Induction Heating Apparatuses And Processes For Footwear Manufacturing

• US 20140000043A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Boardman, Eric A., Patton, Levi J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,986,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 12/107.R
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/28 characterised by their attachment, also attachment of combined soles and heels
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0255 assembled by gluing or thermo bonding
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/087 made of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/17 made of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 11/12 Machines for forming the toe part or heel part of shoes, with or without use of heat
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 3/02 Lasts for making or repairing shoes making of wooden lasts B27M3/20
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 3/026 Lasts for making rubber footwear or for vulcanizing rubber soles to footwear
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/105 using a susceptor
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/106 in the form of fillings

Abstract

An apparatus for making an article of footwear is provided. The apparatus may include a last shaped to resemble a human foot and being formed at least in part from a susceptor material that is thermally reactive to an electromagnetic field. The apparatus may also include an induction coil disposed proximate to the last and configured to produce an electromagnetic field that causes the susceptor material in the last to increase in temperature by induction heating.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making an article of footwear, comprising:

a last shaped to resemble a human foot and being formed at least in part from a susceptor material that is thermally reactive to an electromagnetic field; and

an induction coil disposed proximate to the last and configured to produce an electromagnetic field that causes the susceptor material in the last to increase in temperature by induction heating.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the induction coil has a substantially planar shape and is configured to be disposed proximate one side of the last.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the induction coil has a substantially tubular shape having a hollow central void that is configured to receive the last with one or more components of an article of footwear covering at least a portion of the last.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the last includes a susceptor component which forms a portion of an outer surface of the last.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the susceptor component includes a grid.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the susceptor component is impregnated with the susceptor material.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the last has a sole region resembling the bottom of a foot, and wherein the susceptor component is disposed at a peripheral portion of the sole region.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including a support block having a foot sole-shaped depression configured to mate with a sole portion of the last, the support block being configured to support one or more sole structure components, by cradling the sole structure components.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is configured to apply pressure between the last and the support block in order to facilitate molding of the sole structure components or attachment of the sole structure components to a footwear upper covering the last.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the last includes a first component having an outer surface defining a substantial majority of an outer shape of the last, and a susceptor component formed at least in part of the susceptor material, wherein an outer surface of the susceptor component forms a portion of the outer shape of the last.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the outer surface of the susceptor component is completely isolated from the outer surface of the first portion of the last.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the susceptor component includes an outer portion disposed at an outer region of the last, the outer portion of the susceptor component having an outer surface forming at least a portion of the outer shape of the last;

and an inner portion extending in an inward direction away from the outer surface of the susceptor component.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the outer portion is an outer rail disposed at a peripheral portion of a sole region of the last.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the inner portion includes one or more inner rails extending inward from an inner surface of the outer rail.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the outer rail has a cross-sectional shape that is substantially pie-shaped, having a curved outer surface, and a substantially horizontal top surface, the inner surface of the outer rail being a substantially vertical inner surface;

and wherein the one or more inner rails extend from the substantially vertical inner surface, in an inward direction away from the outer surface of the outer rail.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein only the inner portion of the susceptor component contacts the first portion of the last.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the inner portion of the susceptor component contacts the first portion of the last at an interior portion of the first portion of the last.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the top surface of the outer rail is separated from the first portion of the last by a continuous gap about a periphery of the last.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein substantially the entire last is formed of the susceptor material.

20. A method of making an article of footwear, comprising:

providing a last shaped to resemble a human foot and formed at least in part from a susceptor material that is thermally reactive to an electromagnetic field;

covering the last at least in part with one or more footwear components of an article of footwear;

placing the susceptor material in proximity with the one or more footwear components covering the last;

placing the last in proximity with an induction coil;

increasing the temperature of the susceptor material by induction heating by producing an electromagnetic field using the induction coil; and

transferring heat from the susceptor material to the one or more footwear components covering the last.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the one or more footwear components include at least two footwear components, and wherein the transferring of heat to the one or more footwear components causes joining of the at least two footwear components.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the joining of the two or more footwear components includes melding portions of the two or more footwear components together with heat transferred from the susceptor material in the transferring step.

23. The method according to claim 21, further including placing a thermally activated adhesive in contact with the two or more footwear components, and wherein the joining of the two or more footwear components includes adhesively bonding portions of the two or more footwear components together by activating the adhesive with heat transferred from the susceptor material to the adhesive in the transferring step.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein one of the at least two footwear components is a heel counter.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein one of the at least two footwear components is a panel of an upper of the article of footwear.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein one of the at least two footwear components is a component of a midsole of the article of footwear.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the component of the midsole includes a support plate, wherein one of the at least two footwear components is a panel of an upper of the article of footwear, and wherein joining of the at least two footwear components includes fixedly attaching the support plate to the panel of the upper.

28. The method according to claim 21, wherein one of the at least two footwear components is a ground-contacting sole component of the article of footwear, wherein one of the at least two footwear components is a panel of an upper of the article of footwear, and wherein joining of the at least two footwear components includes fixedly attaching the sole component to the panel of the upper.

29. The method according to claim 20, wherein the transferring of heat to the one or more footwear components causes molding of the one or more footwear components into a predetermined shape.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the molding includes forming a panel of an upper of the article of footwear into the predetermined shape.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the panel of the upper includes a toe cap panel configured to form a portion of the upper in a toe region of the article of footwear.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the molding includes forming a heel counter of the article of footwear into the predetermined shape.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein the molding includes forming a portion of a midsole of the article of footwear into the predetermined shape.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the portion of a midsole includes a support plate.

35. The method according to claim 29, wherein the predetermined shape includes a structural feature on an outward facing surface of the at least one footwear component.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the structural feature includes a rib.

37. The method according to claim 35, wherein the structural feature includes a groove.

38. The method according to claim 35, wherein the structural feature includes a projection.