A method for manufacturing a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn shoe sole

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for making a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn sole. Before molding, a cylindrical support is placed in a molding chamber and sleeved on a hanging rod. Expanded thermoplastic particles are fed into the molding chamber. The temperature and pressure of the mold are controlled so that the expanded thermoplastic particles are bonded together and the cylindrical support is embedded. After adopting the technical solution of the present invention, by arranging a cylindrical support in the popcorn sole, the supporting performance of the sole body can be improved while retaining the performance of the traditional popcorn sole. The inner cavity of the cylindrical support runs through from the inner side to the outer side of the sole body, forming a shock-absorbing hole structure in the sole body. On the one hand, it can reduce the weight of the sole body, and on the other hand, it can also provide a certain shock-absorbing space, thereby improving the shock-absorbing performance of the sole body. The present invention also proposes a method for making the sole, which has the advantages of simple processing technology and convenient processing.

Description

[0001] This invention is a divisional application of the invention patent with application number 202110578115.9 and titled "A Lightweight Shock-Cushioning Popcorn Sole and Its Manufacturing Method." Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates to a lightweight shock-absorbing popcorn shoe sole and a manufacturing method thereof, belonging to the technical field of shoe materials. Background Art

[0003] In the field of footwear, popcorn soles refer to soles made from expanded thermoplastic particles (currently, expanded thermoplastic polyurethane, or ETPU, also known as expanded TPU, is commonly used in the industry). Popcorn soles offer numerous advantages, including softness, excellent elasticity, good cushioning, low energy loss under pressure, excellent durability, and superior thermal insulation. Their surface, with its granular texture, has become popular with consumers. While popcorn soles offer the advantages of softness and elasticity, they lack support. To improve support, existing practices typically incorporate reinforcements on the sides of popcorn soles. For example, the applicant's Chinese patent application, entitled "A Shoe with Improved Wrapping," with Grant Announcement No. CN 210054768 U, discloses reinforcing strips on popcorn midsoles to enhance their support. However, repeated deformation and bending of the midsole can easily cause the reinforcement strips to fall off, compromising support. Furthermore, the shock absorption performance of these soles needs to be further improved, and their weight needs to be further reduced.

[0004] In view of this, the inventors of this case conducted in-depth research on the above-mentioned issues, which led to the creation of this case. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a popcorn sole which is lightweight, has better support and good shock-absorbing effect, and has the advantages of simple process and convenient processing.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts such technical solution:

[0007] A lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn sole comprises a sole body formed by combining expanded thermoplastic particles, wherein the position of the sole body corresponding to the heel of a human body is set as the heel portion, the position of the sole body corresponding to the front of the sole of a human body is set as the forefoot portion, the position of the sole body corresponding to the arch of a human body is set as the arch portion, the position of the sole body corresponding to the inner side of the instep is the inner side, and the position of the sole body corresponding to the outer side of the instep is the outer side. The sole body also includes a tubular support member embedded in the sole body, the outer wall of the tubular support member is fixed in the sole body, and the inner cavity of the tubular support member passes through from the inner side to the outer side of the sole body.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are multiple cylindrical support members, and the multiple cylindrical support members are arranged along the front-to-back direction of the sole body.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, adjacent cylindrical support members are connected together by connecting strips, and the plurality of cylindrical support members and the connecting strips form a support area corresponding to the contour of the sole body.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support area forms an upwardly arched support portion corresponding to the arch portion.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, adjacent cylindrical support members are connected by a plurality of connecting strips, and the plurality of connecting strips are arranged from the inner side to the outer side of the sole body.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical support member includes an upper support plate portion, a lower support plate portion, and a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion connecting the upper support plate portion and the lower support plate portion.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the upper support plate and the lower support plate are both provided with through holes, which are connected to the inner cavity of the cylindrical support member.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical support member is provided with a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion at both ends along the axial direction for limiting the axial movement of the cylindrical support member.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hardness of the cylindrical support member is greater than the hardness of the sole body.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lower surface of the sole body is further compounded with a rubber outsole.

[0017] The present invention also proposes a method for making a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn sole. The method for making a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn sole is to use a new type of sole forming mold for processing. The sole forming mold includes a mold body, and the mold body includes a first template and a second template that cooperate with each other. A forming cavity is formed between the first template and the second template. The mold also includes a hanger for hanging a cylindrical support member. The hanger includes a base plate and a hanging rod arranged on the base plate. A guide hole is provided on the mold body, and the guide hole passes through the outer wall of the mold body to the forming cavity. The hanging rod is arranged corresponding to the guide hole in a manner that can be extended into or out of the forming cavity. Before molding, the cylindrical support member is placed in the forming cavity and sleeved on the hanging rod, and expanded thermoplastic particles are fed into the forming cavity. The temperature and pressure of the mold are controlled so that the expanded thermoplastic particles are bonded together and embed the cylindrical support member.

[0018] By adopting the technical solution of the present invention, by providing a cylindrical support member within the popcorn sole, the support performance of the sole body can be improved while retaining the performance of traditional popcorn soles. The inner cavity of the cylindrical support member extends from the inner side to the outer side of the sole body, forming a shock-absorbing hole structure in the sole body. On the one hand, it can reduce the weight of the sole body, and on the other hand, it can also provide a certain amount of shock-absorbing space, thereby improving the shock-absorbing performance of the sole body. Using the manufacturing method of the present invention, a movable hanger is provided in the mold to position the cylindrical support member. After the sole is formed, the hanger is removed from the cylindrical support member, which has the advantages of simple processing technology and convenient processing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a top view of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the coordination structure of multiple cylindrical support members in the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the forming mold in the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the decomposition structure of the forming mold in the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the first mold core, the first mold frame, the second mold core, the second mold frame, the first hanger, and the second hanger in the present invention.

[0025] In the picture:

[0026] Forefoot portion 101 of sole body 10

[0027] arch portion 102 heel portion 103

[0028] Inside 104 Outside 105

[0029] Outsole 20 cylindrical support 30

[0030] Upper support plate portion 31 Lower support plate portion 32

[0031] First connecting portion 33 Second connecting portion 34

[0032] First limiting portion 36 Second limiting portion 37

[0033] Arched support portion 38 through hole 39

[0034] Connecting strip 40

[0035] First mounting plate 51 First mold frame 52

[0036] First guide hole 521 Second guide hole 522

[0037] First mold core 53 second mounting plate 61

[0038] Second mold frame 62 Second mold core 63

[0039] The first limiting plate 64 and the first limiting groove seat 621

[0040] Second limiting groove seat 622

[0041] First hanger 70 first substrate 71

[0042] First hanging rod 72 second hanging tool 80

[0043] Second base plate 81 Second hanging rod 82

[0044] Molding chamber 90 material port 91 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to further explain the technical solution of the present invention, it is described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

[0046] Reference Figures 1 to 6 A lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn sole includes a sole body 10 formed from expanded thermoplastic particles. Expanded thermoplastic particles are a well-known sole material, such as ETPU. The sole body 10 has a heel portion 103 corresponding to the heel of the human body, a forefoot portion 101 corresponding to the front of the sole of the human body, an arch portion 102 corresponding to the arch of the foot, a medial portion 104 corresponding to the inner side of the instep, and a lateral portion 105 corresponding to the outer side of the instep. The present invention also includes a tubular support member 30 embedded in the sole body 10. In an embodiment, the tubular support member 30 is flat, with an outer wall of the tubular support member 30 fixed to the sole body 10. The inner cavity of the tubular support member 30 extends from the inner side 104 to the outer side 105 of the sole body 10, forming a shock-absorbing space.

[0047] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are multiple cylindrical support members 30, and the multiple cylindrical support members 30 are arranged along the front and rear directions of the sole body 10. In the embodiment, there are a total of 6 cylindrical support members 30, 2 of which are set at positions corresponding to the forefoot part 101, 3 are set at positions corresponding to the arch part 102, and 1 is set at a position corresponding to the heel part 103.

[0048] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, adjacent tubular support members 30 are connected together by connecting strips 40, and multiple tubular support members 30 and connecting strips 40 form a support area corresponding to the contour of the sole body 10, and the support area forms a whole, extending from the heel 103 to the forefoot 101.

[0049] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support area forms an upwardly arched support portion 38 corresponding to the arch portion 102, thereby providing effective support and protection for the arch of the foot.

[0050] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, adjacent cylindrical support members 30 are connected by a plurality of connecting strips 40, with hollow spaces formed between adjacent connecting strips 40. The plurality of connecting strips 40 are arranged from the inner side 104 to the outer side 105 of the sole body 10. In the embodiment, three connecting strips 40 are shown. When the sole body 10 is bent, since there is relatively less material at the connecting strips 40, the connecting strips 40 can bend with the sole body 10, thereby improving the flexibility of the sole.

[0051] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical support member 30 includes an upper support plate portion 31, a lower support plate portion 32, and a first connecting portion 33 and a second connecting portion 34 connecting the upper support plate portion 31 and the lower support plate portion 32. The upper support plate portion 31 and the lower support plate portion 32 can adopt arc panels.

[0052] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, through holes 39 are provided on both the upper support plate portion 31 and the lower support plate, and the through holes 39 are connected to the inner cavity of the cylindrical support member 30. The provision of the through holes 39 can make the cylindrical support member 30 easier to deform.

[0053] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical support member 30 is provided with a first limiting portion 36 and a second limiting portion 37 at both ends along the axial direction for limiting the axial movement of the cylindrical support member 30. The first limiting portion 36 and the second limiting portion 37 can further limit the axial movement of the cylindrical support member 30, so that the installation of the cylindrical support member 30 is more stable.

[0054] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hardness of the cylindrical support member 30 is greater than the hardness of the sole body 10 . The hardness of the cylindrical support member 30 may be, for example, Shore hardness 75A to 95A, and the material may be, for example, TPU.

[0055] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lower surface of the sole body 10 is further compounded with a rubber outsole 20 to improve the wear resistance of the sole.

[0056] The present invention also proposes a new type of sole forming mold, which can form the above-mentioned sole, the sole forming mold includes a mold body, the mold body includes a first template and a second template that cooperate with each other, a forming cavity 90 is formed between the first template and the second template, and also includes a hanger for hanging the cylindrical support 30, the hanger includes a base plate and a hanging rod arranged on the base plate, a guide hole is provided on the mold body, the guide hole passes through the outer wall of the mold body to the forming cavity 90, and the hanging rod corresponds to the guide hole in a manner that can be extended into or out of the forming cavity 90 The arrangement is such that, before molding, the tubular support member 30 is located in the molding chamber 90 and is mounted on the hanging rod, and the tubular support member 30 is positioned by the hanging rod. During molding, the expanded thermoplastic particles are placed in the molding chamber 90, and the processing temperature and pressure of the traditional popcorn sole are used to make the expanded thermoplastic particles bond together. The expanded thermoplastic particles bury the outer wall of the tubular support member 30 to form the sole. In an embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the hanging rod corresponds to the shape of the tubular support member 30. During molding, the expanded thermoplastic particles will not enter the inner wall of the tubular support member 30.

[0057] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the direction from the forefoot to the heel of the sole formed by the mold body is the length direction of the mold body, the guide hole extends along the width direction of the mold body (i.e., the inner and outer sides of the sole body), and there are multiple hanging rods, and the multiple hanging rods are arranged along the length direction of the substrate.

[0058] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of hanging rods are arranged in a wave shape.

[0059] The present invention can use a single hanger. As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, two hangers are used. The hangers include a first hanger 70 and a second hanger 80. The guide holes include a first guide hole 521 and a second guide hole 522. The first guide hole 521 and the second guide hole 522 are respectively arranged on both sides of the molding chamber 90. The first hanger 70 includes a first base plate 71 and a first hanging rod 72. The first hanging rod 72 is arranged corresponding to the first guide hole 521. The second hanger 80 includes a second base plate 81 and a second hanging rod 82. The second hanging rod 82 is arranged corresponding to the second guide hole 522. In the present invention, a cylindrical support member 30 is supported by the first hanging rod 72 and the second hanging rod 82 to achieve positioning of both ends of the cylindrical support member.

[0060] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first template includes a first mounting plate 51, a first mold frame 52 arranged on the first mounting plate 51, and a first mold core 53 arranged in the first mold frame 52. The second template includes a second mounting plate 61, a second mold frame 62 arranged on the second mounting plate 61, and a second mold core 63 arranged in the second mold frame 62. The first mold frame 52, the first mold core 53, the second mold frame 62, and the second mold core 63 enclose the molding chamber 90, which corresponds to the shape of the sole. In the present invention, the material port 91 is arranged on the second mold core 63 and extends into the molding chamber 90, which is adapted to the shape of the sole body. The first template and the second template can be connected to corresponding drive mechanisms (e.g., using oil cylinders) to achieve mold opening and mold closing.

[0061] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first guide hole 521 and the second guide hole 522 are provided on the first mold frame 52 .

[0062] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first mold frame 52 is provided with a first limiting groove seat 621 for limiting the movement of the first substrate 71 along the length direction of the mold body, and the second mold frame 62 is provided with a second limiting groove seat 622 for limiting the movement of the second substrate 81 along the length direction of the mold body.

[0063] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second mounting plate 61 is provided with a first limiting plate 64 for limiting the movement of the first substrate 71 in the width direction of the mold body and a second limiting plate (blocked in the figure, not shown) for limiting the movement of the second substrate 81 in the width direction of the mold body. The first limiting plate 64 and the second limiting plate both move toward the direction of the first substrate 71. After the mold is closed, the first limiting groove seat 621 and the first limiting plate 64 limit the movement of the first substrate 71 in the width direction of the mold body, and the second limiting groove seat 622 limits the movement of the second substrate 81 in the width direction of the mold body, thereby ensuring that the cylindrical support 30 will not be displaced during the molding process.

[0064] The product form of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments of this case. Any appropriate changes or modifications made by anyone with similar ideas should be deemed to be within the patent scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn sole, the lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn sole comprising a sole body formed by bonding expanded thermoplastic particles, wherein a position of the sole body corresponding to the heel of a human body is defined as a heel portion, a position of the sole body corresponding to the front of the sole of a human body is defined as a forefoot portion, a position of the sole body corresponding to the arch of a human body is defined as an arch portion, a position of the sole body corresponding to the inner side of the instep is defined as an inner side, and a position of the sole body corresponding to the outer side of the instep is defined as an outer side, the method being characterized in that: The shoe sole is made of a lightweight, cushioning popcorn sole and a plurality of shoe soles. The shoe sole is made of a plurality of shoe soles, and the plurality of shoe soles are connected to each other by a plurality of threaded holes. The shoe sole is made of a plurality of threaded holes, and the plurality of threaded holes are connected to each other by a plurality of threaded holes. The shoe sole is made of a plurality of threaded holes, and the plurality of threaded holes are connected to each other by a plurality of threaded holes.

2. The method for making a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn sole according to claim 1, wherein: There are multiple cylindrical support members, and the multiple cylindrical support members are arranged along the front-back direction of the sole body.

3. The method for making a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn sole according to claim 2, wherein: Adjacent tubular support members are connected together by connecting strips, and the plurality of tubular support members and the connecting strips form a support area corresponding to the contour of the sole body.

4. The method for making a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn shoe sole according to claim 3, wherein: The support area forms an upwardly arched support portion corresponding to the arch portion.

5. The method for making a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn sole according to claim 4, wherein: Adjacent cylindrical support members are connected by a plurality of connecting strips, and the plurality of connecting strips are arranged along the inner side to the outer side of the sole body.

6. The method for making a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn shoe sole according to claim 5, wherein: The cylindrical support member includes an upper support plate portion, a lower support plate portion, and a first connection portion and a second connection portion connecting the upper support plate portion and the lower support plate portion.

7. The method for making a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn shoe sole according to claim 6, wherein: The upper support plate portion and the lower support plate portion are both provided with through holes, which are communicated with the inner cavity of the cylindrical support member.

8. The method for making a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn sole according to claim 7, wherein: The cylindrical support member is provided with a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion at both ends along the axial direction for limiting the axial movement of the cylindrical support member.

9. The method for making a lightweight, shock-absorbing popcorn shoe sole according to claim 8, wherein: The hardness of the cylindrical support member is greater than that of the sole body, and the lower surface of the sole body is further compounded with a rubber outsole.

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