Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Nike, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

Yihua Chang

Richard L Watkins

Pavneet Singh Mumick

William S Pomplun

Frederick John Lang

Dave Allen Soerens

Franklin M Chen

Kenneth Yin Wang

Walter Theodore Schultz

Kim G Schick

Hossein A Baghdadi

Charles R Edwards

Jeffrey Dean Lindsay

David Martin Jackson

Eric Donald Johnson

Kelly Dean Branham

Steven James Nielsen

John Edward Kerins

Christopher J Dimitriou

James Hongxue Wang

Tammy Jo Balzar

Tong Sun

Ligia A Rivera

Paige Annette Dellerman

Varsha K Shah

Lyle R Hanson

Petr Khlyabich

Diya Bandyopadhyay

Jeremy Gantz

Anna Schoborg

Tammy J Rentmeester

Adam Kohn

Erin McBride

Bradley C Tutmark

Allan James Krueger

Richard R Tews

Franklin M C Chen

John R Wright

Clay Bunyard

Narayanan Ashwin Kumar Bharadwaj

Nancy D Eisenmenger

Sharon Oba

Fred Lamar

Dervin A James

Danielle Lynn Taylor

David J Goldwasser

Stephen Michael Campbell

Douglas Bryan Cole

Taryn M Hensley

Katherine Denise Stahl

Richard Patrick Wool

Franklin Mc Chen

Barbra Elaine Copsey

Robert D Thompson

Reiko Matsuda-Dunn

Mary Austin

Foamed articles including a foamed thermoplastic elastomeric material, methods of making the articles, and methods for manufacturing articles of footwear, apparel, and athletic equipment incorporating the articles are provided. One exemplary method for making a foamed article comprises placing an article comprising a foamable fibrous element and carbon dioxide in a vessel, the foamable fibrous element comprising a plurality of filaments, fibers, and/or yarns, wherein each member of the plurality comprises a foamable material; maintaining the vessel at a first pressure and first temperature at which the carbon dioxide is a liquid and carbon dioxide is soluble in the foamable material; optionally exposing the infused article to a second temperature and second pressure; and subjecting the article to a third pressure and third temperature at which the infused carbon dioxide phase transitions to a gas, thereby expanding the foamable material into a foamed material and forming the foamed article.

Foamed articles and methods of making the same

Multi-layered structures and methods for producing them are disclosed.

Multi-layered structures and uses thereof

Airsoles or bladders for articles of footwear comprising multi-layered films are provided herein. In one aspect, the airsoles or bladders comprise a first sheet and a second sheet, wherein a first side of the first sheet faces a second side of the second sheet, wherein the first sheet and the second sheet are bonded together to form an internal cavity in a space between the first side of the first sheet and the second side of the second sheet, forming a bladder capable of retaining a gas in the internal cavity at a pressure above atmospheric pressure, at atmospheric pressure, or below atmospheric pressure; and wherein each of the first sheet and the second sheet comprise a multi-layered film comprising: a core region comprising at least 20 gas barrier layers and a plurality of elastomeric layers, wherein the gas-barrier layers alternate with the elastomeric layers.

Multi-layered films for use in airbags and footwear

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to color compositions and methods of making a printed layer using the color composition as well as an article that can include the printed layer.

Colorant solvent system, methods of use, and articles

The present disclosure is directed to articles that have a surface comprising a polymeric material having a printed layer disposed thereon that is durable and flexible. Prior to formation of the printed layer, the surface of the article can comprise a first layer of a first composition disposed on a portion of the polymeric material. The first composition can include a dispersion of uncrosslinked polymers (e.g., a water-borne dispersion of uncrosslinked polymers). The printed layer can be included on an article of footwear, a component of footwear, apparel, a component of apparel, sporting equipment, or a component of sporting equipment.

Articles, bladders and methods of making articles and bladders

Foamed articles including a foamed thermoplastic elastomeric material, methods of making the foamed articles, and methods for manufacturing articles of footwear, apparel, and athletic equipment incorporating such foamed articles are provided. In one aspect, a method for making a foamed article comprises placing an article comprising a foamable material and carbon dioxide in a vessel, maintaining the vessel at a first pressure and first temperature at which the carbon dioxide is a liquid and carbon dioxide is soluble in the foamable material, optionally exposing the infused article to a second temperature and second pressure, and subjecting the article to a third pressure and third temperature at which the infused carbon dioxide phase transitions to a gas, thereby expanding the foamable material into a foamed material and forming the foamed article.

A thermoplastic elastomer foam is made by incorporating a gaseous or supercritical blowing agent under pressure into a molten thermoplastic elastomer comprising polymeric crystalline domains, then releasing the pressure to foam the thermoplastic elastomer.

Process for preparing thermoplastic elastomer foam and foamed article

A method of manufacturing an article includes applying a colored medium on a first polymeric sheet to establish an image on the first polymeric sheet. The method further comprises forming a fluid-filled bladder element at least partially from the first polymeric sheet, and assembling the fluid-filled bladder element in the article so that a first portion of the fluid-filled bladder element having the image is exposed to view, and a second portion of the fluid-filled bladder element is blocked from view by the article. An article comprises a fluid-filled bladder element at least partially formed from a first polymeric sheet, and a colored medium establishing an image on the first polymeric sheet. A first portion of the fluid-filled bladder element having the image is exposed to view, and a second portion of the fluid-filled bladder element is blocked from view by the article.

Article including a bladder element with an image and method of manufacturing the article

A foamed article is made by infusing the article of thermoplastic elastomer with a supercritical fluid, then removing the article from the supercritical fluid and either (i) immersing the article in a heated fluid or (ii) irradiating the article with infrared or microwave radiation.

Process for foaming thermoplastic elastomers

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Yihua Chang