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US 10,005,231 B2Granted
Method of manufacturing contoured objects by radio frequency welding and tooling assembly for same
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorBryan Kraft
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method includes compressing a non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component, a wire mesh component, and a dielectric, contoured object between first and second forming tools. Once the components are compressed, radio frequency energy is supplied to the first forming tool, thereby causing a radio frequency electromagnetic field to be generated between the first forming tool and the wire mesh component that results in a contoured weld of the contoured object. A tooling assembly is configured to carry out the method.
Claims15
A method of manufacturing using a first forming tool and a second forming tool, comprising:
- placing a non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component on the second forming tool;
- positioning a first wire mesh component on the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component;
- positioning a second wire mesh component on the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component independently of said positioning the first wire mesh component;
- wherein the second wire mesh component is disjoined from the first wire mesh component such that the second wire mesh component is positionable independently of the first wire mesh component and a spacing between the first wire mesh component and the second wire mesh component is dependent on said positioning the second wire mesh component;
- placing a dielectric, contoured object between the first forming tool and the first and second wire mesh components;
- compressing the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component, the first wire mesh component, the second wire mesh component, and the dielectric, contoured object between the first and second forming tools, with the dielectric, contoured object between the first forming tool and the first wire mesh component, and with the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component between the first wire mesh component and the second forming tool and between the second wire mesh component and the second forming tool;
- wherein said compressing is with sufficient pressure such that the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component elastically deforms and the first and second wire mesh components are flexibly compressed against a contoured surface of the dielectric, contoured object by the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component;
- and
- supplying radio frequency energy to the first forming tool, thereby causing a radio frequency electromagnetic field between the first forming tool and the first and second wire mesh components that results in a first contoured weld of the dielectric, contoured object via the first wire mesh component and a second contoured weld of the dielectric, contoured object via the second wire mesh component.
6 more elements
A method of manufacturing an article of footwear comprising:
- providing first and second forming tools;
- placing a non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component on the second forming tool;
- positioning a first wire mesh component on the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component;
- positioning a second wire mesh component on the non-dielectric, elastically deformable component independently of said positioning the first wire mesh component, wherein the second wire mesh component is disjoined from the first wire mesh component such that the second wire mesh component is positionable independently of the first wire mesh component;
- placing an inflatable bladder element having a contoured outer surface between the first forming tool and the first and second wire mesh components;
- wherein the second forming tool has a contoured surface with contours that correspond with contours of the contoured outer surface of the inflatable bladder element;
- after said placing the inflatable bladder element having the contoured outer surface, compressing the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component, the first and second wire mesh components, and the inflatable bladder element between first and second forming tools;
- wherein the inflatable bladder element has first and second sheets;
- wherein said compressing is with sufficient pressure such that the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component deforms to distribute the pressure through the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component so that the first and second wire mesh components flex to conform to the contoured outer surface of the inflatable bladder element and such that said compressing compresses the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component between the contoured outer surface of the inflatable bladder element and the contoured surface of the second forming tool;
- and
- supplying radio frequency energy to the first forming tool, thereby causing a radio frequency electromagnetic field between the first forming tool and the first and second wire mesh components that results in contoured welds of at least one of the sheets of the inflatable bladder element.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.