Generation of tool paths for shore assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10552551-B2
Application number	US-201314084365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2013
Priority date	Nov 18, 2011
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A tool path for treating a shoe upper may be generated to treat substantially only the surface of the shoe bounded by a bite line. The bite line may be defined to correspond to the junction of the shoe upper and a shoe bottom unit. Bite line data and three-dimensional profile data representing at least a portion of a surface of a shoe upper bounded by a bite line may be utilized in combination to generate a tool path for processing the surface of the upper, such as automated application of adhesive to the surface of a lasted upper bounded by a bite line.

First claim

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A system for generating a tool path used by a shoe-processing tool for processing a partially assembled article of footwear during a footwear manufacturing process, the system comprising:
a bite line scanning system that detects bite line data representing a location of a bite line on a shoe upper that defines an interface between the shoe upper and a corresponding bottom unit that is formed upon assembly of the shoe upper and the corresponding bottom unit;
a three-dimensional (3D) scanning system that detects light reflected off of part of a portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly to thereby obtain 3D profile data for the part of the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit; and
a computing system in communication with the bite line scanning system, the 3D scanning system, and the shoe-processing tool, the computing system generating the tool path using a combination of the 3D profile data and the bite line data, the generating comprising interpolating and/or extrapolating supplemental 3D profile data from the combination of the bite line data and the 3D profile data which represents one or more areas of the portion of the shoe upper absent from the 3D profile data captured by the 3D scanning system and using the supplemental 3D profile data in combination with the 3D profile data from the 3D scanning system to generate the tool path,
the generated tool path useable by the shoe-processing tool for applying a manufacturing process to the shoe upper within an area enclosed by the bite line that defines the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bite line scanning system includes a marking mechanism for marking physical indicia on the shoe upper at the bite line.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the marking mechanism marks the physical indicia utilizing a conditionally visible marking agent.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the conditionally visible marking agent is one of a marking agent responsive to the UltraViolet light spectrum and a marking agent responsive to the InfraRed light spectrum.

5. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a vision system that renders the conditionally visible marking agent visible.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the vision system comprises:
a light source that projects light across at least a portion of the marked bite line at an angle non-parallel to the marked bite line;
a first camera that records a first plurality of images representing a plurality of points at which the light intersects with the marked bite line; and
a second camera that records a second plurality of images representing the plurality of points at which the light intersects with the marked bite line,
wherein the computing system processes the first and second plurality of images to generate the bite line data.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the bite line scanning system includes a digital stylus system that digitally records the location of the bite line to generate the bite line data.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the 3D scanning system includes at least one camera that records a plurality of images representing the light reflected off of the part of the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe upper and the corresponding bottom unit.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the 3D scanning system further comprises:
a first camera that records a first series of images representing the reflection of the light off of the part of the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe upper and the corresponding bottom unit; and
a second camera that records a second series of images representing the reflection of the light off of the part of the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe upper and the corresponding bottom unit,
wherein the computing system processes the first and second series of images to create x y z information of a position of the part of the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe upper and the corresponding bottom unit, the x y z information comprising the 3D profile data captured by the 3D scanning system.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a movement mechanism that moves the at least one camera around at least the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe upper and the corresponding bottom unit while the at least one camera records the plurality of images.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the movement mechanism rotates the at least one camera in a substantially circular fashion around at least the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe upper and the corresponding bottom unit.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the movement mechanism rotates the at least one camera in a substantially elliptical fashion around at least the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe upper and the corresponding bottom unit.

13. A computer-implemented method for generating a tool path used by a shoe-processing tool for processing a partially assembled article of footwear during a footwear manufacturing process, the method comprising:
collecting bite line data using a bite line scanning system, the bite line data representing a location of a bite line on a shoe upper that defines an interface between the shoe upper and a corresponding bottom unit that is formed upon assembly of the shoe upper and the corresponding bottom unit;
collecting three-dimensional (3D) profile data using a 3D scanning system that detects light reflected off of part of a portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly to thereby obtain 3D profile data for the part of the portion of the shoe upper;
and
generating, using a computing system in communication with the bite line scanning system, the 3D scanning system, and the shoe-processing tool, a tool path from a combination of the 3D profile data and the bite line data, the generating comprising interpolating and/or extrapolating supplemental 3D profile data from the combination of the bite line data and the 3D profile data which represents one or more areas of the portion of the shoe upper absent from the 3D profile data captured by the 3D scanning system and using the supplemental 3D profile data in combination with the 3D profile data from the 3D scanning system to generate the tool path,
the generated tool path useable by the shoe-processing tool for applying a manufacturing process to an area of the shoe upper enclosed by the bite line that defines the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein collecting the bite line data comprises:
retaining the shoe upper against a representation of the corresponding bottom unit with a predetermined amount of force such that the representation of the corresponding bottom unit covers the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe upper and the corresponding bottom unit;
marking an interface between the shoe upper and the representation of the corresponding bottom unit, the interface defining a first portion and a second portion of the shoe upper, the fi

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Regan Patrick Conall
• Jurkovic Dragan
• Chang Chih-Chi
• Jean Ming-Feng

Classifications

• A43D1/08

  Measuring devices for shoe parts · CPC title

• A43D8/00

  Machines for cutting, ornamenting, marking or otherwise working up shoe part blanks (pulling-over or lasting A43D9/00 - A43D23/00; making or fastening soles, heels or welts A43D25/00 - A43D83/00) · CPC title

• G06F30/00

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title

• B25J9/1684

  Tracking a line or surface by means of sensors · CPC title

• A43D25/06

  Devices for gluing soles on shoe bottoms (A43D25/18, A43D25/20 take precedence) · CPC title