Thermoplastic Shoe Upper Fusion With Foamed Midsole Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional shoe manufacturing processes are laborious, inefficient, and environmentally harmful, requiring multiple machines, human labor, and separate production of sole and upper components, with challenges in size control and high energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for producing shoes using a thermoplastic polymer upper and midsole materials, where the upper is mounted on a carrier and inserted into a sole molding unit, allowing direct fusion of the midsole through supercritical injection foaming, eliminating the need for additional adhesives and reducing waste and emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional separate production methods are used for sole and upper, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but production efficiency decreases and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sole production unit and upper mounting process into a single integrated shoe production system. The sole production unit includes a mold that can be directly mounted with the upper, eliminating the need for separate production steps and multiple machines. This merging of operations directly addresses the contradiction by improving productivity through integration while managing device complexity through unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold in the sole production unit is designed to serve multiple functions: it can produce soles, mount uppers, and facilitate direct material bonding between sole and upper. This multi-functional design allows a single device to perform what previously required multiple separate machines and processes, thereby improving production efficiency without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Reliability
If adhesive and stitching are used to connect upper and sole, then connection strength is achieved, but production time increases and additional materials are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the adhesive application step from the traditional shoe manufacturing process. By using direct material bonding through the integrated sole production unit, the system removes the need for separate adhesive application and drying time, thereby reducing production time while maintaining connection strength through the bonding mechanism inherent in the foam injection process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces foam material as an intermediary that directly bonds the upper to the sole during the molding process. This foam acts as a mediating substance that creates a strong material-bonding connection without requiring separate adhesive applications or stitching operations, thus reducing production time while achieving reliable connection strength.
3Manufacturing precision
If classic foam molding is used, then sole production is achieved, but size control accuracy decreases and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the foam molding parameters by using a controlled foam injection process within the integrated sole production unit. The foam material and injection parameters are optimized to achieve accurate size control while reducing the energy required for molding. This involves controlling the expansion and curing of the foam to match the mold dimensions precisely, thereby improving manufacturing precision while managing energy consumption.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional foam molding is used, then sole production is achieved, but environmental impact increases due to VOC emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using thermoplastic polymer materials for both the upper and midsole that can be directly bonded. This material substitution eliminates the need for traditional foam molding that releases VOCs, thereby maintaining sole production capability while significantly reducing harmful emissions. The direct material bonding process uses materials and methods that are environmentally friendlier than traditional adhesive and foam processes.
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
The method enhances production efficiency, reduces human workforce, minimizes resource demand, and decreases environmental impact by integrating sole and upper production in a single automated process, achieving a stronger and more reliable connection without additional materials.
Implementation Method 1
introducing, in particular injecting, a midsole polymer composition comprising a molten thermoplastic polymer midsole material into the cavity and foaming the molten thermoplastic polymer midsole material inside the cavity
Implementation Method 2
The molten thermoplastic polymer midsole material has a melting temperature which is equal to or higher than the melting temperature of the thermoplastic polymer upper material
Implementation Method 3
the molten thermoplastic polymer midsole material contacts and melts the bottom section of the upper being inserted into the cavity. Thus, a direct material-bonded connection between upper and midsole is formed which is free of any additional external adhesive, but may be considered as a fused connection
Data Source
AI summary
A shoe, a shoe production system and a method for producing a shoe including the steps: a. providing an upper assembly (2), wherein the upper assembly includes an upper (3) being mounted on a carrier (4), wherein the upper (3) includes a bottom section (5) being made from a thermoplastic polymer upper material; b. providing a sole molding unit (6), wherein the sole molding unit defines a cavity; c. inserting the upper assembly (2) at least partially into the cavity; introducing a midsole polymer composition comprising a molten thermoplastic polymer midsole material which has a melting temperature being equal or higher than the melting temperature of the thermoplastic polymer upper material into the cavity and foaming the molten thermoplastic polymer midsole material inside the cavity to provide a foamed midsole and to establish a material-bonded connection between the upper (3) and the foamed midsole (8).