Structurally-colored articles and methods for making and using structurally-colored articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11614563-B2
Application number	US-202217649853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2022
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

One or more aspects of the present disclosure are directed to bladders that incorporate a multi-layer optical film that impart a structural color to the bladder. The present disclosure is also directed to articles including the bladders having a multi-layer optical film, and methods for making articles and bladders having a multi-layer optical film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
a footwear upper; and
an inflated bladder comprising:
a top wall operably secured to the footwear upper;
a bottom wall opposite the top wall; and
one or more sidewalls extending between the top wall and the bottom wall of the inflated bladder, wherein the top wall, the bottom wall, and the one or more sidewalls collectively define an interior region of the inflated bladder, and wherein the one or more sidewalls each comprise an interior-facing side and an exterior-facing side; and

a multi-layer optical film operably disposed on the interior-facing side or exterior-facing side of at least one of the one or more sidewalls to impart a structural color having at least one hue to the one or more sidewalls;
wherein the exterior-facing side or the interior-facing side of the first bladder wall, or the first side or the second side of the multi-layer optical film, or any combination thereof, comprise a textured surface, and a combination of the textured surface and the multi-layer optical film impart the structural color.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the multi-layer optical film comprises the textured surface.

3. The article of claim 1 , wherein the multi-layer optical film includes a pigment, a dye, or a combination of pigment and dye.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the multi-layer optical film comprises: a first layer compositionally comprising a non-oxide metal; and a second layer disposed on the first layer and compositionally comprising a first metal oxide.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the structural color imparted to the one or more sidewalls has a single hue regardless of viewing angle.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the structural color imparted to the one or more sidewalls has two or more hues.

7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the textured surface is part of a textured layer or a textured structure.

8. The article of claim 7 , wherein the textured surface, the textured layer or the textured structure is on the first side of the multi-layer optical film, and wherein the first side of the multi-layer optical film is disposed onto the exterior-facing surface of the first bladder wall.

9. The article of claim 7 , wherein the textured surface, the textured layer or the textured structure is on the second side of the multi-layer optical film, wherein the first side of the multi-layer optical film is disposed onto the interior-facing surface of the first bladder wall.

10. The article of claim 1 , wherein the textured surface has a plurality of topographical structures and plurality of flat areas.

11. The article of claim 10 , wherein, over an area of the textured surface having a surface area of at least 5 square millimeters, wherein the topographical structures are in random positions relative to one another.

12. The article of claim 3 , wherein the dye is an acid dye.

13. The article of claim 3 , wherein the pigment is a solid pigment particle selected from the group consisting of: metal and metal oxide pigments, carbon pigments, clay earth pigments, ultramarine pigments and a combination thereof.

14. The article of claim 1 , wherein a primer layer is disposed on the textured surface.

15. The article of claim 14 , wherein the primer layer is on the exterior-facing side of the bladder wall or on the interior-facing side of the bladder wall, and the multi-layer optical film is disposed on the primer layer.

16. The article of claim 14 , wherein the multi-layer optical film is disposed on the first thermoplastic material of the exterior-facing side or the second thermoplastic material of the interior-facing side of the bladder wall, with the primer layer, the textured surface, or both, positioned between the multi-layer optical film and the first thermoplastic material.

17. The article of claim 14 , wherein the primer layer comprises a textured surface, and the textured surface of the primer layer, the primer layer, and the multi-layer optical film impart the structural color.

18. The article of claim 14 , wherein the primer layer is a digitally printed layer, an offset printed layer, a pad printed layer, a screen printed layer, a flexographically printed layer, or a heat transfer printed layer.

19. The article of claim 14 , wherein the primer layer comprises a paint, an ink, or a combination thereof.

20. The article of claim 14 , wherein the primer layer comprises a reground, and at least partially degraded polymer.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Bee Jennifer
• Gantz Jeremy
• Kovel Kim

Classifications

• A61F13/15731

  Treating webs, e.g. for giving them a fibrelike appearance, e.g. by embossing · CPC title

• A43B21/28

  Pneumatic heels {filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas} · CPC title

• B32B2307/416

  Reflective · CPC title

• A43B13/22

  Soles made slip-preventing or wear-resisting, e.g. by impregnation or spreading a wear-resisting layer · CPC title

• A43B1/0036

  with fluorescent or phosphorescent parts · CPC title