当前申请(专利权)人地址：
One Bowerman Drive, Beaverton, OR, US
摘要：
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.
权利要求：
1. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear (100, 800), comprising: forming an upper (102, 200) of the article of footwear (100), comprising forming the upper (102, 200) by depositing thermoplastic elastomer materials using a solid deposition modeling technique; and engaging the upper (102, 200) with a sole structure (104).
2. The method of claim 1, wherein: (1) the sole structure (104) includes a midsole (122); (2) the sole structure (104) includes a midsole (122) and an outsole (120) engaged with the midsole (122); or (3) the sole structure (104) comprises a midsole (122) and an outsole (120) integrally formed as a single piece.
3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: (1) the sole structure (104) includes a fluid-filled bladder; and/or (2) the sole structure (104) comprises a polymer foam material.
4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein forming the upper (102, 200) comprises: forming a plurality of upper portions (202a, 202b); and joining together the plurality of upper portions (202a, 202b).
5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein forming the upper (102, 200) further comprises forming a texture along at least a portion of the upper (102, 200).
6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising forming the upper (102, 200) according to a user-customized three-dimensional design specified in a design file, and wherein at least one dimension of the upper (102, 200) specified in the design file corresponds to data derived from a scan of a user's foot.
7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein engaging the upper (102, 200) with the sole structure (104) includes stitching or adhesively bonding.
8. The method of claim 2, wherein the sole structure (104) includes a fluid-filled bladder disposed in a void formed within the midsole (122).
9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein forming the upper (102, 200) includes forming a plurality of apertures (800) in one or more portions of the upper (102, 200).
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of apertures (800) are formed in a repeating pattern or in a non-repeating pattern.
11. The method of claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the plurality of apertures (800) are formed by the solid deposition modeling technique.
12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising forming a comfort enhancing element (814) by a solid deposition modeling technique.
13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein forming the upper (102, 200) further comprises forming a logo region at a portion of the upper (102, 200).
14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the logo region comprises integrally forming the logo region while forming the upper (102, 200) by the solid deposition modeling technique.
15. An article of footwear (100, 800) produced by the method of any one of claims 1 to 14.