Mold Apparatus, Mold System, And Method For Molding Sole Component of Article of Footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016354987-A1
Application number	US-201615173082-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2016
Priority date	Jun 4, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mold apparatus includes a first pivot arm having a first mold surface, a second pivot arm having a second mold surface opposing the first mold surface, and a driving cam member having a first driving cam surface configured to engage a first driven cam surface of the first arm to pivot the first arm in a first direction, and a second driving cam surface configured to engage a second driven cam surface of the second arm to pivot the second arm in a second direction opposite the first direction. The driving cam member moves between a first position, in which the first mold surface of the first arm and the second mold surface of the second arm form a continuous mold surface, and a second position, in which the first arm and the second arm are separated to enable removal of a molded element having an undercut mold surface contour.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . Mold apparatus, comprising:
a first arm, the first arm having a first pivot end, a first driven cam surface located distal from the first pivot end, and a first mold surface located between the first pivot end and the first driven cam surface; a second arm, the second arm having a second pivot end, a second driven cam surface located distal from the second pivot end, and a second mold surface located between the second pivot end and the second driven cam surface, the second mold surface of the second arm opposing the first mold surface of the first arm; and a driving cam member, the driving cam member having a first driving cam surface configured to engage the first driven cam surface of the first arm to pivot the first arm about the first pivot end of the first arm in a first direction, and a second driving cam surface configured to engage the second driven cam surface of the second arm to pivot the second arm about the second pivot end of the second arm in a second direction opposite the first direction, the driving cam member being configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein
in the first position of the driving cam member, the first driving cam surface locates the first driven cam surface of the first arm at a first cam position of the first driving cam surface and the first driven cam surface, and the second driving cam surface locates the second driven cam surface of the second arm at a first cam position of the second driving cam surface and the second driven cam surface, such that the first driven cam surface of the first arm and the second driven cam surface of the second arm are located adjacent one another and the first mold surface of the first arm and the second mold surface of the second arm form a continuous mold surface; and
in the second position of the driving cam member, the first driving cam surface locates the first driven cam surface of the first arm at a second cam position of the first driving cam surface and the first driven cam surface, and the second driving cam surface locates the second driven cam surface of the second arm at a second cam position of the second driving cam surface and the second driven cam surface, such that the first driven cam surface of the first arm and the second driven cam surface of the second arm are located remote from one another and the first mold surface of the first arm and the second mold surface of the second arm do not form a continuous mold surface.

2 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first mold surface and the second mold surface includes a surface contour configured to form a molded undercut surface feature.

3 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first mold surface includes a first surface contour configured to form a first molded undercut surface feature, and the second mold surface includes a second mold surface contour configured to form a second molded undercut surface feature.

4 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the first position of the driving cam member, a first surface contour of the first mold surface and a second surface contour of the second mold surface are configured to form a continuous molded undercut surface feature.

5 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a first surface contour of the first mold surface is a mirror image of a second surface contour of the second mold surface.

6 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first mold surface and the second mold surface includes a first surface contour configured to form a first molded undercut surface feature and a second surface contour configured to form a second molded undercut surface feature, the second molded undercut surface feature being different from the first molded undercut surface feature.

7 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first mold surface and the second mold surface includes a mold surface contour that is curved in a direction of the other one of the first mold surface and the second mold surface in a horizontal direction of the first arm and the second arm.

8 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first mold surface and the second mold surface includes a mold surface contour that is curved in a direction of the other one of the first mold surface and second mold surface in a horizontal direction of the first arm and the second arm.

9 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first mold surface and the second mold surface includes a mold surface contour that is curved in a direction of the other one of the first mold surface and the second mold surface in a vertical direction of the first arm and the second arm.

10 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first mold surface and the second mold surface includes a mold surface contour that is curved in in a direction of the other one of the first mold surface and the second mold surface in a vertical direction of the first arm and the second arm.

11 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second mold surface is substantially a mirror image configuration of the first mold surface.

12 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first mold surface is configured to form a medial peripheral side edge of a molded sole component of an article of footwear, and the second mold surface is configured to form a lateral peripheral side edge of the molded sole component of the article of footwear.

13 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first driving cam surface of the driving cam member and the first driven cam surface of the first arm comprises a recess having an S-shaped configuration, and the other one of the first driving cam surface of the driving cam member and the first driven cam surface of the first arm comprises a pin configured to follow the recess having the S-shaped configuration.

14 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the driving cam member includes a slide portion supported by a guide member, and the driving cam member moves between the first position and the second position by a sliding movement relative to the guide member.

15 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the driving cam member is configured to move in a direction substantially perpendicular to at least one of the first direction of pivot of the first arm and the second direction of pivot of the second arm.

16 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first driving cam surface and the second driving cam surface of the driving cam member is formed by a recess in the driving cam member, the recess having a generally S-shaped configuration.

17 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first driving cam surface includes a first S-shaped configuration, and the second driving cam surface includes a second S-shaped configuration, the second S-shaped configuration being a mirror image of the first S-shaped configuration.

18 . The mold apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the first position of the driving cam member, at least one of the first cam position of the first cam surface and the first cam position of the second cam surface is located at an end portion of the recess having an S-shaped configuration, the end portion of the recess having a flat configuration that extends substantially parallel to a direction of movement of the driving cam member.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Baggen Jared S

Classifications

• B29D35/0018 Primary

  Moulds · CPC title

• B29D35/122

  Soles · CPC title

• B29K2075/00

  Use of {PU, i.e.} polyureas or polyurethanes {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B29D35/148

  Moulds or apparatus therefor · CPC title

• B29K2023/083

  EVA, i.e. ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer · CPC title