Automated identification and assembly of shoe parts

• US 10,194,716 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Regan, Patrick Conall, Lee, Kuo-Hung, Chang, Chih-Chi, Jean, Ming-Feng, Liao, Chang-Chu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US14/803,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20150374073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 1/08 Measuring devices for shoe parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 11/00 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 Class Codes: A43D 111/00 Shoe machines with conveyors for jacked shoes or for shoes or shoe parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 111/006 with special means to place the shoe or shoe part in the following machine
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 117/00 Racks for receiving or transporting shoes or shoe parts; Other conveying means
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 119/00 Driving or controlling mechanisms of shoe machines; Frames for shoe machines
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 2200/10 Fully automated machines, i.e. machines working without human intervention
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 2200/30 Machines including a magazine, e.g. for feeding blanks, pre-forms or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 2200/50 Machines using pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 2200/60 Computer aided manufacture of footwear, e.g. CAD or CAM
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 86/00 Machines for assembling soles or heels onto uppers, not provided for in groups A43D25/00 - A43D83/00, e.g. by welding
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 95/00 Shoe-finishing machines
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1687 Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7802 Positioning the parts to be joined, e.g. aligning, indexing or centring
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7847 using vacuum to hold at least one of the parts to be joined vacuum work holders in general B25B11/005
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/472 said single elements being substantially flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/727 being porous, e.g. foam
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 : Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 : characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7484 : Leather
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8161 : said pressing elements being supported or backed-up by springs or by resilient material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8167 : Quick change joining tools or surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/863 : Robotised, e.g. mounted on a robot arm
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9672 : involving special data inputs, e.g. involving barcodes, RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/00 : Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/50 : Footwear, e.g. shoes or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/505 : Uppers
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/0421 : Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 : Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37205 : Compare measured, vision data with computer model, cad data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37555 : Camera detects orientation, position workpiece, points of workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39107 : Pick up article, object, measure, test it during motion path, place it
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45243 : Shoe, footwear making
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30108 : Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 : using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/06 : Recognition of objects for industrial automation

Abstract

Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.

Claims

1. A method for positioning and assembling shoe parts in an automated manner during a shoe-manufacturing process, the method comprising:

receiving a first image depicting a two-dimensional representation of an attachment shoe part which is to be attached to a base shoe part;

determining a first geometric coordinate in a geometric coordinate system of the attachment shoe part by analyzing the first image;

receiving a second image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the base shoe part;

determining a second geometric coordinate in the geometric coordinate system of the base shoe part by analyzing the second image; and

transferring, by a pickup tool, the attachment shoe part from the first geometric coordinate to the second geometric coordinate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part is comprised of a two-dimensional shape having a perimeter, wherein one or more pixel coordinates of the first image are associated with the perimeter, and wherein the method further comprises converting, by a computer processor, the one or more pixel coordinates to the first geometric coordinate.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the identity of the attachment shoe part by matching the first image to a reference image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pickup tool further comprises a vacuum-powered part holder, and wherein transferring the attachment shoe part to the second geometric coordinate comprises utilizing the vacuum-powered part holder to transfer the attachment shoe part.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the attachment shoe part to the base shoe part.

6. A method of positioning and joining a plurality of shoe parts using automated identification and a multi-functional manufacturing tool, the method comprising:

receiving a first image depicting a two-dimensional representation of an attachment shoe part which is to be attached to a base shoe part;

determining a first geometric coordinate of the attachment shoe part in a geometric coordinate system by analyzing the first image;

receiving a second image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the base shoe part;

determining a second geometric coordinate of the base shoe part in the geometric coordinate system by analyzing the second image; and

transferring, using the multi-functional manufacturing tool, the attachment shoe part from the first geometric coordinate to the second geometric coordinate.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising attaching the attachment shoe part to the base shoe part.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein attaching the attachment shoe part to the base shoe part comprises using an ultrasonic welding horn attached to the multi-functional manufacturing tool to attach the attachment shoe part to the base shoe part.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the first geometric coordinate comprises determining pixel coordinates of the first image and converting the pixel coordinates to the first geometric coordinate.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein transferring the attachment shoe part to the second geometric coordinate comprises utilizing a vacuum-powered part holder attached to the multi-functional manufacturing tool to transfer the attachment shoe part.

11. A system that positions and attaches shoe parts in an automated manner during a shoe-manufacturing process, the system comprising:

at least one image recorder configured to record;

a first image depicting a two-dimensional representation of an attachment shoe part; and

a second image depicting a two-dimensional representation of a base shoe part; and

one or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to;

determine a first geometric coordinate of the attachment shoe part in a geometric coordinate system by analyzing the first image;

determine a second geometric coordinate of the base shoe part in the geometric coordinate system by analyzing the second image; and

instruct a manufacturing tool to transfer the attachment shoe part from the first geometric coordinate to the second geometric coordinate for attachment to the base shoe part.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising the manufacturing tool, the manufacturing tool adapted to transfer the attachment shoe part to the base shoe part for attachment.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one image recorder comprises at least one first camera that records the first image and at least one second camera that records the second image.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the manufacturing tool comprises at least a vacuum-powered part holder having a bottom surface adapted for contacting the attachment shoe part.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the vacuum-powered part holder is comprised of a vacuum plate having a plurality of apertures extending through the vacuum plate.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the vacuum-powered part holder is comprised of a vacuum plate having a single aperture extending through the vacuum plate.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the manufacturing tool further comprises at least an ultrasonic-welding horn coupled to the vacuum-powered part holder.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the ultrasonic-welding horn comprises at least a distal end adapted for contacting the attachment shoe part such that the distal end extends at least to a plane defined by the bottom surface of the vacuum-powered part holder.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein only one of the vacuum-powered part holder and the ultrasonic-welding horn is useable for a respective intended purpose at one time.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein both the vacuum-powered part holder and the ultrasonic-welding horn are useable for a respective intended purpose at one time.