Buffing system for footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12029282-B2
Application number	US-202017021748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2020
Priority date	Sep 16, 2019
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

Buffing of a footwear component allows for an alteration of the component surface to achieve an intended surface for aesthetics and/or manufacturing purposes. The buffing is performed in a system having a vision module, a sidewall buffing module, an up surface buffing module, and a down surface buffing module. Each of the buffing modules are adapted for the unique shape and sizes of a footwear component to effectively and automatically buff the footwear component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article of footwear sidewall buffing system, the system comprising:
a rotational brush with a plurality of bristles extending outwardly from a rotational axis of the rotational brush;
a footwear component holder comprising a support surface and a clamp surface;
a footwear component holder movement mechanism coupled with the footwear component holder and effective to the move a footwear component relative to the rotational brush; and
a brush rotational drive coupled with the rotational brush to rotate the rotational brush at a variable rate based on location of the rotational brush relative to the footwear component holder.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the footwear component holder rotates about a rotational axis in response to a movement from the footwear component holder movement mechanism.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the rotational axis of the footwear component holder is parallel with the rotational axis of the rotational brush.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the support surface is comprised of a first surface separated and spaced from a second surface.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a conveyance mechanism having a support element, the support element sized to fit between the first surface and the second surface of the support surface.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotational brush has a diameter between 100-180 mm.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotational brush has a diameter between 120-160 mm.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotational brush has a diameter between 140-150 mm.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bristles forming the rotational brush are comprised of a nylon composition.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the brush rotational drive is effective to rotate the rotational brush at a rotational speed of 500-3000 RPM.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the brush rotational drive is effective to rotate the rotational brush at a rotational speed of 1000-2400 RPM.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the brush rotational drive is effective to rotate the rotational brush at a rotational speed of 1400-2200 RPM.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the brush rotational drive rotates the rotational brush at a first speed at a first location relative to the footwear component holder and the brush rotational drive rotates the rotational brush at a second speed at a second location relative to the footwear component holder.

14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a brush movement mechanism effective to move the rotational brush in a movement plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotational brush.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the brush movement mechanism is a linear movement mechanism that moves the rotational brush in a linear path within the movement plane.

16. A method of buffing an article of footwear component with a footwear sidewall buffing system, the method comprising:
compressing the article of footwear component between a support surface and a clamp surface of a footwear component holder;
contacting a rotational brush with the article of footwear component at a first location;
rotating the rotational brush at a first rate at the first location;
contacting the rotational brush with the article of footwear component at a second location, wherein the first location is different from the second location;
rotating the rotational brush at a second rate at the second location; and
rotating the support surface relative to the rotational brush.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first location is a heel end or a toe end of the article of footwear component.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the second location is a midfoot region between the heel end and the toe end of the article of footwear component.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first rate is less than the second rate.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the rotational brush has a diameter defined by bristles extending from the rotational brush and wherein the rotational brush contacts the article of footwear component at the first location such that a portion of the article of footwear component extends at least 5 mm into the rotational brush diameter.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first rate and the second rate are rotational rates within a range of about 1400-2200 RPM.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
rotating the article of footwear component about an axis parallel with a rotational axis of the rotational brush; and
linearly moving the rotational brush while rotating the article of footwear component.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Chen Chun-Chieh
• Chen Yi-Min
• Lin Chia-Hung
• Wu Hsien-Kuang
• Wu Hung-Yu

Classifications

• A43D8/34

  by skiving (A43D8/48 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B24B51/00

  Arrangements for automatic control of a series of individual steps in grinding a workpiece (if applicable to other machine tools, G05B takes precedence) · CPC title

• B24B49/12

  involving optical means · CPC title

• B24B47/22

  Equipment for exact control of the position of the grinding tool or work at the start of the grinding operation · CPC title

• B24B47/12

  by mechanical gearing or electric power (B24B47/16 takes precedence) · CPC title