Footwear manufacturing conveyor system
AssigneeECCO Sko A/S
InventorsThomas Gogsig, Jacob Bossen, Michael Hansson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A footwear manufacturing conveyor system includes a rail system. A first rail and guideways positioned within the boundary of the first rail provide at least one path of travel along the rail system. A propulsion system with a plurality of electrical coils is configured to provide magnetic propulsion. A vehicle has a magnet is configured to interact with the propulsion system. A receiving part is adapted to receive a footwear last. A load bearing element has a primary surface which is configured to engage with the first rail and an opposite secondary surface. The rail system further includes a second rail, positioned at an opposite side of the load bearing element.
Claims17
A footwear manufacturing conveyor system comprising:
- a rail system comprising:
- a first rail, and
- guideways positioned within a boundary of the first rail, adapted to provide at least one path of travel along the rail system;
- a propulsion system with a plurality of electrical coils configured to provide magnetic propulsion;
- and
- a plurality of individual independently-controlled vehicles including:
- a magnet configured to interact with the propulsion system,
- a receiving part adapted to receive a footwear last, and
- a load bearing element having a primary surface which is configured to engage with the first rail and an opposite secondary surface,
- wherein the rail system further comprises a second rail, positioned at an opposite side of the load bearing element, and
- wherein the plurality of individual independently-controlled vehicles are configured to accelerate independently, respectively, along the rail system.
A method for reducing friction of a plurality of individual independently-controlled vehicles in a footwear manufacturing conveyor system, said method comprising steps of, for the plurality of individual independently-controlled vehicles, respectively:
- engaging a load bearing element of the plurality of individual independently-controlled vehicles with a rail system including:
- a first rail,
- guideways positioned within a boundary of the first rail, the guideways being adapted to provide at least one path of travel along the rail system, and
- a second rail positioned at an opposite side of the load bearing element;
- receiving a footwear last by a receiving part of the plurality of individual independently-controlled vehicles;
- and
- propelling the plurality of individual independently-controlled vehicles using a propulsion system provided with a plurality of electrical coils that provide a magnetic propulsion to a propulsion element of the plurality of individual independently-controlled vehicles,
- wherein the plurality of individual independently-controlled vehicles are configured to accelerate independently along the rail system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.