Automated forming of cast polyurethane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9370880-B2
Application number	US-201313833543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

Cast polyurethane parts for shoes or other items may be formed in an automated fashion. A dispensing mechanism may dispense a predetermined amount of a liquid phase polyurethane mixture onto a flat surface face of a mold. A dispersal mechanism may distribute the liquid phase polyurethane mixture over the flat surface face of the mold to fill at least one cavity in the form. A vacuum may be applied to remove air bubbles from the liquid phase polyurethane mixture. Excess liquid phase polyurethane mixture may be removed from the flat surface face of the mold using a flexible blade that contacts and moves across the flat surface face. One or more conveyance mechanism may transport molds through the desired stages of a system and/or method in accordance with the present invention.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for forming cast polyurethane, the system comprising:
a mold conveyance mechanism that conveys a mold with at least one cavity through the system during the forming of cast polyurethane, the at least one cavity within the mold extending below a flat surface face of the mold when the mold is maintained in a substantially horizontal orientation during the process of forming cast polyurethane;
a liquid phase polyurethane mixture dispensing system that deposits a predetermined amount of liquid phase polyurethane mixture onto the flat surface face of the mold in a predetermined pattern corresponding to the at least one cavity within the mold when the conveyance mechanism positions the mold beneath the liquid phase polyurethane mixture dispensing system;
a dispersal mechanism that disperses the liquid phase polyurethane mixture within the at least one cavity and across at least a portion of the flat surface face;
a vacuum system that applies a vacuum to the liquid phase polyurethane mixture in the at least one cavity within the mold; and
a flexible blade that contacts and moves across the flat surface face of the mold after the conveyance mechanism has moved the mold to the flexible blade, the flexible blade forcing liquid phase polyurethane into the cavities extending below the flat surface face of the mold and removing excess liquid phase polyurethane mixture from the flat surface face of the mold.

2. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 1 , wherein the flexible blade contacts and moves across the flat surface face of the mold after the vacuum system applies a vacuum to the liquid phase polyurethane mixture.

3. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 1 , wherein the flexible blade contacts and moves across the flat surface face of the mold before the vacuum system applies a vacuum to the liquid phase polyurethane mixture.

4. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning unit that removes liquid phase polyurethane mixture from the flexible blade after the flexible blade has contacted and moved across the flat surface face of the mold.

5. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 4 , wherein the cleaning unit comprises a liquid jet.

6. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 4 , wherein the cleaning unit physically contacts and wipes the flexible blade.

7. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 4 , wherein the cleaning unit comprises a chamber containing liquid in which the flexible blade is immersed.

8. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 4 , wherein the cleaning unit comprises an ultrasonic vibration unit that vibrates the flexible blade.

9. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 1 , wherein the dispersal mechanism applies moving air to the dispensed liquid phase polyurethane mixture.

10. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 9 , wherein the dispersal mechanism comprises a vibrational unit that vibrates the liquid phase polyurethane mixture.

11. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 1 , wherein the mold conveyance mechanism transports comprises a system of rollers that support a mold and at least one pusher that impart force to move the mold along the rollers.

12. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 1 , wherein the mold conveyance mechanism comprises at least one conveyor belt.

13. The system for forming cast polyurethane of claim 12 , wherein the flexible blade is maintained in position while the mold is moved by the conveyor belt to cause the flexible blade to contact and move across the flat surface face of the mold.

14. A method for forming cast polyurethane, the method comprising:
conveying a mold through a series of stations such that the mold maintains a flat surface face substantially horizontal and facing upward while being conveyed, the mold having at least one cavity extending below the flat surface face;
dispensing a predetermined amount of a liquid phase polyurethane mixture onto the flat surface face of the mold in a predetermined configuration corresponding to the at least one cavity after the mold has been conveyed to a dispensing station;
dispersing the liquid phase polyurethane mixture dispensed onto the flat surface face of the mold across at least a portion of the flat surface face and into the cavity extending below the flat surface face using moving air after the liquid phase polyurethane mixture has been dispensed;
applying a vacuum to the liquid phase polyurethane mixture after the liquid phase polyurethane mixture has been dispersed onto the flat surface face and into the at least one cavity when the mold is beneath a vacuum system; and
removing excess liquid phase polyurethane mixture from the flat surface face of the mold with a flexible blade that contacts and moves across the flat surface face after the vacuum has been applied to the liquid phase polyurethane mixture.

15. The method for forming cast polyurethane of claim 14 , further comprising cleaning the flexible blade after removing the excess liquid phase polyurethane from the flat surface face of the mold.

16. The method for forming cast polyurethane of claim 14 , wherein removing excess liquid phase polyurethane mixture from the flat surface face of the mold comprises retaining the mold in place while moving the flexible blade to bring the flexible blade into contact with the flat surface face and across the flat surface face.

17. The method for forming cast polyurethane of claim 14 , wherein removing excess liquid phase polyurethane from the flat surface face of the mold comprises retaining the flexible blade in place while moving the mold to bring the flexible blade into contact with the flat surface face and across the flat surface face.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Regan Patrick Conall
• Quigley Mike F
• Ou Feng-Ming
• Hsing Yu-His

Classifications

• B29C39/06 Primary

  continuously movable, e.g. along a production line · CPC title

• B29K2075/00

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

• B29C41/12

  Spreading-out the material on a substrate {, e.g. on the surface of a liquid} · CPC title

• B29C39/42

  Casting under special conditions, e.g. vacuum · CPC title

• B29C39/006 Primary

  Monomers or prepolymers (by reaction injection moulding B29C67/246) · CPC title