Shoe Lasting Apparatus with Optical Alignment Guidance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In shoe manufacturing, existing systems require manual intervention by skilled operators to ensure precise centring and alignment of leather blanks during the toe lasting process, leading to potential inaccuracies and defects, despite advancements in imaging and projection technologies.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that integrates a touch screen display, video acquisition, and projection of luminous reference marks, allowing operators to define and project a 'master' pattern onto the shoe, enabling precise alignment and assembly while minimizing mechanical contact and operator effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual intervention by skilled operators is used to ensure precise centring and alignment, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and operator specialization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital copy of the shoe last through video acquisition and processes it to generate a master pattern. This digital representation is then projected as luminous reference marks on the actual shoe last, allowing operators to align the leather blank with precise visual guidance without complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical centring and alignment mechanisms with an optical system. Video cameras capture the shoe last geometry, computational algorithms process the image data, and projection devices display luminous reference marks. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical adjustment systems while maintaining high positioning precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If imaging and projection technologies are introduced to guide operators, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates multiple functions into a unified platform: video acquisition for documentation and measurement, image processing for pattern generation, and projection for visual guidance. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single integrated apparatus, reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically generates the master pattern from the video image of the shoe last without requiring manual measurement or marking by the operator. The computational algorithms automatically process the image data, calculate the reference pattern, and prepare it for projection, allowing the system to serve itself and reducing the operational burden on workers.
3Productivity
If completely automated systems are used, then productivity is improved, but adaptability to variations in natural materials is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously captures video images of the actual shoe last and leather blank during the mounting process. The operator can observe the real-time positioning through the projected luminous marks and adjust the leather blank placement as needed. This feedback loop allows the system to adapt to variations in natural materials while maintaining high productivity through automated guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to be dynamically adjustable rather than rigidly fixed. The video acquisition system can capture different shoe last geometries, the image processing algorithms can adapt to various material characteristics, and the projection system can dynamically adjust the reference pattern positioning. This dynamic capability maintains productivity while providing necessary adaptability.
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
Enhances production quality by providing a guided, intuitive, and automated system that reduces operator errors, preserves flexibility, and facilitates the assembly of high-quality shoe products with reduced waste and increased efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a video camera (32) is positioned in the assembling unit (2) so as to shoot, in particular by taking images, the shoe last (12) and the leather blank (11) during the mounting process
Implementation Method 2
a device (31) for displaying, in particular for projecting, a luminous mark (Mp) on the shoe last (12)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention relates to the sector of leather manufacturing, mainly but not exclusively shoe manufacturing and relates to a process and apparatus for assembling a shoe or similar article, for example but not exclusively a so-called "pulling-over" or "lasting" machine, i.e. the machine in which the upper of a shoe is assembled on the form, under which the insole has previously been applied, in order to pull and glue the upper below the front part of the form.