1. A door striker for use with an automobile door latching assembly having a latch positioned within a gap defined by an edge, the door striker comprising:
a bar configured to be securably engaged by the latch of the latching assembly; and
a bumper positioned proximate said bar and configured to be received within the gap of the latching assembly to resistably engage the edge of the gap when the latching assembly moves with respect to said bar.
2. The door striker of claim 1, further including a base plate from which said bar extends, said base plate being configured to be secured to a door frame of an automobile.
3. The door striker of claim 1, further including a back plate from which said bumper and said bar extend.
4. The door striker of claim 1, wherein said bumper is rubber.
5. The door striker of claim 1, wherein said bumper is wedge-shaped.
6. The door striker of claim 1, wherein said bar is defined by a rear section formed generally perpendicularly with a top section, said rear section being engaged by the latching assembly.
7. The door striker of claim 1, further including a back plate, said bumper extending from said back plate and being connected to said back plate by a knob extending therethrough.
8. The door striker of claim 1, further including a base plate formed generally perpendicularly with a back plate, said bar extending from said back plate to said base plate and said bumper extending from said back plate.
9. The door striker of claim 1, wherein said bumper is configured to deform to fit within the gap of the latch assembly.
10. A door striker for use with an automobile door latching assembly having a latch positioned within a gap defined by an edge, the door striker comprising:
a base plate;
a back plate,
a bar extending from said base plate to said back plate and being configured to be securably engaged by the latch of the latching assembly; and
a bumper extending from at least one of said back plate and base plate, said bumper being configured to be received within the gap of the latching assembly to resistibly engage the edge of the gap when the latching assembly moves with respect to said bar.
11. The door striker of claim 10, wherein said base plate is configured to be secured to a door frame of an automobile.
12. The door striker of claim 10, wherein said bumper is rubber.
13. The door striker of claim 10, wherein said bumper is wedge-shaped.
14. The door striker of claim 10, wherein said bar is defined by a rear section formed generally perpendicularly with a top section, said rear section extending from said base plate and said top section extending from said back plate, said rear section being engaged by the latching assembly.
15. The door striker of claim 10, wherein said bumper extends from said back plate and is connected to said back plate by a knob extending therethrough.
16. The door striker of claim 10, wherein said bumper is configured to deform to fit within the gap of the latch assembly.
17. An automobile door latching system, comprising:
an automobile door mounted in a frame and including a latching assembly, said latching assembly including a latch positioned within a gap defined by an edge; and
a door striker mounted in said frame of said automobile door and including a base plate, a back plate extending from said base plate, a bar extending from said base plate to said back plate and being configured to be securably engaged by said latch, and a bumper extending from at least one of said back plate and said base plate, said bumper being configured to be received within said gap of said latching assembly to resistibly engage said edge of said gap when said latching assembly moves with respect to said bar.
18. The door striker of claim 17, wherein said bumper is rubber.
19. The door striker of claim 17, wherein said bumper is wedge-shaped.
20. The door striker of claim 17, wherein said bumper is configured to deform to fit within said gap of said latch assembly.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of forming a sole assembly of an article of footwear that includes an interior space that receives a foot of a wearer, the article of footwear also including an exterior surface, the method comprising:
providing a first portion of the sole assembly, the first portion including a first surface that at least partially defines the interior space, the first portion also including a first chamber surface that opposes the first surface;
providing a second portion of the sole assembly, the second portion including a second surface that at least partially defines the exterior surface of the article of footwear, the second portion also including a second chamber surface that opposes the second surface; and
operably securing the first portion to the second portion such that the first chamber surface and the second chamber surface cooperate to at least partially define a substantially sealed chamber within the sole assembly.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming at least one of the first portion and the second portion.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein forming the at least one of the first portion and the second portion includes molding the at least one of the first portion and the second portion.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein forming the at least one of the first portion and the second portion includes molding both the first portion and the second portion together within a single mold assembly.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mold assembly includes a first mold member, a middle mold member, and a second mold member, wherein molding both the first portion and the second portion together includes molding the first portion between the first mold member and the middle mold member and molding the second portion between the middle mold member and the second mold member, and further comprising removing the middle mold member from between the first portion and the second portion and subsequently securing the first portion to the second portion by moving at least one of the first mold member and the second mold member toward the other.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein operably securing the first portion to the second portion includes compressive molding of the first portion to the second portion.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein operably securing the first portion to the second portion includes vulcanizing the first portion to the second portion.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively changing a pressure inside the chamber.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion is made from a first material and the second portion is made from a second material, the first material being different from the second material.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first portion and the second portion includes at least one of a rubber material and a foam material.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion includes a first base and a first peripheral wall that are integrally connected such that the first portion is monolithic, the first base including the first surface and the first chamber surface, the first peripheral wall being elongate, the first peripheral wall projecting from the first chamber surface;
wherein the second includes a second base and a second peripheral wall that are integrally connected such that the second portion is monolithic, the second base including the second surface and the second chamber surface, the second peripheral wall being elongate, the second peripheral wall projecting from the second chamber surface; and
wherein operably securing the first portion to the second portion includes securing the first peripheral wall to the second peripheral wall such that the first and second chamber surfaces are spaced apart and such that the first and second peripheral walls define a periphery of the sole assembly.
12. A method of forming a sole assembly of an article of footwear comprising:
providing a first portion that includes a first surface and a first chamber surface that opposes the first surface, the first portion further including a first attachment surface, the first portion having a first thickness that is measured from the first surface to the first chamber surface, the first thickness varying across the first portion, the first portion including a first material;
providing a second portion that includes a second surface and a second chamber surface that opposes the second surface, the second surface including an integrally formed tread for providing traction on a ground surface, the second portion further including a second attachment surface, the second portion having a second thickness that is measured from the second surface to the second chamber surface, the second thickness varying across the second portion, the second portion including a second material that is different from the first material, the second material having a higher coefficient of friction than the first material; and
attaching the first and second attachment surfaces together such that:
the first and second chamber surfaces cooperate to at least partially define a substantially sealed chamber within the sole assembly, and
an elongate rail projecting from the first and second chamber surfaces extends across the sole assembly to divide the chamber into a first chamber area and a second chamber area.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first portion includes a first base that defines the first surface and the first chamber surface;
wherein the first portion includes a first elongate rail member that is integrally attached to the first base, the first rail member projecting from the first chamber surface of the first base;
wherein the second portion includes a second base that defines the second surface and the second chamber surface;
wherein the second portion includes a second elongate rail member that is integrally attached to the second base, the second rail member projecting from the second chamber surface of the second base; and
wherein attaching the first and second attachment surfaces together includes attaching the first and second elongate rail members together such that the first and second elongate rail members cooperatively define the elongate rail.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first base includes a first zone, a second zone, and a third zone;
wherein the second zone is disposed between the first and third zones;
wherein the first elongate rail member projects from the first chamber surface of the first base within the second zone; and
wherein the first surface of the first base extends substantially continuously from the first zone, across the second zone, to the third zone.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming at least one of the first portion and the second portion.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein forming the at least one of the first portion and the second portion includes molding the at least one of the first portion and the second portion.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein forming the at least one of the first portion and the second portion includes molding both the first portion and the second portion together within a single mold assembly.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the mold assembly includes a first mold member, a middle mold member, and a second mold member, wherein molding both the first portion and the second portion together includes molding the first portion between the first mold member and the middle mold member and molding the second portion between the middle mold member and the second mold member, and further comprising removing the middle mold member from between the first portion and the second portion and subsequently securing the first portion to the second portion by moving at least one of the first mold member and the second mold member toward the other.
19. The method of claim 12, wherein attaching the first and second attachment surfaces together includes maintaining an opening through the elongate rail that provides fluid communication between the first and second chamber areas.
20. A method of manufacturing a sole assembly for an article of footwear that includes an interior space that receives a foot of a wearer, the article of footwear also including an exterior surface, the method comprising:
molding a first portion of the sole assembly, the first portion including a first surface that at least partially defines the interior space, the first portion also including a first chamber surface that opposes the first surface, the first portion also including a first rail member that projects from the first chamber surface;
molding a second portion of the sole assembly, the second portion including a second surface that at least partially defines the exterior surface of the article of footwear, the second portion also including a second chamber surface that opposes the second surface, the second portion also including a second rail member that projects from the second chamber surface;
compressing and molding the first portion to the second portion such that the first chamber surface and the second chamber surface cooperate to at least partially define a substantially sealed chamber within the sole assembly and such that the first rail member attaches to the second rail member; and
changing a pressure inside the chamber via a valve included in the first portion,
wherein molding the first portion and molding the second portion includes molding the first portion and the second portion together within a single mold assembly,
wherein the mold assembly includes a first mold member, a middle mold member, and a second mold member, wherein molding both the first portion and the second portion together includes molding the first portion between the first mold member and the middle mold member and molding the second portion between the middle mold member and the second mold member, and further comprising removing the middle mold member from between the first portion and the second portion and subsequently securing the first portion to the second portion by moving at least one of the first mold member and the second mold member toward the other, and
wherein the first portion is made of a different material from the second portion.