Sole structures including composite elements and articles of footwear formed therefrom

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a composite element comprising a textile and a hydrogel layer comprising a hydrogel material that is operably coupled to the textile, wherein a portion of the hydrogel layer extends through a first side of the textile, and at least partially into a core of the textile, but does not extend onto a second side of the textile. Also disclosed are sole structures and articles of athletic footwear incorporating the composite element, as well as methods of manufacturing such composite elements, sole structures, and articles of footwear.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:
 a composite element and a sole component;   wherein the composite element comprises a textile and a hydrogel layer;
 the textile comprises a textile material and has a first side, a second side, and a core located between the first side and the second side; 
 the hydrogel layer comprises a hydrogel material and has a first side and a second side that is operably coupled to the textile along the first side of the textile; 
   wherein a portion of the hydrogel layer extends through the first side of the textile and at least partially into the core of the textile, but does not extend onto the second side of the textile;   wherein at least a portion of the first side of the hydrogel layer provides a first ground-facing surface of the sole structure; and   wherein the sole component comprises a second polymeric material and has a first side and a second side, wherein at least a portion of the first side of the sole component is operably coupled with the second side of the textile.   
     
     
         2 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the textile, before its first side is operably coupled with the hydrogel layer, has a core thickness measured between the first side and the second side of the textile of about 0.1 millimeter to about 5 millimeters. 
     
     
         3 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the textile, before its first side is operably coupled with the hydrogel layer, is an air-permeable textile. 
     
     
         4 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel material is a thermoplastic hydrogel material, and the textile material has a textile material melting temperature or a first textile material Vicat softening temperature that is at least 20 degrees Celsius greater than a melting temperature or Vicat softening temperature of the thermoplastic hydrogel material of the hydrogel layer. 
     
     
         5 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel layer penetrates at least 10 percent of the core thickness of the textile. 
     
     
         6 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel layer penetrates less than 90 percent of the core thickness of the textile. 
     
     
         7 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the textile comprises a non-woven textile. 
     
     
         8 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the textile has a basis weight of about 5 to about 500 grams/meter squared. 
     
     
         9 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel layer has a dry-state thickness ranging from 0.1 millimeters (mm) to 2 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel material is a thermoplastic hydrogel material, and the thermoplastic hydrogel material has a melt flow index of from about 35 to about 55 grams per 10 minutes, according to the Melt Flow Index Test Protocol. 
     
     
         11 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel material comprises a polyurethane hydrogel. 
     
     
         12 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the sole component comprises one or more traction elements. 
     
     
         13 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the second polymeric material comprises a polyoefin. 
     
     
         14 . An article of footwear comprising an upper operably coupled with the sole structure of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A method of making a sole structure for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
 operably coupling a first composite element to a second component; the first composite element comprising a textile and a hydrogel layer; the textile comprising a textile material and having a first side, a second side, and a core located between the first side and the second side; the hydrogel layer comprising a hydrogel material and having a first side and a second side, the second side of the hydrogel layer being operably coupled to the textile along the first side of the textile; wherein, in the sole structure, a portion of the hydrogel layer extends through the first side of the textile and at least partially into the core of the textile, but does not extend onto the second side of the textile;   wherein the operably coupling comprises forming a bond between the second side of the textile of the composite element and the second component such that the hydrogel layer of the composite element defines at least a portion of a ground-facing surface of the sole structure.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of operably coupling comprises placing the first composite element into a mold so that a portion of the first side of the hydrogel layer contacts a portion of a molding surface of the mold, forming a prepared molding surface;
 charging a second polymeric material onto the prepared molding surface of the mold;   at least partially solidifying the charged second polymeric material in the mold and thereby operably coupling the composite element and the at least partially solidified second polymeric material, forming the sole structure comprising the hydrogel layer of the composite element defining at least a portion of the ground-facing surface of the sole structure; and   removing the sole structure from the mold.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises restraining the composite element in the mold so that at least a portion of the first side of the hydrogel layer contacts the molding surface while charging the second polymeric material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein a) the textile, before its first side is operably coupled with the hydrogel layer, has a core thickness measured between the first side and the second side of the textile of about 0.1 millimeter to about 5 millimeters; or wherein b) the textile, before its first side is operably coupled with the hydrogel layer, is an air-permeable textile; or wherein both a) and b). 
     
     
         19 . A sole structure manufactured according to the method of  claim 15 . 
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:
 securing an upper to a sole structure, the sole structure comprising a hydrogel layer having a first side and a second side that is operably coupled with a first side of a textile, and a sole component comprising a second polymeric material that is operably coupled with a second side of the textile, such that the first side of the hydrogel layer of the sole structure defines a ground-facing surface of the article of footwear.