Nike, Inc.

Todd W Miller

Jeremy D Walker

Eli R Troyke

Ryan R Larson

Laurel Manville

Timothy P Hopkins

Timothy K Liles

Michael D Collier

Nicholas R Long

Catherine F Morrison

Amie Evans

David Patrick Jones

Nadia M Panian

Harleigh Doremus

Amy Lyttle

Aaron K Seid

Jennifer L Bishop

David J Schenone

Mike A Chamblin

Austin J Orand

Yoav Sterman

Joseph J Bevier

Travis K Ernst

Richard Kristian Hansen

Lee D Peyton

Zachary M Elder

Matthew D Nordstrom

Andrew W York

Kimberly A Sokol

Steven Warlick

Jarod Michel

Laura E Flores Sandoval

Viviane Labelle

A cushioning structure includes an externally-reinforced bladder, the bladder having a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet, where each polymeric sheet includes an internal surface and an opposite external surface. A first reinforcing layer is in contact with the external surface of the first polymeric sheet, where the first reinforcing layer has a greater modulus than the first polymeric sheet. A second reinforcing layer is in contact with the external surface of the second polymeric sheet, where the second reinforcing layer has a greater modulus than the second polymeric sheet. The bladder includes an internal volume and a peripheral flange surrounding the internal volume, and the reinforcing layers are only secured to the polymeric sheets at the peripheral flange.

Footwear with externally-reinforced fluid-filled bladder

Methods are described herein for printing a three-dimensional structural component onto a base. For example, a method can include receiving a set of predetermined thicknesses for the three-dimensional structural component, instructing a printing device to print a set of layers of the three-dimensional structural component onto the base, and printing the three-dimensional structural component onto the base using the set of predetermined thicknesses to form a printed set of layers. The printed set of layers can include an exposed surface comprising a tall region, an intermediate region, and a short region. A difference in height between the tall region of the exposed surface and the short region of the exposed surface can be greater than a separation distance between the base and a printhead assembly of the printing device. The intermediate region of the exposed surface can have a smoothly sloped geometry.

Gradient printing a three-dimensional structural component

An adjustment element for an article of footwear includes a bladder having a barrier layer defining an interior void and a compressible component disposed within the interior void and including a lattice structure defining a plurality of reliefs formed in the lattice structure, the compressible component operable between an expanded state when the interior void includes a first pressure and a contracted state when the interior void includes a second pressure.

Vacuum transform upper for article of footwear

A locking structure for an article includes a bladder having a first barrier element attached to a second barrier element to define a chamber including an interior void and a plurality of locking elements disposed within the interior void and each attached to at least one of the first barrier element and the second barrier element, each of the locking elements including an interface surface operable to selectively engage an interface surface of another one of the locking elements.

Vacuum locking for article of footwear or apparel

An article of footwear includes an upper having a chamber, a sole structure including a recess forming a cavity, and a pump device disposed within the cavity, in fluid communication with the chamber, and operable to move the upper from a relaxed state to a constricted state by selectively evacuating fluid from the chamber.

Integrated manual pump for article of footwear

An article of apparel can include a layer disposed on the article of apparel, where the layer includes a plurality of materials each having a different hardness than an adjacent material. The plurality of materials is arranged on the article of apparel such that a stiffness of the article of apparel is gradated along a length of the article of apparel from a first portion to a second portion of the article of apparel. A stiffness of the second portion is greater than a stiffness of the first portion and the layer has a continuous and even gradation that extends along the entire length of the article of apparel. The plurality of materials can also be arranged such that each one of segments of a printed material is disposed between a respective pair of segments of a different printed material.

Articles of footwear with printed material deposited thereon

Methods and systems are provided for color printing onto nonwhite substrates and articles. For example, an article of apparel is provided that includes multiple layers of ink with a combination of a white ink and at least one color ink, and each layer having a ratio of white ink to color ink, and the ratios of white ink to color ink are different.

Additive color printing

A system can include one or more image sensors, a processor system, one or more output devices, and one or more computer-readable storage media. The output devices can include a printing device configured to apply a graphic on an article. The one or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processing system, cause the system to perform a method of processing an article. The instructions can include instructions to receive an image of the article from the one or more image sensors, instructions to determine a location of one or more fiducials in the image of the article, instructions to determine a print location on the article based on the location of the one or more fiducials in the image of the article, and instructions to send a signal to the printing device to print the graphic on the article at the print location.

Image registration for printing

A method and apparatus for printing on an article are disclosed. An embodiment of a method may include the generation of a virtual mask that can designate areas for printing and/or designate areas to exclude from printing. A method may include utilization of the virtual mask during either 2D or 3D printing such that a print design is printed in areas designated for printing by the virtual mask.

Printing utilizing a virtual mask

A pump includes a conduit defining an inner volume and formed from a flexible material, the conduit movable between an expanded state and a relaxed state. A coil is disposed within the conduit and includes an outer diameter that is approximately equal to an inner diameter of the conduit, the coil substantially maintaining its outer diameter when the conduit is moved between the relaxed state and the expanded state. A manifold is in fluid communication with the inner volume and is operable to permit fluid to enter the inner volume in a first mode and expel fluid from the inner volume in a second mode.

Pump for article of footwear or apparel

Methods are described for creating a correspondence between percentages of a spot color and print material thicknesses. For example, a method can include printing a set of printed regions on a substrate, wherein each printed region is printed according to a different percentage of a selected spot color. The method can further comprise measuring the thickness of each printed region. The method can further comprise comparing the thickness of each printed region with a target thickness for the printed region. The target thickness for the printed region can be determined according to the percentage of the selected spot color used for printing the printed region. The method can further comprise, for each target thickness, determining an adjusted spot color percentage required to print a layer of structural print material having the target thickness.

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 plurality of printed materials each having a different hardness than an adjacent printed material. The plurality of printed materials can be arranged on the upper such that a stiffness of the upper is gradated from a toe portion of the upper to a heel portion of the upper, and a stiffness of the heel portion is greater than a stiffness of the toe portion.

A method for printing on an article can include positioning an article and a fiducial within a field of view of an image sensor. The method can also include generating an image of the article and the fiducial, using the fiducial to determine a print location on the article, and printing a graphic on the article at the print location. A method for printing on an article additionally or alternatively can include transforming a graphic using a shape model to produce a transformed graphic and printing the transformed graphic on the article. A method for printing on an article additionally or alternatively can include retrieving a shape model corresponding to a reference article, obtaining a configuration file corresponding to the article, transforming a graphic based on the shape model and the configuration file to produce a transformed graphic, and printing the transformed graphic on the article.

Methods and systems are provided for color printing onto nonwhite substrates and articles. For example, an article of apparel is provided that includes multiple layers of ink with a combination of a white ink and at least one color ink, and each layer having a ratio of white ink to color ink, wherein the ratio is the same.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Todd W Miller