Articles and methods of manufacture of articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9788594-B2
Application number	US-201213357766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2012
Priority date	Oct 23, 2007
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 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. The articles may include one or more reinforcements configured to provide added durability to various regions of the articles. In addition, the articles may be formed from two or more materials in a single rapid manufacturing process. The rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique may also include using of varying intensities of the laser to fuse material to form the articles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, wherein at least a portion of the upper includes multiple, successive, fuse bonded layers of thermoplastic elastomer particles formed using a first rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique;
a sole structure, connected to the upper and including:
a midsole, the midsole further including an airbag having a structural insert located within the airbag, the airbag being configured to provide support to the foot of the wearer;

wherein at least a portion of the structural insert includes multiple, successive, fuse bonded layers of thermoplastic elastomer particles formed using a second rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein a shape of the structural insert is based on specifications of the wearer's foot.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein a configuration of the structural insert is based on specifications of the wearer's foot.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first and second rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques are the same.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique is different from the second rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique.

Assignees

• Jarvis Kelly B
• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Jarvis Kelly B

Classifications

• A43B23/0205

  characterised by the material (material of the lining A43B23/07, material of toe stiffeners or heel stiffeners A43B23/08) · CPC title

• A43B13/20

  Pneumatic soles {filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas (inflatable linings for skiboots A43B5/0407)} · CPC title

• A43B13/41

  combined with heel stiffener, toe stiffener, or shank stiffener · CPC title

• A43B13/026

  Composites, e.g. carbon fibre or aramid fibre; the sole, one or more sole layers or sole part being made of a composite · CPC title

• A43B13/24

  by use of insertions · CPC title