Three-dimensional printing of a traced element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10455896-B2
Application number	US-201715409341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2017
Priority date	Jan 19, 2016
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A method of forming a traced element is disclosed. The method may include printing layers of a traced element and incorporating a textile strand in overlapping polymer layers of the traced element. In some embodiments, the traced element may be formed on a base layer. The traced element may be incorporated into an upper for an article of footwear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An upper for an article of footwear comprising a traced element, the traced element including:
a first polymer layer;
a second polymer layer; and
a strand layer,
wherein the first polymer layer defines a polymer-trace path;
wherein the strand layer comprises a material strand disposed along a strand-trace path and over the first polymer layer, the strand-trace path extends at least partially along the polymer-trace path;
wherein the second polymer layer is disposed along at least a portion of the polymer-trace path and overlaps both the first polymer layer and the strand layer for at least the portion of the polymer-trace path; and
wherein the upper includes a plurality of openings surrounded by a portion of the traced element that includes the first polymer layer, the second polymer layer, and the strand layer.

2. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the polymer-trace path and the strand-trace path intersect at an angle in a plurality of positions on the traced element.

3. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the polymer-trace path comprises a plurality of curvilinear portions.

4. The upper of claim 1 , wherein an average width of the material strand is at least 5 percent of an average width of the first polymer layer.

5. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer layer is polymer-bonded to the second polymer layer adjacent to the material strand.

6. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the material strand forms at least one lace aperture loop.

7. The upper of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the material strand is unattached to the first polymer layer.

8. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the material strand is at least partially formed from a polytetrafluoroethylene material.

9. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the upper further comprises a base layer, and the traced element is positioned on and secured to at least a portion of an outer surface of the base layer.

10. The upper of claim 1 , wherein a medial side and a later side of the upper consist of the traced element.

11. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the strand layer further comprises at least one additional material strand.

12. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer layer further defines at least one additional polymer-trace path.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Sterman Yoav
• Waatti Todd A

Classifications

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• B29L2031/50

  Footwear, e.g. shoes or parts thereof · CPC title

• A43B23/0265

  having different properties in different directions · CPC title

• A43B23/0235 Primary

  Different layers of different material · CPC title

• A43B23/0225

  Composite materials, e.g. material with a matrix · CPC title