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US 9,427,046 B2Granted
System and method for printing functional elements onto articles
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorTodd W. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible manufacturing system for an article of footwear includes a printing system for printing graphics onto the footwear. The flexible manufacturing system also includes a projection system for aligning a projected graphic with a predetermined portion of the article prior to printing the graphic to the article. The graphic can include a masked portion that corresponds to a design element on the article.
Claims18
A method of printing a functional element onto an article, the method comprising:
- calibrating a display device to a printing system;
- placing an article on a platform so that the article is positioned between the platform and the display device when the printing system is in a first position;
- receiving functional element information at the display device;
- displaying an image of the functional element using the display device;
- aligning the image of the functional element so that the image of the functional element corresponds to a predetermined location on the article;
- moving the printing system to a second position;
- and
- printing the functional element onto the article in the predetermined location when the printing system is in the second position,
- wherein the display device comprises a see-through screen, and wherein the step of aligning the functional element includes displaying the image of the functional element on the see-through screen so that the image of the functional element is superimposed on the article.
6 more elements
A flexible manufacturing system for an article, the flexible manufacturing system comprising:
- a platform;
- a printing system including a printer mounted on the platform,
- wherein the printer is mounted on the platform so that the printer can move from a first configuration relative to the article to a second configuration relative to the article, and
- wherein the printer is mounted to the platform at a predetermined height above the platform, and
- wherein the printer includes a printing material for forming structural features on the article;
- a see-through display device that is calibrated with the printing system;
- wherein the article is disposed between the display device and the platform when the printing system is in the first configuration so that an image of a functional element displayed by the display device is superimposed onto the article,
- wherein the display device is mounted to the platform using at least one mounting post.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.