Shoe Last Extension with Origin Pattern for Automated Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of shoes is labor-intensive and prone to variations in materials, tooling, and conditions, leading to less precision in the finished product, as human operators compensate for these variations, making it difficult to achieve consistent results.
Innovation Solution
A shoe last extension with a mounting mechanism and a pattern on its surface, allowing mechanized processes like robotic arms to determine a common origin location across different last extensions, enabling multiple mechanisms to manipulate the last extension at various manufacturing phases, thereby automating processes traditionally performed by humans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If shoe manufacturing is performed manually by human operators, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but precision and consistency deteriorate due to variations in materials, tooling, and conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a last extension as an intermediary component between the shoe last and the manufacturing environment. This extension provides a standardized interface with origin markers that enable automated systems to accurately locate and manipulate the last, thereby achieving precision in automated shoe manufacturing without requiring the entire manufacturing process to be fully automated
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a standardized copy or representation of the last through the last extension, which includes origin markers and reference points. This allows automated systems to work with a consistent interface rather than dealing with the variability of the actual shoe last and materials, enabling precise automated manipulation while maintaining the flexibility of manual processes
2Manufacturing precision
If precision-machined lasts are used to improve manufacturing precision, then consistency improves, but cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the last system into two separate components: the shoe last itself (which can be simple and inexpensive) and the last extension (which provides the precision interface). This segmentation allows the expensive precision features to be concentrated in a single reusable extension component rather than requiring the entire last to be precision-machined, thereby reducing overall cost while maintaining consistency
Solution Approach 2:
The last extension serves multiple functions: it provides a standardized mounting interface, establishes origin markers for automated systems, and creates reference points for measurement. By making this single component multi-functional, the system achieves precision without requiring multiple expensive precision-machined components
3Manufacturing precision
If human operators compensate for variations in materials and tooling, then adaptability is maintained, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to the labor-intensive process
Solution Approach 1:
The last extension is designed to self-establish its position and origin markers when attached to the shoe last. The mounting mechanism automatically creates reference points that automated systems can detect and use for positioning, eliminating the need for human operators to manually measure and compensate for variations, thereby achieving precision through the system's own structure rather than human intervention
Data Source
AI summary
A method for locating critical control points on a part or combination of parts during a manufacturing process involves mating, directly or indirectly, a jig extension to the part or parts. A pattern on the jig extension defines an origin point that is used to track the position of the part or parts during manufacturing, such as during location-sensitive operations. The jig extension may be a shoe last extension which connects to a shoe or shoe component via a shoe last.