Components for articles and methods of making components from embroidered beads

Abstract

Beads may be stitched to a substrate layer and then fused to form structures including foam midsoles, foam pads, and other foam structures. Beads may be embroidered to multiple substrate layers and then folded or stacked together to form a preform used in a mold to form a midsole.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An article of apparel, comprising:
 a substrate layer;   a plurality of fused beads attached to the substrate layer;   the plurality of fused beads including a first set of fused beads and a second set of beads arranged in a pattern, wherein each fused bead of the first set of fused beads is substantially similar to each other and wherein each fused bead of the second set of fused beads is substantially similar to each other;   wherein the plurality of fused beads are fused together and form a unitary structure; and   wherein the first set of fused beads and the second set of fused beads have different structural properties.   
     
     
         22 . The article of apparel according to  claim 21 , wherein the article of apparel comprises a first region of fused beads secured to the substrate layer and a second region of fused beads sewn to the substrate layer; and
 wherein a density of the first region of fused beads is different from the density of the second region of fused beads.   
     
     
         23 . The article of apparel according to  claim 22 , wherein the first region of fused beads is disposed along a perimeter of the article of apparel, wherein the second region of fused beads is disposed inwardly of the first region of fused beads, and wherein the first region of fused beads is denser than the second region of fused beads. 
     
     
         24 . The article of apparel according to  claim 22 , wherein the beads in the first region of fused beads are arranged end-to-end, wherein the beads in the second region of fused beads are arranged end-to-end, and wherein the first region of fused beads is continuous with the second region of fused beads. 
     
     
         25 . The article of apparel according to  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of fused beads are arranged on the substrate later in a pattern based on custom input information, and wherein the pattern comprises a line, a curve, an oval, a letter a number or a symbol. 
     
     
         26 . The article of apparel according to  claim 25 , wherein the article of apparel is a midsole and the custom input information is a pressure map of a user's foot. 
     
     
         27 . The article of apparel according to  claim 25 , wherein the first set of fused beads and the second set of fused beads are selected based on a cushioning profile associated with the custom input information. 
     
     
         28 . The article of apparel according to  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of fused beads form a customized midsole that is customized at a voxel level corresponding to a single fused bead. 
     
     
         29 . An article of apparel, comprising:
 a plurality of fused beads including a first layer of fused beads and a second layer of fused beads, the first layer of fused beads arranged in a first pattern and secured to a first substrate layer, and the second layer of fused beads arranged in a second pattern and secured to a second substrate layer separate from the first substrate layer;   wherein the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer are disposed in a stacked arrangement such that the second layer of fused beads secured to the second substrate layer is disposed above the first layer of fused beads secured to the first substrate layer; and   wherein the first layer of fused beads and the second layer of fused beads form a unified sole member.   
     
     
         30 . The article of apparel according to  claim 29 , wherein the first layer of fused beads includes at least one fused bead of a first type and at least one fused bead of a second type;
 wherein the second layer of fused beads includes at least one fused bead of the first type and at least one fused bead of the second type; and   wherein the first type of fused bead and the second type of fused bead have different structural properties.   
     
     
         31 . The article of apparel according to  claim 30 , wherein the article of apparel is a sole member, and wherein the at least one fused bead of the first type of the first layer and the at least one fused bead of the first type of the second layer are located in a first region of the sole member. 
     
     
         32 . The article of apparel according to  claim 31 , wherein the at least one fused bead of the second type of the first layer and the at least one fused bead of the second type of the second layer are located in a second region of the sole member, wherein the second region is different than the first region. 
     
     
         33 . The article of apparel according to  claim 32 , wherein the first type of fused bead and the second type of fused bead are selected based on custom input information associated with a user's foot. 
     
     
         34 . The article of apparel according to  claim 32 , wherein the first region is disposed along an outer perimeter of the sole member;
 wherein the second region is disposed inwardly of the first region; and   wherein the first type of fused bead is denser than the second type of fused bead.   
     
     
         35 . The article of apparel according to  claim 29 , wherein at least one of the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer comprises a mesh; and
 wherein the mesh provides reinforcement to the unified sole member.   
     
     
         36 . A gradated footwear component, comprising:
 a first plurality of fused beads arranged in a first bead pattern and secured to a substrate layer in a first region of the gradated footwear component; and   a second plurality of fused beads arranged in a second bead pattern and secured to the substrate layer n a second region of the gradated footwear component; and   wherein the first plurality of fused beads and the second plurality of fused beads are fused together and form the gradated footwear component as a unitary structure such that at least one property of the gradated footwear component caries between the first region and the second region.   
     
     
         37 . The gradated footwear component of  claim 36 , wherein the at least one property of the gradated footwear component is associated with cushioning; and
 wherein the first bead pattern is associated with a first thickness in the first region; and   wherein the second bead pattern is associated with a second thickness in the second region, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness.   
     
     
         38 . The gradated footwear component of  claim 37 , wherein the first bead pattern includes a first number of layers of the first plurality of fused beads and the second bead pattern includes a second number of layers of the second plurality of fused beads, the second number being greater than the first number. 
     
     
         39 . The gradated footwear component of  claim 37 , wherein the first plurality of fused beads includes a first type of bead and the second plurality of fused beads includes a second type of bead; and
 wherein the second type of bead has a greater expansion size than the first type of bead.   
     
     
         40 . The gradated footwear component of  claim 37 , wherein the first bead pattern and the second bead pattern are selected based on a cushioning profile associated with custom input information of a user's foot.