 A flowchart of a method for manufacturing a shoe using the rubber composition of this disclosure is provided. The process includes obtaining an upper and / or midsole and obtaining a rubber outsole composition as described in the various embodiments herein. An adhesive is then applied to a fabric or barrier layer of the rubber outsole composition and bonded to the upper / midsole before drying after application. The shoe can then be completed or proceed as a finished product toward further processing.

[0045] While several variations of this disclosure have been illustrated by way of example in preferred or specific embodiments, it is clear that other embodiments may be developed within the spirit and scope of this disclosure or its inventive concepts. However, it should be explicitly understood that these modifications and adjustments are within the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and include, but are not limited to, the following appended claims as set forth. It should also be understood that aspects and embodiments may include elements and / or components that are similar to, equally applicable to, and / or interchangeable with other aspects and embodiments, and are not limited to the particular aspects or embodiments described therein.

Claims

1. A method for forming a rubber outsole composition, comprising: A certain amount of rubber is placed in the mold; The multilayer composition is positioned to contact the amount of rubber in the mold, the multilayer composition comprising a fabric material layer and a barrier layer directly bonded to a second side of the fabric material layer, the first side of the fabric material layer opposite to the second side contacting the rubber; The top surface of the barrier layer has an adhesive layer, and the barrier layer is formed of a material operable to prevent the rubber from penetrating the fabric material layer to reach the adhesive layer before vulcanization; The barrier layer is extruded onto the fabric material layer, such that the barrier layer partially penetrates into the fabric material layer, thereby mechanically and directly bonding the barrier layer to the second side of the fabric material layer. as well as With the fabric material layer in place, the rubber in the mold is vulcanized, causing the fabric material layer to be directly and mechanically bonded to the rubber, the multilayer composition being located in the mold during the vulcanization step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The adhesive layer is located in the mold during the vulcanization step.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of bonding the adhesive layer to the barrier layer after the vulcanization step.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The barrier layer is formed of a film of high melt temperature thermoplastic polyurethane to withstand the vulcanization process without damage.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The adhesive layer is an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.

6. A shoe outsole assembly, comprising: Rubber shoe outsole; A multilayer composition comprising a fabric material layer, a barrier layer directly bonded to a second side of the fabric material layer, an opposing first side of the fabric material layer contacting the rubber outsole, and the multilayer composition further comprising an adhesive layer on the top surface of the barrier layer opposite to the fabric material layer; The barrier layer is formed of a membrane material that is operable to prevent rubber from penetrating the fabric material layer and reaching the adhesive layer before vulcanization; The barrier layer is extruded onto the fabric material layer, such that the barrier layer partially penetrates into the fabric material layer, thereby mechanically and directly bonding the barrier layer to the second side of the fabric material layer. as well as The fabric material layer is directly bonded to the rubber outsole by the rubber bonded to the fabric material layer during vulcanization.

7. The outsole assembly according to claim 6, wherein, The fabric material layer is a nonwoven fabric.

8. The outsole assembly according to claim 6, wherein, The adhesive layer is an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.

9. The outsole assembly according to claim 6, wherein, The rubber outsole of the shoe has a continuous surface.

10. The outsole assembly according to claim 6, wherein, The barrier layer is formed from a continuous film of thermoplastic polyurethane.

11. The outsole assembly according to claim 6, wherein, The fabric material layer, the barrier layer, and the adhesive layer are selected to have a melting temperature greater than the vulcanization temperature.

12. The outsole assembly according to claim 6, wherein, The rubber penetrates through the fabric material layer and reaches the barrier layer.

13. A shoe comprising an outsole assembly according to claim 6, said outsole assembly being bonded to an upper formed of ethylene-vinyl acetate.

14. A shoe comprising an outsole assembly according to claim 6, said outsole assembly being bonded to a midsole formed of ethylene-vinyl acetate.

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