公开(公告)号：US20170121480A1

公开(公告)日：2017-05-04

申请号：US14964886

申请日：2015-12-10

Applicant: NIKE, Inc.

Inventor： Bryan N. Farris ,  David Tumer

IPC: C08J9/04 ,  B29C67/00 ,  B29D35/12 ,  C08J9/12

CPC classification number: C08J9/04 ,  A43B13/125 ,  B29C44/3457 ,  B29C64/00 ,  B29D35/122 ,  B29D35/142 ,  B29K2075/00 ,  B29K2101/12 ,  B29K2105/24 ,  B29K2223/083 ,  B29L2031/4821 ,  B29L2031/504 ,  B29L2031/751 ,  B29L2031/768 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  C08J9/122 ,  C08J2201/026 ,  C08J2201/032 ,  C08J2203/06 ,  C08J2205/06 ,  C08J2207/00 ,  C08J2300/22 ,  C08J2300/26

Abstract: A method of making a foamed article comprises (a) milling a block or sheet of thermoplastic polymer to form a precursor; (b) crosslinking the thermoplastic polymer; (c) heating the precursor to a first temperature to soften the thermoplastic polymer; (d) infusing the thermoplastic polymer with at least one inert gas at a first pressure that is sufficient to cause the at least one inert gas to permeate into the softened thermoplastic polymer; and (e) while the thermoplastic polymer is softened, reducing the pressure to a second pressure below the first pressure to at least partially foam the precursor into a foamed article, wherein the foamed article is substantially the same shape as the precursor.