Method of making an article of footwear having printed structures

• US 9,474,331 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Waatti, Todd A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B
• Application Number:
  US14/612,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20160219982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 264/129, 264/244, 264/250, 264/255, 264/259, 264/308, 264/316, 427/256, 121/46.C, 36/98, 347/110
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/02 made of fibres or fabrics made therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0205 characterised by the material material of the lining A43B23/07, material of toe stiffeners or heel stiffeners A43B23/08
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/021 Leather
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0215 Plastics or artificial leather
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0225 Composite materials, e.g. material with a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/04 with rings or loops
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 5/00 Eyelets machines for setting eyelets A43D100/00
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 11/00 Machines for preliminary treatment or assembling of upper-parts, counters, or insoles on their lasts preparatory to the pulling-over or lasting operations; Applying or removing protective coverings
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 11/01 Machines for applying reinforcement or ornamental straps to the margins of uppers to soles or insoles A43D43/06
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 95/14 incorporating marking, printing, or embossing apparatus ornamentation of shoe part blanks A43D8/16; printing per se , stamping per se B41
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/682 Preformed parts characterised by their structure, e.g. form
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/845 by moulding material on a relative small portion of the preformed parts
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/126 Uppers
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/146 Uppers
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

An article of footwear having printed structures disposed on the article by a three-dimensional printer is disclosed. The printed structures include extended portions and fastener receiving portions. The extended portions are at least partially embedded in the upper. The fastener receiving portions are at least partially spaced apart from an exterior surface of the upper.

Claims

1. A method of making an article of footwear with a printed structure, the method comprising:

providing an upper of the article of footwear;

providing a printer, the printer comprising a print head and a printable material;

printing the printable material onto the upper to form an extended portion of the printed structure that is attached to the upper;

printing the printable material to form a fastener receiving portion of the printed structure that extends from the extended portion, wherein the fastener receiving portion includes an aperture for receiving a fastener; and

moving the print head in a distal direction with respect to the upper to form the fastener receiving portion so that at least a portion of the fastener receiving portion is spaced apart from the upper.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the extended portion has a first longest dimension and wherein the fastener receiving portion has a second longest dimension; and

wherein the first longest dimension is greater than the second longest dimension.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the printable material includes a first printable material and a second printable material;

wherein the extended portion is printed with the first printable material; and

wherein the fastener receiving portion is printed with the second printable material.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second printable material has a higher tensile strength than the first printable material.

5. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising inserting a lace through the aperture.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the upper includes an aperture for receiving a lace, and wherein the aperture of the upper is approximately aligned with the aperture of the fastener receiving portion.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the print head engages the upper and prints a printable material directly into the upper, such that the printable material is disposed at least partially below an exterior surface of the upper in at least some portions of the upper.

8. A method of making an article of footwear with a printed structure, the method comprising:

providing an upper of the article of footwear;

providing a release layer on an exterior portion of the upper;

providing a printer, the printer comprising a print head and a printable material;

printing the printable material onto a portion of the upper to form an attached portion of the printed structure;

printing the printable material on the release layer to form a free portion of the printed structure that extends from the attached portion, the free portion comprising an aperture; and

removing the release layer from the upper.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the free portion is spaced apart from the upper after the release layer is removed from the upper.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of printing the printable material on the release layer includes moving the print head in a distal direction with respect to the upper to accommodate a thickness of the release layer, wherein the distal direction is a direction directed away from the upper.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the aperture is configured to receive a fastener.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the fastener is a lace.

13. The method according to claim 11 further comprising aligning the aperture with a corresponding aperture formed through the upper.

14. The method according to claim 8 further comprising printing the printable material on a single release layer to form more than one free portion.

15. The method according to claim 8 wherein the aperture is non-circular.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of printing the printable material onto a portion of the upper includes the print head engaging the upper and printing the printable material directly into the upper, such that the printable material is disposed at least partially below an exterior surface of the upper in at least some portions of the upper.

17. A method of making an article of footwear with a printed structure, the method comprising:

printing a printable material onto an upper of the article of footwear with a printer having a movable print head so that a first printed portion is attached to the upper and a second printed portion is spaced apart from the upper at an angular distance,

wherein the first printed portion and the second printed portion are continuous, and

wherein the second printed portion includes a fastener receiving portion.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the print head engages the upper and prints the first printed portion directly into the upper, such that the printable material is disposed at least partially below an exterior surface of the upper in at least some portions of the upper.

19. The method according to claim 17 further comprising:

providing a release layer on an exterior portion of the upper;

printing the printable material on the release layer to form the second printed portion; and

removing the release layer from the upper.