Mold Frames for Fluid-Filled Chamber Sealing Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing fluid-filled chambers, such as those used in footwear midsoles, face limitations in achieving precise shapes and efficient sealing of polymer materials, which can affect the performance and comfort of the final product.
Innovation Solution
A mold configuration with retractable frames and a blowmolding process that seals fluid within a polymer parison by forming bonds around cavities, allowing the polymer material to conform to the desired shape while maintaining ambient pressure, enabling the creation of various chamber configurations for diverse applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional blowmolding processes are used to form fluid-filled chambers, then the basic chamber structure can be produced, but the sealing precision and shape accuracy are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into multiple frames (first frame, second frame, third frame) that can be independently positioned and adjusted. Each frame defines a specific cavity region, allowing precise control over the sealing locations and chamber geometry. This segmentation enables high manufacturing precision by allowing independent optimization of each mold component.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold frames are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing dynamic adjustment during the blowmolding process. The frames can be positioned at different locations and orientations to define cavity regions with high precision, then locked in place during chamber formation. This dynamic positioning capability enables complex chamber geometries and precise sealing without requiring overly complex static mold designs.
2Manufacturing precision
If the polymer material is pressurized to conform to the cavity shape, then the chamber shape precision is improved, but the sealing integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mold frames are pre-positioned and sealed to define the cavity regions before the polymer parison is introduced and pressurized. The frames are locked in place and sealed to the mold walls in advance, creating a stable sealing structure that maintains its integrity during the high-pressure chamber formation process. This preliminary sealing action ensures that the sealing integrity is established before pressure is applied, preventing leakage during the critical forming stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold frames act as intermediary elements between the polymer parison and the final chamber structure. The frames provide a rigid, pre-formed sealing structure that the polymer material conforms to under pressure. This intermediary framework transfers the conforming force from the pressurized polymer to the mold walls, allowing shape precision to be achieved without compromising the sealing integrity of the polymer-chamber interface.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method allows for the production of fluid-filled chambers with enhanced sealing and shape precision, improving the comfort and performance of footwear and other products by effectively distributing pressure and enhancing ground reaction force attenuation.
Implementation Method 1
Pressurized air induces the polymer material of the parison to conform with the shape of the cavity within the mold
Implementation Method 2
the polymer material of the parison to conform with the shape of the cavity within the mold
Implementation Method 3
The polymer material then cools, thereby forming the chamber
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 3C~3D
AI summary
A mold may include mold portions (120, 130) that each includes a surface, a cavity (122, 132) formed in the surface, and a movable frame that extends around the cavity. In manufacturing a fluid- filled chamber, a parison (111) may be located between the mold portions. The mold portions are moved toward the parison such that the frames contact and compress opposite sides of the parison to form a first bond between the opposite sides of the parison. The parison is also compressed between the mold portions such that opposite sides of the parison are shaped within the cavities to define the chamber and form a second bond immediately adjacent to the chamber.