Configurable Shoe Upper Patch Placement for Flexible Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing processes for sporting goods, such as shoes, are inflexible and time-consuming, requiring manual steps and significant effort to achieve desired product characteristics, limiting the ability to quickly respond to market demands and trends.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the automated assembly of shoe uppers from individually shaped components on a carrier surface using a configurable cutting device, consolidation through heat and pressure, and a flexible membrane, allowing for rapid, flexible, and customizable production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual prototype manufacturing is used, then product design flexibility is maintained, but development time increases significantly (weeks to months)
Solution Approach 1:
The upper is divided into multiple individual patches or components that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation allows parallel processing of different components, significantly reducing development time while maintaining design flexibility through easy reconfiguration of individual patches
Solution Approach 2:
Patches are pre-manufactured with attachment means (such as adhesive layers, hooks, or fastening elements) already integrated. This preliminary preparation enables rapid assembly without requiring time-consuming post-processing steps, thus reducing overall development time while preserving design adaptability
2Reliability
If traditional manufacturing processes are used, then product quality can be maintained, but manufacturing flexibility and speed are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing system transitions from static, fixed-process traditional manufacturing to a dynamic modular assembly system. Patches can be selectively attached or detached, and assembly configurations can be changed rapidly, providing manufacturing flexibility while maintaining quality through standardized attachment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter of manufacturing from continuous forming to discrete assembly. By using pre-manufactured patches with standardized attachment interfaces, the system achieves both high manufacturing flexibility (easy reconfiguration) and maintained quality (consistent attachment standards)
3Productivity
If automated strip placement is used, then manufacturing efficiency improves, but product complexity is limited and additional manual steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using simple continuous strips, the invention segments the material into pre-formed patches with specific shapes and integrated attachment means. This segmentation enables automated placement while achieving complex product designs, as each patch can be independently positioned and attached without requiring additional manual manipulation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges multiple functions into single patches: structural function, aesthetic function, and attachment function are all integrated into one component. This consolidation allows automated placement systems to handle complex products in a single operation, eliminating the need for additional manual manufacturing steps
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables quick, automated, and locally flexible manufacturing of shoe uppers with varied characteristics, enhancing responsiveness to market demands and customer preferences.
Implementation Method 1
A meltable layer of each strip is then activated by heat to provide adhesion
Implementation Method 2
consolidation through heat and pressure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 2c~2d
AI summary
The present invention refers to a method for the manufacture of sporting goods, in particular shoes, comprising the steps of providing (100) a plurality of components (10) in one of a plurality of predefined shapes, and placing (400a, 400b) the plurality of components (10) onto a two-dimensional or three-dimensional carrier surface (20) to create the sporting good or a part thereof.