Patent Application
20190307211
Example embodiments and methods include press molds, or presses, usable to pressure bond, or press bond, articles like shoes. One or more press chambers in the presses can maintain a relative pressurization or suction to perform the press bonding. The press chambers may be shaped like the shoes, but larger, to house the same; that is, the press chambers may have an inner surface that substantially matches the elongated, flat L-shape of a human foot at a distance. An elastic press membrane lines each press chamber in a matching but smaller shape such that when a press chamber is suctioned, the press membrane may uniformly seat to the press chamber, and when the press chamber is pressurized, the press membrane may uniformly compress against the shoe. This may provide even compression that bonds various parts of the shoe through an adhesive or other pressure-activated joining. When neither compressed nor suctioned, the elastic press membrane may hang or be positioned apart from the press chamber walls but partially compressed against the shoe inside. Suction, and even vacuum, as well as compression, may be achieved with a pressure source and optional valve feeding in to the press chambers.
The press membrane has an opening for inserting the shoes that opens and closes with suction and pressurization. This may be the only opening in the membrane that is otherwise sealed in the press chamber. When open, a shoe may be placed in the fitting membrane by snaking or reorienting the shoe into the membrane. Because of the same shape between the membrane and shoe, the shoe cannot be forcefully dropped or thrown into the membrane but must be oriented along the same L-shape. The membrane may be formed of a rubber or other resilient elastic material, and the press chamber may be formed from a less malleable material to hold the pressure or vacuum, such as a machined aluminum or other rigid material. The shoe or other footwear article may be any material(s) the bonds under pressure, including leather, rubber, foam, fabric, glues, etc. for various portions of the shoe.
Example embodiments will become more apparent by describing, in detail, the attached drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference numerals, which are given by way of illustration only and thus do not limit the terms which they depict.
Because this is a patent document, general, broad rules of construction should be applied when reading it. Everything described and shown in this document is an example of subject matter falling within the scope of the claims, appended below. Any specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely for purposes of describing how to make and use examples. Several different embodiments and methods not specifically disclosed herein may fall within the claim scope; as such, the claims may be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only examples set forth herein.
It will be understood that, although the ordinal terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited to any order by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another; where there are “second” or higher ordinals, there merely must be that many number of elements, without necessarily any difference or other relationship. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments or methods. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The use of “etc.” is defined as “et cetera” and indicates the inclusion of all other elements belonging to the same group of the preceding items, in any “and/or” combination(s).
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected,” “coupled,” “mated,” “attached,” “fixed,” etc. to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected,” “directly coupled,” etc. to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). Similarly, a term such as “communicatively connected” includes all variations of information exchange and routing between two electronic devices, including intermediary devices, networks, etc., connected wirelessly or not.
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and the are intended to include both the singular and plural forms, unless the language explicitly indicates otherwise. Indefinite articles like “a” and “an” introduce or refer to any modified term, both previously-introduced and not, while definite articles like “the” refer to the same previously-introduced term. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, characteristics, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not themselves preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, characteristics, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The structures and operations discussed below may occur out of the order described and/or noted in the figures. For example, two operations and/or figures shown in succession may in fact be executed concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. Similarly, individual operations within example methods described below may be executed repetitively, individually or sequentially, to provide looping or other series of operations aside from single operations described below. It should be presumed that any embodiment or method having features and functionality described below, in any workable combination, falls within the scope of example embodiments.
The Inventor has newly recognized that related art pneumatic presses have not evolved for future needs in connection with pressing soles and other articles. As seen in
The Inventor has further recognized that the vacuum created by nozzle 9 to draw an opening of membrane 2/4 for inserting shoe 7 inside requires membrane 2/4 to be thinner and even more elastic to create the opening under a vacuum. If a size of membrane 2/4 is increased to reduce this increased elasticity requirement and making it large enough to be hold shoe 7, this creates another problem of excess rubber that causes pockets of retained air in membrane 2/4, which can be seen in
The present invention is press molds and methods of operating the same. In contrast to the present invention, the few examples discussed below illustrate just a subset of the variety of different configurations that can be used as and/or in connection with the present invention.
Press membrane 202 may include straight lines, rays, and/or proportional construction that provide a shape matching an article to be placed therein, for example as seen in
As shown in
Example embodiments and methods thus being described, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that example embodiments may be varied and substituted through routine experimentation while still falling within the scope of the following claims. For example, although a sneaker-type show with relatively thick sole, low ankle, and lace-up front is used throughout the figures, it is understood that different footwear with matching chamber and membrane shapes are usable in example embodiments—and fall within the scope of the claims. Such variations are not to be regarded as departure from the scope of these claims.
