Integral Flip-Flop Molding via Back-Pressure Foam Segmentation

The patent merges the manufacturing of the sole and V-shaped strap into a single integral molding process. The mold is designed with a multi-piece structure including first and second mold plates that can form both the sole cavity and the strap cavity simultaneously. Polymer material is injected into the mold and fills both cavities in one operation, producing an integrated flip-flop product that eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly processes.

The patent segments the mold chamber into multiple independent cavities: a sole cavity and a strap cavity, each with its own material filling channel. The outlet orifice of each filling channel is positioned to face a corresponding connecting area that leads into the respective cavity. This segmentation allows the polymer material to be directed preferentially into the slender strap cavity through properly positioned outlet orifices, ensuring complete filling of the strap area while maintaining the benefits of a single integrated molding operation.

The patent combines the formation of the sole and V-shaped strap into a single integral molding operation. The multi-piece mold structure with multiple filling channels enables both components to be manufactured simultaneously from polymer raw material in one injection cycle. This eliminates all secondary assembly operations, significantly increasing production efficiency and reducing labor costs while maintaining the design flexibility to produce different flip-flop configurations by modifying the mold cavities.