Two-dimensional shoe manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9681709-B2
Application number	US-201414514081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2014
Priority date	Oct 16, 2013
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

Described are methods for the manufacture of a plurality of shoes, an apparatus to perform such method, as well as shoes manufactured by such method. According to certain examples, the method for the manufacture of a plurality of shoes includes providing a plurality of first shoe components for the manufacture of the plurality of shoes, and moving the plurality of first shoe components with a transport means which is at least partially comprised of the plurality of first shoe components.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method for the manufacture of a plurality of shoes, the method comprising:
providing an automatically-driven transport belt comprising a knit material defining a plurality of flat regions that include at least a first flat region and a second flat region, the knit material further at least partially defining a plurality of primary shoe components for the manufacture of the plurality of shoes, wherein each of the plurality of primary shoe components comprise at least a part of a shoe upper, wherein the plurality of primary shoe components includes at least a first primary shoe component that is configured for a first shoe model and that is incorporated into the first flat region, wherein the plurality of primary shoe components further includes at least a second primary shoe component that is configured for a second shoe model and that is incorporated into the second flat region, the second shoe model being different from the first shoe model;
passing the automatically-driven transport belt through at least one first processing station comprising at least one first automated robotic system for adding secondary shoe components to the primary shoe components;
processing at least a subset of the plurality of primary shoe components in the at least one first processing station by at least:
adding a first secondary shoe component to the primary shoe component of the first flat region of the knit material of the transport belt through automated operation of the at least one first automated robotic system; and
adding a second secondary shoe component to the second primary shoe component of the second flat region of the knit material of the transport belt through automated operation of the at least one first automated robotic system, wherein the second secondary shoe component is different than the first secondary shoe component based on the second shoe model being different from the first shoe model;

passing the automatically-driven transport belt through at least one second processing station comprising at least one second automated robotic system for connecting the secondary shoe components to the primary shoe components by stitching;
processing at least a subset of the plurality of primary shoe components in the at least one second processing station by at least:
connecting the first secondary shoe component to the first primary shoe component of the first flat region of the knit material of the transport belt by stitching through automated operation of the at least one second automated robotic system; and
connecting the second secondary shoe component to the second primary shoe component of the second flat region of the knit material of the transport belt by stitching through automated operation of the at least one second automated robotic system wherein the first secondary shoe component is connected to the first primary shoe component by first stitching that is different than second stitching by which the second secondary shoe component is connected to the second primary shoe component based on the second shoe model being different from the first shoe model; and

providing the plurality of shoes, wherein at least one of the plurality of shoes comprises a first shoe corresponding to the first shoe model and formed at least in part from the first primary shoe component automatically stitched together with the first secondary shoe component, and wherein at least another of the plurality of shoes comprises a second shoe corresponding to the second shoe model and formed at least in part from the second primary shoe component automatically stitched together with the second secondary shoe component.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary shoe components comprise at least one of an eyelet, heel cap, toe cap, decoration element, decoration stripe, friction element, abrasion protection element, rib element, reinforcement element, stiffening element, supporting element, cushioning element, or fiber element.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising separating at least the subset of the plurality of primary shoe components from the transport belt by performing at least one of the following processing steps: die cutting, CNC cutting, laser cutting, water jet cutting, melting out of a connecting element, or dissolving a connecting element.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising forming the plurality of primary shoe components into three-dimensional shapes, wherein the plurality of primary shoe components each comprise a shaping element configured to facilitate forming each of the plurality of primary shoe components into the three-dimensional shape, wherein forming each of the plurality of primary shoe components into the three-dimensional shape comprises arranging each of the plurality of primary shoe components on a respective last.

5. A method for the manufacture of a plurality of shoes, the method comprising:
providing an automatically-driven transport belt comprising a knit material defining a plurality of flat regions that include at least a first flat region and a second flat region, the knit material further at least partially defining a plurality of primary shoe components for the manufacture of the plurality of shoes, wherein each of the plurality of primary shoe components comprise at least a part of a shoe sole , wherein the plurality of primary shoe components includes at least a first primary shoe component that is configured for a first shoe model and that is incorporated into the first flat region, wherein the plurality of primary shoe components further includes at least a second primary shoe component that is configured for a second shoe model and that is incorporated into the second flat region, the second shoe model being different from the first shoe model;
passing the automatically-driven transport belt through at least one first processing station comprising at least one first automated robotic system for adding secondary shoe components to the primary shoe components;
processing at least a subset of the plurality of primary shoe components in the at least one first processing station by at least:
adding a first secondary shoe component to the first primary shoe component of the first flat region of the knit material of the transport belt through automated operation of the at least one first automated robotic system; and
adding a second secondary shoe component to the second primary shoe component of the second flat region of the knit material of the transport belt through automated operation of the at least one first automated robotic system, wherein the second secondary shoe component is different than the first secondary shoe component based on the second shoe model being different from the first shoe model;

passing the automatically-driven transport belt through at least one second processing station comprising at least one second automated robotic system for connecting the secondary shoe components to the primary shoe components by stitching;
processing at least a subset of the plurality of primary shoe components in the at least one second processing station by at least:
connecting the first secondary shoe component to the first primary shoe component of the first flat region of the knit material of the transport belt by stitching through automated operation of the at least one second automated robotic system; and
connecting the second secondary shoe component to the second primary shoe component of the second flat region of the knit material of the transport belt by stitching through automated operation of the at least one second automated robotic system wherein the first secondary shoe component is connected to the first primary shoe component by first stitching that is different than second stitching by which the secon

Assignees

• Adidas Ag

Inventors

• Manz Gerd Rainer
• Hill Jan
• Hoying Brian
• Wardlaw Angus
• Kormann Marco
• Lott Christian

Classifications

• A43D2200/40

  Multitool machines, e.g. machines with a plurality of tools or working heads · CPC title

• A43B23/0235

  Different layers of different material · CPC title

• A43D11/00

  Machines for preliminary treatment or assembling of upper-parts, counters, or insoles on their lasts preparatory to the pulling-over or lasting operations; Applying or removing protective coverings · CPC title

• G06Q50/04 Primary

  Manufacturing · CPC title

• A43D2200/10

  Fully automated machines, i.e. machines working without human intervention · CPC title