Articles and methods of manufacture of articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9788603-B2
Application number	US-43310909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2009
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

I claim:

1. An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper including: (a) a first portion formed from a thermoplastic elastomer material and formed as multiple, successive layers of fuse bonded particles of the thermoplastic elastomer material in a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique with a laser at a first laser intensity, (b) a second portion formed from the thermoplastic elastomer material and formed as multiple, successive layers of fuse bonded particles of the thermoplastic elastomer material in the rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique with the laser at a second laser intensity, the second laser intensity being different from the first laser intensity, wherein the first portion of the upper includes a first set of mechanical properties and the second portion of the upper includes a second set of mechanical properties, the second set of mechanical properties being different from the first set of mechanical properties due to use of the first laser intensity and the second laser intensity in the rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique, and wherein the first portion and the second portion of the upper are formed using a single rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique; and (c) a third portion formed from the thermoplastic elastomer material and formed as multiple, successive layers of fuse bonded particles of the thermoplastic elastomer material in the rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique with the laser at a third laser intensity, the third laser intensity being different from the first laser intensity and the second laser intensity, and wherein the third portion includes a third set of mechanical properties different from the first set of mechanical properties and the second set of mechanical properties due to use of the third laser intensity in the rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique; and
a sole structure connected to the upper and including a midsole and an outsole.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the sole structure is formed using a non-rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the sole structure is formed using a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first portion has greater flexibility than the second portion.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first laser intensity is lower than the second laser intensity, and wherein the first portion has greater flexibility than the second portion.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the upper is a toe region and the second portion of the upper is a lateral side and a medial side of the upper.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6 , wherein the toe region has greater flexibility than the lateral side and the medial side of the upper.

8. An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper including: (a) a first portion formed from a thermoplastic elastomer material and formed as multiple, successive layers of fuse bonded particles of the thermoplastic elastomer material in a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique with a laser at a first laser intensity, (b) a second portion formed from the thermoplastic elastomer material and formed as multiple, successive layers of fuse bonded particles of the thermoplastic elastomer material in the rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique with the laser at a second laser intensity, the second laser intensity being different from the first laser intensity, wherein the first portion of the upper includes a first set of mechanical properties and the second portion of the upper includes a second set of mechanical properties, the second set of mechanical properties being different from the first set of mechanical properties due to use of the first laser intensity and the second laser intensity in the rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique, and wherein the first portion and the second portion of the upper are formed using a single rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique; and (c) a third portion formed from the thermoplastic elastomer material and formed as multiple, successive layers of fuse bonded particles of the thermoplastic elastomer material in the rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique with the laser at a third laser intensity, the third laser intensity being different from the first laser intensity and the second laser intensity, wherein the third portion of the upper is a collar region of the upper; and
a sole structure connected to the upper and including a midsole and an outsole.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8 , wherein the sole structure is formed using a non-rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique.

10. The article of footwear of claim 8 , wherein the sole structure is formed using a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique.

11. The article of footwear of claim 8 , wherein the first portion of the upper is a toe region and the second portion of the upper is a lateral side and a medial side of the upper.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein the toe region has greater flexibility than the lateral side and the medial side of the upper.

13. The article of footwear of claim 8 , wherein the first portion has greater flexibility than the second portion.

14. An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper including: (a) a first portion formed from a thermoplastic elastomer material and formed as multiple, successive layers of fuse bonded particles of the thermoplastic elastomer material in a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique with a laser at a first laser intensity, and (b) a second portion formed from the thermoplastic elastomer material and formed as multiple, successive layers of fuse bonded particles of the thermoplastic elastomer material in the rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique with the laser at a second laser intensity, the second laser intensity being different from the first laser intensity, wherein the first portion of the upper includes a first set of mechanical properties and the second portion of the upper includes a second set of mechanical properties, the second set of mechanical properties being different from the first set of mechanical properties due to use of the first laser intensity and the second laser intensity in the rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique; and
a sole structure connected to the upper and including a midsole and an outsole.

15. The article of footwear of claim 14 , wherein the first portion and the second portion of the upper are formed using a single rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique.

16. The article of footwear of claim 14 , wherein the sole structure is formed using a non-rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique.

17. The article of footwear of claim 14 , wherein the sole structure is formed using a rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique.

18. The article of footwear of claim 14 , wherein one of the first portion and the second portion is a collar region of the upper.

19. The article of footwear of claim 14 , wherein the first portion has greater flexibility than the second portion.

20. The article of footwear of claim 14 , wherein the first laser intensity is lower than the second laser intensity, and wherein the first portion has

Assignees

• Jarvis Kelly B
• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Jarvis Kelly B

Classifications

• A43B13/20

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

• A43B23/0235 Primary

  Different layers of different material · CPC title

• A43B23/0275

  with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion · CPC title

• A43D1/025

  comprising optical means, e.g. mirrors, photo-electric cells, for measuring or inspecting feet · CPC title

• B29L2031/50

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