Shoe outsole manufacturing methods
AssigneeThe Topline Corporation
InventorsPaul W. Daniels, Tsun-Jung Huang
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Abstract
A shoe having a fabric outsole and method for manufacturing are disclosed. In described embodiments, a shoe outsole with a bottom surface wherein an adhesive is applied to at least a portion of the bottom surface of the shoe outsole and a plurality of fibers are embedded within the adhesive. In the described method embodiment, once the adhesive is applied to the outsole, fibers are sifted down through an electrostatic field onto the adhesive. Once sufficient fibers have been embedded, the adhesive is cured and then cooled.
Claims34
A shoe outsole, the outsole comprising:
- a bottom surface of the shoe outsole;
- an adhesive applied to at least a portion of the bottom surface of the shoe outsole;
- and
- a plurality of fibers electro-statically embedded within the adhesive.
A shoe, the shoe comprising:
- a shoe outsole having an upper surface and a bottom surface wherein the upper surface is connected to a shoe upper;
- an adhesive applied to at least a portion of the bottom surface of the shoe outsole;
- and
- a plurality of fibers electro-statically embedded within the adhesive.
A method for applying fibers to a shoe outsole, the method comprising:
- applying an adhesive to a first region of a bottom surface of the shoe outsole;
- placing the shoe outsole on top of a support plate, the bottom surface facing upward;
- providing for the support plate and a screen to be in vertical proximity of one another;
- creating an electro-static field in a region above the support plate;
- drawing a plurality of fibers through the screen wherein the fibers are charged and gravitationally drawn toward the support plate due to the electro-static field region, the fibers continuing downward through the electro-static field region until at least some of the fibers become embedded into the adhesive;
- removing the support plate with the shoe outsole;
- and
- curing the adhesive with the embedded fibers therein.
A fiber transfer means for attaching fibers to a shoe outsole, the fiber transfer means comprising:
- a charging means for electrostatically charging the fibers, the charging means being electrically powered;
- a sifting means for negotiating the fibers into an electrostatic field region;
- and
- a support means for supporting the outsole and for creating the electrostatic field region between the charging means and the support means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.