# US 11,298,854 B2 · 3-D printed master model

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- Number: US 11,298,854 B2
- Document ID: US11298854B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/139,483
- Filed: 2018-09-24
- Published: 2019-03-28
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-25
- Assignees: adidas AG
- Applicants: adidas AG
- Inventors: Joerg Knappworst; Tay Tsyr Chun
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298854B2

## CPC

- B29C 33/424: {Moulding surfaces provided with means for marking or patterning (for injection moulding B29C45/372)}
- A43B 13/04: Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
- A43B 13/223: {Profiled soles}
- B29C 33/3835: {Designing moulds, e.g. using CAD-CAM}
- B29C 33/3842: {Manufacturing moulds, e.g. shaping the mould surface by machining}
- B29C 33/3892: {Preparation of the model, e.g. by assembling parts}
- B29C 33/40: Plastics, e.g. foam or rubber
- B29C 64/106: using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
- B29C 64/171: specially adapted for manufacturing multiple 3D objects
- B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B29C 64/40: Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
- B29D 35/122: {Soles}
- B29D 35/128: {Moulds or apparatus therefor}
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- A43B 13/16: Pieced soles (with several layers of different material A43B13/12)
- A43D 2200/60: Computer aided manufacture of footwear, e.g. CAD or CAM
- B29C 2033/385: {by laminating a plurality of layers}
- B29L 2031/757: {Moulds, cores, dies}
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF 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
- A43D: MACHINES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT OR METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING OR REPAIRING FOOTWEAR
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

This disclosure concerns a master model for the production of a mold, comprising: (a) a first part, a second part comprising a textured surface; wherein the first part and the second part are connected.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing a modular master model for the production of a mold for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
forming a first part representing one portion of a shoe outsole;
forming a second part representing another portion of a shoe outsole and including a textured surface; and
connecting the first part and the second part by separably fitting the second part into one of a plurality of recesses defined in the first part so as to form the master model,
wherein the first part and the second part are formed by additive manufacturing, and
wherein another of the plurality of recesses of the first part is configured to be separably fit with a third part including a textured surface as part of the master model.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the master model is formed as a positive model of a portion of an article of footwear.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the first part and/or the second part is made from a resin or polymer material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein forming the first part and/or the second part of the master model comprises activating a liquid photopolymer such that the liquid photopolymer solidifies.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein forming the first part and/or forming the second part further comprises:
forming a temporary support structure connected to and configured to support the respective first and/or second part; and
removing the temporary support structure after the respective first and/or second part has been formed.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein forming the first part comprises forming a texture on the surface of the first part.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the texture of the first part and/or the second part comprises at least one resolved feature of linear size of 0.2 mm or smaller.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A method for producing a mold for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
producing a master model according to the method of claim 7; and
forming the mold based on the master model.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, further comprising:
forming a second model based on the master model; and
forming, from a heat-resistant material, a third model based on the second model,
wherein the mold is formed based on the third model.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein the mold is a first mold, and wherein the method further comprises:
exchanging the second part for a variation the second part having a textured surface differing from the textured surface of the second part so as to form a variation of the master model, the exchanging taking place by removing the second part from the one recess and separably fitting the variation of the second part into the one recess; and
forming a second mold based on the variation of the master model.