Footwear assembly method with 3D printing
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsDavid P. Jones, Ryan R. Larson
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims39
A method of three-dimensional printing and assembly of an article of footwear, comprising:
- designing at least one first three-dimensional pattern and at least one second three-dimensional pattern for printing onto the article of footwear;
- positioning a first fabric portion of the article of footwear on a tray in a three-dimensional printing system, the first fabric portion being at least a portion of a side of an upper of the article of footwear and being positioned substantially flat on the tray to provide a first fabric printing substrate;
- printing at least one first three-dimensional material directly onto the first fabric portion of the article of footwear using the at least one first three-dimensional pattern;
- curing the at least one first three-dimensional material;
- forming the upper of the article of footwear, including the first fabric portion, into a secondary shape;
- positioning a second fabric portion of the article of footwear on the tray, the second fabric portion being at least a portion of a bottom of the upper of the article of footwear and being positioned on the tray to provide a second fabric
- printing substrate for printing a sole of the article of footwear;
- printing at least one second three-dimensional material directly onto the second fabric portion of the article using the at least one second three-dimensional pattern to form the sole of the article of footwear;
- curing the at least one second three-dimensional material;
- and
- removing the article of footwear from the three-dimensional printing system, wherein the first and second fabric printing substrates are part of the article of footwear.
A method of fabricating an article of footwear, comprising:
- designing at least one first three-dimensional pattern for printing onto an upper and at least one second three-dimensional pattern for printing a sole;
- providing the at least one first three-dimensional pattern and the at least one second three-dimensional pattern to a print server;
- positioning at least a first fabric portion of the upper on a tray in a three-dimensional printing system, the first fabric portion of the upper being positioned substantially flat on the tray to provide a first fabric printing substrate;
- aligning the first fabric portion of the upper on the tray with the at least one first three-dimensional pattern;
- printing at least one first three-dimensional material directly onto the first fabric portion of the upper using the at least one first three-dimensional pattern on the print server and the three-dimensional printing system;
- curing the at least one first three-dimensional material;
- removing the upper from the three-dimensional printing system;
- forming the upper into a secondary shape;
- placing the formed upper on a holder;
- positioning the holder on the tray, the holder being positioned on the tray to present a sole surface fabric portion of the formed upper as a second fabric printing substrate for printing the sole;
- aligning the holder on the tray with the at least one second three-dimensional pattern;
- printing the sole with at least one second three-dimensional material directly onto the sole surface fabric portion of the formed upper using the at least one second three-dimensional pattern on the print server and the three-dimensional printing system;
- curing the at least one second three-dimensional material;
- removing the holder from the three-dimensional printing system;
- and
- removing the fabricated article of footwear from the holder, wherein the first and second fabric printing substrates are part of the article of footwear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.