Footwear fabrication by composite filament 3d printing

Abstract

A footwear insole shape is generated by supplying a core reinforced filament having a matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the filament, as well as a fill material separately from the core reinforced filament and depositing at least one shell of fill material within an insole shape upon a print bed. The core reinforced filament is deposited to fuse to the fill material within a first reinforcing region formed with respect to the insole shape. A cutter upstream of the nozzle tip cuts the core reinforced filament, and a remainder of the core reinforced filament is deposited to complete the first reinforcing region. A nozzle tip applies pressure to continuously compact the core reinforced filament toward the insole shape as the core reinforced filament is fused to the fill material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of reinforcing a footwear insole shape, comprising:
 supplying a core reinforced filament having a matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the filament;   supplying a fill material separately from the core reinforced filament;   depositing at least one shell of fill material within an insole shape upon a print bed;   depositing the core reinforced filament to fuse to the fill material within a first reinforcing region formed with respect to the insole shape;   actuating a cutter upstream of the nozzle tip to cut the core reinforced filament;   depositing a remainder of the core reinforced filament to complete the first reinforcing region; and   applying pressure with a nozzle tip to continuously compact the core reinforced filament toward the insole shape as the core reinforced filament is fused to the fill material.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing strands are formed from a continuous elongated fiber material having an elastic modulus more than ten times that of the fill material of the insole shape. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first reinforcing region is deposited to stiffen a medial rearfoot side of the insole shape. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the first reinforcing region is deposited one of beside a lateral rearfoot skive or below an upward extension of a medial rearfoot border. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first reinforcing region is deposited to stiffen a lateral rearfoot side of the insole shape. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the first reinforcing region is deposited one of beside a medial rearfoot skive or below an upward extension of a lateral rearfoot border. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first reinforcing region is deposited to form a sandwich panel in which a lower fiber reinforced shell is separated from an upper fiber reinforced shell by at least ⅛ inch. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first reinforcing region is deposited with a plurality of fiber swath segments extending in a common fiber direction to form a first anisotropic reinforcement region having at least one material property oriented in a first direction. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising, after the cutting, depositing the core reinforced filament to fuse to the fill material to form a second anisotropic reinforcement region having at least one material property oriented in a second direction different from the first direction. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first reinforcing region is deposited in successive shells that vary evenly in fiber direction to form a substantially isotropic reinforcement region having at least one substantially evenly distributed material property. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first reinforcing region is deposited in successive shells that vary in fiber direction to form a quasi-isotropic rock plate that resists penetration of piercing obstacles. 
     
     
         12 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an insole shape including:
 at least one shell of deposited fill material; and 
 a first reinforcing region including at least one shell embedding a core reinforced filament continuously compacted under pressure toward the insole shape and fused to the deposited fill material. 
   
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear according to  claim 12 , wherein the core reinforced filament comprises a matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the filament, and wherein the reinforcing strands are formed from a continuous elongated fiber material having an elastic modulus more than ten (10) times that of the fill material of the insole shape. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear according to  claim 13 , wherein the first reinforcing region is deposited to stiffen one of a lateral or medial side of the footwear insole shape. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear according to  claim 12 , wherein the first reinforcing region forms a sandwich panel in which a lower fiber reinforced layer is separated from an upper fiber reinforced layer by at least ⅛ inch. 
     
     
         16 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper shape including:
 at least one shell of deposited fill material; and 
 a first reinforcing region including at least one shell embedding a core reinforced filament continuously compacted under pressure toward the upper shape and fused to the deposited fill material. 
   
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear according to  claim 16 , wherein the core reinforced filament comprises a matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the filament, and wherein the reinforcing strands are formed from a continuous elongated fiber material having an elastic modulus more than ten (10) times that of the fill material of the upper shape. 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear according to  claim 16 , wherein the first reinforcing region loops and reinforces lace apertures on one of a lateral or medial side of the upper shape. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear according to  claim 16 , wherein the first reinforcing region loops from a lace aperture to the perimeter of the upper, follows the perimeter of the upper for at least one quarter of the sole length, and returns to loop a second lace aperture.