An article of footwear having a printed material deposited thereon

Abstract

This application relates to an article of footwear having a printed material deposited thereon. 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 a first hardness. The second printed material can have a plurality of spaced-apart second segments and 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.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the application filed on May 23, 2019, with application number 201980036206.0 and invention title "Footwear Articles with Printed Material Deposited Thereon".

[0002] field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to footwear articles and / or garments on which printed material is deposited, and printing systems and methods for printing on footwear articles and / or garments. background

[0004] Footwear and / or clothing may have printed materials deposited on them using a printing system.

[0005] Printing systems include two-dimensional printing systems and three-dimensional printing systems. These systems can be used to deposit printing materials onto textile materials used in various footwear and / or apparel items. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure relates to a footwear item, including:

[0007] Sole structure;

[0008] Upper, the upper being connected to the sole structure; and

[0009] A printing layer is disposed on the shoe surface, the printing layer comprising:

[0010] A first printing material having a plurality of spaced-apart first segments, wherein the first printing material has a first hardness; and

[0011] A second printing material having a plurality of spaced-apart second segments, wherein the second printing material has a second hardness less than the first hardness of the first printing material, and wherein each of the second segments is arranged adjacent to one or more of the first segments.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first printing material has a first appearance, and wherein the second printing material has a second appearance that is the same as the first appearance.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first appearance and the second appearance include the colors and textures of corresponding first and second printing materials.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first printing material has a first thickness, and wherein the second printing material has a second thickness that is the same as the first thickness.

[0015] In one embodiment, the first segment and the second segment are disposed on the toe portion of the shoe upper, and wherein each of the first segment and the second segment extends longitudinally from the toe portion of the shoe upper toward the heel portion of the shoe upper.

[0016] In one embodiment, the printed layer further includes a third printed material disposed adjacent to the first printed material or the second printed material, wherein the third printed material has a third hardness, which is lower than the first hardness and harder than the second hardness.

[0017] In one embodiment, the upper includes a toe portion and one or more side portions, wherein the first printed material and the second printed material are disposed on the toe portion, wherein the printed layer further includes a third printed material disposed on the one or more side portions, and wherein the third printed material has a third hardness different from the first hardness and the second hardness.

[0018] In one embodiment, the upper includes a toe portion, one or more side portions, and a heel portion, wherein the first printed material is disposed on the toe portion, wherein the second printed material is disposed on the one or more side portions, and wherein the printed layer further includes a third printed material disposed on the heel portion and having a third hardness different from the first and second hardnesses.

[0019] In one embodiment, the first hardness is lower than the second hardness and the third hardness, and wherein the third hardness is higher than the first hardness and the second hardness.

[0020] In one embodiment, the first hardness and the second hardness are determined using a Shore hardness tester.

[0021] In one embodiment, the first hardness is in the range of 50A-100A on a Shore A hardness tester, and the second hardness is in the range of 15A-49A on a Shore A hardness tester.

[0022] This disclosure also relates to a footwear item, including:

[0023] Sole structure;

[0024] Upper, the upper being connected to the sole structure; and

[0025] A printed layer is disposed on the shoe surface, wherein the printed layer comprises a variety of printing materials, each of which has a different hardness than adjacent printing materials.

[0026] The various printed materials are arranged on the shoe surface, such that the stiffness of the shoe surface gradually changes from the toe portion to the heel portion, and wherein the stiffness of the heel portion is greater than that of the toe portion.

[0027] In one embodiment, the printed layer is a second printed layer, and the footwear article further includes a first printed layer, wherein the second printed layer is disposed on the first printed layer.

[0028] In one embodiment, the upper further includes a first side portion and a second side portion, wherein the plurality of printed materials are disposed on the upper such that the stiffness of any one or both of the first side portion and the second side portion is less than the stiffness of the heel portion and greater than the stiffness of the toe portion.

[0029] In one embodiment, the plurality of printing materials includes:

[0030] A first printing material is disposed on the toe portion of the shoe upper, wherein the first printing material has a first hardness;

[0031] A second printing material is disposed on the first side portion of the shoe upper, wherein the second printing material has a second hardness;

[0032] A third printing material is disposed on the second side portion of the shoe upper, wherein the third printing material has a third hardness; and

[0033] A fourth printing material is disposed on the heel portion of the shoe upper, wherein the fourth printing material has a fourth hardness.

[0034] Wherein, the first hardness is less than the second hardness, the third hardness, and the fourth hardness.

[0035] Wherein, the second hardness is less than the third hardness and the fourth hardness, and

[0036] The third hardness is less than the fourth hardness.

[0037] In one embodiment, the first printing material, the second printing material, the third printing material, and the fourth printing material have the same thickness.

[0038] In one embodiment, the first hardness of the toe portion is in the range of 15A-49A on a Shore A hardness tester, and the fourth hardness of the heel portion is in the range of 50A-100A on a Shore A hardness tester.

[0039] In one embodiment, the printed layer has a uniform color.

[0040] This disclosure also relates to a method of printing on footwear, including:

[0041] Printing a printing layer onto the upper of footwear, wherein printing the printing layer includes:

[0042] A first printing material is deposited onto a first portion of the shoe upper, wherein the first printing material has a first hardness;

[0043] The first printing material is deposited onto a second portion of the shoe upper, wherein the second portion of the shoe upper is spaced apart from the first portion of the shoe upper; and

[0044] A second printing material is deposited onto a third portion of the shoe upper, wherein the second printing material has a second hardness less than the first hardness of the first printing material, and wherein the third portion of the shoe upper is disposed between the first portion and the second portion of the shoe upper.

[0045] In one embodiment, the printed layer is printed onto the shoe upper when the upper is in a flat configuration, and the method further includes partially curing the printed layer when the upper is in the flat configuration.

[0046] In one embodiment, after the printed layer has been partially cured, the method further includes forming the upper into a curved configuration and fully curing the printed layer.

[0047] In one embodiment, the printed layer is printed on the shoe surface when the upper is in a curved configuration. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1A A perspective view of an exemplary footwear article is depicted, which has various homogeneous printed materials deposited thereon.

[0049] Figure 1B Depicting Figure 1A A perspective view of footwear, in which each printed material is shown with different shading lines to illustrate certain properties of the printed material.

[0050] Figure 2 It depicts the deposition of printing material on it. Figure 1A A partial sectional view of the upper of a footwear item.

[0051] Figure 3A It depicts a printing material without deposition on it. Figure 1AA flat diagram of a portion of the upper of a footwear item, illustrating certain characteristics of the upper.

[0052] Figure 3B It depicts the deposition of printing material on it. Figure 1A A plan view of a portion of the upper of a footwear item, illustrating certain characteristics of the upper on which printed material has been deposited.

[0053] Figure 4 Depicting Figure 1A A plan view of the sole structure of footwear.

[0054] Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of another exemplary footwear item on which various printed materials are deposited is depicted.

[0055] Figure 6A A side view of an exemplary footwear item is depicted, which has various homogeneous printed materials deposited thereon.

[0056] Figure 6B Depicting Figure 6A A side view of footwear, where each printed material is shown with different shading to illustrate certain characteristics of the printed material.

[0057] Figure 7A A side view of an exemplary footwear item is depicted, which has various homogeneous printed materials deposited thereon.

[0058] Figure 7B Depicting Figure 7A A side view of footwear, in which printed material is shown in gradient shading to illustrate certain characteristics of the printed material.

[0059] Figure 8A A side view of an exemplary footwear item is depicted, which has various homogeneous printed materials deposited thereon.

[0060] Figure 8B Depicting Figure 8A A side view of footwear, where each printed material is shown with different shading to illustrate certain characteristics of the printed material.

[0061] Figure 9A A perspective view depicting an exemplary footwear item on which various layers of printed materials are deposited.

[0062] Figure 9B Depicting Figure 9A A perspective view of footwear, in which part of the outer layer of the printed material has been worn away, and part of another layer of the printed material is exposed.

[0063] Figure 10ADepicting Figure 9A A partial sectional view of footwear.

[0064] Figure 10B Depicting Figure 9B A partial sectional view of footwear.

[0065] Figure 11 A partial cross-sectional view of the upper of another exemplary footwear item is depicted.

[0066] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of an exemplary printing system that can be used to deposit printing materials onto footwear items is depicted.

[0067] Figure 13 An exemplary method for printing on footwear articles is described.

[0068] Figure 14 Another exemplary method for printing on footwear items is described.

[0069] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of another exemplary printing system that can be used to deposit printing material onto footwear articles is depicted.

[0070] Figure 16 Another exemplary method for printing on footwear items is described. Detailed description

[0071] Overall considerations

[0072] For the purposes of this description, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of embodiments of this disclosure are described herein. The methods, systems, and apparatuses described should not be construed as limiting in any way. Features, characteristics, and / or groups described in connection with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example should be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment, or example described herein, unless incompatible with it. All features disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims, abstract, and drawings) and / or all steps of any method or process so disclosed may be combined in any combination, except for combinations in which at least some such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. This disclosure is not limited to the details of any of the foregoing embodiments. This disclosure extends to any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims, abstract, and drawings), or to any novel step or any novel combination of steps in any method or process so disclosed.

[0073] While some of the methods disclosed are described in a specific sequential order for ease of presentation, it should be understood that this descriptive method includes rearrangement unless the specific language of the following statements requires a particular order. For example, the operations described sequentially may be rearranged or performed simultaneously in certain circumstances. Furthermore, for simplicity, the accompanying drawings do not show the various ways in which the disclosed methods, systems, and apparatus can be used in conjunction with other methods, systems, and apparatuses.

[0074] The explanations of the terms and abbreviations provided herein are provided to better describe this disclosure and to guide those skilled in the art in implementing it. As used herein, unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, "comprising" means "including," and the singular forms "a," "an," or "the" include the plural forms. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term "or" refers to a single element or a combination of two or more elements of the alternative element.

[0075] As used herein, the term “and / or” used between the last two elements in a list of elements refers to any one or any combination of the listed elements. For example, the phrase “A, B and / or C” refers to “A”, “B”, “C”, “A and B”, “A and C”, “B and C”, or “A, B and C”.

[0076] As used herein, the terms “attach” and “link” generally mean a physical connection or link, including directly attached / linked objects and intermediate attached / linked objects used between them, unless otherwise stated otherwise.

[0077] As used herein, the terms “printing” or “printed” and “depositing” or “deposited” are used synonymously and are intended to refer to associating material from a material source with a receiving surface or receiving object.

[0078] As used herein, the term “approximately” refers to the listed values ​​and any values ​​up to 10% of the listed values. For example, “approximately 50%” means any value between 45% and 55%, inclusive.

[0079] As used herein, the term "adjacent" refers to adjacent areas of a material or structure. For example, two "adjacent" sections of a printed material are adjacent to each other, such that these sections are in contact with each other or there is no gap between them.

[0080] As used herein, in the context of a material or structural property or characteristic, the terms "identical," "uniform," or "homogeneous" mean that two comparative features are so identical or similar that an ordinary observer, without specialized equipment and in a casual inspection (e.g., in a commercial setting), would perceive the comparative features as identical. For example, a first printed material may have the same appearance as a second printed material. This means that the materials used for comparative properties (e.g., color, thickness) are similar in appearance so that to an ordinary observer without specialized equipment, the two materials appear indistinguishable.

[0081] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. While methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the implementation or testing of this disclosure, suitable methods and materials will be described below. These materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting. Other features of this disclosure will be apparent from the detailed description, claims, abstract, and drawings.

[0082] Public technical introduction

[0083] The printing systems and methods described herein can be used to apply printing materials to a substrate. The printing materials can form aesthetic and / or structural features on the substrate.

[0084] The base may include, for example, footwear and clothing items (collectively or individually referred to herein as "items"). Footwear items, for example, may include running shoes, soccer shoes, football shoes, rugby shoes, basketball shoes, baseball shoes, athletic shoes, hiking boots, sandals, socks, and other types of footwear. Clothing items, for example, may include hats, scarves, jackets, shirts, dresses, sweaters, gloves, underwear, ties, vests, shorts, trousers, and other wearable and non-wearable soft goods, such as bags and the like.

[0085] In a typical printing system, the material can be printed on an article that performs only one function (i.e., an aesthetic function or a structural function). Therefore, for articles that possess both aesthetic and structural features, multiple processes and / or systems must be used. Aesthetic features may include, for example, color, graphics, and / or other visual and / or textural properties. Structural features, for example, can alter and / or enhance one or more performance properties of the substrate, such as the article's flexibility, abrasion resistance, and / or adhesion friction.

[0086] The disclosed systems and methods advantageously provide a single printing process that can be used to print aesthetic and / or structural features. Thus, compared to typical systems and methods, the disclosed techniques can, for example, provide more efficient manufacturing.

[0087] This disclosure also provides exemplary systems and methods that enable aesthetic features to also be used as structural features, and vice versa. Therefore, this technology can, for example, provide design and / or performance options for articles that are significantly more customizable than those offered by typical systems and methods.

[0088] For example, the disclosed printing system and method can be used to print a printing layer on the upper of footwear. The printing layer can have one or more printing materials. The printing materials can have various aesthetic properties, including color, texture, gloss, etc., as well as various structural properties, such as flexibility, hardness, etc.

[0089] In some cases, two or more printing materials may have the same or similar aesthetic properties (e.g., color) and different structural properties (e.g., hardness). Printing materials can be configured and / or arranged on the shoe upper to modify and / or enhance various performance properties of the upper, such as strength, abrasion resistance, flexibility, etc.

[0090] As used herein, the term "hardness" refers to a material's resistance to indentation, while the term "stiffness" refers to the rigidity of an object (i.e., the degree to which it resists bending in response to applied forces). Generally speaking, for the materials described herein, the greater the hardness of the material applied to a surface (e.g., a printing material), the greater the stiffness (i.e., rigidity) of the object in the area where the material is applied.

[0091] Exemplary embodiments

[0092] In one representative embodiment, the footwear article includes a sole structure, an upper attached to the sole structure, and a printed layer disposed on the upper. The printed layer includes a first printed material and a second printed material. The first printed material has a plurality of spaced-apart first segments and has a first hardness. The second printed material has a plurality of spaced-apart second segments, and each of the second segments is disposed adjacent to one or more of the first segments. The second printed material has a second hardness less than the first hardness of the first printed material.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first segment and the second segment are arranged in an alternating pattern. For example, the segments are arranged in a pattern such as first segment-second segment-first segment-second segment.

[0094] In some embodiments, a first printing material has a first appearance, and a second printing material has a second appearance identical to the first appearance. In some embodiments, the first and second appearances include the colors and textures of the corresponding first and second printing materials.

[0095] In some embodiments, the first printing material has a first thickness, and the second printing material has a second thickness that is the same as the first thickness.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first segment and the second segment are disposed on the toe portion of the upper, and each of the first segment and the second segment extends longitudinally from the toe portion of the upper toward the heel portion of the upper.

[0097] In some embodiments, the printed layer further includes a third printed material disposed adjacent to the first printed material or the second printed material, and the third printed material has a third hardness that is lower than the first hardness and harder than the second hardness.

[0098] In some embodiments, the upper includes a toe portion and one or more side portions, a first printing material and a second printing material are disposed on the toe portion, the printing layer further includes a third printing material disposed on one or more side portions, and the third printing material has a third hardness different from the first hardness and the second hardness.

[0099] In some embodiments, the upper includes a toe portion, one or more side portions, and a heel portion. A first printed material is disposed on the toe portion, a second printed material is disposed on one or more side portions, and the printed layer further includes a third printed material disposed on the heel portion and having a third hardness different from the first and second hardnesses.

[0100] In some embodiments, the first hardness is lower than the second hardness and the third hardness, and the third hardness is higher than the first hardness and the second hardness.

[0101] In some embodiments, a Shore hardness tester is used to determine the first hardness and the second hardness. For example, the Shore hardness tester can be used to determine the hardness using a standard test, such as ASTM D2240. In some embodiments, the first hardness is in the range of 50A-100A on the Shore A hardness tester, and the second hardness is in the range of 15A-49A on the Shore A hardness tester.

[0102] In another representative embodiment, the footwear article includes a sole structure, an upper attached to the sole structure, and a printed layer disposed on the upper. The printed layer includes multiple printed materials, each having a different hardness than adjacent printed materials. The multiple printed materials are arranged on the upper such that the stiffness of the upper gradually changes from the toe portion to the heel portion, wherein the stiffness of the heel portion is greater than that of the toe portion.

[0103] In some embodiments, standard stiffness tests can be used to determine the stiffness of an article and / or a portion thereof. For example, a three-point bending test (e.g., ASTM D790) can be used to determine stiffness. Stiffness can be measured in pounds per inch (lbs. / in) or newtons per meter (N / m).

[0104] In some embodiments, the printing layer is a second printing layer, and the footwear article also includes a first printing layer, with the second printing layer disposed on the first printing layer.

[0105] In some embodiments, the upper further includes a first side portion and a second side portion, and a variety of printed materials are arranged on the upper such that the stiffness of any one or both of the first side portion and the second side portion is less than the stiffness of the heel portion and greater than the stiffness of the toe portion.

[0106] In some embodiments, the multiple printing materials include a first printing material, a second printing material, a third printing material, and a fourth printing material. The first printing material is disposed on the toe portion of the shoe upper and has a first hardness. The second printing material is disposed on a first side portion of the shoe upper and has a second hardness. The third printing material is disposed on a second side portion of the shoe upper and has a third hardness. The fourth printing material is disposed on the heel portion of the shoe upper and has a fourth hardness. The first hardness is less than the second, third, and fourth hardnesses. The second hardness is less than the fourth hardness. The third hardness is less than the fourth hardness.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first printing material, the second printing material, the third printing material, and the fourth printing material have the same thickness.

[0108] In some embodiments, the first hardness of the toe portion is in the range of 15A-49A on the Shore A hardness scale, while the fourth hardness of the heel portion is in the range of 50A-100A on the Shore A hardness scale.

[0109] In some embodiments, the printed layer has a uniform color.

[0110] In yet another representative embodiment, a method of printing on footwear articles is provided. The method includes printing a printing layer on the upper of the footwear article. Printing the printing layer includes depositing a first printing material onto a first portion of the upper, the first printing material having a first hardness; depositing the first printing material onto a second portion of the upper, the second portion of the upper being spaced apart from the first portion of the upper. Printing the printing layer further includes depositing a second printing material onto a third portion of the upper, the second printing material having a second hardness less than the first hardness of the first printing material, and the third portion of the upper being disposed between the first and second portions of the upper.

[0111] In some embodiments, a printed layer is printed onto the shoe surface when the shoe surface is in a flat configuration, and the method further includes partially curing the printed layer when the shoe surface is in a flat configuration.

[0112] In some embodiments, after the printed layer has been partially cured, the method further includes forming the upper into a curved configuration and fully curing the printed layer.

[0113] In some embodiments, when the upper is in a curved configuration, the printed layer is printed on the upper.

[0114] Figures 1A to 4 An exemplary footwear article 100 and its components are depicted. (Reference) Figure 1A Article 100 may include a sole structure 102, an upper 104, and a tongue 106. The upper 104 may be attached to the sole structure 102, and the tongue 106 may be attached to or integrally formed with the upper 104. Article 100 may also have an outer side portion 108 and an inner side portion 110. Figure 4 As shown, the outer side portion 108 and the inner side portion 110 can be defined by a plane 115 that extends from the toe portion 112 of the article to the heel portion 114 of the article, bisecting the widest portion (W) of the sole structure 102. max ), and extends in the up / down direction (e.g., outwards from the page).

[0115] The upper 104 may be formed of one or more materials, including textiles, natural fabrics, synthetic fabrics, knitted fabrics, woven materials, non-woven materials, meshes, leather, synthetic leather, polymers, rubber, and foam, or any combination of these materials. In some embodiments, the upper 104 itself may be a layer of printed material constructed using the printing system described herein or other 3D printing systems.

[0116] Article 100 may include one or more printed layers deposited on the article. For example, see reference. Figure 1B and Figure 2Article 100 includes a first printed layer 116 and a second printed layer 118 deposited on the upper 104. Additionally or alternatively, the article may have one or more printed layers deposited on other portions of the article 100 (e.g., sole structure 102 and / or tongue 106). In the illustrated embodiment, printed layers 116, 118 are deposited on the toe portion of the upper. In other embodiments, the printed layers and / or additional printed layers may be deposited on various other portions of the upper (e.g., side portions and / or heel portions) in the same manner as described herein with respect to the toe portion of the upper.

[0117] Reference Figure 2 The first printed layer 116 can be printed onto the upper 104, and the second printed layer 118 can be printed onto the first printed layer 116. In other embodiments, there may be fewer or more than two printed layers (e.g., 1-10 layers). For example, the second printed layer 118 can be printed directly onto the upper 104, and / or additional layers can be printed onto the second printed layer 118. The first printed layer 116 and the second printed layer 118 can be printed onto the upper 104 using a printing system (e.g., those described below).

[0118] The printed layers 116 and 118 of article 100 may include one or more printing materials, which may include resins, acrylics, inks, and / or other printable materials. For example, still referring to Figure 2 The first printing layer 116 may include a first printing material 119, and the second printing layer 118 includes a second printing material 120 and a third printing material 122. The second printing material 120 and the third printing material 122 of the second printing layer 118 are each arranged in a plurality of spaced-apart segments (e.g., rows). Each segment of the second printing material 120 is configured to be adjacent to one or more segments of the third printing material 122. In other words, the second printing material 120 and the third printing material 122 are arranged in an alternating pattern (i.e., in an inward / outward direction) on the toe portion of the upper 104, such as... Figure 1B As shown.

[0119] Each printing material can include a variety of physical properties, including aesthetic properties (e.g., color, texture, gloss, etc.) and structural properties (e.g., hardness, flexibility, abrasion resistance, shape, height, width, length, etc.). For example, in the illustrated embodiment, printing materials 119, 120, and 122 can each have various properties, including: color (e.g., white, blue, green, etc.), transparency (e.g., opaque or transparent), texture (e.g., smooth, rough, textured), and hardness (e.g., 15A-100A measured by a Shore A hardness tester or 50D-100D measured by a Shore D hardness tester). In some embodiments, one or more properties of a printing material can be the same as or different from corresponding properties of one or more other printing materials. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the second printing material 120 and the third printing material 122 of the second printing layer 118 are the same color. Thus, the second printing layer 118 has a homogeneous appearance, such as... Figure 1A As shown.

[0120] Although the second printed material 120 and the third printed material 122 of the second printed layer 118 have homogeneous aesthetic properties, they do not have homogeneous structural properties. For example, the second printed material 120 comprises a relatively hard, stiff material (e.g., 70A), which, among other things, can provide abrasion resistance to the toe portion of the upper 104. The third printed material 122 comprises a relatively soft, flexible material (e.g., 40A), which, among other things, can allow the toe portion of the upper 104 to remain flexible.

[0121] For example, printing alternating rows of printed materials with different hardness and / or flexibility onto the shoe upper can be used to control and / or adjust the flexibility of the shoe upper 104. For example, in some embodiments, the shoe upper 104 may be formed of a material that is stretchable in one or more directions. The printed material may be arranged on the shoe upper to control (e.g., limit or reduce) the flexibility in one or more directions to a greater extent than in one or more other directions.

[0122] For example, Figure 3A The toe portion of the upper 104 is shown in a relaxed state, without any deposited printing material. In the relaxed state, the toe portion of the upper 104 has dimensions X and Y. Figure 3AThe degree to which the toe portion of the upper 104 can be stretched (i.e., elastically deformed) is also shown, as indicated by the dashed lines. In this first stretched state, the toe portion of the upper 104 has dimensions X' and Y'. X' is greater than X, Y' is greater than Y, and the difference ΔX' (i.e., X'-X) is proportional to ΔY' (i.e., Y'-Y). Therefore, in the absence of the printing material described herein, the toe portion of the upper 104 can be stretched by a certain amount in both the X and Y directions (uniformly or non-uniformly, depending on the natural properties of the upper material).

[0123] Figure 3B The toe portion of the upper 104, on which a first printed layer 116 and a second printed layer 118 are deposited, is shown in a relaxed state. In the relaxed state, the toe portion of the upper has dimensions X and Y. Figure 3B The extent to which the toe portion of the upper 104 can be stretched when the printed material is deposited thereon is also shown, as indicated by the dashed lines. In this second stretched state, the toe portion of the upper 104 has dimensions X” and Y”. X” is greater than X and less than X’, Y” is greater than Y and less than Y’, and the difference ΔX (i.e., X”-X) is not proportional to ΔY (i.e., Y”-Y). In other words, the toe portion of the upper 104 can be stretched to a greater extent in the X direction than in the Y direction. This is because the multiple rows of flexible third printed material 122 extend only partially across the toe portion in the X direction, which allows the toe portion to hinge and stretch in the X direction between the multiple rows of stiff second printed material 120. In the Y direction, the multiple rows of relatively stiff second printed material 120 extend along the Y direction over the entire length of the toe portion, which limits the extent to which the toe portion can be stretched in the Y direction.

[0124] In other embodiments, the printing materials (e.g., the second printing material 120 and the third printing material 122) can be arranged in various other ways to achieve the desired performance. For example, alternating rows of printing materials can be in an inside / outside direction (e.g., from...). Figure 1A-Figure 1B The orientation is rotated 90 degrees as shown to allow for greater flexibility in the front / up direction than in the inside / outside direction. In other embodiments, the alternating rows of printed material may be angled (e.g., 0 to 90 degrees) relative to the front / back and / or inside / outside directions.

[0125] In place of or in addition to the printed layers 116, 118 on the toe portion of the upper 104, one or more other printed layers may be deposited on various other portions of the article 100 (e.g., one or more side portions and / or heel portions).

[0126] It should be noted that the dimensions or other properties of the printing materials 119, 120, and 122 may vary. For example, although the illustrated embodiment depicts the second printing material 120 and the third printing material 122 having substantially equal lengths, widths W, and heights H (see Figure 119), the dimensions or other properties of these materials may vary. Figure 1B and Figure 2 However, one or more of these dimensions of the printed material can be varied. For example, the width of the second printed material 120 can be much larger than the width of the third printed material 122. In this configuration, the toe portion of the upper will have increased abrasion resistance because the rigid second printed material covers most of the toe portion. Furthermore, due to the flexibility of the second printed material, the toe portion of the upper can still be hinged and stretched at the locations where the third printed material is deposited between multiple rows of second printed material.

[0127] Figure 5 A side portion of another exemplary article 200 is depicted, schematically shown in partial cross-section. Article 200 may include a sole structure 202, an upper 204 attached to the sole structure 202, and more than one printed layer (e.g., a first printed layer 206 and a second printed layer 208) deposited on the upper 204. The first printed layer 206 may be deposited on the upper 204, and the second printed layer 208 may be deposited on the first printed layer 206. Compared to article 100 having a second printed layer 118 with printed material arranged in an alternating pattern (with uniform intervals between them), article 200 has a second printed layer 208 with printed material arranged in an alternating pattern (with gradient intervals between them). The alternating pattern of article 200 is also arranged in a down / up direction (e.g., in...). Figure 5 The bottom / top orientation shown is alternating; however, the alternation pattern of item 100 is arranged to alternate in the inside / outside direction (e.g., left / right along the surface of the shoe upper).

[0128] The second printing layer 208 may include one or more printing materials, such as a first printing material 210 and a second printing material 212. The first printing material 210 may be a relatively stiff material (e.g., having a hardness in the range of 10D-100D on a Shore D hardness tester or having a hardness in the range of 70A-100A on a Shore A hardness tester), and the second printing material 212 may be a relatively flexible material (e.g., having a hardness in the range of 10A-45A on a Shore A hardness tester).

[0129] like Figure 5 As shown, the first printing material 210 and the second printing material 212 may each comprise one or more segments (e.g., rows). As described above, the first printing material 210 and the second printing material 212 are arranged in multiple rows with an alternating pattern, these multiple rows being arranged in the up / down direction (e.g., in...). Figure 5The orientation shown (upper / lower) has a gradient interval therebetween. In some embodiments, the width of the row of second printed material 212 adjacent to the sole structure 202 is smaller than the width of the row of second printed material 212 adjacent to the upper edge 214 of the upper. Configuring the first printed material 210 and the second printed material 212 in this way can, for example, provide increased support for the bottom of the wearer's foot and increased flexibility for the wearer's ankle.

[0130] A gradient across a series of rows or columns can be uniform, with regular and orderly steps, or it can increase or decrease the size (e.g., width) of subsequent rows or columns. Alternatively, a gradient can be non-uniform, with irregular changes in the pattern between a series of rows or columns of printed material.

[0131] In other embodiments, the pattern and / or spacing of the alternating materials can be configured in a variety of other ways. For example, Figure 5 The pattern depicted can be reversed, making the upper relatively flexible at the bottom near the wearer's foot and relatively stiff towards the wearer's ankle.

[0132] Figures 6A-6B An exemplary footwear item 300 is depicted. (Reference) Figure 6A Article 300 may include a sole structure 302, an upper 304, and a tongue 306. The upper 304 may be attached to the sole structure 302, and the tongue 306 may be attached to the upper 304. Article 300 may also have an outer side portion 308 and an inner side portion (not shown).

[0133] The upper 304 of article 300 can generally be configured to resemble the upper 104 of article 100. The upper 304 may include one or more sections or portions. In some embodiments, each section may be integrally formed from a single piece of material / fabric. In other embodiments, one or more sections may be formed as separate pieces of material or fabric joined together (e.g., by stitching, adhesives, fasteners, melting, weaving, knitting, and / or other joining methods). For example, refer to... Figure 6A In the illustrated embodiment, the upper 304 includes a first section 314a, a second section 314b, a third section 314c, and a fourth section 314d integrally formed as a single component, which are collectively or generally referred to as “section 314”.

[0134] One or more portions 314 of the upper 304 may have a printed material deposited thereon. In some embodiments, the printed material may alter aesthetic properties (visual, tactile, etc.) and / or performance properties (flexibility, abrasion resistance, etc.). The printed material may be selected and / or configured to provide the desired appearance and / or performance properties to the portions 314 of the upper 304 on which the printed material is deposited.

[0135] In some embodiments, region 314 may have a printed material deposited thereon, such that the region has a homogeneous appearance and heterogeneous performance properties. For example, such as Figure 6B As shown, each of the regions 314a-314d has a corresponding printed material 316a-316d deposited thereon. The printed materials 316a-316d deposited on the corresponding regions 314a-314d of the shoe upper 304 have the same appearance (e.g., the same general appearance of color, texture, etc.), such as Figure 6A As shown. Figure 6B Each of the printed materials 316a-316d depicted has one or more distinct performance properties. For example, the first printed material 316a deposited on the first region 314a of the upper 304 has a first hardness and is softer and / or more flexible than the second, third, and fourth printed materials 316b-316d. The second printed material 316b deposited on the second region 314b of the upper 304 has a second hardness and is harder and / or stiffer than the first printed material 316a, and softer and / or more flexible than the third and fourth printed materials 316c and 316d. The third printed material 316c deposited on the third region 314c of the upper 304 has a third hardness and is harder and / or stiffer than the first and second printed materials 316a and 316b, and softer and / or more flexible than the fourth printed material 316d. The fourth printed material 316d deposited on the fourth region 314d of the upper 304 has a fourth hardness and is harder and / or stiffer than the first printed material, the second printed material and the third printed material 316a-316c.

[0136] In this configuration, article 300 has a homogeneous appearance, a relatively flexible toe portion (due to the low hardness of the first printed material 316a), a relatively moderately flexible / stiff midsection portion (due to the medium hardness of the second printed materials 316b and the third printed material 316c), and a relatively stiff heel portion 312 (due to the high hardness of the fourth printed material 316d). In other embodiments, the configuration can be modified to provide stiffness and / or flexibility at desired locations on the shoe.

[0137] The printing materials 316a-316d can be configured such that the regions 314 of the upper 304 have a homogeneous appearance (e.g., the same color). In other embodiments, the regions 314 may have one or more printing materials deposited thereon, such that the regions 314 have heterogeneous appearances (e.g., different colors, patterns, graphics, etc.) and homogeneous performance properties (e.g., flexibility, breathability, abrasion resistance, etc.).

[0138] although Figure 7BThe exemplary embodiments illustrate a continuous and uniform gradient extending along the entire length of the article; however, it should be understood that the gradient may be irregular (as described above) and / or discontinuous along different parts of the article. For example, the article may have a first continuous gradient (increasing stiffness) from the toe portion to the mid-shoe region, and a second continuous gradient (decreasing stiffness) extending from the mid-shoe region to the heel region. Thus, different parts of the article may have distinct gradients.

[0139] Figures 7A-7B An exemplary footwear item 400 is depicted. (Reference) Figure 7A Article 400 may include a sole structure 402, an upper 404, and a tongue 406. Article 400 may be configured to be generally similar to article 300. Article 400 may also have an outer side portion 408 and an inner side portion (not shown).

[0140] One or more portions of the upper 404 may have a printed material 414 deposited thereon. In some embodiments, the printed material 414 may alter aesthetic properties (visual, tactile, etc.) and / or performance properties (flexibility, abrasion resistance, etc.). The printed material may be selected and / or configured to achieve the desired appearance and / or performance properties of the portions of the upper 404 on which the printed material is deposited.

[0141] In some embodiments, printing material 414 may include more than one printing material (e.g., 2-6 printing materials). The printing materials may be combined or mixed to obtain varying performance properties. For example, in some embodiments, three printing materials may be selected, each with a different hardness. The first printing material may have a first hardness (e.g., 15A), the second printing material may have a second hardness (e.g., 40A), and the third printing material may have a third hardness (e.g., 70A). The printing materials may be dispensed and deposited onto the upper 404 of the article 400 via a printing nozzle. The proportions of the first, second, and / or third printing materials may be selected to achieve the desired performance properties. To obtain varying performance properties, the printing materials may be mixed to obtain a hardness in the range of 15A-70A.

[0142] In some embodiments, the printed material 414 can gradually transition from low hardness and high flexibility at the toe portion 410 to high hardness and high stiffness at the heel portion 412, such as... Figure 7BAs illustrated, this can be achieved by depositing a printing material having a ratio of 100% first printing material, 0% second printing material, and 0% third printing material onto the toe portion 410 of the upper 404. As a result, the printing material on the toe portion 410 has a first hardness (e.g., 15A). To gradually change the hardness from 15A to 40A (e.g., from the toe portion of the upper to the midfoot portion), the first printing material can be incrementally reduced from 100% to 0%, the second printing material can be incrementally increased from 0% to 100%, and the third material can remain constant at 0%. To gradually change the hardness from 40A to 70A (e.g., from the midfoot portion of the upper to the heel portion), the first printing material can remain constant at 0%, the second printing material can be incrementally reduced from 100% to 0%, and the third printing material can be incrementally increased from 0% to 100%.

[0143] Printing materials can also be configured in various other proportions. For example, the first printing material, the second printing material, and / or the third printing material can be mixed to have a combined percentage of up to 300% (i.e., 100% of the first printing material, 100% of the second printing material, and 100% of the third printing material). Additional and / or alternative printing materials can also be used to achieve other properties.

[0144] like Figure 7A As shown, the printed materials 414 can have a homogeneous appearance, yet they can have different stiffnesses. In this configuration, the article 400 has a homogeneous appearance, a relatively flexible toe portion 410, a moderately flexible / stiff midfoot portion, and a relatively stiff heel portion 412. In other embodiments, the configuration can be modified to provide various other stiffnesses and / or flexibility at desired locations on the shoe.

[0145] Figures 8A-8B An exemplary footwear item 500 is depicted. (Reference) Figure 8A Article 500 may include a sole structure 502, an upper 504, and a tongue 506. Article 500 may be configured to be generally similar to the footwear articles described above. Article 500 may also have an outer side portion 508 and an inner side portion (not shown).

[0146] One or more portions of the upper 504 may have a printed material 514 deposited thereon. In some embodiments, the printed material may alter aesthetic properties (visual, tactile, etc.) and / or performance properties (flexibility, abrasion resistance, etc.). The printed material may be selected and / or configured to achieve the desired appearance and / or performance properties of the portions of the upper 504 on which the printed material is deposited.

[0147] In some embodiments, the printed material 514 may be deposited on the upper 504 in one or more patterns or designs to achieve one or more desired aesthetic and / or performance properties. For example, as Figure 8B As shown, the printed material 514 includes a printed pattern 516 disposed on the outer side portion 508 of the upper 504. The printed pattern 516 may include one or more segments or portions 518 spaced apart and / or adjacent to each other. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the printed pattern 516 includes a plurality of segments 518a-518e, which are collectively or generally referred to as “segment 518”. Segments 518a-518b include elongated rows extending in a down / up direction. Segments 518c-518e include elongated rows extending in a front / back direction. The segments 518 of the printed pattern 516 may be arranged in various ways and / or include more or fewer segments as shown in the illustrated embodiment.

[0148] The segments 518 of the printed pattern 516 can be formed from one or more printing materials having various aesthetic and performance properties. In some embodiments, one or more segments 518 can be formed from printing materials having one or more properties different from one or more other segments and having one or more other properties the same as one or more other segments. For example, the hardness of the printing material forming segments 518a and 518b can be different from the hardness of the printing material forming segments 518c, 518d and / or 518e, and the printing material forming each of segments 518a-518e can be the same color. In this way, the printed pattern 516 can provide directional and / or regional performance properties without affecting the appearance of the article 500, such as... Figure 8A As shown.

[0149] For example, segments 518a and 518b can be formed of a relatively hard printing material (e.g., a material with a hardness greater than 70A). In this way, segments 518a and 518b can, for example, reduce the flexibility of the portion of the upper 504 printed with segments 518a and 518b, particularly in the down / up direction.

[0150] Sections 518c-518e can be formed from a relatively hard printing material (e.g., a material with a hardness greater than 70A). In this way, sections 518c-518e can, for example, reduce the flexibility of the portion of the upper 504 printed with sections 518c-518e, especially in the front / back direction.

[0151] Figures 9A-10B An exemplary footwear item 600 is shown. (Reference) Figure 9AArticle 600 may include a sole structure 602, an upper 604, and a tongue 606. Article 600 may also have an outer side portion 608, an inner side portion 610, a toe portion 612, and a heel portion 614. Figure 9A The illustration depicts a footwear item having an outer printed layer (i.e., a third printed layer 620) covering an inner printed layer including a logo, while Figure 9B The same article is illustrated in which at least some of the outer printed layers have been removed to expose the inner printed layers and the logo (i.e., the second printed layer 618).

[0152] Reference Figure 10A The upper 604 may have one or more printed materials deposited thereon. In some embodiments, the printed materials may be arranged in various ways (e.g., layers or patterns). For example, three printed materials may be deposited on the upper 604: a first printed material 616, a second printed material 618, and a third printed material 620. The first printed material 616 may be deposited directly on the upper 604, and the second printed material 618 may be deposited directly on the first printed material 616. Figure 9B As shown, in some embodiments, the second printed material 618 can be in the form of patterns, graphics, logos, designs, text, etc. (e.g.) The shape of the third printing material 620 is deposited on the first printing material 616. The third printing material 620 may be deposited on and / or between the first and second printing materials 616 and 618, such that the first and second printing materials 616 and 618 are covered by the third printing material 620. Figure 10A As shown. Figure 9A As shown, the third printing material 620 thus covers or hides The logo, this is Figure 9A China, Israel and Belgium Figure 9B A lighter contrast is shown to indicate that it is covered by a third printing material 620.

[0153] In some embodiments, printing materials 616, 618, and 620 may be formed of printing materials with different properties (e.g., color and / or hardness). For example, a first printing material may have a first color (e.g., white) and a first hardness (e.g., 70A), a second material may have a second color (e.g., black) and a second hardness (e.g., 50D), and a third printing material may have a third color (e.g., white) and a third hardness (e.g., 40A). Since the third printing material 620 is the outermost printing material and is formed of a relatively soft material, it may be prone to wear during use. Figure 9B and 10B As shown, when wear occurs, the second printed material 618 is exposed, making... The sign is visible.

[0154] Therefore, configuring the printing material in this way can, for example, allow the second printing material 618 to act as a wear indicator. Thus, in some embodiments, the printing material can be configured to provide information to the user (e.g., it's time to buy a new pair of shoes) when the second material 618 is exposed.

[0155] Alternatively or additionally, multiple layers of the same hardness (e.g., 40A) may be used, each with a different color. In this way, the printed material can be configured to inform the user of the degree of wear on the item. For example, the upper 604 may have four layers of printed material disposed thereon, each with a different color. When only the fourth layer is exposed, the item has little or no wear. When the third layer becomes exposed, the upper 604 already has some wear. When the second layer becomes exposed, the upper 604 already has significant wear. When the first layer becomes exposed, the upper 604 is extremely worn.

[0156] Printed materials can be configured, either additionally or alternatively, to inform the user of wear patterns formed by the user on the item. For example, when a second layer becomes visible on a specific part of the shoe upper (e.g., the toe area) but a third or fourth layer remains visible on other parts of the upper (e.g., the sides and / or heel), the user can be informed that they are using the item in a particular way or have a certain tendency (e.g., dragging their toes during activity). This information can, for example, help the user identify and / or correct techniques, habits, etc. Manufacturers can also use this information to determine where relatively more durable materials should be applied.

[0157] Figure 11 A portion of another exemplary article is shown, comprising a shoe upper 700 on which printed material is deposited. The printed material may comprise one or more printed layers formed of one or more printed materials. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the shoe upper 700 has a first printed layer 702, a second printed layer 704, and a third printed layer 706 deposited thereon. The first printed layer 702 is deposited directly on the shoe upper 700. The second printed layer 704 is deposited directly on the first printed layer 702. The third printed layer 706 is deposited directly on the second printed layer 704.

[0158] Printed layers 702, 704, and 706 may include one or more printing materials. In some embodiments, each printed layer may include a different printing material. In other embodiments, each printed layer may include the same printing material. Still in other embodiments, one or more printed layers may include the same printing material as one or more other layers, and printing materials different from one or more other layers. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the first printed layer 702 and the third printed layer 706 include a first printing material 708, and the second printed layer 704 includes a second printing material 710.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first printing material 708 of the first printed layer 702 and the third printed layer 706 can be a relatively hard material (e.g., a material with a hardness of 70A-100A or 50D-100D). Forming the first printed layer 702 with a relatively hard material can, for example, help ensure a good bond between the first printed layer 702 and the upper 700, and thus reduce the likelihood of the first printed layer 702 separating from the upper 700 (e.g., "peeling"). Forming the third printed layer 706 (e.g., the outermost layer) with a relatively hard material can, for example, provide relatively good abrasion resistance, and thus improve the lifespan and / or appearance of the upper 700.

[0160] In some embodiments, the second printing material 710 of the second printing layer 704 may comprise a relatively soft material (e.g., a material with a hardness of 15A-40A). Forming the second printing material from a relatively soft material and positioning it between the relatively hard first printing layer 702 and the third printing layer 706 can provide one or more advantages. For example, this allows the third printing layer 706 to hinge and / or bend relative to the first printing layer 702 and the upper 700. This, in turn, reduces the likelihood that the printing layers will separate from the upper 700 and / or from each other when forces are applied to the printing layers, such as shear forces that may occur when the toe portion of an article is worn by another object.

[0161] Therefore, in some embodiments herein, various portions of an article include adjacent segments that collectively define continuous portions of the article having different properties (e.g., different hardness / stiffness). The dimensions of the continuous portions can vary. For example, in some embodiments (e.g., Figure 1A & Figure 1B The continuous portion can at least cover the entirety of the toe portion. In other embodiments (e.g., Figure 5 The continuous portion can extend from the adjacent sole structure to the upper edge of the upper (e.g., vertically across the height of the upper). In other embodiments (e.g., Figure 6A and Figure 6B The continuous section can extend the entire length of the item from the heel to the toe (e.g., the length that runs longitudinally across the upper).

[0162] Figure 12 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the components of the printing system 800. In some embodiments, the printing system 800 may include several components that facilitate printing an object (e.g., a part, element, feature, or structure) on a base material or substrate 900, in which the base material or substrate 900 forms the upper of a footwear article.

[0163] In some embodiments, the printing system 800 includes a printing apparatus 810, a computing system 820, and a network 830 connecting the printing apparatus 810 and the computing system 820. Further details of these components are provided below. For illustrative purposes, only some components of the printing system 800 are described below. Figure 12 It is depicted in the image and described below. It will be understood that in other embodiments, the printing system 800 may include additional components.

[0164] The printing system 800 can utilize various types of printing technologies. These may include, but are not limited to: toner-based printing, liquid inkjet printing, solid inkjet printing, dye sublimation printing, inkless printing (including thermal and UV printing), MEMS jet printing technology, and any other printing method. In some cases, the printing system 800 may utilize a combination of two or more different printing technologies. The type of printing technology used can vary depending on factors including, but not limited to: the material of the target article, the size and / or geometry of the target article, the desired characteristics of the printed image (e.g., durability, color, ink density), as well as printing speed, printing cost, and maintenance requirements.

[0165] In some embodiments, the printing system 800 includes a printing apparatus 810. In some embodiments, the printing apparatus 810 may include features such as a housing component 812, a tray 814, and a printhead 816. The housing component 812 may be used to support other components, devices, or systems of the printing system 800. In some embodiments, the housing component 812 may include features that move a substrate 900 during operation of the printing apparatus 810. In some embodiments, the shape and size of the housing component 812 may vary depending on factors including the desired footprint of the printing apparatus 810, the size and shape of the substrate 900 or multiple substrates, the size and shape of features that may be formed on the substrate 900, and other possible factors.

[0166] In some embodiments, the printing apparatus 810 may include means such as a table, platform, tray, or similar component (e.g., tray 814) to support, hold, and / or support the substrate 900. In some embodiments, the tray 814 may be used to position the substrate 900 when printing material is deposited onto the substrate 900 via the print head 816. In some embodiments, the tray 814 may hold a single substrate 900. In some other embodiments, the dimensions and size of the tray 814 may be configured such that it can hold one or more additional substrates as shown.

[0167] Some embodiments may include means for facilitating the formation of selectively printed design features on the substrate 900. In some embodiments, the printing apparatus 810 may include means for depositing layer material onto the substrate 900, such as a printhead 816. The printing apparatus may also include means for applying radiant energy, such as an ultraviolet lamp. In some embodiments, the printing apparatus 810 includes a printhead and an ultraviolet lamp to change the physical properties of the layer material and form selectively printed design features on the substrate 900.

[0168] In some embodiments, the printhead 816 may be used to deposit an ink layer to form selectively printed design features on a substrate 900. As used herein, a “selectively printed design feature” and variations thereof may refer to the deposition of a layer of material onto a portion of a surface at a selected location on a base material element to define a user-selected design, identifier, or mark at that selected location, wherein the end result is a design, identifier, or mark having a three-dimensional structure. Selectively printed design features may also include both single marks and multiple marks. In some embodiments, the printhead 816 may be configured to move and deposit an ink layer within the housing component 812 along a horizontal direction or axis (e.g., front-to-back and / or left-to-right relative to the housing component 812).

[0169] Some printing systems may include means for controlling printing equipment 810 and / or receiving information from printing equipment 810. These means may include computing system 820 and network 830. As used in this detailed description and in the claims, "computing system" and variations thereof may refer to the computing resources of a single computer, a portion of the computing resources of a single computer, and / or two or more computers communicating with each other. Any of these resources may be operated by one or more human users. In some embodiments, computing system 820 may include one or more servers. In some cases, the printing server may be primarily responsible for controlling printing equipment 810 and / or primarily responsible for communicating with printing equipment 810, while one or more computers (e.g., desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.) may facilitate interaction with the user. Computing system 820 may also include one or more storage devices, including but not limited to magnetic storage devices, optical storage devices, magneto-optical storage devices, and / or memories (including volatile and non-volatile memories).

[0170] As in Figure 12 As shown, the computing system 820 may include a central processing unit 822, a visual display component 824 (e.g., a monitor or screen), input devices (e.g., a keyboard and mouse), and software including instructions for designing a computer-aided design (“CAD”) representation 828 of design features. In at least some embodiments, the CAD representation 828 of the design features may include not only information about the geometry of the structure, but also information related to the materials required for the various parts of the printed design features.

[0171] In some embodiments, the computing system 820 may communicate with the printing equipment 810 via a network 830. The network 830 may include any wired or wireless device that facilitates the exchange of information between the computing system 820 and the printing equipment 810. In some embodiments, the network 830 may also include various components such as network interface controllers, repeaters, hubs, bridges, switches, routers, modems, and / or firewalls. In some cases, the network 830 may be a wireless network that facilitates wireless communication between two or more systems, devices, and / or components of the printing system 800. Examples of wireless networks include, but are not limited to, wireless personal area networks (including, for example, Bluetooth), wireless local area networks (including networks utilizing the IEEE 802.11 WLAN standard), wireless mesh networks, mobile device networks, and other types of wireless networks. In other cases, the network 830 may be a wired network, including networks whose signals are facilitated by twisted-pair wires, coaxial cables, and optical fibers. In still other cases, a combination of wired and wireless networks and / or connections may be used.

[0172] Printing apparatus 810 can, for example, deposit layer materials to directly print objects with design features such as selective printing onto one or more base material elements. Selective printing designs can include, for example, designs related to... Figures 1A-11 The printing material has one or more of the above-described structures.

[0173] In some embodiments, the printing apparatus 810 can be used to print a three-dimensional structure onto a flat or planar substrate, and the flat substrate can be shaped into a curved or non-planar object. For example, Figure 13 An exemplary method 1000 for printing is depicted, which can be performed, for example, by a printing system 800. In some embodiments, some or all of the steps may be performed by a control unit included in the printing system. In some other embodiments, some or all of these steps may be performed by an additional system or device associated with the printing system (e.g., a printing apparatus). Additionally, where the printing apparatus is in electronic communication with a computing system, one or more steps may be performed by the central processing unit of the computing system. Furthermore, it should be understood that in other embodiments, one or more steps may be optional, or additional steps may be added.

[0174] Method 1000 may include printing an ink layer onto a shoe upper (process block 1010), curing the ink layer (process block 1020), and shaping the shoe upper into a three-dimensional configuration (process block 1030). Printing the ink layer (process block 1010) may include depositing one or more ink layers in various patterns or configurations, as described above. Figures 1A-11 Those mentioned above.

[0175] Figure 14 Another exemplary method 1100 for printing is depicted, which can be performed, for example, by a printing system 800. Method 1100 may include printing an ink layer onto a shoe upper (process block 1110), partially curing the ink layer (process block 1120), shaping the shoe upper into a three-dimensional configuration (process block 1130), and fully curing the ink layer (process block 1140). Printing the ink layer (process block 1010) may include depositing one or more ink layers in various patterns or configurations, as described above. Figures 1A-11 Those described above. Further details regarding curing and partial curing can be found, for example, in U.S. Publication No. US 2017 / 0120514, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0176] Figure 15The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the components of the printing system 1200. In some embodiments, the printing system 1200 may include several components for facilitating the printing of an object (e.g., a part, element, feature, or structure) on a three-dimensional substrate, in this exemplary embodiment, the substrate being the upper of a footwear article 1300.

[0177] In some embodiments, the printing system 1200 includes a printing apparatus 1210, a computing system 1220, and a network 1230 connecting the printing apparatus 1210 and the computing system 1220. Generally, the components of the printing system 1200 can be configured similarly to those of the printing system 800 described above. For illustrative purposes, only some components of the printing system 1200 are described in... Figure 15 It is depicted in the image and described below. It will be understood that in other embodiments, the printing system 1200 may include additional components.

[0178] Printing apparatus 1210 can, for example, deposit a layer material to directly print objects with design features such as selective printing onto one or more base material elements. Selective printing designs can include those described above. Figures 1A-11 The printing material has one or more of the above-described structures.

[0179] In some embodiments, printing equipment 1210 can be used to print three-dimensional structures onto curved or non-planar objects (e.g., the upper of the shoe of article 1300). For example, Figure 16 An exemplary method 1400 for printing is depicted, which can be performed, for example, by a printing system 1200. In some embodiments, some or all of the steps may be performed by a control unit included in the printing system. In some other embodiments, some or all of these steps may be performed by an additional system or device associated with the printing system (e.g., a printing apparatus). Additionally, where the printing apparatus is in electronic communication with a computing system, one or more steps may be performed by the central processing unit of the computing system. Furthermore, it should be understood that in other embodiments, one or more steps may be optional, or additional steps may be added.

[0180] refer to Figure 16 Method 1400 may include shaping the shoe upper into a three-dimensional configuration (process block 1410), printing an ink layer onto the shoe upper (process block 1420), and curing the ink layer (process block 1430). Printing the ink layer (process block 1420) may include depositing one or more ink layers in various patterns or configurations, as described above. Figures 1A-11 Those mentioned above.

[0181] In some embodiments, printing material may be deposited directly onto the upper of the article using printing equipment (e.g., printing equipment 810, 1210). Additional details regarding direct printing onto the upper of the article can be found, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 8,993,061, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0182] Printing materials (e.g., printing materials 120, 122, 210, 212, 316a-316d, and other exemplary printing materials described herein) can be printing agents, resins, acrylic resins, polymers, thermoplastic materials, thermosetting materials, photocurable materials, or combinations thereof. Printing materials may also include filler materials that impart a reinforcing or aesthetic aspect to the printing material in one or more layers. For example, filler materials incorporated into the printing material can be powdered materials or dyes, metal or plastic particles or shavings, or powdered minerals, metals, or plastics designed to impart a desired color or color pattern or color transition. In some embodiments, the printing material may be a composite material.

[0183] The disclosed systems and methods can advantageously provide a single printing process that can be used to print aesthetic and / or structural features on an article. Thus, compared to typical systems and methods, the disclosed techniques can, for example, provide more efficient manufacturing.

[0184] The disclosed technology can also provide exemplary systems and methods that enable aesthetic features to be used as structural features, and vice versa. Therefore, this technology can, for example, provide design and / or performance options for articles that are significantly more customizable than those offered by typical systems and methods.

[0185] Therefore, the disclosed technology provides greater customization for items by using printing materials. It also increases output by replacing multiple manufacturing processes (e.g., processing multiple types of uppers) with a single process (i.e., printing on the upper). Furthermore, raw material consumption is reduced because the amount of input (e.g., various types of uppers) required to achieve the desired range of customization (e.g., flexibility, color, etc.) is reduced by enabling customization through printing custom features on the upper rather than forming the upper from different materials.

[0186] The structural features described in this document with respect to any example can be combined with other structural features described in any one or more other examples. For example, an article can combine one or more features of article 100 (e.g., a printing material with alternating hardness) with one or more features of article 400 (e.g., a printing material with gradient hardness).

[0187] Given the many possible embodiments to which the disclosed principles can be applied, it should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are merely preferred examples and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the claims. Rather, the scope of the claimed subject matter is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A type of footwear, comprising: Sole structure; Upper, which is connected to the sole structure; and A printed layer is disposed on the shoe upper, wherein the printed layer comprises a variety of printing materials, each having a different hardness than adjacent printing materials. The various printed materials are arranged on the shoe upper such that the stiffness of the shoe upper gradually changes from the toe portion to the heel portion, wherein the stiffness of the heel portion is greater than that of the toe portion, and wherein the printed layer has a continuous and uniform gradient extending along the entire length of the shoe upper.

2. The footwear article according to claim 1, wherein the printed layer is a second printed layer, and the footwear article further includes a first printed layer, wherein the second printed layer is disposed on the first printed layer.

3. The footwear article according to claim 1, wherein the upper further comprises a first side portion and a second side portion, wherein the plurality of printed materials are disposed on the upper such that the stiffness of either or both of the first side portion and the second side portion is less than the stiffness of the heel portion and greater than the stiffness of the toe portion.

4. The footwear article according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of printing materials includes: A first printing material is disposed on the toe portion of the shoe upper, wherein the first printing material has a first hardness; A second printing material is disposed on the first side portion of the shoe upper, wherein the second printing material has a second hardness; A third printing material is disposed on the second side portion of the shoe upper, wherein the third printing material has a third hardness; and A fourth printing material is disposed on the heel portion of the shoe upper, wherein the fourth printing material has a fourth hardness. Wherein the first hardness is less than the second hardness, the third hardness, and the fourth hardness. Wherein the second hardness is less than the third hardness and the fourth hardness, and The third hardness is less than the fourth hardness.

5. The footwear article according to claim 4, wherein the first printing material, the second printing material, the third printing material and the fourth printing material have a uniform thickness.

6. The footwear article according to claim 5, wherein the first hardness of the toe portion is in the range of 15A-49A on a Shore A hardness tester, and wherein the fourth hardness of the heel portion is in the range of 50A-100A on a Shore A hardness tester.

7. The footwear article according to claim 1, wherein the printed layer has a uniform color.

8. The footwear article of claim 1, wherein the printed layer has a uniform appearance.

9. The footwear article according to claim 1, wherein the printed layer has a uniform thickness.

10. The footwear article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of printed materials comprises a first printed material and a second printed material, the first printed material and the second printed material being disposed on the toe portion of the upper, wherein the first printed material has a plurality of spaced-apart first segments and a first hardness, wherein the second printed material has a plurality of spaced-apart second segments and a second hardness, wherein the second hardness is greater than the first hardness, wherein the first segments and the second segments are arranged in an alternating pattern from a first side of the upper to a second side of the upper, and wherein each pair of adjacent second segments includes a first segment disposed therebetween.

11. A type of footwear, comprising: Sole structure; An upper, said upper being connected to said sole structure and including a toe portion, a midfoot portion and a heel portion; and A printed layer is disposed on the shoe upper, wherein the printed layer includes a first printing material having a first hardness, a second printing material having a second hardness, and a third printing material having a third hardness, wherein the second printing material is harder than the first printing material, and wherein the third printing material is harder than both the first and second printing materials. The toe portion of the shoe upper includes a first region and a second region, the second region being positioned closer to the heel portion than the first region. The first region has the first printed material disposed thereon, and the second region has a first mixture of the first and second printed materials disposed thereon, wherein the first mixture is harder than the first printed material. The midfoot portion of the shoe upper includes a third region and a fourth region, the fourth region being positioned closer to the heel portion than the third region. The third region has a second printed material disposed thereon, and the fourth region has a second mixture of the second and third printed materials disposed thereon, wherein the second mixture is harder than both the second and first printed materials. The heel portion of the shoe upper includes a fifth region and a sixth region, the sixth region being positioned closer to the heel portion than the fifth region. The fifth region has a third mixture of the second and third printing materials disposed thereon, the third mixture being harder than the second mixture and softer than the third printing material. The sixth region has the third printing material disposed thereon. The hardness of the printed layer is gradual, and the printed layer has a continuous and uniform gradient that extends along the entire length of the shoe upper.

12. The footwear article of claim 11, wherein the printed layer is a second printed layer, and the footwear article further includes a first printed layer, wherein the second printed layer is disposed on the first printed layer.

13. The footwear article of claim 11, wherein the printed layer has a uniform appearance and a uniform thickness.

14. The footwear article of claim 11, wherein the first hardness is 15A on a Shore A hardness scale, wherein the second hardness is 40A on a Shore A hardness scale, and wherein the third hardness is 70A on a Shore A hardness scale.

15. A type of footwear, comprising: Sole structure; An upper, said upper being connected to said sole structure and including a toe portion, a midfoot portion and a heel portion; and A printed layer is disposed on the shoe upper, wherein the printed layer includes a first printing material having a first hardness, a second printing material having a second hardness, and a third printing material having a third hardness, wherein the second printing material is harder than the first printing material, and wherein the third printing material is harder than both the first and second printing materials. The toe portion of the shoe upper has the first printed material disposed thereon. The midfoot portion of the shoe upper includes a first region and a second region, the second region being positioned closer to the heel portion than the first region. The first region has a first mixture of a first printed material and a second printed material disposed thereon, the first mixture being harder than the first printed material and softer than the second printed material. The second region has a second mixture of the second printed material and a third printed material disposed thereon, the second mixture being harder than the second printed material and softer than the third printed material. The heel portion of the shoe upper has the third printed material disposed thereon. The hardness of the printed layer is gradual, and the printed layer has a continuous and uniform gradient that extends along the entire length of the shoe upper.

16. The footwear article of claim 15, wherein the printed layer is a second printed layer, and the footwear article further includes a first printed layer, wherein the second printed layer is disposed on the first printed layer.

17. The footwear article of claim 16, wherein the printed layer has a uniform color and a uniform thickness.

18. The footwear article of claim 15, wherein the first hardness is 15A on a Shore A hardness scale, wherein the second hardness is 40A on a Shore A hardness scale, and wherein the third hardness is 70A on a Shore A hardness scale.

19. A footwear item comprising: Sole structure; Upper, which is connected to the sole structure; and A first printing layer is disposed on the shoe surface, the first printing layer includes a first printing material, and the first printing material has a first hardness; and A second printing layer is disposed on the first printing layer, wherein the second printing layer comprises a plurality of printing materials, each of which has a different hardness than adjacent printing materials. The various printing materials are arranged on the first printing layer such that the stiffness of the shoe upper gradually changes from the toe portion to the heel portion, and the stiffness of the heel portion is greater than that of the toe portion. The various printing materials of the second printing layer include: A second printing material having a plurality of spaced-apart first segments, wherein the second printing material has a second hardness, and wherein the first segments extend longitudinally in a first direction. and A third printing material having a plurality of spaced-apart second segments, wherein the third printing material has a third hardness less than the second hardness of the second printing material, wherein the second segments extend longitudinally in the first direction, and wherein the first and second segments are arranged in an alternating pattern in the second direction, such that the upper can stretch to a greater extent in the second direction than in the first direction.

20. The footwear article of claim 19, wherein the upper further comprises a first side portion and a second side portion, wherein the stiffness of either or both of the first side portion and the second side portion is less than the stiffness of the heel portion and greater than the stiffness of the toe portion.

21. The footwear article of claim 20, wherein the second printing material and the third printing material are disposed on the toe portion of the upper, and wherein the plurality of printing materials further comprises other printing materials disposed on the first side portion, the second side portion and the heel portion of the upper, respectively.

22. The footwear article of claim 21, wherein the second printing material and the third printing material have the same thickness.

23. The footwear article of claim 22, wherein the second hardness and the third hardness of the toe portion are in the range of 15A-49A on a Shore A hardness tester, and wherein the hardness of the heel portion is in the range of 50A-100A on a Shore A hardness tester.

24. The footwear article of claim 19, wherein the second printed layer has a uniform color.

25. A method for printing on footwear, comprising: Printing a first printing layer onto the upper of a footwear article, wherein printing the first printing layer includes depositing a first printing material onto a first portion of the upper, wherein the first printing material has a first hardness; and Printing a second printing layer onto the first printing layer, wherein printing the second printing layer includes: A second printing material is deposited onto a first portion of the first printing layer, wherein the second printing material has a second hardness and includes a plurality of spaced-apart first segments, wherein the first segments extend longitudinally in a first direction; and A third printing material is deposited onto a second portion of the first printing layer, wherein the third printing material has a third hardness less than the second hardness of the second printing material and comprises a plurality of spaced 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 the second direction, such that the upper can stretch to a greater extent in the second direction than in the first direction.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first printed layer and the second printed layer are printed when the upper is in a flat configuration, and wherein the method further comprises partially curing the first printed layer and the second printed layer when the upper is in the flat configuration.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein, After the first and second printed layers are partially cured, the method further includes forming the upper into a curved configuration and completely curing the first and second printed layers.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first printing layer and the second printing layer are printed when the upper is in a curved configuration.

29. An upper for footwear articles, comprising: First surface; and A first printing layer is disposed on the first surface, and the first printing layer includes a first printing material and a second printing material. The first printing material comprises a plurality of spaced-apart first segments, each first segment having a first hardness, wherein the first segments extend longitudinally in a first direction. The second printing material comprises a plurality of spaced-apart second segments, each second segment having a second hardness less than the first hardness, wherein the second segments extend longitudinally in the first direction, and At least some of the first segments and at least one of the second segments are arranged in an alternating pattern in a second direction, such that a second segment is disposed between a pair of first segments and the upper is able to stretch to a greater extent in the second direction than in the first direction.

30. The upper of claim 29, wherein the first surface is the toe portion of the upper.

31. The upper of claim 29, wherein the first surface is the inner portion of the upper.

32. The upper of claim 29, wherein the first surface is the outer portion of the upper.

33. The upper of claim 29, wherein the first surface is the heel portion of the upper.

34. The upper of claim 29, wherein the first printed material forms a first height, wherein the second printed material forms a second height, and wherein the first height and the second height are equal.

35. The upper of claim 29, wherein the first printed material has a first thickness, and wherein the second printed material has a second thickness having the same thickness as the first thickness.

36. The upper according to claim 29, wherein the first segment and the second segment are elongated and have longitudinal axes oriented parallel to the front / back direction.

37. The upper of claim 29, wherein the first segment and the second segment are elongated and have longitudinal axes oriented parallel to the inner / outer direction.

38. The upper of claim 29, wherein the first segment and the second segment are elongated and have a longitudinal axis oriented at an angle relative to the inner / outer direction.

39. The upper according to claim 29, wherein the first segment and the second segment are elongated and have longitudinal axes oriented at an angle relative to the front / back direction.

40. The upper of claim 39, wherein the longitudinal axes of the first segment and the second segment are oriented at an angle relative to the inner / outer direction.

41. The upper according to claim 29, further comprising a base printed layer disposed between the first surface of the upper and the first printed layer.

42. The upper of claim 29, wherein the first printed layer is printed directly onto the first surface.

43. The upper according to claim 29 further includes a second printing layer disposed on the first printing layer.

44. A type of footwear, comprising: Sole structure; An upper, said upper being connected to the sole structure and including a heel portion; A first printing layer is disposed on the heel portion of the shoe upper, the first printing layer comprising a first printing material, and the first printing material having a first hardness; and A second printing layer is disposed on the first printing layer, and the second printing layer includes: A second printing material having a plurality of spaced-apart first segments, wherein the second printing material has a second hardness, and wherein the first segments extend longitudinally in a first direction. and A third printing material having a plurality of spaced-apart second segments, wherein the third printing material has a third hardness, wherein the third hardness of the third printing material is less than the second hardness of the second printing 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 the second direction, wherein each of the plurality of spaced-apart second segments is disposed between a corresponding 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.

45. The footwear article of claim 44, wherein the second printed material has a first appearance, and wherein the third printed material has a second appearance identical to the first appearance.

46. ​​The footwear article of claim 45, wherein the first appearance and the second appearance comprise the colors and textures of corresponding second and third printing materials.

47. The footwear article of claim 44, wherein the second printing material has a first thickness, and wherein the third printing material has a second thickness equal to the first thickness.

48. The footwear article of claim 44, wherein each of the first segment and the second segment extends longitudinally from the heel portion of the upper toward the toe portion of the upper.

49. The footwear article according to claim 44, wherein the first hardness and the second hardness are determined by testing with a Shore hardness tester.

50. The footwear article of claim 49, wherein the first hardness is in the range of 50A-100A on a Shore A hardness tester, and the second hardness is in the range of 15A-49A on a Shore A hardness tester.

51. A method for printing on footwear, comprising: Printing a first printing layer onto the heel portion of the upper of the footwear article, wherein printing the first printing layer includes depositing a first printing material onto a first portion of the upper, and wherein the first printing material has a first hardness; and Printing a second printing layer onto the first printing layer, wherein printing the second printing layer includes: A second printing material is deposited onto a first portion of the first printing layer, wherein the second printing material has a second hardness and includes a plurality of spaced-apart first segments, wherein the first segments extend longitudinally in a first direction; and A third printing material is deposited onto a second portion of the first printing layer, wherein the third printing material has a third hardness less than the second hardness of the second printing material, and the third printing material 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 the second direction, wherein each of the plurality of spaced-apart second segments is disposed between a corresponding 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.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the first printed layer and the second printed layer are printed when the upper is in a flat configuration, and wherein the method further comprises partially curing the first printed layer and the second printed layer when the upper is in the flat configuration.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein, After the first and second printed layers are partially cured, the method further includes forming the upper into a curved configuration and completely curing the first and second printed layers.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the first printing layer and the second printing layer are printed when the upper is in a curved configuration.

55. A type of footwear, comprising: Sole structure; An upper, the upper being connected to the sole structure, wherein the upper includes a toe portion; A first printing layer is disposed on the toe portion of the shoe upper, and the first printing layer includes a first printing material; and A second printing layer is disposed on the first printing layer, and the second printing layer includes: A second printing material having a first plurality of spaced-apart segments, wherein the second printing material has a first hardness, wherein the first plurality of spaced-apart segments collectively cover a first width of the toe portion of the shoe upper, wherein the first width is less than the total width of the toe portion, and wherein the total width of the toe portion is measured from the inner edge of the shoe upper to the outer edge of the shoe upper at the widest part of the toe portion. and A third printing material having a second plurality of spaced-apart segments, wherein the third printing material has a second hardness less than the first hardness of the second printing material, wherein the second plurality of spaced-apart segments collectively cover a second width of the toe portion of the shoe upper, the second width of the toe portion being less than the first width of the toe portion, and wherein each of the second plurality of spaced-apart segments is disposed between a corresponding 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 the medial / lateral direction, such that the shoe upper can stretch to a greater extent in the medial / lateral direction than in the front / back direction.

56. The footwear article of claim 55, wherein the first width of the first plurality of spaced-apart sections 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 sections is less than a majority of the total width of the toe portion.

57. The footwear article of claim 55, wherein the second printed material has a first appearance, and wherein the third printed material has a second appearance identical to the first appearance.

58. The footwear article of claim 57, wherein the first appearance and the second appearance comprise the colors and textures of corresponding second and third printing materials.

59. The footwear article of claim 55, wherein the second printing material has a first thickness, and wherein the third printing material has a second thickness equal to the first thickness.

60. The footwear article of claim 55, wherein each of the first plurality of spaced-apart segments and the second plurality of spaced-apart segments extends longitudinally from the front edge of the toe portion of the upper toward the heel portion of the upper.

61. The footwear article according to claim 55, wherein the first hardness and the second hardness are determined by testing with a Shore hardness tester.

62. The footwear article of claim 61, wherein the first hardness is in the range of 50A-100A on a Shore A hardness tester, and the second hardness is in the range of 15A-49A on a Shore A hardness tester.

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