This application claims priority to pending Vietnam Application Number 1-2015-01986, filed Jun. 4, 2015, entitled “Footwear Forming Device,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Apparatus and methods for forming one or more portions of an article of footwear into a condition suitable for use as footwear.
A shoe may be formed around a cobbler's last. The materials of the shoe, such as the shoe upper materials, may be manipulated to cause them to assume a desired shape, such as a toe box. The manipulation may be done by hand in a laborious process that can cause fatigue to a worker performing the manipulation.
Aspects of the present invention relate to forming a portion of an article of footwear using an adjustable width roller. The roller may adjust to a particular portion of an article or it may adjust to a known dimension of the article, in aspects. The roller may then roll across a portion of the article to apply a compressive force that forms or shapes the article. The forming/shaping may be enhanced by an application of vibrational energy, thermal energy (e.g., heat), and/or steam to the article. The roller may be moved by a robotic mechanism with a programmed or sensed tool path, in an exemplary aspect.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Illustrative aspects are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated by reference herein and wherein:
The subject matter of embodiments 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 patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed 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.
Aspects hereof relate to forming a portion of an article of footwear using an adjustable width roller. The roller may adjust to a particular portion of an article or it may adjust to a known dimension of the article, in aspects. The roller may then roll across a portion of the article to apply a compressive force that forms or shapes the article. The forming/shaping may be enhanced by an application of vibrational energy, thermal energy, and/or steam to the article. The roller may be moved by a robotic mechanism with a programmed or sensed tool path, in an exemplary aspect.
Accordingly, in one aspect, an article of footwear manufacturing system is provided having an adjustable width roller. The roller is comprised of a male roller portion that is slidable into a female roller portion of the roller. The male roller portion is comprised of a roller body and a male flange such that the roller body has a smaller diameter than the male flange. The female roller portion is comprised of female flange and a cylindrical receiving portion that is recessed into the female roller portion from the female flange. The female flange has a greater diameter than a diameter of the receiving portion. The roller body is slidable into the receiving portion. The male roller portion and the female roller portion are axially aligned. Aspects also contemplated a vibration device that is effective to generate vibrational energy that is transmitted from the roller to an article of footwear portion.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of rolling an article of footwear component with a manufacturing system. The method includes positioning an article of footwear on an article holder of a manufacturing system. The method also includes positioning a roller at a first location on the article of footwear portion and adjusting a distance between a female flange and a male flange of the roller such that a roller body extending between the male flange and the female flange contacts the article of footwear portion at the first location. The method also includes rolling the roller on the article of footwear from the first location to the second location, wherein the roller contact the article of footwear portion as the roller traverses from the first location to the second location. Aspects also contemplate applying vibrational energy to the article of footwear portion. Additionally, it is contemplated that thermal energy and/or steam may be applied by or in conjunction with the roller assembly to aid in the forming/shaping of the article of footwear portion.
Having briefly described an overview of embodiments of the present invention, an exemplary operating environment suitable for implementing embodiments hereof is described below.
Article of footwear may include shoes, boots, sandals, and the like. The term “shoe” will be used herein to generically reference an articles of footwear. It is understood that the term “shoe” is not limited to a traditional style of a shoe, but instead may include a boot, sandal, running shoe, cleat, and other article of footwear. Generally, a shoe is comprised of a ground-contacting portion, which may be referred to as a sole. The sole may be formed from a variety of materials and/or a variety of individual components. For example, a sole may comprise an outsole, a midsole, and/or and insole, as is known in the art. The shoe may also be comprised of a foot-securing portion that is effective to secure a user's foot to the sole. The foot-securing portion may be referred to as a shoe upper, or “upper” for short herein. An upper may be formed from one or more materials and/or one or more individual components. For example, an upper may be formed from a plurality of individual portions that are coupled together through adhesive, stitching, fusing, welding, and the like. Alternatively, the upper may be formed as a unitary member from a common manufacturing process, such as knitting and/or weaving. Other techniques are contemplated for forming an upper and are applicable to the concepts provided herein.
Regardless of the materials or techniques for forming the upper and/or sole, additional shaping and forming may be used to obtain a desired three-dimensional shape. Traditionally, a tooling known as a cobbler's last serves as a shape about which a shoe may be formed to a desired size, shape, and construction. As used herein, the term “last” will reference a form about which an upper may be formed. In some aspects, a sole may be coupled (e.g., adhered, stitched) to the upper as the upper is lasted (i.e., having the last positioned in an interior volume of the upper). The last may define the contours, shape, style, and other characteristics of a resulting shoe.
It is contemplated that one or more portions of a shoe, such as an upper, are physically manipulated with pressure to conform to an underlying last. In addition to pressure, it is contemplated that heat and/or moisture (e.g., steam) may be applied to the shoe portion to further aid in the shaping and forming process. The application of pressure may eliminate wrinkles, creases, and other unintended characteristics of the shoe portion as the shoe portion is formed into a desired configuration. As will be provided herein, it is contemplated that a roller may be effective to apply pressure to a shoe portion to form and cure unintended characteristics of the shoe portion. It is further contemplated that the roller may be heated or have steam associated therewith to further aid in the process in exemplary aspects.
With reference to
A roller portion of the roller assembly 100 includes the male roller portion 112 and the female roller portion 114. The roller may be formed from any suitable material, such as metal, ceramics, and/or polymers. The male roller portion 112 is comprised of the co-axially aligned roller body 110 and the male flange 108. The roller body 110 has a first diameter that is less than the diameter of the male flange 108. This difference in diameter will be demonstrated in
The female roller portion 114 is comprised of the female flange 116 and the coaxially aligned receiving portion 120 that is depicted as a cylindrical recess into the female roller portion 114. A side wall extending from the female flange surface to the recessed surface of the receiving portion 120 is the female lip 118. The depth of the receiving portion 120 into the female roller portion 114 may be defined by the distance the female lip 118 extends into the female roller portion 114 from the female flange 116 surface. Like the male flange 108, it is contemplated that the female flange 116 engages with and contacts the shoe portion to adjust the slideable interaction of the female roller portion 114 and the male roller portion 112. Further, it is contemplated that the female flange 116 provides a compressive force on the shoe portion to aid in the forming and shaping of the shoe portion. The outside diameter of the female flange 116, in an aspect, is within a range of 30 to 120 millimeters. Further, it is contemplated that the male flange 108 may have a diameter equal to or less than the female flange 116.
The receiving portion 120 of the female flange has a diameter that is equal to or great than the diameter of the roller body 110 at a location of the roller body 110 intended to be received in the receiving portion 120. As such the female roller portion 114 and the male roller portion 112 are slidably engageable such that the roller body 110 extends into the receiving portion 120, as depicted in the
The receiving portion 120 extending inwardly from the female flange 116 allows for the female flange to provide a contacting surface against a shoe portion regardless of an amount of interaction between the roller body 110 and the receiving portion 120. Therefore, as the shoe portion changes, the last is changed, and/or the angle of approach of the roller to the shoe portion, the roller may adjust in width to provide contact between the roller body 110 and the shoe portion, in exemplary aspects. Further, the variable width of the roller allows for the male flange 108 and the female flange 116 to engage with the shoe portion, in exemplary aspects, regardless of if the shoe portion changes, the last is changed, and/or the angle of approach of the roller to the shoe portion is altered.
The male support arm 106 extends from the mounting structure 102 and is effective to support the male roller portion 112. The female support arm 122 extends from the mounting structure 102 and is effective to support the female roller portion 114. While the male support arm 106, the female support arm 122, and the mounting structure 102 are depicted as having a particular configuration, shape, and dimension, it should be understood that any configuration, shape, and dimension may be implemented that allows for aspects contemplated herein to be achieved. For example, the lengths width, and coupling locations of the various components may be altered from the merely illustrative forms presented herein.
It is contemplated that the width of the roller may be adjusted by moving the male support arm 106 and/or the female support arm 122 relative to the mounting structure 102.
The adjustment of the width of the roller may be accomplished by active or passive mechanisms. For example, it is contemplated that one or more actuators may be engaged to move one or more of a support arm and/or a roller portion to adjust a width. It is also contemplated that a biasing mechanism, such as a spring, resists a widening of the roller such that an engagement between the roller and the shoe portion causes the roller width to expand against the force of the biasing mechanism as the flanges interact with surfaces of the shoe portion, in an exemplary aspect. Stated differently, it is contemplated that the shoe portion interacts with the male flange 108 and the female flange 116 to cause the roller body 110 to slide relative to the receiving portion 120 allowing for an expansion of the roller width, in an exemplary aspect.
In addition to adjusting the width of the roller by changing a slideable engagement between roller portions, it is also contemplated that the roller portions themselves may be adjusted and/or changed. For example, based on a shoe style, size, and or shape, alternative roller portions may be used to achieve a desired interaction between the roller and the shoe(s). Specifically, it is contemplated that a first male roller portion and a first female roller portion are used for a first article of footwear, and a second male roller portion and a second female roller portion are used for a different second article of footwear. If, for example, the second article of footwear is smaller than the first article of footwear, the second female and/or male roller portions may have a smaller outside diameter than the first female/male roller portions. Additionally, it is contemplated that different radius may be implemented extending from a roller body to a flange so accommodate a different shaped toe box or other region of a shoe to be manipulated by the roller. As such, it is contemplated that two or more rollers (e.g., combination of male and female portions) may be used on a common assembly to serve different footwear, in an exemplary aspect.
Turning to
Returning to
The vibration device 104 may be based on any mechanism effective for generating a vibrational energy. For example, a pneumatic powered vibration device is contemplated. Additionally and/or alternatively, an electrically powered vibrational device is contemplated. As provided above, the vibrational energy of the vibration device 104 may aid in the forming and shaping of the shoe portion. In an aspect, as the shoe portion, which may be multiple layer of material is to be formed around the toe box region of the shoe, the vibration of the roller as the roller traverses across to toe region smooths (e.g., limits wrinkles, puckers, and creases) and conforms the materials to an underlying last.
The mounting structure 102 is effective to couple the roller with one or more movement mechanisms, as will be depicted in
As depicted, a line 512 between the first location 510 and the second location 508 may be referred to as a ball line. The ball line extends through a shoe between a medial apex of the medial side and a lateral apex of the lateral side of the shoe. It is contemplated that the forming of an upper about a last may be accomplished by the roller assembly at least across the toe and to the line 512, in an exemplary aspect. While the first location 510 and the second location 508 are illustrated, it is contemplated that the locations may be anywhere on the shoe, in exemplary aspects.
Position 500 of
The tool path for the roller assembly to traverse may be programmed and controlled by a movement mechanism as will be discussed hereinafter. Further, it is contemplated that one or more sensors may be used to control or guide the tool path based on a desired compressive force to be applied to the shoe portion. Regardless, it is contemplated that a movement mechanism may move the roller assembly.
At a block 1004, a roller is positioned at a first location of the shoe portion. The positioning of the roller may be accomplished by a movement mechanism controlled by a computer. The roller may be placed in contact with the shoe portion such that one or more portions of the roller provide a compressive force against the shoe portion.
At a block 1006, a width of the roller is adjusted. The adjustment may be controlled by one or more actuators based on a detected or known width associated with the shoe portion. Alternatively or additionally, the width may be determined by the shoe portion expanding a biased width of the roller such that the width is a passive adjustment. The width may be measured as a distance between a male flange and a female flange of the roller. Further, the width may be measured based on a length of a male portion extending into a recessed portion of a female roller portion, in an exemplary aspect.
At a block 1008, the roller rolls along the shoe portion as the roller traverses from the first location to a second location on the shoe portion. As the roller rolls, a compressive force is applied to the shoe portion by way of contact through the roller with the shoe portion. This compression provides a force that extends from the exterior of the shoe portion where the roller contact occurs toward an interior of the shoe portion. The compressive force may be resisted by a last contained therein. The rolling of the roller may be a powered movement of the rollers, such as a motor-assisted rotation. Alternatively, the rolling of the roller may be in response to the movement of the roller assembly and frictional engagement with the shoe portion causing a free-spinning movement of the roller. It is contemplated that vibrational energy may be transmitted from the roller to the shoe portion as the roller rolls across the shoe portion. Further, it is contemplated that steam or other thermal energy may be applied to the shoe portion before or during the rolling of the roller across the shoe portion.
Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention.
It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in the specific order described.
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