Footwear assembly method with 3D printing
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsDavid P. Jones, Ryan R. Larson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are disclosed for apparel assembly using three-dimensional printing directly onto fabric apparel materials. Disclosed is a method and system for direct three-dimensional printing and assembly of an article of apparel, including designing a three-dimensional pattern for printing, positioning at least a portion of the article on a tray in a three-dimensional printing system, the portion being positioned substantially flat on the tray, printing a three-dimensional material directly onto the article using the designed pattern, curing the printed material, and removing the article from the three-dimensional printing system.
Claims20
A method of three-dimensional printing onto a fabric material, comprising:
- positioning a fabric material on a tray in a three-dimensional printing system to provide a first printing substrate, wherein the fabric material comprises the first printing substrate;
- printing at least a first three-dimensional material directly onto the first printing substrate, based on at least one first three-dimensional pattern, wherein the printing of the at least a first three-dimensional material onto the first printing substrate comprises:
- printing a first layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material while the fabric material is positioned on the tray in the three-dimensional printing system;
- allowing the first layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material to at least partially absorb into the first printing substrate;
- curing the first layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material after the first layer is allowed to at least partially absorb into the first printing substrate;
- printing at least one additional layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material on the cured first layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material while the fabric material is positioned on the tray in the three-dimensional printing system;
- and
- curing the at least one additional layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material;
- and
- removing the fabric material from the three-dimensional printing system,
- wherein the printing of the at least a first three-dimensional material onto the first printing substrate comprises printing such that each of the cured first layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material and the cured at least one additional layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material extends above a surface of the fabric material with a predetermined thickness.
A method of fabricating a fabric material, comprising:
- providing at least one first three-dimensional pattern for printing onto a fabric material to a print server;
- positioning at least a first portion of the fabric material on a tray in a three-dimensional printing system;
- printing at least one first three-dimensional material directly onto the fabric material based on the at least one first three-dimensional pattern provided to the print server, wherein the printing of the at least a first three-dimensional material onto the fabric material comprises:
- printing a first layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material directly onto the fabric material;
- allowing the first layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material to at least partially absorb into the fabric material;
- curing the first layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material after the first layer is allowed to at least partially absorb into the fabric material;
- printing at least one additional layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material on the cured first layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material;
- and
- curing the at least one additional layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material;
- and
- removing the fabric material from the three-dimensional printing system,
- wherein the printing of the at least one first three-dimensional material directly onto the fabric material comprises printing such that each of the cured first layer of the of the at least a first three-dimensional material and the cured at least one additional layer of the at least a first three-dimensional material extends above a surface of the fabric material with a predetermined thickness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.