3D Printed Polymeric Cage Structures for Apparel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing biologically relevant structural support in footwear and apparel fail to effectively accommodate complex wearer motion, lacking spatially varying properties that could benefit both injured and healthy individuals.
Innovation Solution
The integration of polymeric cage structures attached to substrates such as textiles or foams, where the interface between the substrate and the cage structure is adhesive-free, allowing for spatially varying properties and improved structural support through the use of printed materials and gas-containing structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional adhesive methods are used to attach structural support to substrates, then strong bonding is achieved, but the structural support cannot accommodate complex wearer motion and lacks spatially varying properties
Solution Approach 1:
The structural support is divided into discrete cage elements (struts and nodes) that can be independently configured and positioned. This segmentation allows different regions to have different mechanical properties, enabling spatially varying support characteristics that adapt to complex wearer motion patterns while maintaining overall structural integrity through the interconnected cage architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The cage structure implements local quality by varying the density, orientation, and mechanical properties of individual cage elements across different spatial locations. This allows regions of high structural support where needed while maintaining flexibility in other areas, accommodating complex wearer motion without requiring uniform adhesive bonding across the entire substrate.
2Strength
If adhesive is used to attach the cage structure to the substrate, then strong bonding is achieved, but the interface complexity and potential failure points increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cage structure merges with the substrate by having cage elements directly contact and bond to the substrate surface at multiple points. This integration eliminates the need for separate adhesive layers or complex interface structures, reducing interface complexity while maintaining strong attachment through the distributed bonding points inherent in the cage architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The cage structure performs its own attachment function through the inherent bonding capability of its materials to the substrate. The structure serves both its primary structural support function and its attachment function simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate adhesive systems and reducing overall interface complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform structural support is provided throughout the article, then manufacturing is simplified, but the ability to accommodate complex wearer motion is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cage structure implements dynamics by allowing individual elements and regions to deform and adapt independently in response to wearer motion. The modular cage architecture enables localized flexibility while maintaining overall structural integrity, allowing the structure to dynamically accommodate complex motion patterns without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The cage structure transitions from uniform 2D or simple 3D support to a complex 3D architecture with elements extending in multiple dimensions. This dimensional complexity enables spatially varying properties and adaptive motion accommodation while still using standardized cage elements that can be manufactured using consistent processes, balancing manufacturing simplicity with functional adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the creation of articles with enhanced structural support and adaptability, providing improved comfort and functionality by allowing for gradient properties and the use of gas-containing structures within the articles.
Implementation Method 1
allowing the material to solidify on the substrate such that the substrate is adhered to the material
Implementation Method 2
The article includes a gas-containing polymeric structure
Data Source
AI summary
This application is generally directed to articles including cage structures and related systems and methods. The cage structures have utility in footwear and apparel (e.g., articles of clothing, braces, accessories). In some cases, the article is a footwear article. In some cases, the article is an article of apparel. In some embodiments, the article includes a textile. In some embodiments, the article includes a cage structure (e.g., comprising a polymer) attached to a substrate (e.g., a textile). In some embodiments, the interface of attachment between the substrate and the cage structure is substantially free of an adhesive.