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 additive manufacturing methods comprise increasing the temperature of a plurality of foam particles with actinic radiation under conditions effective to fuse a portion of the plurality of foam particles comprising one or more thermoplastic elastomers. Increasing the temperature of the foam particles can be carried out for one or multiple iterations. The disclosed methods can be used to manufacturer articles with sub-regions that exhibit differing degrees of fusion between the foam particles, 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：
CLAIMS
What is claimed: 1. A method of making an article, the method comprising: arranging a plurality of foam particles such that the plurality of foam particles comprise a first foam particle having a first surface formed of a first thermoplastic elastomer material in contact with a second surface of an adjacent foam particle, the second surface of the adjacent foam particle being formed of a second thermoplastic elastomer material; increasing a temperature of at least a portion of the plurality of foam particles with actinic radiation under conditions effective to melt or soften a portion of the first thermoplastic elastomer material of the first surface of the first foam particle, or the second thermoplastic elastomer material of the second surface of the adjacent foam particle, or both; and decreasing the temperature of the melted or softened portion of the first thermoplastic elastomer material, of the second thermoplastic elastomer material, or of both, thereby solidifying the melted or softened portion of the first thermoplastic elastomer material, of the second thermoplastic elastomer material, or of both, and forming a plurality of fused foam particles; wherein the plurality of foam particles has a number average particle size of about 0.04 millimeters to about 10 millimeters in the longest dimension; and wherein the increasing the temperature is carried out for at least one iteration. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the increasing the temperature of at least a portion of the plurality of foam particles with actinic radiation under conditions effective to melt or soften a portion of the first thermoplastic elastomer material of the first surface of the first foam particle or the second thermoplastic elastomer material of the second surface of the adjacent foam particle further comprises intermingling melted first thermoplastic elastomer material from the first surface of the first foam particle with melted second thermoplastic elastomer material from the second surface of the adjacent foam particle; and wherein the decreasing the temperature of the melted or softened portion of
the first thermoplastic elastomer material or the melted or softened portion of the second thermoplastic elastomer comprises decreasing a temperature of the intermingled thermoplastic elastomer material, thereby solidifying the melted portion of the thermoplastic elastomer and forming the plurality of fused foam particles. 3. The method according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the arranging a plurality of foam particles comprises depositing an essentially planar layer comprising the plurality of foam particles. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the plurality of foam particles has a bulk density of about 80 grams per liter to about 200 grams per liter. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the first or second thermoplastic elastomer material comprises 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, or any blend thereof. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the first or second thermoplastic elastomer material comprises a thermoplastic polyether block amide copolymer. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the first or second thermoplastic elastomer material is characterized by a range of at least 10 degrees C over which the first thermoplastic elastomer material or the second thermoplastic elastomer material exhibits softening and melting behavior as determined using differential scanning calorimetry. 8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the increasing the temperature of at least a portion of the plurality of foam particulates comprises increasing the temperature of a target area of the plurality of foam particulates. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the increasing the temperature of the target area of the plurality of foam articles comprises increasing the temperature of the target
area of the plurality of foam articles with a directed energy beam of actinic radiation. 10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the directed energy beam of actinic radiation is a laser beam. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the laser beam has a beam width of about 0.1 millimeter to about 0.7 millimeter. 12. The method according to according to any one of claims 9-11, wherein the directed energy beam of actinic radiation has a scan pattern such that the directed energy beam of actinic radiation is directed in an x-y plane; and wherein the directed energy beam of actinic radiation is configured to vary an amount of energy for an amount of time directed to each point in the x-y plane. 13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, further comprising applying a coating to the plurality of fused foam particles. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the coating is a polyurea coating or a polyurethane coating. 15. The method according to any one of claims 1-14, wherein the article formed is a component used in manufacture of an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment. 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the component used in manufacture of an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment is a cushioning element or an impact absorbing element. 17. An article made by a method according to any one of claims 1-16. 18. An article comprising: a structure formed of a plurality of fused foam particles, wherein each individual foam particle of the plurality of fused foam particles includes a first surface formed of a first thermoplastic elastomer material, and the first surface also includes one or more fused regions affixing the individual foam particle to a second surface of one or more adjacent foam particles, the second surface of the one or more adjacent foam particles comprises a second thermoplastic elastomer material;
the fused regions include a portion of the first thermoplastic elastomer material from the first surface of the individual foam particle intermingled with a portion of the second thermoplastic elastomer material from the second surface of the one or more adjacent foam particles; the structure formed of the plurality of fused foam particles includes a plurality of gaps between particles, with the gaps occupying at least 10 percent of a total volume of the structure; and prior to fusing, at least 20 percent of the plurality of foam particles are spheroid or ellipsoid in shape and have a number average particle size of about 0.04 millimeters to about 10 millimeters in a longest dimension, and at least 20 percent of the spheroid or ellipsoid foam particles in the structure retain a substantially spheroid or ellipsoid shape. 19. The article according to claim 18, wherein the article is 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% greater than the second property, and wherein the first property and the second property are selected from flexural modulus, stiffness, bulk density, resilience, or any combination thereof. 20. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, comprising: affixing an upper to a sole structure, wherein the sole structure comprises a cushioning element including a structure formed of a plurality of fused foam particles, wherein each individual foam particle of the plurality of fused foam particles includes a first surface formed of a first thermoplastic elastomer material, and the first surface also includes one or more fused regions affixing the individual foam particle to a second surface of one or more adjacent foam particles, the second surface of the one or more adjacent foam particles comprises a second thermoplastic elastomer material; the fused regions include a portion of the first thermoplastic elastomer material from the first surface of the individual foam particle intermingled with a portion of the second thermoplastic elastomer material from the second surface of the one or more adjacent foam particles;
the structure formed of the plurality of fused foam particles includes a plurality of gaps between particles, with the gaps occupying at least 10 percent of a total volume of the structure; and prior to fusing, at least 20 percent of the plurality of foam particles are spheroid or ellipsoid in shape and have a number average particle size of about 0.04 millimeters to about 10 millimeters in a longest dimension, and at least 20 percent of the spheroid or ellipsoid foam particles in the structure retain a substantially spheroid or ellipsoid shape.