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Induction heating apparatuses and processes for footwear manufacturing

  • US 9,591,892 B2
  • Filed: 01/08/2015
  • Issued: 03/14/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of making an article of footwear, comprising:

  • providing a last shaped to resemble a human foot;

    forming at least a first footwear component at least in part from a susceptor material that is thermally reactive to an electromagnetic field;

    covering at least a portion of the last with two or more footwear components, wherein the two or more footwear components includes the first footwear component and a second footwear component;

    applying an electromagnetic field to the susceptor material, causing induction heating of the susceptor material; and

    joining the two or more footwear components by melding the two or more footwear components with the induction heating;

    wherein the first footwear component formed of a susceptor material is at least one of a panel of an upper of the article of footwear, a heel counter, a toe cap, a support plate of a midsole, and a ground-contacting sole component.

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