Projector assisted alignment and printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9254640-B2
Application number	US-201213557935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2012
Priority date	Jul 25, 2012
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A flexible manufacturing system for an article of footwear includes a printing system for printing graphics onto the footwear. The flexible manufacturing system also includes a projection system for aligning a projected graphic with a predetermined portion of the article prior to printing the graphic to the article. The graphic can include a masked portion that corresponds to a design element on the article.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of printing onto an article, comprising:
positioning the article onto a platform configured to support the article;
aligning a graphic with the article while the platform and a printing system are in a first relative configuration;
wherein aligning the graphic on the article includes associating a transparent display device with the article and viewing a relative position between the graphic on the display device and the article;
changing the relative configuration of the platform and the printing system from the first relative configuration to a second relative configuration by moving the platform, wherein the second relative configuration is substantially different from the first relative configuration; and
printing the graphic onto the article while the platform and the printing system are in the second relative configuration.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first relative configuration is a configuration where the printing system cannot print onto the article.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second relative configuration is a configuration where the printing system can print onto the article.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the article is an article of footwear.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the article is an article of clothing.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the article is an article of sports equipment.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the article is a hard good.

8. A method of printing a functional element onto an article, comprising:
disposing the article on a platform designed to hold the article, the platform positioned on tracks;
aligning an image of the functional element with the article while the article, the platform and a printing system are in a first relative configuration;
wherein aligning the image includes projecting the image onto the article using a projection system;
changing a relative configuration of the article, the platform and the printing system from the first relative configuration to a second relative configuration by sliding the platform along the tracks, wherein the second relative configuration is substantially different from the first relative configuration; and
printing the functional element onto the article while the article, the platform and the printing system are in the second relative configuration.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the functional element is a waterproof coating.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the functional element is a traction increasing element.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the article is an article of footwear.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the functional element is a waterproof coating.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the functional element is a traction increasing element.

14. A method of printing onto an article comprising:
positioning the article onto a platform configured to support the article on a top surface of the platform, the platform positioned on tracks;
aligning a graphic with the article while the platform and a printing system are in a first relative configuration by projecting the graphic onto a predetermined portion of the article;
changing a relative configuration of the platform and the printing system from the first relative configuration to a second relative configuration by moving the platform along the tracks, wherein the second relative configuration is substantially different from the first relative configuration; and
printing the graphic onto the predetermined portion of the article while the platform and the printing system are in the second relative configuration.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein aligning the graphic occurs while the platform and the printing system are in the first relative configuration.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein changing the relative configuration includes moving the platform from a display ready position, wherein in the display ready position, a projector is configured to project the graphic onto the predetermined portion of the article, to a print ready position, wherein in the print ready position, the printing system is configured to print the graphic onto the predetermined portion of the article.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the first relative configuration is a configuration where the printing system cannot print onto the article.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the second relative configuration is a configuration where the printing system can print onto the article.

19. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the article is an article of footwear.

20. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the article is an article of clothing.

21. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the article is an article of sports equipment.

22. A method of printing onto an article comprising:
positioning the article onto a platform configured to support the article on a top surface of the platform;
aligning an image with the article while the article and a printing system are in an inactive position by projecting the image onto a predetermined portion of the article;
wherein the printing system is positioned on tracks; and
moving the printing system along the tracks from the inactive position to an active position;
wherein when the printing system is in the inactive position, a projector is configured to project the image onto the predetermined portion of the article; and
wherein when the printing system is in the active position, the printing system is positioned to print the image onto the predetermined portion of the article.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein when the printing system is in the inactive position, the printing system cannot print onto the article.

24. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the printed image is a graphic.

25. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the printed image is a functional element.

26. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the article is an article of footwear.

27. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the article is an article of clothing.

28. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the article is an article of sports equipment.

Assignees

• Miller Todd W
• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Miller Todd W

Classifications

• B41F17/006

  for printing on curved surfaces not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B41J3/4073 Primary

  Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112) · CPC title

• B41J3/46

  Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication · CPC title

• B41F33/00

  Indicating, counting, warning, control or safety devices (arrangements of counting devices in platen presses B41F1/00 {, B41F1/58; arrangements of counting devices} in cylinder presses B41F3/84; ink supply or metering devices B41F31/02) · CPC title

• B41F33/0081 Primary

  Devices for scanning register marks · CPC title