Nike patents ink that changes thickness to print on fabric
Nike describes a method for printing designs on materials using a special ink that acts like a thick paste until squeezed through a nozzle. The ink contains polyurethane and other chemicals that thin out when pushed, allowing it to spray as small dots that stick to the surface.
In the filing’s own words
A method for applying printed elements to a substrate includes loading material into a jetting device. The material forms a print media mixture including at least: a polyurethane material, water, a cross-linker material, a rheological modifier, and an alcohol, and it forms a non-Newtonian fluid. The method includes applying shear force to the print media mixture and ejecting a series of discrete volumes of the print media mixture from a nozzle of the jetting device as a series of separated print media material dots. The shear force causes a reduction in viscosity of the print media mixture so the print media material dots move through the nozzle. A surface of the substrate receives the print media material dots ejected from the nozzle. The print media material dots adhere to mechanically fix and/or to bond with the surface of the substrate and/or previously deposited print media material on the surface.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method, comprising: loading material into a jetting device, the material forming a print media mixture including at least: a polyurethane material, water, a cross-linker material, a rheological modifier, and an alcohol, wherein the print media mixture forms a non-Newtonian fluid; applying shear force to the print media mixture and ejecting a series of discrete volumes of the print media mixture from a nozzle of the jetting device as a series of separated print media material dots, wherein the shear force causes a reduction in viscosity of the print media mixture to facilitate movement of the print media material dots through the nozzle; and placing a surface of a substrate at a location to receive the series of separated print media material dots ejected from the nozzle, wherein the print media material dots adhere to mechanically fix with and/or to bond with at least one of the surface of the substrate and previously deposited print media material on the surface to form an overlay material located on the surface of the substrate.
Facts
- Company
- Nike (NIKE, Inc.)
- Official title
- Textile Components and/or Other Articles Including Printed Structures, Methods of Making These Articles, and Products Including Such Articles
- Publication number
- US20260258264A1
- Application number
- 19555246
- Filed
- Mar 3, 2026
- Published
- Sep 3, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 25
Classified under
C09D 11/30 Chemistry & metalsC09D 11/102 Chemistry & metalsD06P 1/525 Textiles & paperD06P 1/5285 Textiles & paperD06P 1/54 Textiles & paperD06P 5/30 Textiles & paperMore from Nike in Materials & manufacturing
- Nike patents laser-bonded fabric that resists pilling Oct 13, 2026
- Nike patents method for printing on uneven fabric surfaces Sep 3, 2026
- Nike patents screen-printing method for textured shoe uppers Sep 3, 2026
- Nike patents layered printing method for textured textile components Sep 3, 2026
- Nike patents new way to make shoe soles using molds and suction Sep 17, 2026
Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.