Direct Printing to Fabric

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for three-dimensional printing directly onto an article of apparel. Disclosed is a method and system for direct three-dimensional printing onto an article of apparel, including designing a three-dimensional pattern for printing onto the article, positioning at least a portion of the article on a tray in a three-dimensional printing system, the portion being positioned substantially flat on the tray, printing a three-dimensional material directly onto the article using the designed pattern, curing the printed material, and removing the article from the three-dimensional printing system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for three-dimensional printing directly onto a fabric upper of an article of footwear, comprising:
 a first nontransitory computer-readable medium encoded with a first computer program product loadable into a first memory of a first computer and including first software code portions for storing a three-dimensional pattern for printing directly onto the fabric upper;   a print server;   a switching device;   a three-dimensional printer device;   wherein the print server is in direct communication with the three-dimensional printer device and the switching device;   wherein the switching device is in direct communication with the three-dimensional printer device and the print server;   wherein the first nontransitory computer readable medium is in direct communication with the switching device;   wherein the print server comprises a second nontransitory computer-readable medium encoded with a second computer program product loadable into a second memory of a second computer and including second software code portions configured, when executed on the second computer, for instructing the three-dimensional printing device to print directly onto the fabric upper through a sequence of printing steps;   wherein the three-dimensional printer device comprises a tray for receiving the fabric upper, at least one printing head for printing three-dimensional material onto the fabric upper in the sequence, and at least one ultraviolet light for curing the three-dimensional material printed onto the fabric upper; and   wherein the three-dimensional printer device is configured to print the three-dimensional material onto at least a portion of the fabric upper that has at least one irregular surface.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional printer device is configured to compensate for irregularities in the at least one irregular surface by at least one of adjusting a distance between the at least one printing head and the at least one irregular surface and adjusting at least one of size, rate, and distribution of three-dimensional material ejected from the at least one printing head. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one irregular surface comprises at least one of a knit and a weave of the fabric upper. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the fabric upper comprises a side of the fabric upper;
 wherein the three-dimensional printer device is configured to print a plurality of loops onto the side of the fabric upper; and   wherein each loop of the plurality of loops extends upwardly from a lower portion of the side of the fabric upper of the article of footwear and around a lace aperture.   
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second software code portions are configured, when executed on the second computer, to instruct the three-dimensional printing device to wait a predetermined amount of time after printing of the three-dimensional material prior to curing the three-dimensional material with the at least one ultraviolet light, to allow the three-dimensional material to at least partially absorb into the fabric upper prior to curing the three-dimensional material. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second software code portions are configured, when executed on the second computer, to instruct the three-dimensional printing device to:
 print a first layer of three-dimensional material;   wait a predetermined amount of time after printing the first layer of three-dimensional material prior to curing the first layer of three-dimensional material with the at least one ultraviolet light, to allow the first layer of three-dimensional material to at least partially absorb into fabric of the at least a portion of the fabric upper;   cure the first layer of three-dimensional material with the at least one ultraviolet light;   print at least one additional layer of three-dimensional material on the cured first layer; and   cure the at least one additional layer of three-dimensional material with the at least one ultraviolet light.   
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the first layer and the at least one additional layer differ in at least one of modulus of elasticity and color. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the fabric upper comprises at least one of a textile, a natural fabric, a synthetic fabric, a knit, a woven material, a nonwoven material, a mesh, a leather, a synthetic leather, a polymer, a rubber, and a foam. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the fabric upper prevents durable adhesion of the three-dimensional material to the tray. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional material comprises at least one of an ink, a resin, an acrylic, a polymer, a thermoplastic material, a thermosetting material, and a light-curable material. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional material further comprises a filler material. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional material is bonded to the fabric upper of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         13 . A system for printing three-dimensional material directly onto a fabric portion of an upper of an article of footwear, comprising:
 a three-dimensional printer device;   a computer in communication with the three-dimensional printer device, wherein the computer includes:
 a first nontransitory computer-readable medium encoded with a first computer program product loadable into memory of the computer and including first software code portions for storing a three-dimensional pattern for printing directly onto the fabric portion; 
 a second nontransitory computer-readable medium encoded with a second computer program product loadable into memory of the computer and including second software code portions for instructing, when executed on the computer, the three-dimensional printing device to print directly onto the fabric portion through a sequence of printing steps corresponding to the three-dimensional pattern; 
   wherein the three-dimensional printer device comprises a tray for receiving the upper, a printing head for printing three-dimensional material onto the fabric portion in the sequence of printing steps, and an ultraviolet light for curing the three-dimensional material printed onto the fabric portion of the upper; and   wherein the second software code portions are configured, when executed on the computer, to instruct the three-dimensional printer device to print the three-dimensional material onto an irregular surface of the fabric portion of the upper.   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the second software code portions are configured, when executed, to instruct the three-dimensional printer device to compensate for irregularities in the irregular surface by at least one of adjusting a distance between the printing head and the irregular surface and adjusting at least one of size, rate, and distribution of three-dimensional material ejected from the printing head. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the second software code portions are configured, when executed, to instruct the three-dimensional printer device to compensate for an uneven surface of a knit or weave of the irregular surface of the fabric portion of the upper. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the fabric portion of the upper comprises a side of the upper;
 wherein the second software code portions are configured, when executed, to instruct the three-dimensional printer device to print a plurality of loops onto the side of the upper; and   wherein each loop of the plurality of loops extends upwardly from a lower portion of the side of the upper of the article of footwear and around a lace aperture.   
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the second software code portions are configured, when executed, to instruct the three-dimensional printing device to allow the three-dimensional material to at least partially absorb into the fabric portion prior to curing the three-dimensional material. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the computer comprises a single computer, partial resources of a computer, or two or more computers communicating with each other. 
     
     
         19 . A system for printing three-dimensional material directly onto a fabric portion of an upper of an article of footwear, comprising:
 a three-dimensional printer device including
 a tray for receiving the upper laid substantially flat on the tray with the fabric portion presenting an irregular surface, 
 a printing head for printing three-dimensional material onto the fabric portion, and 
 an ultraviolet light for curing the three-dimensional material printed onto the fabric portion; 
   a computer in communication with the three-dimensional printer device;   wherein the computer provides the three-dimensional printer device with instructions configured, when executed on the three-dimensional printer device, to cause the three-dimensional printer device to print directly onto the fabric portion through a sequence of printing steps corresponding to a three-dimensional pattern; and   wherein, based on the instructions, the three-dimensional printer device prints the three-dimensional material onto the fabric portion while compensating for irregularities in the irregular surface of the fabric portion.   
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein, based on the instructions, the three-dimensional printer device compensates for irregularities in the irregular surface by at least one of adjusting a distance between the printing head and the irregular surface and adjusting at least one of size, rate, and distribution of three-dimensional material ejected from the printing head.