Abstract: An athletic shoe having an inflatable tongue which can be slightly deflated or inflated after lacing up or otherwise closing the shoe to conform to the user's foot and the lacing to provide a more comfortable fit of the shoe. The tongue includes an inner bladder of an expandable foam material with a valve on the tongue fluidly communicating the exterior of the tongue with the interior of the bladder to selectively inflate and deflate the same upon introduction and release of air to the bladder.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 12, 2003
Date of Patent:
September 6, 2005
Assignee:
ACI International
Inventors:
Roger Hsiao-Ching Fang, Joseph Ho Pin Lin
Abstract: Sheeting in the form of fibre board comprising cellulose fibres and a thermosetting resin in an amount sufficient to bond the cellulose fibres together when compressed the sheeting having a density of 1100 kg/m.sup.3 or greater. The method of manufacturing the sheeting comprises the steps of combining the cellulose fibres and thermosetting resin together and forming a mat or web, and thereafter heating and compressing the mat or web to a density of at least 1100 kg/m.sup.3.