Articles of footwear and apparel having a three-dimensionally printed feature
The present disclosure is related to three-dimensionally printed articles for use in footwear and associated systems and methods. In some embodiments, a three-dimensionally printed article may comprise a closed-cell foam. The closed-cell foam may have a gradient in and/or may be a single integrated material. In some embodiments, a three-dimensionally printed article may comprise a sensor. The use of such arrangements can, according to certain embodiments, allow for the production of improved articles of footwear and/or customized articles of footwear.
1. An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper, comprising:
a textile or polymer film; and
a three-dimensionally printed feature comprising a thermoplastic material;
wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature is directly attached to the textile or polymer film;
wherein the majority of the weight of the upper comprises substantially the same thermoplastic material as that of the three-dimensionally printed feature; and
wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein there is at least a 10% difference in microindentation hardness between the first portion and the second portion.
2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature has a gradient in one or more additional material properties.
3. The article of claim 2 , wherein each of the one or more additional material properties is selected from the group consisting of: stiffness, tensile elastic modulus, Shore A hardness, Shore D hardness, nanoindentation hardness, flexural modulus, and color.
4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature has a section that is a single integrated material, and the section has the first portion and the second portion.
5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein there is at least a 10% difference in tensile elastic modulus between the first portion and the second portion.
6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature comprises at least a section that is a single integrated material and has a gradient in tensile elastic modulus between the first portion and the second portion.
7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature is attached to the textile or film without the use of an adhesive.
8. The article of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the upper has a pigment containing inkjet ink disposed on at least one surface of the upper.
9. The article of claim 8 , wherein the pigment containing inkjet ink is disposed on an internal surface of a first textile, wherein the internal surface is at least partially visible through at least the first textile that is at least partially transparent.
10. The article of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature is at least partially transparent, and the three-dimensionally printed feature has a pigment containing inkjet ink disposed on the feature.
11. The article of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material which the majority of the weight of the upper comprises is a thermoplastic polyurethane.
12. The article of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the three-dimensionally printed feature is an open-celled lattice.
13. The article of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature comprises a gradient in tensile elastic modulus.
14. The article of claim 1 , wherein the first portion has a Shore A hardness below 75 A, and the second portion has a Shore A hardness greater than 85 A; and wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature is a single integrated material.
15. The article of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane.
16. An article of apparel, comprising:
a textile or polymer film; and
a three-dimensionally printed feature comprising a thermoplastic material;
wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature is directly attached to the textile or polymer film;
wherein the majority of the weight of the article of apparel comprises substantially the same thermoplastic material as that of the three-dimensionally printed feature; and
wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein there is at least a 10% difference in microindentation hardness between the first portion and the second portion.
17. An article of footwear, comprising:
a three-dimensionally printed feature comprising an open-celled lattice; and
a closed cell foam;
wherein the three-dimensionally printed feature is at least partially embedded inside of the closed cell foam; and
wherein at least a portion of the open-celled lattice has an Asker C hardness less than Asker C 50.