TH40502A - Shoe insert structure and pressure-sensitive pouch. - Google Patents

Abstract

DC60 (18/10/44) is a lightweight, high-tensile strength, gas-filled multilayer structure with an outer barrier made of a semi-permeable elastic material for shock absorption. The outer barrier is bonded at multiple points to the surface of the crosslinked fabric layer, which consists of long, crystalline fibers with highly distorted long chain axes and low gas permeability. Bonding between the barrier and the fabric surface is greatly enhanced by the presence of smaller fibers or patterned surfaces. Similar patterned threads act as compression mediators, maintaining the composite structure in a flat or convex form without bonding at the load-bearing areas. This lightweight product can withstand high internal inflation pressures under consistent, severe elastic fatigue and compression cycles for extended periods. The product is inflated, gas-filled, sealed, and maintains its internal inflation pressure for extended durations, generally exceeding its service life, by utilizing the self-inflating diffusion pump phenomenon. The shock absorption mechanism can be selectively controlled by varying the density relationship between the elastic materials. The semi-permeable nature of the envelope and long fiber material, with its highly distorted crystalline structure and non-gas-permeable fabric, improves performance, durability, and reduces costs while eliminating some drawbacks of previous envelope cushioning products. In limited cases, the inflation mechanism can be permanently achieved using liquid nitrogen or liquid air. The lightweight, high-tensile strength multilayer structure, internally gas-filled, features an outer barrier made of a semi-permeable, elastic material. This outer barrier is bonded at multiple points to the surface of a crosslinked fabric layer with long fibers that have a highly distorted crystalline molecular structure, oriented along the long chain axis, and exhibiting low gas permeability. The bonding between the barrier and the fabric surface is greatly enhanced by the presence of fine fibers or patterned surfaces. Similar patterned threads act as compression mediators, maintaining the composite structure in a flat or convex form without bonding occurring at the load-bearing areas. This lightweight product can withstand high internal inflation pressures under severe and consistent elastic fatigue and compression cycles for extended periods. The product is then inflated. The product is gas-filled, sealed, and pressure-maintained to remain inflated internally for extended periods, generally exceeding its lifespan. Utilizing the diffusion pump phenomenon of self-inflation, the cushioning mechanism allows for selective control of the diffusion pump rate by varying the density relationship between the semi-permeable elastic material of the envelope and the highly distorted, non-gas-permeable long-fiber crystalline material of the fabric. This improves durability and longevity, reduces costs, and eliminates some drawbacks of previous cushioning products. In limited cases, the inflation mechanism can be permanently fixed using liquid nitrogen or liquid air.

Claims (41)

1. The structure of a compressed and inflated flexible insert for footwear components, where the insert is subjected to cyclic impact fatigue loads and long-term compression, and works flexibly to support such loads and return at least some of the energy of the impact load, consists of an outer sealed envelope of a semi-permeable elastic material that is relatively impermeable to large gas molecules and oxygen; such envelope includes at least a portion of the outer upper and lower surfaces where the outer surfaces are flat and parallel to the orientation of the inner surface; at least a portion of such envelope includes a perimeter seal created between the facing portions of the inner surfaces of such envelope; textiles include a first and second spaced textile layer, each with an outer surface; a pathway connecting such outer surfaces of the first and second textile layers to such inner surfaces of such envelope; the connection between such outer surfaces of the first and second textile layers and such inner surfaces of such envelope is at least approximately 20 psi linear; elastic pathways extending between the spaced textile layers... Regarding the restraint of the movement of the textile layers from one another beyond a predetermined distance, thus maintaining the relatively flat orientation of the upper and lower outer surfaces of the envelope, such a flexible trajectory itself cannot support the compressive and shock loads that the insert is subjected to during use. At least one gas must be present in the envelope to compress it so that the overall resistance of the envelope to compression is provided by the gas inside the envelope and the surrounding seal. Essentially, there is no textile material that would allow the transmission of at least one such compressed gas through the surrounding seal. 2. The structure of the compressed and inflated insert for the shoe component of Reputation 1, where such elastic pathway for restraining the textile layer is relatively parallel to the other layer. 3. The structure of the compressed and inflated insert for the shoe component of Patent 1, where the envelope is relatively free of non-compressible areas. 4. The structure of the compressed and inflated insert for the shoe component of claim 1, which includes a means for the mechanical connection of the first and second textile layers to the inner surface of the said envelope. 5. The structure of the compressed and inflated insert for the shoe component of claim 1, whereby the surface of the said textile layer is attached to the said inner surface of the said envelope, together with numerous small branches, these branches create an adhesive area to connect the said textile layer to the said inner surface of the said envelope, thus creating a relatively continuous mechanical connection between the said inner surface and the surface of the said textile layer. 6. The structure of the compressed and inflated insert for the shoe component of Protection 1, where such elastic pathway for restraining the movement of the textile layer is sufficiently strong to hold the textile layer for a predetermined distance when the gas pressure in the chamber exceeds approximately 150 psi. 7. The structure of the compressed and inflated insert for the footwear component of Patent 1, where such elastic pathway for restraining the movement of the textile layer, consists of long fibers extending between and anchored to the textile layer. 8. The structure of the compressed and inflated insert for the shoe component of Claim 1, where the textile layer is saturated with a bonding agent to a depth less than approximately its thickness, and the bonding agent is connected to the outer barrier layer. 9. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 8, where the elastic material is polyurethane and the bonding agent is the same material as the elastic material. 10. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, where the textile is a two-needle Rachel knit. 11. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, whereby the insert supports the impact load from the impact-generating element and absorbs energy and returns up to 90% of the absorbed energy back to the impact-generating element. 12. The structure of a compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, where such textile incorporates yarns composed of long filaments with a matte or semi-glossy surface. 13. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, where the textile is incorporating patterned surface yarns. 14. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 13, where such textile is made up of long-fiber yarns which are heat-formed. 15. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, where the outer surface of such textile is made fuzzy. 16. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 15, where such textile is made up of long-fiber yarns which are heat-formed. 17. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, where such textile contains at least 20% discontinuous long filament yarns. 18. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 17, where such textile is made up of long-fiber yarns which are heat-formed. 19. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, where such textile incorporates nylon yarns. 20. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, where such elastic pathway consists of long strands comprising from approximately 200 to 1,000 strands or bundles per square inch of textile. 21. The structure of the compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, where the elastic pathway of such textile has a total mass density between 20,000 and 300,000 fibers or strands per square inch. 22. The structure of a compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, where such textile incorporates yarns of a denier-to-length ratio between 1 and 20. 23. The structure of a compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, where such textile incorporates yarns of a denier per strand value between 3 and 5. 24. The structure of a compressed and inflated flexible insert as described above in Claim 1, where such textile incorporates yarns of tensile strength between 2 and 10 g/denier. 25. A multi-layered, internally compressed envelope capable of withstanding cyclic and long-term compression fatigue loads to provide responsive support to such loads consists of a hermetically sealed outer covering that defines a compression chamber; this outer covering includes an inner surface and is composed of a semi-permeable, elastic material that is relatively impermeable to large molecular gases and allows minimal oxygen permeation; a compressible textile structure within this chamber; this compressible structure is relatively boundary to the chamber and consists of a primary textile layer, a secondary textile layer typically spaced apart from the primary layer, and compressible pathways to prevent these textile layers from separating beyond a predetermined distance. These compressible pathways cannot provide compression resistance to the envelope. Each of these primary and secondary textile layers includes an outer surface that is in a concentric relationship and in contact with the inner surface of the outer covering. The sealed outer covering includes at least a portion that forms a perimeter seal arranged between the concentric inner surfaces of the outer covering. The pathway for creating a relatively continuous mechanical connection between the outer covering and the first and second textile layers involves a bonding agent saturated into these textile layers to a depth less than their thickness. This pathway for creating the connection includes numerous branches and/or loops protruding from the outer surface of each of the first and second textile layers. A large molecular gas is placed in the chamber; the envelope is compressed to a pressure of at least 2 psi, where virtually all of the envelope's resistance to compression is provided by the gas pressure within the chamber, and the surrounding seal is essentially devoid of any compressible structural textile material to prevent gas loss through the surrounding seal. 26. A multi-layered envelope subject to internal pressure under the provisions of claim 25, whereby the envelope is molded into the inner lining of the shoe of a relatively uniform thickness and whereby the envelope is free from any non-compressible areas throughout the inner lining of the shoe subjected to the said load. 27. A compressed multilayer envelope as described above in claim 25, where the compressible textile structure is a two-needle Rachel knit. 28. A multi-layered, internally compressed enclosure as described in claim 25, which both supports the impact load from the impact-generating element and absorbs energy, and returns up to 90% of the absorbed energy back to the impact-generating element. 29. A multi-layered envelope that is internally compressed as described above in claim 25, where the textile structure includes yarns composed of long filaments with a matte or semi-glossy surface. 30. A multi-layered envelope subjected to internal pressure as described above in claim 25, where the textile structure includes yarns that have been textured. 31. A multi-layered, internally compressed envelope as described above in claim 30, where the textile structure consists of long, heat-formed yarns. 32. A multi-layered envelope subjected to internal pressure as described above in claim 25, where the outer surface of such textile structure is made fuzzy. 33. A multi-layered envelope that is internally compressed as described above in claim 32, where the textile structure consists of long-fiber yarns that are heat-formed. 34. A multi-layered envelope subjected to internal pressure as described above in claim 25, whereby the textile structure includes yarns consisting of at least 20% discontinuous long filaments. 35. A multi-layered envelope that is internally compressed as described above in claim 34, where the textile structure consists of long-fiber yarns that are heat-formed. 36. A multi-layered envelope subjected to internal pressure as described above in claim 25, where the textile structure includes nylon yarns. 37. A multi-layered envelope compressed internally as described above in claim 25, where such compressible pathway consists of long strands comprising approximately 200 to 1,000 strands or filaments per square inch of textile structure. 38. A multi-layered envelope compressed internally as described above in claim 25, where such compression pathway of the textile structure has a total mass density of between 20,000 and 300,000 fibers or strands per square inch. 39. A multi-layered envelope subjected to internal pressure as described above in claim 25, where the textile structure includes yarns with a denier-to-length ratio between 1 and 20. 40. A multi-layered envelope subjected to internal pressure as described above in claim 25, where the textile structure includes yarns with a denier-to-length ratio between 3 and 5. 41. A multi-layered envelope subjected to internal pressure as described above in claim 25, where the textile structure includes yarns with a tensile strength between 2 and 10 grams per denier.