Buffing system for footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12161199-B2
Application number	US-202218076707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2022
Priority date	Sep 16, 2019
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 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 down surface buffing system, the system comprising:
a rotational brush with a plurality of bristles extending outwardly from a rotational axis of the rotational brush, the rotational brush rotates in a first direction and in a second direction based on location of the rotational brush relative to the article of footwear;
a footwear component holder comprised of a plurality of rollers forming a support plane, wherein each of the plurality of rollers have a rotational axis parallel with the rotational axis of the rotational brush and the rotational axis of the rotational brush is positioned on a first side of the support plane and a portion of the plurality of bristles extending to a second side of the support plane; and
a compression member positioned on the second side of the support plane, the compression member configured to move in a movement plane that is parallel to the support plane.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a compression member movement mechanism is effective to move the compression member in the movement plane parallel to the support plane.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the compression member movement mechanism also moves the compression member in a linear direction perpendicular to the support plane.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compression member applies 2 to 3 kilograms per cubic centimeter of pressure to the rotational brush through an article of footwear component.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a brush rotational drive rotates the rotational brush in the first direction for more than 50% of a compression plate length in a material flow direction.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a brush rotational drive rotates the rotational brush in the first direction for more than 75% of a compression plate length in a material flow direction.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotational brush has a diameter of 100 to 180 mm.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotational brush has a diameter of 120 to 160 mm.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotational brush has a diameter of 140 to 150 mm.

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

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

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

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

14. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of rollers rotates in a first direction.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of rollers rotate in the first direction that is opposite of a rotational direction of the rotational brush.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of rollers rotate in the first direction while the rotational brush rotates in both the first direction and the second direction.

17. A method of buffing an article of footwear component with a footwear down surface buffing system, the method comprising:
compressing the article of footwear component with a compression member and against a footwear component holder comprised of a plurality of rollers forming a support plane, wherein each of the plurality of rollers have a rotational axis parallel with the rotational axis of a rotational brush and the rotational axis of the rotational brush positioned on a first side of the support plane and a portion of a plurality of bristles of the rotational brush extending to a second side of the support plane, wherein the compression member is configured to move in a movement plane that is parallel to the support plane;
contacting the rotational brush with the article of footwear component at a first location;
rotating the rotational brush in a first direction at the first location;
conveying the article of footwear component in a first direction across the rotational brush from the first location to a second location; and
rotating the rotational brush in a second direction at the second location.

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

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the second location is a heel end of the article of footwear component.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the rotational brush rotates in the first direction for at least 75% a length of the article of footwear component in a longitudinal direction of the article of footwear component.

21. The method of claim 17 , 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.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein the rotational brush rotates at a rotational rate within a range of 1400 to 2200 RPM at the first location.

23. The method of claim 17 , wherein the rotational brush applies 2 to 3 kilograms per cubic centimeter of pressure to 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