Articles and method of manufacture of articles
Various articles, such as footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, watchbands, and the like, and methods of forming those articles are presented. The articles are generally formed, in whole or in part, using rapid manufacturing techniques, such as laser sintering, stereolithography, solid deposition modeling, and the like. The use of rapid manufacturing allows for relatively economical and time efficient manufacture of customized articles. Portions of the articles may be manufactured using rapid manufacturing and those portions may be joined with portions formed using conventional, non-rapid manufacturing techniques. The methods may also include performing a scan of an appropriate body part of a user, such as a foot, in order to create a customized article of footwear for the user.
1. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, comprising:
performing a scan of a foot of a user;
creating a data file including a three-dimensional design of the article of footwear based on the scan performed;
manufacturing the article of footwear including:
forming an upper based on the scan including laser sintering a first thermoplastic elastomer material;
forming a sole structure based on the scan including laser sintering a second thermoplastic elastomer material to form a midsole impact force attenuation system for the sole structure, wherein the sole structure is formed as a separate part from the upper; and
engaging the upper with the sole structure.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data file is a computer aided design file.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of engaging the upper with the sole structure includes joining the upper with the sole structure using at least one of stitching and adhesive bonding.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the sole structure includes forming the midsole impact force attenuation system including laser sintering a plurality of impact force attenuation columns.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first thermoplastic elastomer material is different from the second thermoplastic elastomer material.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of performing the scan includes obtaining information regarding a width of the foot.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of performing the scan includes obtaining information regarding a length of the foot.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of performing the scan includes obtaining information regarding a thickness of the foot.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of performing the scan includes obtaining information regarding an arch location of the foot.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of performing the scan includes obtaining information regarding an arch height of the foot.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of performing the scan includes obtaining information regarding a heel curvature of the foot.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying a coating material to the laser sintered first thermoplastic elastomer material forming the upper.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
painting at least a portion of the laser sintered first thermoplastic elastomer material forming the upper.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
exposing at least a portion of the article of footwear formed by laser sintering to an infiltrate material.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the infiltrate material alters at least one of durability, wear resistance, abrasion resistance, strength, appearance, or color of the article of footwear.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sand-blasting at least a portion of the article of footwear.
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
water-jet blasting at least a portion of the article of footwear.
18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
tumbling the article of footwear in a tumbler.
19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
exposing the laser sintered upper to a first infiltrate material to provide a first hardness to the upper; and
exposing the sole structure to a second infiltrate to provide a second hardness to the sole structure that is greater than the first hardness.
20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
exposing the laser sintered upper to an infiltrate material under a pressure condition selected to force the infiltrate material into spaces of the laser sintered upper.
21. A method of manufacturing a sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:
performing a scan of a foot of a user;
creating a data file including a three-dimensional design of at least a portion of an article of footwear based on the scan performed;
fusing particles of a thermoplastic elastomer material together using laser energy to form a midsole impact force attenuation system of a sole structure for an article of footwear based on information from the data file generated from the scan; and
engaging the midsole impact force attenuation system with an outsole separate from the midsole impact attenuation system to form a sole structure.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the fusing includes laser sintering.
23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
exposing at least a portion of the sole structure to an infiltrate material.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the infiltrate material alters a hardness of the sole structure.
25. The method of claim 21 , wherein the step of fusing further includes fusing particles of a thermoplastic elastomer material using laser energy to form the outsole as part of the sole structure based on information from the data file generated from the scan, and wherein the engaging the outsole with the midsole impact force attenuation system is performed using one of stitching, adhesives, mechanical connectors, or fasteners.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the step of fusing includes forming a bottom surface of the outsole to include traction elements.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the traction elements include at least one of grooves, ridges, or nubs.
28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the step of fusing includes forming a bottom surface of the outsole to include texture.