权利要求：
CLAIMS
An article which is a combination upper and outsole, and the combination upper and outsole includes a medial midfoot area, a lateral midfoot area, a ground-facing outsole area, comprising:
a first reflowed material; and
a second element selected from a second shaped component, a second film, a second textile, a second yarn, or a second fiber;
wherein the first reflowed material is a melted and re-solidified product of a first element selected from a first shaped component, a first film, a first yarn, a first fiber, a first textile, or any combination thereof:
wherein the first reflowed material comprises a low processing temperature polymeric composition, the low processing temperature polymeric composition comprising one or more first thermoplastic polymers and exhibiting a melting temperature Tr that is from 80 °Cto 135 °C:
wherein the second element comprises a high processing temperature composition, the high processing temperature polymeric composition comprising one or more second thermoplastic polymers; and
wherein the high processing temperature polymeric composition exhibits: 1) a creep relaxation temperature Tc; 2) a heat deflection temperature Tha; and 3) a Vicat softening temperature Ts that are each at least 10 °C greater than the melting temperature Tr, of the low processing temperature polymeric composition the melting temperature Tm of the low processing temperature polymeric composition; and
wherein the article comprises one or more of: 1) the first film, the first textile, the second shaped component, the second film, or the second textile, or combinations thereof, comprising a first printed marking on at least a portion thereof; 2) the first film, the first textile, the second film, or the second textile, or combinations thereof, comprising embroidery on at least a portion thereon; 3) the article comprises a dyed first element, a dyed second element, or a combination thereof, and 4) a first reflowed material comprising a second printed marking on at least a portion thereof; and wherein at least a portion of the first re-flowed material is present on the ground-facing outsole area.
2. The article according to claim 1, wherein the article includes 1) the first film, the first
textile, the second shaped component, the second film, or the second textile, or
combinations thereof, comprising a first printed marking on at least a portion thereof. 3. The article according to claim 2, wherein the first printed marking includes a sublimation
dye.
4, The article according to claim 2, wherein the first printed marking is a screen printed
marking.
5. The article according to claim 1, wherein the article includes 2) the first film, the first
textile, the second film, or the second textile, or combinations thereof, comprising
embroidery on at least a portion thereon.
6. The article according to claim 5, wherein the embroidery of the first film, the first textile,
the second film, or the second textile, or combinations thereof includes a second
reflowed material comprising a low processing temperature composition comprising at
least one third thermoplastic polymer.
7. The article according to claim 1, wherein 3) the article comprises a dyed first element, a
dyed second element, or a combination thereof.
8. The article according to claim 7, wherein the dyed first element is an anionic dyed first
element, the dyed second element is an anionic dyed second element, or a combination
thereof.
9. The article according to claim 1, wherein the article includes 4) a first reflowed material
comprising a second printed marking on at least a portion thereof.
10. The article according to claim 1, wherein the one or more first thermoplastic polymers
comprise one or more thermoplastic polyamides, or one or more thermoplastic
polyurethanes, or both.
11. The article according to claim 10, wherein the one or more first thermoplastic polymers
comprise one or more thermoplastic polyether block amide (PEBA) copolymers 12. The article according to claim 11, wherein the one or more second thermoplastic
polymers includes one or more thermoplastic polyesters.
13. The article according to claim 12, wherein the one or more second themmoplastic
polyesters includes thermoplastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
14. The article according to claim 1, wherein the first reflowed material comprises a dye,
and the second element is substantially free of the dye.
15, The article according to claim 1, wherein the high processing temperature composition
of the second element comprises a dye, and the first reflowed material is substantially
free of the dye.
16. The article according to claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the first re-flowed
material is on at least about 40% of the ground-facing outsole area.
17. A process for manufacturing an article, which is a combination upper and outsole
including a ground-facing outsole area, the process comprising:
receiving a first element selected from a first shaped component, a first film, a first textile,
a first yam, and a first fiber; and/or
receiving a second element selected from a second shaped component, a second film,
a second textile, a second yarn, or a second fiber;
wherein the first element comprises a low processing temperature polymeric
composition, the low processing temperature polymeric composition comprising one or
more first thermoplastic polymers and exhibiting a melting temperature Tr, that is from
80 °C to 135 °C, and wherein at least a portion of the first element is present on the
ground-facing outsole area, wherein the second element comprises a high processing
temperature polymeric composition, the high processing temperature polymeric
composition comprising one or more second thermoplastic polymers, and wherein the
high processing temperature polymeric composition exhibits: 1) a creep relaxation
temperature T¢; 2) a heat deflection temperature Tne; and 3) a Vicat softening
temperature Tis that is at least 10 °C greater than the melting temperature Tr, of the low
processing temperature polymeric composition;
placing at least a portion of the first element and at least a portion of the second element
on a molding surface;
while the at least a portion of the first element and the at least a portion of the second
element is on the molding surface, increasing a temperature of the entire article to a
temperature that is above the melting temperature Tr, of the low processing temperature
polymeric composition and below: 1) the creep relaxation temperature Te, 2) the heat
deflection temperature Thg; and 3) the Vicat softening temperature Ty of the high
processing temperature polymeric composition; and
subsequent to the increasing the temperature of the entire article, while the at least a portion of the article remains on the molding surface, decreasing the temperature of the entire article to a temperature below the melting temperature Tr, of the low processing temperature polymeric composition;
thereby forming an article comprising a first reflowed material; wherein the first reflowed material is a melted and re-solidified product of the first element selected from the first shaped component, the first film, the first yarn, the first fiber, the first textile, or any combination thereof; wherein the first reflowed material comprises a low processing temperature polymeric composition, the low processing temperature polymeric composition comprising one or more first thermoplastic polymers.
The process according to claim 17, wherein the process further comprises immersing an entire outer surface area of the article in a dye solution, or spraying an entire outer surface area of the article with a dye solution, or both.