Method and apparatus for automatically manufacturing shoe soles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11938697-B2
Application number	US-202117397446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2021
Priority date	May 24, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

A method for automated manufacturing of shoe soles comprises the steps of: loading a transfer device with at least one outsole element and at least one supporting element, positioning the loaded transfer device adjacent a first part and a second part of a sole mold, transferring the at least one outsole element from the transfer device to the first part and transferring the at least one supporting element from the transfer device to the second part of the sole mold, filling the sole mold with a plurality of individual particles, and applying a medium to bond and/or fuse the particles with each other and with the at least one outsole element.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method for automated manufacturing of shoe soles, the method comprising:
loading a transfer device having a transfer plate with at least one outsole element and at least one supporting element, each placed on opposing sides of the transfer plate;
positioning the loaded transfer device adjacent a first part and a second part of a sole mold;
transferring the at least one outsole element from the transfer device to the first part and transferring the at least one supporting element from the transfer device to the second part of the sole mold;
filling the sole mold with a plurality of individual particles from a particle supply source at the second part of the sole mold; and
applying a medium from a first medium supply at the first part and a second medium supply at the second part of the sole mold to bond the particles with each other and with the at least one outsole element to form a shoe sole in a single step.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the loaded transfer device comprises positioning the transfer device between the first part and the second part of the sole mold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein loading the transfer device comprises: attaching the at least one outsole element to the first side of the transfer plate; rotating the transfer device; and attaching the at least one supporting element to the second side of the transfer plate opposite to the first side.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the attaching steps comprise at least one of suctioning the at least one outsole element and suctioning the at least one supporting element.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the at least one outsole element comprises placing the at least one outsole element into at least one correspondingly shaped recess provided in the first part of the mold.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the at least one supporting element comprises placing the at least one supporting element in a holding element provided in the second part of the mold.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising ejecting the shoe sole from the mold with an ejecting device integrated into a holding element for the supporting element.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of individual particles comprise expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (eTPU), expanded polyamide pellets (ePA), and/or expanded polyetherblockamide pellets (ePBA).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medium comprises steam.

Assignees

• Adidas Ag

Inventors

• Le Tru Huu Minh
• Landeck Carsten
• Holmes Christopher Edward
• Wardlaw Angus
• Kemmer Constantin
• Romanov Victor
• Dyckmans Christoph
• Fathi Amir

Classifications

• A43D1/08 Primary

  Measuring devices for shoe parts · CPC title

• B29D35/148 Primary

  Moulds or apparatus therefor · CPC title

• A43B13/00

  Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units · CPC title

• A43B13/04

  Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre · CPC title

• A43D111/006

  with special means to place the shoe or shoe part in the following machine · CPC title