Article with coloring layer and control surface layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9894961-B2
Application number	US-201615170135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2016
Priority date	Jan 22, 2014
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

An article, such as an article of footwear or an article of apparel, includes an upper having a gradient-like coloring pattern. The article further includes protruding elements configured in a pattern that corresponds to the coloring pattern. The article may have a layered structure including a base layer, a coloring ink layer and a layer of protruding elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making an article of footwear, comprising:
printing a coloring ink layer onto a surface of a base material element, the resulting coloring ink layer having an inner side disposed against the surface of the base material element and an outer side that is opposite of the inner side;
printing a plurality of protruding elements onto the outer side of the coloring ink layer, thereby forming a composite structure comprised of the base material element, the coloring ink layer and the plurality of protruding elements; and
forming an upper for the article of footwear from the composite structure.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the base material element corresponds to a base layer for the formed upper.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein forming the upper includes cutting the composite structure to separate the portion of the base material element corresponding to the base layer from a surrounding material portion.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein printing the coloring ink layer is accomplished using a first printing system and wherein printing the plurality of raised protrusions is accomplished using a second printing system.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first printing system and the second printing system are the same printing system.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first printing system and the second printing system are different printing systems.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein printing the plurality of raised protrusions is accomplished by printing successive layers of a printable material onto the coloring ink layer.

8. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
a layered structure, further comprised of:
a base layer comprised of a first material;
a coloring ink layer that covers at least a portion of the base layer, the coloring ink layer being comprised of a second material;
a control surface layer disposed on the coloring ink layer, the control surface layer being comprised of a third material;

wherein the first material is different from the second material and wherein the second material is different from the third material; and
wherein portions of the coloring ink layer are visible on an exterior surface of the upper.

9. The upper according to claim 8 , wherein the control surface layer is comprised of a plurality of protruding elements that are bonded to the coloring ink layer.

10. The upper according to claim 8 , wherein the coloring ink layer is substantially thinner than the base layer.

11. The upper according to claim 8 , wherein the coloring ink layer is substantially thinner than the control surface layer.

12. The upper according to claim 8 , wherein the control surface layer is separated from the base layer by the coloring ink layer at all portions of the upper.

13. The upper according to claim 8 , wherein the second material and the third material are similar materials.

14. The upper according to claim 8 , wherein the second material and the third material are substantially different materials.

15. The upper according to claim 8 , wherein the second material and the third material are more similar than the first material and the second material.

16. A method of making an article configured to be worn by a user, comprising:
printing a coloring ink layer onto a surface of a base material element, the resulting coloring ink layer having an inner side disposed against the surface of the base material element and an outer side that is opposite of the inner side;
printing a plurality of protruding elements onto the outer side of the coloring ink layer, thereby forming a composite structure comprised of the base material element, the coloring ink layer and the plurality of protruding elements; and
forming the article from the composite structure.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the article is an article of apparel.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the article is a glove.

19. An article configured to be worn, comprising:
a layered structure, further comprised of:
a base layer comprised of a first material;
a coloring ink layer that covers at least a portion of the base layer, the coloring ink layer being comprised of a second material;
a control surface layer disposed on the coloring ink layer, the control surface layer being comprised of a third material;

wherein the first material is different from the second material and wherein the second material is different from the third material; and
wherein portions of the coloring ink layer are visible on an exterior surface of the article.

20. The article according to claim 19 , wherein the article is an article of apparel.

21. The article according to claim 19 , wherein the article is a glove.

22. The upper according to claim 15 , wherein the second material and the third material are printable materials and wherein the first material is a textile material.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Doremus Harleigh
• Jones David P
• Larson Ryan R
• Miller Todd W

Classifications

• D06P1/00

  General processes of dyeing or printing textiles, or general processes of dyeing leather, furs, or solid macromolecular substances in any form, classified according to the dyes, pigments, or auxiliary substances employed · CPC title

• A43B23/026 Primary

  Laminated layers · CPC title

• D06M23/16

  Processes for the non-uniform application of treating agents, e.g. one-sided treatment; Differential treatment · CPC title

• A43B5/025

  characterised by an element which improves the contact between the ball and the footwear · CPC title

• A43B23/0225

  Composite materials, e.g. material with a matrix · CPC title