Method of Making Laminate Panel with Auxetic Layer

1 . A method of manufacturing a panel for an article of apparel, the method comprising:

printing an auxetic structure on a first side of a first layer, the auxetic structure defining a repeating pattern of perimeter walls and interior recesses;

allowing the auxetic structure to penetrate into the first layer;

applying a second layer to the first side of the first layer to form the panel; and

finish treating the panel such that the second layer is secured to the first layer.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising at least partially curing the auxetic structure before applying the second layer to the first side of the first layer.

3 . The method of claim 2 further comprising cutting the panel after curing the panel.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the auxetic structure is screen printed on the first side of the first layer.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first layer is a textile and the second layer is a synthetic leather material.

6 . A method of making a textile laminate for an article of apparel, the method comprising:

printing a bonding layer on an interior layer, the interior layer possessing an interior layer Poisson's value, the bonding layer forming an auxetic structure defining a repeating pattern of perimeter walls and interior recesses;

waiting a period of time to allow the bonding layer to penetrate into the interior layer such that it is at least partially embedded in the interior layer;

applying an exterior layer of the textile laminate to the bonding layer, the exterior layer possessing an exterior layer Poisson's value;

allowing the bonding layer to penetrate into the exterior layer such that it is at least partially embedded in the exterior layer; and

curing the bonding layer to form the textile laminate, wherein the textile laminate possesses a laminate Poisson's value that is less than at least one of the interior layer Poisson's value and the exterior layer Poisson's value.

7 . The method of claim 6 wherein at least one of the interior layer and the exterior layer is a textile layer.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the interior layer is a resilient textile provided by a four way stretch material possessing stretch and recovery properties.

9 . The method of claim 6 wherein the bonding layer is an adhesive material.

10 . The method of claim 6 wherein each of the interior layer Poisson's value and the exterior layer Poisson's value is a positive value.

11 . The method of claim 6 further comprising incorporating the textile layer into the article of apparel.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the article of apparel is an article of footwear.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the interior layer is a resilient textile and wherein the exterior layer is a synthetic leather material.

14 . The method of claim 6 wherein the perimeter walls of the auxetic structure comprise a plurality of interconnected wall segments that form a repeating pattern of reentrant polygonal shapes.

15 . The method of claim 6 wherein the auxetic structure has a Poisson's ratio of near zero or less than zero.

16 . The method of claim 6 wherein the exterior layer is a sheer material and the bonding layer is visible through the sheer material.

17 . A method of making a textile laminate for an article of footwear comprising:

providing a first layer defining a first surface, wherein the first layer is a four-way stretch material;

applying an auxetic structure to the first layer such that the auxetic structure penetrates the first surface of the first layer, the auxetic structure including a plurality of interconnected members forming an array of cell units, each of the plurality of interconnected members forming cell walls with interior recesses defined within the cell walls;

coupling a second layer to the first layer via the auxetic structure such that the auxetic structure penetrates the second layer, wherein the second layer is a synthetic leather material, and wherein the first layer, auxetic structure and the second layer form the textile laminate; and

incorporating the textile laminate into the article of footwear.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein applying the auxetic structure to the first layer comprises printing the auxetic structure on the first surface of the first layer.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the auxetic structure is provided by a bonding layer comprising an adhesive material.

20 . The method of claim 17 wherein the textile laminate possesses a Poisson's value that is different than that of each of the interior layer and the exterior layer.