US 2012/0056345 A1 · POLYURETHANE-COATED SPANDEX FABRIC-FUSED MIDSOLE AND APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

Abstract

The present invention relates to a polyurethane-coated (PU-coated) spandex fabric-fused midsole, and an apparatus and method for manufacturing the same, which allow a shoe midsole to be easily and conveniently manufactured through a single automatic process, and allows a PU-coated spandex fabric to be easily fused to a surface of the midsole in the process of manufacturing the midsole. For this purpose, there is provided a polyurethane-coated (PU-coated) spandex fabric-fused midsole manufacturing apparatus including: a central axis rotated by a driving force of a motor; a rotary disc fitted on the central axis to be rotated together with the central axis; a plurality of midsole forming mold units, which are mounted on the outer ends of support members radially extending from the outer circumference of the rotary disc, respectively; a PU-coated spandex fabric supply apparatus installed above the trace of rotation of the midsole forming mold units to provide a PU-coated spandex fabric to each of the midsole forming mold units; vacuum means installed between the rotary disc and the midsole forming mold units to vacuum the inside of a midsole forming mold unit supplied with a PU-coated spandex fabric to such an extent that the PU-coated spandex fabric comes into close contact with the inner surface of the midsole forming mold unit; a resin introducing apparatus installed outside of the trace of rotation of the midsole forming mold units to introduce polyurethane (PU) resin into the midsole forming mold unit having the PU-coated spandex fabric film in contact with inner surface thereof; and a foam-molded product removal apparatus installed outside of the trace of rotation of the midsole forming mold units to remove a foam-molded product formed by foaming the polyurethane resin introduced into the midsole forming unit by leaving the polyurethane resin in the midsole forming mold unit at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined length of time.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A polyurethane-coated (PU-coated) spandex fabric-fused midsole manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a central axis positioned at the central area of the apparatus and rotated by a driving force of a motor;
a rotary disc fitted on the central axis to be rotated together with the central axis;
a plurality of midsole forming mold units, which are mounted on the outer ends of support members radially extending from the outer circumference of rotary disc, respectively;
a PU-coated spandex fabric supply apparatus installed above the trace of rotation of the midsole forming mold units to provide a PU-coated spandex fabric to each of the midsole forming mold units;
vacuum means installed between the rotary disc and the midsole forming mold units to vacuum the inside of a midsole forming mold unit supplied with a PU-coated spandex fabric to such an extent that the PU-coated spandex fabric comes into close contact with the inner surface of the midsole forming mold unit;
a resin introducing apparatus installed outside of the trace of rotation of the midsole forming mold units to introduce polyurethane (PU) resin into the midsole forming mold unit having the PU-coated spandex fabric film in close contact with inner surface thereof;
and
a foam-molded product removal apparatus installed outside of the trace of rotation of the midsole forming mold units to remove a foam-molded product formed by foaming the polyurethane resin introduced into the midsole forming unit by leaving the polyurethane resin in the midsole forming mold unit at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined length of time,
wherein supplying the PU-coated spandex fabric to any of the midsole forming mold units, continuously vacuuming the inside of the midsole forming mold unit supplied with the PU-coated spandex fabric using the vacuum means to allow the PU-coated spandex fabric to be in close contact with the inner surface of the midsole forming mold unit, introducing the polyurethane resin into the midsole forming mold unit in this condition, and removing a foam-molded product formed by foaming and molding the polyurethane resin are sequentially performed while the rotary disc, each of the midsole forming mold units, and the vacuum means are being rotated in unison together with the central axis.

6 more elements

A polyurethane-coated (PU-coated) spandex fabric-fused midsole manufacturing method comprising:

supplying a PU-coated spandex fabric from a PU-coated spandex fabric supply apparatus to the top of a bottom mold of any midsole forming mold unit among a plurality of midsole forming mold units in such a manner that the PU-coated spandex fabric is placed to cover the top of the bottom mold;
placing a middle mold on the top of the bottom mold in such a manner that the PU-coated spandex fabric can be closely contacted with and fixed to the top of the bottom mold;
vacuuming a space formed between the inner surfaces of the bottom mold and the PU-coated spandex fabric by the pumping force of a vacuum pump, which is a vacuum means, and through air flow tubes in such a manner that the PU-coated spandex fabric can be closely contacted with the bottom surface within the bottom mold;
introducing a predetermined amount of polyurethane from a polyurethane resin introducing apparatus into a midsole forming portion in the bottom mold in the state in which the PU-coated spandex fabric is in close contact with the midsole forming portion in the bottom mold;
placing a top mold on the top of the bottom mold to cover the top of the bottom mold in the state in which the polyurethane resin is introduced into the bottom mold;
heating the midsole forming mold unit at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined length of time to foam-mold the polyurethane resin introduced into the midsole forming portion in the midsole forming mold unit;
pivoting and separating the top and middle molds from the bottom mold to open the inside of the bottom mold;
and
removing the foam-molded product foamed and molded in the bottom mold using a foam-molded product removal apparatus,
wherein supplying the PU-coated spandex fabric to a midsole forming mold unit, continuously vacuuming the inside of the midsole forming mold unit supplied with the PU-coated spandex fabric using the vacuum means to allow the PU-coated spandex fabric to be in close contact with the inner surface of the midsole forming mold unit, introducing the polyurethane resin into the midsole forming mold unit to foaming-mold the polyurethane resin, and removing a foam-molded product formed by foaming and molding the polyurethane resin are sequentially performed while a rotary disc, each of the midsole forming mold units, and the vacuum means are simultaneously rotated together with a central axis of a PU-coated spandex fabric-fused midsole manufacturing apparatus, whereby a PU-coated spandex fabric-fused midsole can be manufactured through a single automatic process.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Polyurethane-coated spandex fabric-fused midsole and apparatus and method for manufacturing the same

Life of this patent

Polyurethane-coated spandex fabric-fused midsole and apparatus and method for manufacturing the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13