权利要求：
CLAIMS
We claim:
1. An article of footwear, comprising: a sleeve formed by a knit material and defining a front distal end and a rear distal end, wherein the sleeve includes an external surface and an internal surface that defines an internal cavity; a midsole arranged within the internal cavity; and a framework printed, layer by layer, onto portions of the external surface, wherein the framework includes a plurality of segments and an outsole, the outsole being arranged on a bottom portion of the external surface and the plurality of segments extend along the external surface of the sleeve between the front distal end and the rear distal end.
2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the sleeve defines an upper portion and a midsole portion.
3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein the knit material comprises a first knit material spanning the upper portion and a second knit material spanning the midsole portion.
4. The article of footwear of claim 3, wherein the second knit material is at least partially transparent so that a portion of the midsole is externally visible through the midsole portion of the sleeve.
5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the plurality of segments include a first set of lines and a second set of lines.
6. The article of footwear of claim 5, wherein the first set of lines are generally parallel to one another, and the second set of lines are generally parallel to one another.
7. The article of footwear of claim 5, wherein the first set of lines intersect the second set of lines to form a crisscross pattern.
8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the plurality of segments are aligned with one another and extend in a heel-toe direction along the sleeve.
9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the plurality of segments each define a segment height and a segment width.
10. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the segment heights are about equal.
11. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the segment widths are about equal.
12. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the segment heights vary from a minimum segment height to a maximum segment height.
13. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the maximum segment height is between 1 and 5 times larger than the minimum segment height.
14. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the maximum segment height is between 2 and 4 times larger than the minimum segment height.
15. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the segment widths vary from a minimum segment width to a maximum segment width.
16. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein the maximum segment width is between 1 and 5 times larger than the minimum segment width.
17. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein the maximum segment width is between 2 and 4 times larger than the minimum segment width.
18. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the plurality of segments define a matrix pattern including interconnected row segments and column segments.
19. The article of footwear of claim 18, wherein a row spacing defined between adjacent pairs of the row segments is about equal.
20. The article of footwear of claim 18, wherein a row spacing defined between adjacent pairs of the row segments varies from a row spacing minimum to a row spacing maximum.
21. The article of footwear of claim 18, wherein a column spacing defined between adjacent pairs of the column segments is about equal.
22. The article of footwear of claim 18, wherein a column spacing defined between adjacent pairs of the column segments varies from a column spacing minimum to a column spacing maximum.
23. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes an aperture through which a portion of the midsole is visible.
24. The article of footwear of claim 23, wherein the portion of the midsole protrudes through the aperture formed in the sleeve.
25. The article of footwear of claim 24, wherein the outsole is printed around the aperture formed in the sleeve.
26. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the plurality of segments include a first segment with a first segment height at a first location on the external surface, a second
segment with a second segment height at a second location on the external surface, and a third segment with a third segment height at a third location on the external surface.
27. The article of footwear of claim 26, wherein the second segment height is greater than the first segment height and the third segment height.
28. The article of footwear of claim 26, wherein the third segment height is greater than the second segment height, and the second segment height is greater than the first segment height.
29. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the plurality of segments include a first segment with a first segment width at a first location on the external surface, a second segment with a second segment width at a second location on the external surface, and a third segment with a third segment width at a third location on the external surface.
30. The article of footwear of claim 29, wherein the second segment width is greater than the first segment width and the third segment width.
31. The article of footwear of claim 29, wherein the third segment width is greater than the second segment width, and the second segment width is greater than the first segment width.
32. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein a portion of the plurality of segments are movable relative to the upper to enable a lace to be threaded through the framework.
33. An article of footwear, comprising: an upper including an upper portion and a midsole portion, wherein the upper portion is fabricated from a first knit material and the midsole portion is fabricated from a second knit material; a midsole arranged within the upper; a framework printed, layer by layer, onto the upper, wherein the framework defines a matrix pattern including row segments and column segments that extend along an external medial side of the upper and an external lateral side of the upper; and an outsole printed, layer by layer, onto a sole side of the upper, wherein the outsole is connected to the framework at the external medial side and the external lateral side.
34. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein the second knit material is at least partially transparent so that a portion of the midsole is externally visible through the midsole portion of the upper.
35. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein the framework is formed integrally with the outsole.
36. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein the row segments are generally parallel to one another, and the column segments are generally parallel to one another.
37. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein the row segments intersect the column segments to form a crisscross pattern.
38. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein a row spacing defined between adjacent pairs of the row segments is about equal.
39. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein a row spacing defined between adjacent pairs of the row segments varies from a row spacing minimum to a row spacing maximum.
40. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein a column spacing defined between adjacent pairs of the column segments is about equal.
41. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein a column spacing defined between adjacent pairs of the column segments varies from a column spacing minimum to a column spacing maximum.
42. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein the upper includes an aperture through which a portion of the midsole is visible.
43. The article of footwear of claim 42, wherein the portion of the midsole protrudes through the aperture formed in the upper.
44. The article of footwear of claim 43, wherein the outsole is printed around the aperture formed in the upper.
45. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein the row segments and the column segments each define a segment height and a segment width.
46. The article of footwear of claim 45, wherein the segment heights are about equal.
47. The article of footwear of claim 45, wherein the segment widths are about equal.
48. The article of footwear of claim 45, wherein the segment heights vary from a minimum segment height to a maximum segment height.
49. The article of footwear of claim 48, wherein the maximum segment height is between 1 and 5 times larger than the minimum segment height.
50. The article of footwear of claim 48, wherein the maximum segment height is between 2 and 4 times larger than the minimum segment height.
51. The article of footwear of claim 45, wherein the segment widths vary from a minimum segment width to a maximum segment width.
52. The article of footwear of claim 51, wherein the maximum segment width is between 1 and 5 times larger than the minimum segment width.
53. The article of footwear of claim 51, wherein the maximum segment width is between 2 and 4 times larger than the minimum segment width.
54. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein the row segments or the column segments include a first segment with a first segment height at a first location on the upper, a second segment with a second segment height at a second location on the upper, and a third segment with a third segment height at a third location on the upper.
55. The article of footwear of claim 54, wherein the second segment height is greater than the first segment height and the third segment height.
56. The article of footwear of claim 54, wherein the third segment height is greater than the second segment height, and the second segment height is greater than the first segment height.
57. The article of footwear of claim 54, wherein the row segments or the column segments include a first segment with a first segment width at a first location on the upper, a second segment with a second segment width at a second location on the upper, and a third segment with a third segment width at a third location on the upper.
58. The article of footwear of claim 57, wherein the second segment width is greater than the first segment width and the third segment width.
59. The article of footwear of claim 57, wherein the third segment width is greater than the second segment width, and the second segment width is greater than the first segment width.
60. The article of footwear of claim 33, wherein a portion of the plurality of segments are movable relative to the upper to enable a lace to be threaded through the framework.
61. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising: forming an upper from a knit material; inserting a last into an internal cavity defined by the upper so that the last engages an internal surface of the upper and supports an external surface of the upper; printing, layer by layer, a framework onto portions of the external surface defined by the upper; printing an outsole, layer by layer, on a sole side of the external surface of the upper; removing the last from the internal cavity of the upper; and inserting a midsole into the internal cavity of the upper.
62. The method of claim 61, wherein forming the upper from the knit material comprises: forming an upper portion of the upper from a first knit material; and forming a midsole portion of the upper from a second knit material.
63. The method of claim 62, wherein the second knit material is at least partially transparent so that a portion of the midsole is externally visible through the midsole portion of the upper.
64. The method of claim 61, wherein printing, layer by layer, the framework onto portions of the external surface defined by the upper comprises: printing a plurality of segments onto the portions of the external surface.
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65. The method of claim 64, wherein printing the plurality of segments onto the portions of the external surface comprises: printing a first segment with a first segment height at a first location on the external surface; printing a second segment with a second segment height at a second location on the external surface; and printing a third segment with a third segment height at a third location on the external surface.
66. The method of claim 65, wherein the second segment height is greater than the first segment height and the third segment height.
67. The method of claim 65, wherein the third segment height is greater than the second segment height, and the second segment height is greater than the first segment height.
68. The method of claim 64, wherein printing the plurality of segments onto the portions of the external surface comprises: printing a first segment with a first segment width at a first location on the external surface; printing a second segment with a second segment width at a second location on the external surface; and printing a third segment with a third segment width at a third location on the external surface.
69. The method of claim 68, wherein the second segment width is greater than the first segment width and the third segment width.
70. The method of claim 68, wherein the third segment width is greater than the second segment width, and the second segment width is greater than the first segment width.
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71. The method of claim 64, wherein the plurality of segments each define a segment height and a segment width.
72. The method of claim 71, wherein the segment heights are about equal.
73. The method of claim 71, wherein the segment widths are about equal.
74. The method of claim 71, wherein the segment heights vary from a minimum segment height to a maximum segment height.
75. The method of claim 74, wherein the maximum segment height is between 1 and 5 times larger than the minimum segment height.
76. The method of claim 74, wherein the maximum segment height is between 2 and 4 times larger than the minimum segment height.
77. The method of claim 71, wherein the segment widths vary from a minimum segment width to a maximum segment width.
78. The method of claim 77, wherein the maximum segment width is between 1 and 5 times larger than the minimum segment width.
79. The method of claim 77, wherein the maximum segment width is between 2 and 4 times larger than the minimum segment width.
80. The method of claim 61, further comprising: forming an aperture in the upper.
81. The method of claim 80, wherein a portion of the midsole protrudes through the aperture formed in the upper.
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82. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising: forming a sleeve from a knit material, wherein the sleeve includes an external surface that defines a front distal end and a rear distal end; inserting a last into an internal cavity of the sleeve; printing, layer by layer, a framework onto portions of the external surface of the sleeve, wherein the framework includes a plurality of segments and an outsole, the outsole being arranged on a bottom portion of the external surface and the plurality of segments extending along the external surface of the sleeve from the front distal end to the rear distal end; removing the last from the internal cavity of the sleeve; printing, layer by layer, a midsole; and inserting the midsole into the internal cavity of the sleeve.
83. The method of claim 82, forming the sleeve from the knit material comprises: forming an upper portion of the sleeve from a first knit material; and forming a midsole portion of the sleeve from a second knit material.
84. The method of claim 83, wherein the second knit material is at least partially transparent so that a portion of the midsole is externally visible through the midsole portion of the sleeve.
85. The method of claim 82, further comprising: forming an aperture in the sleeve.
86. The method of claim 85, wherein a portion of the midsole protrudes through the aperture formed in the sleeve.
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87. The method of claim 82, wherein printing the plurality of segments onto the portions of the external surface comprises: printing a first segment with a first segment height at a first location on the external surface; printing a second segment with a second segment height at a second location on the external surface; and printing a third segment with a third segment height at a third location on the external surface.
88. The method of claim 87, wherein the second segment height is greater than the first segment height and the third segment height.
89. The method of claim 87, wherein the third segment height is greater than the second segment height, and the second segment height is greater than the first segment height.
90. The method of claim 82, wherein printing the plurality of segments onto the portions of the external surface comprises: printing a first segment with a first segment width at a first location on the external surface; printing a second segment with a second segment width at a second location on the external surface; and printing a third segment with a third segment width at a third location on the external surface.
91. The method of claim 90, wherein the second segment width is greater than the first segment width and the third segment width.
92. The method of claim 90, wherein the third segment width is greater than the second segment width, and the second segment width is greater than the first segment width.
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93. The method of claim 82, wherein the plurality of segments each define a segment height and a segment width.
94. The method of claim 93, wherein the segment heights are about equal.
95. The method of claim 93, wherein the segment widths are about equal.
96. The method of claim 93, wherein the segment heights vary from a minimum segment height to a maximum segment height.
97. The method of claim 96, wherein the maximum segment height is between 1 and 5 times larger than the minimum segment height.
98. The method of claim 96, wherein the maximum segment height is between 2 and 4 times larger than the minimum segment height.
99. The method of claim 93, wherein the segment widths vary from a minimum segment width to a maximum segment width.
100. The method of claim 99, wherein the maximum segment width is between 1 and 5 times larger than the minimum segment width.
101. The method of claim 99, wherein the maximum segment width is between 2 and 4 times larger than the minimum segment width.