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US-12622475-B2 - Methods, systems, and articles for producing a film pattern on a substrate material

US12622475B2US 12622475 B2US12622475 B2US 12622475B2US-12622475-B2

Abstract

Aspects herein are directed to systems, methods, and articles for producing a patterned film and using the patterned film to form a pattern of discrete overlay film structures on a substrate material. A uniform thickness of a film material is deposited on to a first surface of a run of carrier sheets, where each carrier sheet includes one or more holes extending there through. A first carrier sheet is extracted from the run of carrier sheets, and a second surface of the carrier sheet is positioned on a substrate material. Heat and/or pressure is applied to the film material to cause the film material to transfer to the substrate material through the one or more holes in the carrier sheet forming a pattern of discrete overlay film structures on the substrate material. The carrier sheet along with remaining portions of the film material is removed from the substrate material.

Inventors

  • Cody Evin Janes
  • Daniel P. Morgan
  • Kyle Schepke
  • JOSHUA PATRICK WILLIAMS
  • Yang-Hua Ou

Assignees

  • NIKE, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20200812

Claims (14)

  1. 1 . A method for producing a patterned film, the method comprising: continuously extruding a uniform thickness of a film material on to a first surface of a run of carrier sheets, each carrier sheet of the run of carrier sheets having a plurality of holes extending there through, the film material extending across the plurality of holes of the carrier sheet and maintaining a uniform thickness as it extends across the plurality of holes, the plurality of holes configured to define the patterned film formed by transferring the film material to a substrate material through the plurality of holes; rolling the run of carrier sheets with the film material deposited thereon around a central axis of rotation; and curing the film material.
  2. 2 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 1 , wherein the uniform thickness of the film material is from about 40 microns to about 200 microns.
  3. 3 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 1 , wherein the film material comprises one of a thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE) film material, a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film material, or a thermoplastic poly(ether-amide) elastomer (TPAE) film material.
  4. 4 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 1 , wherein the film material is cured from about 24 hours to about 36 hours.
  5. 5 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 1 , wherein the run of carrier sheets is formed from one or more of a fibrous material, a nonwoven material, a woven composite material and a metal material.
  6. 6 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 1 , wherein each of the carrier sheets comprises a second surface opposite the first surface, and the second surface of the carrier sheet includes an adhesive layer extending across the carrier sheet, wherein the adhesive layer extends across the plurality of holes.
  7. 7 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 1 , wherein each of the carrier sheets has a thickness from about 50 microns to about 500 microns.
  8. 8 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 1 , wherein each of the carrier sheets comprises a non-stick coating disposed between the film material and the carrier sheet.
  9. 9 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 8 , wherein the non-stick coating comprises silicone or polytetrafluoroethylene.
  10. 10 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 8 , wherein the curing step occurs prior to the rolling step.
  11. 11 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 1 , wherein rolling the run of carrier sheets with the film material deposited thereon around a central axis of rotation forms a rolled good.
  12. 12 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 11 , wherein the curing step occurs prior to the rolling step.
  13. 13 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of holes each have a diameter that is least 5 mm.
  14. 14 . The method for producing the patterned film of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of holes each have a minimum width of at least 5 mm and a minimum length of at least 5 mm.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY CLAIM This Application is a 35 U.S.C. 371 application of PCT Application No. PCT/CN2020/108643, filed Aug. 12, 2020, and titled, “Methods, Systems, and Articles for Producing a Film Pattern on a Substrate Material,” which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/885,589, filed Aug. 12, 2019, and entitled “Apparel with Adaptive Fit,” U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/924,527, filed Oct. 22, 2019, and entitled “Apparel with Dynamic Vent Structure,” U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/951,154, filed Dec. 20, 2019, and entitled “Methods, Systems, and Articles for Producing a Film Pattern on a Substrate Material,” and U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/972,426, filed Feb. 10, 2020, and entitled “Apparel with Cling Reduction Features.” The entireties of the aforementioned applications are incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD Aspects herein are directed to methods, systems, and articles for forming a patterned film material and applying the patterned film material to a substrate material to produce a film pattern on the substrate material. BACKGROUND Application of a film pattern having a plurality of discrete film structures to a substrate material is typically a labor intensive process that is not scalable to meet production needs. In one example, the discrete film structures are generated by, for example, cutting a film material, and the discrete film structures are applied to a substrate material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Examples of aspects herein are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: FIG. 1 illustrates an example carrier sheet having a plurality of holes extending there through in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 2 illustrate a cross-section of the carrier sheet taken along cut line 1-1 of FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 3 illustrates an example system for producing a patterned film in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-section of a carrier sheet assembly produced by the system of FIG. 3 in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 5 illustrates an example rolling assembly for rolling a carrier sheet with a film material deposited thereon in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic cross-section side view of an example system for producing a patterned film in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 7 illustrates a process flow for transferring a pattern of discrete overlay film structures on to a substrate material in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 8 illustrates an example carrier sheet with a film material deposited on a first surface of the carrier sheet and an adhesive layer on a second surface of the carrier sheet in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method of producing a patterned film and generating a pattern of discrete overlay film structures on a substrate material using the patterned film in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 10 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method of producing a patterned film in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 11 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method of generating a pattern of discrete overlay film structures on a substrate material in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 12 illustrates another example process flow for transferring a pattern of discrete overlay film structures on to a substrate material in accordance with aspects herein; FIGS. 13A-13B illustrate an example jig for use in transferring a pattern of discrete overlay film structures on to a substrate material in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 14 illustrates an example process flow for maximizing utilization of a film material when transferring a pattern of discrete overlay film structures on to a substrate material in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 15 illustrates an example process flow for imparting a texture to discrete overlay film structures on a substrate material in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 16 illustrates a transfer device configured to point transfer a pattern of discrete overlay film structures on to a substrate material in accordance with aspects herein; and FIG. 17 illustrates an example process flow that utilizes the transfer device of FIG. 17 to transfer a pattern of discrete overlay film structures on to a substrate material in accordance with aspects herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The subject matter of the present invention is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed or disclosed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, although the terms “step” and/or “block” might be used herei