Patent Application
20120102663
1. Field Of The Invention
This application relates to an adjustable last used for manufacturing footwear and a method for making different designs of footwear using the adjustable last.
2. Description Of The Related Art
Conventional lasts used for manufacturing footwear are a single integral piece of metal or plastic around which an article of footwear is constructed. Typically, a plastic last is used for manufacturing a piece of footwear that is constructed using adhesives, and a metal last is used for footwear that will undergo an autoclaving process during manufacture.
A conventional last is needed for each design, each size, and each width. As each last costs on the order of $80-100 or more, a set of lasts for a particular design is a substantial expense. Further, a custom footwear design that requires a new set of lasts will need to incorporate the costs of the entire set of lasts into the cost of the custom footwear. Accordingly, ordering a custom footwear design costs substantially more than purchasing footwear already mass-produced.
A last for manufacturing footwear and a method for manufacturing footwear with the last, where the last includes a last body, at least one insert, and at least one fastener. The last body has an outer surface corresponding to an inner surface of an article of footwear to be manufactured. The last body includes at least one aperture. The at least one insert is configured to be inserted into the at least one aperture. The at least one faster is configured to removably fasten the at least one insert into the at least one aperture.
The method of manufacturing an article of footwear of a first design and an article of footwear of a second design may include: fastening at least one insert into at least one aperture of a last body using at least one fastener; manufacturing the article of footwear of the first design around the last body; removing the article of footwear from the last body; removing the at least one insert from the at least one aperture of the last body; forming the article of footwear of the second design around the last, the article of footwear of the second design having a component located in the at least one aperture; and manufacturing the article of footwear of the second design around the last body.
A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Inserts 202 are removably fixed within apertures 201 by fasteners 203, as shown in
Apertures 201 in the exemplary embodiment are located in an ankle area of the footwear. However, apertures can be located anywhere on the last 200. Further, any number of apertures can be included in last 200, depending on the designs of footwear to be manufactured with last 200.
The inserts 202 and apertures 201 allow last 200 to be used to manufacture at least two different designs of footwear. When inserts 202 are removably fixed in apertures 201, last 200 has a smooth surface in the ankle area, as shown for example in
When inserts 202 are removed from apertures 201, apertures 201 in the ankle area are exposed. Accordingly, in this configuration, last 200 is used to manufacture a piece of footwear 400 that has some kind of insert or additional component 410 that fits into aperture 201. A top view of such a piece of footwear 400 including additional component 410 is shown in
Additional components 410 may be included to provide a closer fit to the foot, especially when manufacturing boots. This is due to the fact that boots need to provide extra room to allow a foot to slide in easily, but require a closer fit when walking to avoid discomfort. Accordingly, additional components 410 can be included in such a boot to provide such a closer fit. However, if additional component 410 is included during manufacture using a last without an aperture such as aperture 201, additional component 410 may cause a bulge in the outer surface of the final piece of footwear. Accordingly, apertures 201 are needed in the last to receive any additional components that are needed to provide a close fit. As noted previously, the present invention includes lasts having apertures 201 anywhere on the last to receive any components necessary to provide an appropriate fit for the footwear being manufactured.
In this regard, the footwear shown in both
In one embodiment, when generating a set of lasts for an entire range of sizes and widths, the aperture and insert sizes can remain the same across 3-4 shoe sizes. In another embodiment, the aperture and insert sizes can be unique for each shoe size.
Last 200 can be made of plastic or metal, as previously noted. If last 200 is made of metal, a vulcanization process can be used when manufacturing the footwear. In this case, inserts 202 and fasteners 204 may be made of metal as well.
An exemplary method using these lasts is shown in
When it is desired to make footwear in which aperture 201 is not filled in, dovetail fastener 305 is inserted in aperture 206, as shown in
Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/408,055, filed Oct. 29, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61408055 | Oct 2010 | US |
