Footwear component tooling for use with microwave energy
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorJeffrey E. Darland
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The utilization of heat in the manufacturing of footwear may be accomplished through microwave energy. The microwave energy is conveyed to the footwear components through a microwave transparent window of a tool. The microwave transparent tool window forms as least a portion of a part-contacting surface of the tool. Another surface of the tool is formed from a microwave reflecting material, such as aluminum. The footwear component(s) are exposed to microwave energy while within the tool such that the microwave energy passes through the tool window to cause a dielectric heating of one or more materials within a tool cavity of the tool.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a component of an article of footwear with directed beam microwave energy, the method comprising:
- inserting a first footwear component in a tool cavity of a tool, wherein a first part-contacting surface of the tool cavity is formed from a first material and a second part-contacting surface of the tool cavity is formed from a second material, wherein the second material is more transparent to the microwave energy than the first material;
- directing the microwave energy through the second material at a first location into the tool cavity to apply the microwave energy at a first determined location of the first footwear component;
- and
- directing the microwave energy through the second material at a second location into the tool cavity to apply the microwave energy at a second determined location of the first footwear component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.