Articles and methods of manufacturing articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9572402-B2
Application number	US-25549608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2008
Priority date	Oct 23, 2007
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

Various articles, such as footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, watchbands, and the like, and methods of forming those articles are presented. The articles are generally formed, in whole or in part, using rapid manufacturing techniques, such as laser sintering, stereolithography, solid deposition modeling, and the like. The use of rapid manufacturing allows for relatively economical and time efficient manufacture of customized articles. Portions of the articles may be manufactured using rapid manufacturing and those portions may be joined with portions formed using conventional, non-rapid manufacturing techniques. The methods may also include performing a scan of an appropriate body part of a user, such as a foot, in order to create a customized article of footwear for the user.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, comprising:
forming at least one portion of an upper, the at least one portion of the upper being formed from a thermoplastic elastomer material fused together using a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique;
forming a midsole impact force attenuation system, the midsole impact force attenuation system being separate from the upper and being formed from a thermoplastic elastomer material fused together using the rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique, wherein the midsole impact force attenuation system includes a plurality of interlocked links;
placing the midsole impact force attenuation system in a housing; and
engaging the at least one portion of the upper to the housing such that the housing is positioned to support a foot of a wearer of the article of footwear.

2. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, comprising:
forming an upper portion using a non-rapid manufacturing technique;
forming a sole structure including:
forming a midsole impact force attenuation system from a thermoplastic elastomer material fused together using a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique, wherein the midsole impact force attenuation system includes a plurality of interlocking links, and
placing the midsole impact force attenuation system in a housing; and

engaging the sole structure with the upper portion such that the housing is positioned to support a foot of a wearer of the article of footwear.

Assignees

• Jarvis Kelly B
• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Jarvis Kelly B

Classifications

• B29C64/153

  using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting · CPC title

• B29L2031/505

  Uppers · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• A43B9/02

  Footwear stitched or nailed through · CPC title

• A43B23/0215

  Plastics or artificial leather · CPC title