# US 10,863,795 B2 · Articles of footwear with printed material deposited thereon > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,863,795 B2 - Document ID: US10863795B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/993,106 - Filed: 2018-05-30 - Published: 2019-12-05 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-30 - Assignees: NIKE, Inc. - Applicants: NIKE, Inc. - Inventors: Ryan R. Larson; Todd W. Miller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10863795B2 ## CPC - A43B 23/0245: {characterised by the constructive form} - A43B 23/0265: {having different properties in different directions} - A43B 3/0078: {provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration (A43B23/24 takes precedence)} - A43B 23/0205: {characterised by the material (material of the lining A43B23/07, material of toe stiffeners or heel stiffeners A43B23/08)} - A43B 23/0215: {Plastics or artificial leather} - A43B 23/0235: {Different layers of different material} - A43B 23/026: {Laminated layers} - A43B 23/027: {with a part of the upper particularly flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion} - A43B 23/0275: {with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion} - A43D 8/22: by embossing or printing (printing per se, stamping per se B41) - B29D 35/146: {Uppers} - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - B29K 2995/007: Hardness - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR - A43D: MACHINES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT OR METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING OR REPAIRING FOOTWEAR - B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS ## Abstract An article of footwear can include a sole structure, an upper, and a printed layer. The upper can be coupled to the sole structure. The printed layer can be disposed on the upper and include a first printed material and a second printed material. The first printed material can have a plurality of spaced-apart first segments and have a first hardness. The second printed material can have a plurality of spaced-apart second segments and have a second hardness that is less than the first hardness of the first printed material. Each of the second segments can be disposed adjacent to one or more of the first segments. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An article of footwear, comprising: a sole structure; an upper coupled to the sole structure and comprising a toe portion; a first printed layer disposed on the toe portion of the upper, the first printed layer comprising a first printed material, and the first printed material having a first hardness; and a second printed layer disposed on the first printed layer, the second printed layer including: a second printed material having a plurality of spaced-apart first segments, wherein the second printed material has a second hardness, wherein the first segments extend longitudinally in a first direction; and a third printed material having a plurality of spaced-apart second segments, wherein the third printed material has a third hardness, wherein the third hardness of the third printed material is less than the second hardness of the second printed material, wherein the second segments extend longitudinally in the first direction, and wherein the first segments and the second segments are arranged in an alternating pattern in a second direction, wherein each of the plurality of spaced-apart second segments is disposed between a respective pair of segments of the plurality of spaced-apart first segments such that the upper can stretch to a greater extent in the second direction than in the first direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the second printed material has a first appearance, and wherein the third printed material has a second appearance that is the same as the first appearance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein the first and second appearances include a color and a texture of the respective second and third printed materials. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the second printed material has a first thickness, and wherein the third printed material has a second thickness that is the same as the first thickness. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein each of the first segments and the second segments extends longitudinally from an anterior edge of the toe portion of the upper adjacent to the sole structure toward a heel portion of the upper. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first hardness and the second hardness are determined using a Shore durometer test. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein the first hardness is within a range of 50 A-100 A on a Shore A durometer scale, and the second hardness is within a range of 15 A-49 A on the Shore A durometer scale. ### Claim 8 A method of printing onto an article of footwear, comprising: printing a first printed layer onto a toe portion of an upper of the article of footwear, wherein printing the first printed layer includes depositing a first printed material onto a first portion of the upper, and wherein the first printed material has a first hardness; and printing a second printed layer onto the first printed layer, wherein printing the second printed layer includes: depositing a second printed material onto the first portion of the first printed layer, wherein the second printed material has a second hardness and comprises a plurality of spaced-apart first segments, wherein the first segments extend longitudinally in a first direction; and depositing a third printed material onto a second portion of the first printed material, wherein the third printed material has a third hardness that is less than the second hardness of the second printed material and comprises a plurality of spaced-apart second segments, wherein the second segments extend longitudinally in the first direction, and wherein the first segments and the second segments are arranged in an alternating pattern in a second direction, wherein each of the plurality of spaced-apart second segments is disposed between a respective pair of segments of the plurality of spaced-apart first segments such that the upper can stretch to a greater extent in the second direction than in the first direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second printed layers are printed when the upper is in a flat configuration, and wherein the method further comprises partially curing the first and second printed layers while the upper is in the flat configuration. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein, after the first and second printed layers are partially cured, the method further comprises forming the upper into a curved configuration and fully curing the first and second printed layers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second printed layers are printed while the upper is in a curved configuration. ### Claim 12 An article of footwear, comprising: a sole structure; an upper coupled to the sole structure, wherein the upper comprises a toe portion; a first printed layer disposed on the toe portion of the upper, the first printed layer comprising a first printed material; and a second printed layer disposed on the first printed layer, the second printed layer including: a second printed material having a first plurality of spaced-apart segments, wherein the second printed material has a first hardness, wherein the first plurality of spaced-apart segments collectively covers a first width of the toe portion of the upper, wherein the first width is less than a total width of the toe portion, and wherein the total width of the toe portion is measured from a medial edge of the upper to a lateral edge of the upper at the widest part of the toe portion; and a third printed material having a second plurality of spaced-apart segments, wherein the third printed material has a second hardness that is less than the first hardness of the second printed material, wherein the second plurality of spaced-apart segments collectively covers a second width of the toe portion of the upper that is less than the first width of the toe portion, and wherein each of the second plurality of spaced-apart segments is disposed between a respective pair of segments of the first plurality of spaced-apart segments such that the first plurality of spaced-apart segments and the second plurality of spaced-apart segments form an alternating pattern in a medial/lateral direction such that the upper can stretch to a greater extent in the medial/lateral direction than in an anterior/posterior direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the first width of the first plurality of spaced-apart segments is greater than a majority of the total width of the toe portion, and wherein the second width of the second plurality of spaced-apart segments is less than the majority of the total width of the toe portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the second printed material has a first appearance, and wherein the third printed material has a second appearance that is the same as the first appearance. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein the first and second appearances include a color and a texture of the respective second and third printed materials. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the second printed material has a first thickness, and wherein the third printed material has a second thickness that is the same as the first thickness. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein each of the first and second pluralities of spaced-apart segments extends longitudinally from an anterior edge of the toe portion of the upper toward a heel portion of the upper. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the first hardness and the second hardness are determined using a Shore durometer test. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The article of footwear of claim 18, wherein the first hardness is within a range of 50 A-100 A on a Shore A durometer scale, and the second hardness is within a range of 15 A-49 A on the Shore A durometer scale.