Portable manufacturing system for articles of footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018014609-A1
Application number	US-201715691049-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 10, 2014
Publication date	Jan 18, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A portable manufacturing system includes an additive manufacturing device and a braiding device. The system also includes systems for capturing customized foot information from a foot. The additive manufacturing device can be used to form a footwear last having a geometry corresponding to the customized foot information. The footwear last can be placed through the braiding device to form a braided component for an article of footwear. A welding device can be used to attach overlay components to the braided component. Sole components may be separately formed and attached to the braided component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A portable manufacturing system, comprising:
a portable housing defining and interior and including a towing system, wherein the towing system is configured to be attached to a towing vehicle so that the portable housing can be towed by the towing vehicle; an additive manufacturing device disposed within the interior of the portable housing; and a braiding device disposed within the interior of the portable housing, wherein the additive manufacturing device is configured to form a footwear last and wherein the braiding device is configured to form a braided footwear component on the footwear last.

2 . The portable manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein the portable housing is a semi-trailer.

3 . The portable manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein the portable housing is a shipping container.

4 . The portable manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein the portable manufacturing system further includes a sensing device, the sensing device being configured to capture customized foot information from a foot, and wherein the sensing device is disposed within the interior of the portable housing.

5 . The portable manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein the portable manufacturing system further includes a welding device and wherein the welding device is disposed within the interior of the portable housing.

6 . The portable manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing device is configured to be operated inside the housing interior and wherein the braiding device is configured to be operated inside the housing interior.

7 . The portable manufacturing system according to claim 4 , wherein the portable manufacturing system includes a computing system, wherein the computing system is configured to build a three-dimensional model of a footwear last using the customized foot information, wherein the computing system is configured to control the additive manufacturing device to form the footwear last according to the three-dimensional model of a footwear last, and wherein the computing system is disposed within the interior of the portable housing.

8 . The portable manufacturing system according to claim 7 , wherein the computing system is further configured to control the additive manufacturing device to form additional footwear components.

9 . The portable manufacturing system according to claim 8 , wherein the additional footwear components include one of a footwear sole and a footwear overlay.

10 . A manufacturing system, comprising:
a sensing device for sensing customized foot information; an additive manufacturing device configured to form a footwear last using the customized foot information; a braiding device configured to form a braided footwear component on the footwear last; and a welding device configured to bond at least one overlay component to the braided footwear component formed using the braiding device.

11 . The manufacturing system according to claim 10 , wherein the manufacturing system comprises at least two optical sensing devices.

12 . The manufacturing system according to claim 10 , wherein the customized foot information includes information about a three-dimensional geometry of a foot.

13 . The manufacturing system according to claim 10 , wherein the sensing device, the additive manufacturing device, the braiding device and the welding device are all housed in a portable housing, the portable housing including a towing system.

14 . The manufacturing system according to claim 13 , wherein the portable housing is configured to be towed by a towing vehicle using the towing system.

15 . The manufacturing system according to claim 10 , wherein the additive manufacturing device is further configured to form a footwear sole according to the sensed customized foot information.

16 . The manufacturing system according to claim 15 , further comprising a computing system configured to generate a three-dimensional model of a footwear last using the sensed customized foot information, wherein the computing system is configured to control the additive manufacturing device to form the footwear last according to the three-dimensional model of a footwear last, and wherein the computing system is disposed within the interior housing.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Bruce Robert M
• Lee Eun Kyung
• Sills Craig K

Classifications

• A43B23/0205

  characterised by the material (material of the lining A43B23/07, material of toe stiffeners or heel stiffeners A43B23/08) · CPC title

• A43D3/02 Primary

  Lasts for making or repairing shoes (making of wooden lasts B27M3/20) · CPC title

• D04C3/00

  Braiding or lacing machines · CPC title

• B33Y50/00

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• D10B2501/043

  Footwear · CPC title