摘要：
Methods for manufacturing articles of footwear are provided. In various aspects, the methods comprise utilizing additive manufacturing methods with foam particles. In some aspects, the disclosed methods comprise selectively depositing a binding material on foam particles in a target area such that the binding material coats at least a portion of defining surfaces of the foam particles with the binding material. The binding material is then cured to affix foam particles in the target area to one another. In various aspects, the disclosed methods can be used to manufacturer articles with sub-regions that differential levels of affixing between the foam particles, and thereby resulting in sub-regions with different properties such as density, resilience, and/or flexural modulus. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.
权利要求：
1. A method of forming a cushioning element for an article of footwear or apparel, the cushioning element having a plurality of sub-regions comprising differentially affixed foamed particles, the method comprising: arranging a plurality of foam particles, wherein the arranged plurality of foam particles comprises a thermoplastic elastomer material, and wherein the arranged plurality of foam particles has a number average particle size of 0.04 millimeters to 10 millimeters in a longest dimension; depositing a binding material in a binding material target area, wherein the binding material target area comprises a portion of the arranged plurality of foam particles, and wherein the depositing coats at least a portion of defining surfaces of the portion of the arranged plurality of foam particles with the binding material, wherein the binding material comprises a thermal energy absorber, which is an infrared energy absorber; and curing deposited binding material coating at least a portion of the defining surfaces of the portion of the arranged plurality of foam particles within the binding material target area, wherein curing comprises affixing the portion of the arranged plurality of foam particles within the target area; wherein the curing comprises: applying energy to the deposited binding material and the arranged plurality of foam particles in an amount and for a duration sufficient to soften the thermoplastic elastomer material of the coated at least a portion of the defining surfaces of the portion of the arranged plurality of foam particles, wherein the applying energy comprises applying energy within the infrared spectrum; and decreasing a temperature of the region of the arranged plurality of foam particles to a temperature at or below which the softened thermoplastic elastomer material re-solidifies; thereby affixing at least a portion of the coated at least a portion of the defining surfaces of the portion of the arranged plurality of foam particles in the binding material target area, forming the cushioning element.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the applying energy comprises applying energy to substantially all of the arranged plurality of foam particles.
3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the binding material comprises one or more monomers, one or more polymers, or combinations thereof; and wherein curing comprises: forming at least one chemical bond between the one or more monomers, the one or more polymers, or the combinations thereof of the binding material; and/or forming at least one chemical bond between the coated at least a portion of the defining surfaces of the portion of the arranged plurality of foam particles in the binding material target area and the one or more monomers, the one or more polymers, or the combinations thereof of the binding material; thereby affixing the coated portion of the arranged plurality of foam particles to each other or to uncoated foam particles in the binding material target area, forming the cushioning element.
4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein depositing a binding material comprises depositing the binding material by jetting, spraying, or combinations thereof; wherein the binding material comprises a solvent; wherein the method further comprises, following the depositing, dissolving at least a portion of the defining surfaces of the portion of the arranged plurality of foam particles with the solvent, forming dissolved defining surfaces of the arranged foam particles; and wherein the curing comprises, following the dissolving, removing at least a portion of the solvent of the binding material and solidifying the at least a portion of the dissolved defining surfaces of the arranged foam particles; thereby affixing at least a portion of the portion of the arranged plurality of foam particles to each other or to uncoated foam particles in the binding material target area, forming the cushioning element.
5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the depositing comprises depositing a first binding material and a second binding material; wherein the first binding material comprises a solvent; wherein the second binding material comprises a binding thermoplastic elastomer material which is soluble in the solvent; and wherein the curing comprises removing the solvent and solidifying the binding thermoplastic elastomer material on at least a portion of the defining surfaces of the portion of the arranged foam particles; thereby affixing at least a portion of the portion of the arranged plurality of foam particles to each other or to uncoated foam particles in the binding material target area, forming the cushioning element.
6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the plurality of foam particles comprise foam particles having a density of 0.1 grams per cubic centimeter to 0.8 grams per cubic centimeter, or wherein the plurality of foam particles has a bulk density of 80 grams per liter to 200 grams per liter.
7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer material is selected from a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, a thermoplastic polyurea elastomer, a thermoplastic polyether elastomer, a thermoplastic copolyetherester elastomer, a thermoplastic polyamide elastomer, a thermoplastic polystyrene elastomer, a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, a thermoplastic copolyetheramide elastomer, a thermoplastic styrene diene copolymer elastomer, a thermoplastic styrene block copolymer elastomer, a thermoplastic polyamide elastomer, a thermoplastic polyimide elastomer, any copolymer thereof, and any blend thereof, optionally wherein the thermoplastic elastomer material is characterized by a melting temperature range of at least 10 degrees Celsius over which both the first thermoplastic elastomer material and the second thermoplastic elastomer material exhibit softening and melting behavior as determined using differential scanning calorimetry.
8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein one or more of the arranging the plurality of foam particles, the depositing the binding material in the binding material target area, and the curing the deposited binging material are carried out for multiple iterations, optionally wherein the article is formed layer-wise from a plurality of layers.
9. A cushioning element for an article of footwear or apparel, the cushioning element being made by a method according to any one of claims 1-8.
10. The cushioning element according to claim 9, wherein the cushioning element is for an article of footwear (10; 100).
11. The cushioning element according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized by a plurality of sub-regions comprising a first sub-region characterized by a first property and a second sub-region characterized by a second property, wherein the first property is at least 10 percent greater than the second property, and wherein the first property and the second property are selected from flexural modulus, stiffness, bulk density, resilience, and combinations thereof.