MOLD FOR A FOOTWEAR COMPONENT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mold for forming a component of a footwear article, the mold comprising, at least partially, a plurality of adjacent thin molding elements stacked unidirectionally in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the footwear article component, each element of the plurality of thin molding elements being oriented globally in the thickness direction of the footwear article component, each element of the plurality of thin molding elements being provided with a notched edge on one side of each element of the plurality of thin molding elements in the thickness direction of the footwear article component having a profile required to shape the footwear article component. Abstract figure: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: MOLD FOR A FOOTWEAR COMPONENT

[0001] The present invention relates to a mold for a footwear component and a method of forming a footwear component. In particular, the invention relates to a mold for forming a shoe sole or the like.

[0002] In recent years, shoe soles with increasingly varied shapes and colors have appeared on the market. Some very original shapes are intended solely to produce an attractive visual effect or an effect adding value to the product. Other shapes are intended to produce one or more technical effects, such as, for example, a shock-absorbing effect, a comfort effect, a grip effect, a protective effect, etc.

[0003] Continuing in this vein, towards great diversity and originality, sole manufacturers have recently incorporated new manufacturing processes allowing the production of even more unusual products.

[0004] For example, document KR20140146737 discloses a method for manufacturing a custom shoe sole, comprising a step of obtaining 3D data of the insole by means of a photograph of a customer's sole, with a 3D measuring means, a step of modifying the 3D data of the sole to form the data for the custom shoe sole, a step of producing the custom sole by transmitting the data to the 3D printer.

[0005] This solution is relatively laborious and expensive to put into practice and is only of interest for specific products, in the context of production of unique pieces or in very small quantities.

[0006] Document CN204426864 discloses a method for manufacturing sports shoes that are easy to assemble and disassemble. The various soles are created using a 3D printer.

[0007] Document CN104959597 discloses a method of manufacturing shoe soles using a 3D printer.

[0008] These various examples using 3D printing use expensive solutions with very low productivity, and it is therefore not possible to produce soles under advantageous conditions on a large scale.

[0009] Document US20070063368 discloses a shoe mold composed of several parts, comprising a part made of a solid metal structure, and another part made in the form of a cellular metal structure intended to facilitate ventilation during molding. The cellular part is produced by molding using foam particles. This type of mold is relatively complex and expensive but does not allow for the production of complex shapes in the molded sole.

[0010] Therefore, there is a need to create and produce a footwear component such as a shoe sole that is original and high-performance, but at an attractive cost for mass production.

[0011] A “longitudinal direction / orientation” is a direction / orientation parallel to the direction / orientation from the heel to the toe of the shoe. The direction / orientation parallel to the direction / orientation from the heel to the toe of the shoe ± 10° is considered to be “substantially parallel” to the longitudinal direction / orientation.

[0012] A “lateral direction / orientation” is a direction / orientation perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction / orientation of the shoe and a thickness direction / orientation of the shoe. The direction / orientation perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction / orientation of the shoe and a thickness direction / orientation of the shoe ± 10° is considered to be “substantially parallel” to the lateral direction / orientation.

[0013] A first object of the invention is to propose a footwear component having original and innovative shapes, high performance and advantageous cost, and a method of forming such a footwear component.

[0014] Another object of the invention is to provide a molding element as a means for forming such a footwear component which offers great flexibility in terms of design or size changes.

[0015] For these purposes, the present invention provides a mold for forming a footwear component, the mold comprising, at least partially, a plurality of thin molding elements adjacent to each other, stacked unidirectionally in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the footwear component, each of the plurality of thin molding elements being oriented generally in the thickness direction of the footwear component, each of the plurality of thin molding elements being provided with a notched edge on one side of each of the plurality of thin molding elements in the thickness direction of the footwear component having a profile required to shape the footwear component such that the plurality of notched edges forms a molding cavity for the footwear component.

[0016] This structure provides a means for forming a footwear component having novel and innovative shapes, high performance and advantageous cost, and a molding element which offers great flexibility in terms of design or size changes.

[0017] Since the mold comprises, at least partially, a plurality of thin molding elements adjacent to each other, stacked unidirectionally in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the footwear component, air trapped between a footwear material and the mold is efficiently discharged through minute gaps between two adjacent thin molding elements, thereby contributing to excellent ventilation during molding while promoting the flow of air trapped between the footwear material and a face of each of the thin molding elements intended to be in contact with the footwear material, so as to ensure rapid demolding in any quantity. It is thus possible to improve both molding performance and demolding performance.

[0018] Since the mold comprises, at least partially, a plurality of thin molding elements adjacent to each other, stacked unidirectionally in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the footwear component, this ensures the application of uniform pressure and thermal energy to the footwear material during molding, resulting in improved adhesion and wear performance of the footwear component. This also ensures good molding and demolding performance. It is thus possible to improve the performance of the footwear component while improving the production efficiency of the footwear component.

[0019] Since the mold comprises, at least partially, a plurality of thin molding elements adjacent to each other, stacked unidirectionally in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the footwear component and the plurality of thin molding elements are provided with a notched edge on one side of each of the plurality of thin molding elements in the thickness direction of the footwear component having a profile required for shaping the footwear component, one or more thin molding elements can be reused for footwear components in a series of different designs or sizes.On the other hand, when a thin molding element is damaged, it is possible to resume the formation of the footwear component more quickly by simply exchanging / replacing the damaged thin molding element without having to recreate the entire mold. It is thus possible to obtain a footwear component at an advantageous cost, and to obtain a mold that offers great flexibility in terms of design or size changes.

[0020] Further, since each of the plurality of molding elements thin molding elements is provided with a notched edge on one side of each of the plurality of thin molding elements in the thickness direction of the footwear component having a profile required for shaping the footwear component, novel and innovative shapes of the footwear component can be obtained since it is possible to embed a pattern or design in a hollow portion that appears only at the end of the life of the footwear component. On the other hand, such a hidden pattern or design contributes to preventing counterfeiting of a footwear component design and maintaining the performance of the footwear component until the end of the life of the footwear component. It is thus possible to provide the footwear component with novel and innovative shapes.

[0021] Furthermore, since each of the plurality of thin molding members is provided with a notched edge on one side of each of the plurality of thin molding members in the thickness direction of the footwear component having a profile required for shaping the footwear component, adjustment of a vertical stiffness of the footwear component according to an area of ​​the footwear component in contact with the ground and local adaptation of the density of footwear material are possible by locally varying a depth of the notched edge of the thin molding members resulting in variation of the thickness of the footwear component without using an expensive and tightly specified foam material. It is thus possible to improve the performance of the footwear component while improving the production efficiency of the footwear component.

[0022] In another preferred embodiment, the plurality of thin molding elements are stacked in the longitudinal direction.

[0023] With this structure, it is possible to improve the performance of the footwear component since the formation of grooves or slots extending in a lateral orientation on the footwear component would be facilitated, thereby contributing to its adhesion performance. On the other hand, this structure would eliminate the mechanical complexity of the mold due to non-aligned and symmetrical clamping forces to compensate for rotations caused by clamping torques.

[0024] In another preferred embodiment, the plurality of thin molding elements are stacked in the lateral direction.

[0025] With this structure, it is possible to improve the performance of the footwear component since the formation of grooves or slots extending in a longitudinal orientation on the footwear component would be facilitated, thereby contributing to the liquid evacuation performance. On the other hand, this structure would eliminate the mechanical complexity of the mold due to non-aligned and symmetrical clamping forces to compensate for rotations caused by clamping torques.

[0026] In another preferred embodiment, the mold further comprises at least one thin support element without a notched edge.

[0027] With this structure, it is possible to increase flexibility in terms of design or size changes since the at least one thin support element without a notched edge helps to compensate for gaps resulting from such design or size changes for the adaptation of the mold in a press, so that a footwear component can be obtained at an advantageous cost.

[0028] In another preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of thin molding elements is a metal plate.

[0029] With this structure, it is possible to obtain a footwear component at an advantageous cost since the metal plate is advantageous in terms of availability, ease of processing, and thermal conductivity relative to the footwear material during molding.

[0030] In another preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of thin molding elements has a thickness of between 0.1 mm and 5.0 mm measured in the stacking direction.

[0031] If this thickness of the thin molding elements is less than 0.1 mm, there is a risk of breakage of the thin molding elements during molding leading to a degradation of productivity. If this thickness of the thin molding elements is greater than 5.0 mm, there is a risk that the flexibility in terms of design or size changes will decrease, which would make the cost less advantageous. By setting this thickness of each of the plurality of thin molding elements between 0.1 mm and 5.0 mm measured in the stacking direction, it is possible to obtain a footwear component at an advantageous cost without degradation of productivity.

[0032] In another preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of thin molding elements has a thickness of between 1% and 5% of a mold length measured in the stacking direction.

[0033] If this thickness of the thin molding elements is less than 1% of the mold length measured in the stacking direction, there is a risk of breakage of the thin molding elements during molding leading to a degradation of productivity. If this thickness of the thin molding elements is greater than 5% of the mold length measured in the stacking direction, there is a risk that the flexibility in terms of design or size changes would decrease, which would make the cost less advantageous. By setting this thickness of each of the plurality of thin molding elements between 1% and 5% of the mold length measured in the stacking direction, it is possible to obtain a footwear component at an advantageous cost without degradation of productivity.

[0034] With the structures described above, it is possible to obtain a footwear component having original and innovative shapes, high performance and advantageous cost, and a molding element constituting a means for forming such a footwear component which offers great flexibility in terms of design or size changes.

[0035] With the structures described above, it is possible to obtain a footwear component comprising an outer surface which is, at least partially, ribbed.

[0036] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention emerge from the description given below with reference to the attached drawings which illustrate, by way of non-limiting examples, the embodiment of the invention.

[0037] In these drawings:

[0038] [Fig.l] is a schematic perspective view of a mold according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] [Fig.2] is a schematic perspective view of some variants of a thin molding element according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] [Fig.3] is a schematic perspective view of a footwear component molded using the mold according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] [Fig.4] is a schematic perspective view of a mold according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] [Fig.5] is a schematic perspective view of a mold according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0044] A device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to [Fig.l], 2 and 3.

[0045] [Fig. 1] is a schematic perspective view of a mold according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 2] is a schematic perspective view of some variations of a thin molding element according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 3] is a schematic perspective view of a footwear component molded by means of the mold according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] A mold 1 is a mold for forming a footwear component 99 (illustrated in [Fig. 3]). The mold 1 comprises, at least partially, a plurality of thin molding elements 2 adjacent to each other, stacked unidirectionally in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the footwear component 99. Each of the plurality of thin molding elements 2 is oriented generally in the thickness direction of the component of footwear component 99. Each of the plurality of thin molding members 2 is provided with a notched edge 25 on one side of each of the plurality of thin molding members 2 in the thickness direction of the footwear component 99 having a profile required for shaping the footwear component 99.

[0047] As illustrated in [Fig.l], the plurality of thin molding members 2 are stacked in the longitudinal direction, with at least one thin support member 3 without a notched edge 25. In the present embodiment, the mold 1 comprises a few thin support members 3 at its two stacking ends.

[0048] As illustrated in [Fig. 2], a shape of the notched edge 25 varies even among thin molding members 2 stacked in the same mold 1. For example, a simple notched edge 25 as illustrated in [Fig. 2] (A), a partial notched edge 25 as illustrated in [Fig. 2] (B), a recess 26 formed in the notched edge 25 as illustrated in [Fig. 2] (C), a projection 27 extending from the notched edge 25 as illustrated in [Fig. 2] (D), or a local thickened portion 28 forming the notched edge 25 on the thin molding member 2 as illustrated in [Fig. 2] (E).

[0049] A notched edge 25 could be obtained by cutting the thin molding element 2 with a plane perpendicular to the main surface of the thin molding element 2 (see the notched edge 25a in [Fig. 5]) or with an inclined plane forming an angle less than 90° with the main surface of the thin molding element 2 (see the notched edge 25b in [Fig. 5]). As illustrated in the embodiment of [Fig. 5], with the stack of thin molding elements having notched edges 25b, a continuous or smooth profile of the walls of the molding cavity 21' is obtained, compared to obtaining a stepped profile with the stack of thin molding elements having notched edges 25a.

[0050] Each of the plurality of thin molding elements 2 is a metal plate. A metal for the plurality of thin molding elements 2 is, for example, a chemical element such as iron, aluminum, copper, titanium, magnesium, zinc, tin, lithium, an alloy such as steel (soft or hard), stainless steel, duralumin, suitable for constituting the mold 1 in terms of thermal conductivity, mechanical stresses and processability.The thin molding element 2 may be manufactured using any process known in the art, for example, press forming, machining such as turning, drilling, boring, milling, broaching, sawing, shaping, planing, abrasive cutting, reaming, tapping, electrical discharge machining, electrochemical machining, electron beam machining, photochemical machining, ultrasonic machining, die casting, forging (cold or hot), molding, additive manufacturing, or a combination of these processes.

[0051] Each of the plurality of thin molding elements 2 has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 5.0 mm measured in the stacking direction, and has a thickness between 1% and 5% of a mold length measured in the stacking direction.

[0052] The plurality of thin molding elements 2 are stacked and clamped by means of a system for clamping the plurality of thin molding elements 2 (not shown) against each other in a direction normal to the plurality of thin molding elements 2. The clamping system may be any system known in the art, such as mechanical clamping by means of screws, jacks, cams etc., using a fluid (pneumatic, hydraulic, etc.) or a shape memory material, actively or passively.

[0053] As illustrated in [Fig. 3], a footwear component 99 has novel and innovative shapes, high performance and advantageous cost. Connection portions between adjacent thin molding members 2 have the appearance of a plurality of thin lines extending in the lateral direction.

[0054] Since the mold 1 comprises, at least partially, a plurality of thin molding members 2 adjacent to each other, stacked unidirectionally in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the footwear component 99, air trapped between a footwear material and the mold 1 is efficiently discharged through minute gaps between two adjacent thin molding members 2, thereby contributing to excellent ventilation during molding while promoting the flow of air trapped between the footwear material and a face of each of the thin molding members intended to be in contact with the footwear material, so as to ensure rapid demolding in any quantity. It is thus possible to improve both the molding performance and the demolding performance.

[0055] Since the mold 1 comprises, at least partially, a plurality of thin molding elements 2 adjacent to each other, stacked unidirectionally in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the footwear component 99, this ensures the application of uniform pressure and thermal energy to the footwear material during molding, resulting in improved adhesion and wear performance of the footwear component 99. This also ensures good molding and demolding performance. It is thus possible to improve the performance of the footwear component 99 while improving the production efficiency of the footwear component 99.

[0056] Since the mold 1 comprises, at least partially, a plurality of thin molding elements 2 adjacent to each other, stacked unidirectionally in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the footwear component 99 and the plurality of thin molding members 2 are provided with a notched edge 25 on one side of each of the plurality of thin molding members 2 in the thickness direction of the footwear component 99 having a profile required for shaping the footwear component 99, one or more thin molding members 2 can be reused for footwear components 99 in a series of different designs or sizes. On the other hand, when a thin molding member 2 is damaged, it is possible to resume forming the footwear component 99 more quickly by simply exchanging / replacing the damaged thin molding member 2 without having to recreate the entire mold 1. It is thus possible to obtain a footwear component 99 at a favorable cost, and to obtain a mold 1 that offers great flexibility in terms of design or size changes.

[0057] In addition, since each of the plurality of thin molding members 2 is provided with a notched edge 25 on one side of each of the plurality of thin molding members 2 in the thickness direction of the footwear component 99 having a profile required for shaping the footwear component 99, novel and innovative shapes of the footwear component 99 can be obtained since it is possible to embed a pattern or design in a hollow portion that appears only at the end of the life of the footwear component 99, for example by means of the recess 26 formed in the notched edge 25, the projection 27 extending from the notched edge 25, and / or the local thickened portion 28.On the other hand, such a hidden pattern or design helps to prevent counterfeiting of a footwear component 99 model and to maintain the performance of the footwear component 99 until the end of the life of the footwear component 99. It is thus possible to provide the footwear component 99 with original and innovative shapes.

[0058] Furthermore, since each of the plurality of thin molding members 2 is provided with a notched edge 25 on one side of each of the plurality of thin molding members 2 in the thickness direction of the footwear component 99 having a profile required for shaping the footwear component 99, adjustment of a vertical stiffness of the footwear component 99 according to an area of ​​the footwear component 99 in contact with the ground and local adaptation of the density of footwear material are possible by locally varying a depth of the notched edge 25 of the thin molding members 2 resulting in variation of the thickness of the footwear component 99 without using an expensive and tightly specified foam material. It is thus possible to improve the performance of the footwear component 99. while improving the production efficiency of the footwear component 99.

[0059] Since the plurality of thin molding members 2 are stacked in the longitudinal direction, it is possible to improve the performance of the footwear component 99 since the formation of grooves or slots extending in a lateral orientation on the footwear component 99 would be facilitated, thereby contributing to its adhesion performance. On the other hand, this structure would eliminate the mechanical complexity of the mold 1 due to non-aligned and symmetrical clamping forces to compensate for rotations caused by clamping torques.

[0060] Since the mold 1 further comprises at least one thin support element 3 without a notched edge, it is possible to increase flexibility in terms of design or size changes since the at least one thin support element 3 without a notched edge helps to compensate for gaps resulting from such design or size changes for the adaptation of the mold 1 in a press, so that a footwear component 99 can be obtained at an advantageous cost.

[0061] Since each of the plurality of thin molding members 2 is a metal plate, it is possible to obtain a footwear component 99 at an advantageous cost since the metal plate is advantageous in terms of availability, ease of processing, and thermal conductivity relative to the footwear material during molding.

[0062] Since each of the plurality of thin molding members 2 has a thickness of between 0.1 mm and 5.0 mm measured in the stacking direction, it is possible to obtain a footwear component 99 at an advantageous cost without degradation in productivity.

[0063] If this thickness of the thin molding elements 2 is less than 0.1 mm, there is a risk of breakage of the thin molding elements 2 during molding leading to a degradation of productivity. If this thickness of the thin molding elements 2 is greater than 5.0 mm, there is a risk that the flexibility in terms of design or size changes decreases, which would make the cost less advantageous.

[0064] The thickness of the thin molding elements 2 is preferably between 0.5 mm and 4.5 mm measured in the stacking direction, more preferably between 1.0 mm and 4.0 mm measured in the stacking direction.

[0065] Since each of the plurality of thin molding elements 2 has a thickness of between 1% and 5% of a length of the mold 1 measured in the stacking direction, it is possible to obtain a footwear component 99 at an advantageous cost without degradation of productivity.

[0066] If this thickness of the thin molding elements 2 is less than 1% of the length of the mold 1 measured in the stacking direction, there is a risk of breakage of thin molding elements 2 during molding leading to degradation of productivity. If this thickness of the thin molding elements 2 is greater than 5% of the length of the mold 1 measured in the stacking direction, there is a risk that flexibility in terms of design or size changes will decrease, which would make the cost less advantageous.

[0067] The thickness of the thin molding elements 2 is preferably between 1.5% and 5% of a length of the mold 1 measured in the stacking direction, more preferably between 1.5% and 4.5% of a length of the mold 1 measured in the stacking direction.

[0068] The thickness of the thin molding elements 2 stacked in the same mold 1 can vary.

[0069] The plurality of thin molding elements 2 and the at least one thin support element 3 may be made of the same material, or of a different material.

[0070] The plurality of stacked thin molding elements 2 with or without the at least one thin support element 3 constituting the mold 1 may be placed in a press known in the art, with or without a support structure compensating for a gap between the mold 1 and the press. The mold 1 may be employed on only one side of the footwear component in the thickness direction of the footwear component, or on both sides.

[0071] A mold 21 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to [Fig. 4]. [Fig. 4] is a schematic perspective view of a mold according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The construction of this second embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment except for the structure illustrated in [Fig. 4], and the description will therefore be made with reference to [Fig. 4].

[0072] As illustrated in [Fig. 4], the mold 21 is a mold for forming a footwear component (not shown). The mold 21 comprises, at least partially, a plurality of thin molding elements 22 adjacent to each other, stacked unidirectionally in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the footwear component. Each of the plurality of thin molding elements 22 is oriented generally in the thickness direction of the footwear component. Each of the plurality of thin molding elements 22 is provided with a notched edge 225 on one side of each of the plurality of thin molding elements 22 in the thickness direction of the footwear component having a profile required for shaping the footwear component.

[0073] As illustrated in [Fig.4], the plurality of thin molding members 22 are stacked in the lateral direction, with at least one thin support member 23 without notched edge 225. In the present embodiment, the mold 21 comprises a few thin support elements 3 at its two stacking ends.

[0074] Since the plurality of thin molding elements 22 are stacked in the lateral direction, it is possible to improve the performance of the footwear component since the formation of grooves or slots extending in a longitudinal orientation on the footwear component would be facilitated, thereby contributing to its liquid discharge performance. On the other hand, this structure would eliminate the mechanical complexity of the mold 21 due to non-aligned and symmetrical clamping forces to compensate for rotations caused by clamping torques.

[0075] The invention is not limited to the examples described and shown and various modifications may be made without departing from its scope. List of reference signs

[0076] • 1, 21 mold • 2, 22 thin molding element • 25, 225 notched edge • 26 recesses in the notched edge • 27 projection from the notched edge • 28 part with local excess thickness • 3 thin support element • 99 footwear component

Claims

Claims

1. A mold (1) for forming a footwear component, characterized in that the mold (1) comprises, at least partially, a plurality of thin molding elements (2) adjacent to each other, stacked unidirectionally in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the footwear component, each of the plurality of thin molding elements (2) is oriented generally in the thickness direction of the footwear component, each of the plurality of thin molding elements (2) is provided with a notched edge (25) on one side of each of the plurality of thin molding elements (2) in the thickness direction of the footwear component having a profile required for shaping the footwear component such that the plurality of notched edges forms a molding cavity for the footwear component.

2. The mold (1) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thin molding members (2) are stacked in the longitudinal direction.

3. The mold (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of thin molding members (2) are stacked in the lateral direction.

4. Mold (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mold (1) further comprises at least one thin support element (3) without a notched edge.

5. A mold (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each of the plurality of thin molding elements (2) is a metal plate.

6. A mold (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the plurality of thin molding elements (2) has a thickness of between 0.1 mm and 5.0 mm measured in the stacking direction.

7. A mold (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the plurality of thin molding elements (2) has a thickness of between 1% and 5% of a length of the mold (1) measured in the stacking direction.

8. A method of forming a footwear component, characterized in that a mold according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is used.

9. Footwear component obtained using the method according to re- claim 8, characterized in that its outer surface is, at least partially, ribbed.

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