权利要求：
CLAIMS
1. An article of footwear, 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;
wherein the second element comprises a high processing temperature composition
exhibiting a melting temperature Tr, that is greater than 140 °C, 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 Te; 2) a heat deflection temperature Thy; 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; and
wherein the article of footwear 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. 2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the textile is a knit textile comprising
a first yarn comprising a low processing temperature polymeric composition and a
second yarn that comprising a high processing temperature polymeric composition,
wherein the first and second yams at least partly form a plurality of interconnected
courses in at least one knit layer of the knit textile, the at least one knit layer having at
least a first zone, a second zone, and a third zone, the second zone positioned between
the first and third zones, wherein the first zone comprises an increased concentration of
the second yam compared to the second zone, and wherein the third zone comprises
an increased concentration of the first yarn compared to the second zone. 3. The article of footwear according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the article of footwear
further comprises an outer surface having at least a first zone, a second zone, and a
third zone, the second zone positioned between the first and third zones, wherein the
first zone comprises an increased concentration of the high processing temperature
polymeric composition compared to the second zone, and wherein the third zone
comprises an increased concentration of the low processing temperature polymeric
composition compared to the second zone.
4, The article of footwear according to any preceding claim, wherein the dyed second
element comprises a package dyed yam.
5. The article of footwear according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more first
thermoplastic polymers include one or more thermoplastic polymers selected from the
group consisting of polyesters, polyethers, polyamides, polyurethanes and polyolefins. 6. The article of footwear according to claim 5, wherein the one or more first thermoplastic
polymers comprise one or more thermoplastic co-polyamides.
i The article of footwear according to any preceding claim, wherein the low processing
temperature polymeric composition exhibits a melting temperature of 80 °C to 135 °C. 8. The article of footwear according to any preceding claim, wherein the first low processing
temperature polymeric composition exhibits a glass transition temperature T, of about
50 °C or less, exhibits a melt flow index of about 0.1 g/10 min to about 60 g/10 min at
160 °C using a test weight of 2.16 kg, exhibits an enthalpy of melting of at least 5 J/g,
exhibits a modulus of about 1 MPa to about 500 MPa, or any combination thereof. 9. The article of footwear according to any preceding claim, wherein the low processing
temperature polymeric composition exhibits a melting temperature of less than 125 °C,
exhibits a glass transition temperature T, of about 0 °C or less, exhibits a melt flow index
of about 5 g/10 min to about 40 g/10 min using a test weight of 2.16 kg, exhibits an
enthalpy of melting of from about 10 J/g to about 30 J/g, or any combination thereof. 10. The article of footwear according to any preceding claim, wherein the high processing
temperature polymeric composition exhibits a melting temperature Tr, that is at least 10
°C greater than a melting temperature Tr, of the low processing temperature polymeric
composition.
11. The article of footwear according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more
second thermoplastic polymers comprise one or more thermoplastic polymers selected
from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyesters, thermoplastic polyamides, and
combinations thereof.
12. The article of footwear according to claim 11, wherein the one or more second
thermoplastic polymers includes one or more thermoplastic polyesters. 13. The article of footwear according to claim 12, wherein the one or more second
thermoplastic polyesters includes thermoplastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 14. The article of footwear according to any preceding claim, wherein the article of footwear
is an upper.
15. The article of footwear according to claim 14, wherein the upper includes an outsole
area.
16. A process for manufacturing an article of footwear, the process comprising:
receiving a first element selected from a first yarn or a first fiber;
receiving a second element selected from a second yarn or a second fiber;
wherein the first yam or fiber comprises a low processing temperature polymeric
composition, the low processing temperature polymeric composition comprising one or
more first thermoplastic polymers,
wherein the second yarn or fiber comprises a high processing temperature polymeric
composition exhibiting a melting temperature Tm that is greater than 140 °C, the high
processing temperature polymeric composition comprising one or more second
thermoplastic polymers, and
wherein the high processing temperature polymeric composition exhibits at least one of:
1) a creep relaxation temperature Te; 2) a heat deflection temperature Trg; or 3) a Vicat
softening temperature T,s that are each at least 10 °C greater than the melting
temperature Tm of the low processing temperature polymeric composition;
placing at least a portion of the textile comprising at least a portion of the first yam or
fiber and at least a portion of the second yarn or fiber on a molding surface;
while the at least a portion of the first yarn or fiber and the at least a portion of the second
yam or fiber are on the molding surface, increasing a temperature of the entire article to
a temperature that is above the melting temperature T, of the low processing
temperature polymeric composition and below at least one of: 1) the creep relaxation
temperature Tc; 2) the heat deflection temperature Thy; or 3) the Vicat softening
temperature Ts of the high processing temperature polymeric composition; and
subsequent to the increasing the temperature of the entire article, while the at least a
portions of the article remains on the molding surface, decreasing the temperature of
the entire first and second yarns or fibers to a temperature below the melting
temperature Tn of the low processing temperature polymeric composition, thereby
forming an article of footwear 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 yarn, the first fiber, or any combination thereof.
17. A process of manufacturing an article of footwear according to claim 16, wherein the
article of footwear is as defined in any one of claims 1 to 15.