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US 2018/0222121 A1Published application
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.
Claims9
An assembly for radio frequency welding of a dielectric, contoured object, the assembly comprising:
- a first forming tool and a second forming tool at least one of which is configured to be movable toward and away from the other;
- at least one non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component supported on the second forming tool;
- a wire mesh component supported on the non-dielectric, elastically-deformable component;
- wherein the first forming tool and the wire mesh component are configured to transmit radio frequency energy to a dielectric, contoured object compressed between the first forming tool and the wire mesh component by movement of said at least one of the forming tools toward the other forming tool, and by the elastically-deformable component elastically deforming to distribute pressure of the forming tools on the wire mesh component to flex the wire mesh component against the dielectric, contoured object to provide a contoured weld.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.