Manufacturing Frame
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsJared Baggen, Bruce Alan Barney, Daniel B. DeHaven, Bruce J. Kilgore, John Joseph Terlizzi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A manufacturing frame comprises one or more alignment tabs. Each alignment tab comprises an alignment element. The alignment element interacts with a corresponding alignment element at a manufacturing station to identify to the manufacturing station the position and orientation of the frame. The frame supports a flexible material in a known position and orientation relative to the frame, allowing the manufacturing station to infer the position and orientation of the flexible material on the frame from the interaction of the alignment elements on the frame and the manufacturing station.
Claims20
A frame for use in manufacturing having a long side and a short side, the frame comprising:
- a perimeter defined by the long side, a second, opposing long side, the short side, and a second, opposing short side;
- a first alignment tab extending from the frame long side, the first alignment tab comprising an alignment element, wherein the first alignment tab and the alignment element allow for positioning of the frame at a manufacturing station at a known location for a manufacturing process to occur within a center area defined by the perimeter.
A frame for use in manufacturing, the frame comprising:
- a first frame comprising:
- (1) a first plurality of magnetic elements secured to the first frame;
- (2) a first plurality of pins secured to the first frame, wherein the first plurality of pins are positioned around the first frame for securing a material extending across a center area of the first frame;
- (3) a first aperture extending through the first frame;
- a second frame configured to coextensively mate with the first frame, the second frame comprising:
- (1) a second plurality of magnetic elements secured to the second frame, wherein the first plurality of magnets and the second plurality of magnets are cooperatively positioned to magnetically attract the first frame and the second frame in the coextensively mated configuration;
- (2) a solid portion of the second frame configured to align with the first aperture of the first frame when in the coextensively mated configuration with the second frame;
- and
- an alignment tab extending from the frame when the second frame is coextensively mated with the first frame.
A method of performing manufacturing operations on opposite faces of a material maintained by a frame, the method comprising:
- positioning the frame at a first manufacturing station with a first face positioned toward a first manufacturing operation to be performed at the first manufacturing station;
- aligning the frame at the first manufacturing station with a first alignment tab extending from the frame mechanically engaged with the first manufacturing station;
- performing the first manufacturing operation on a first face of a material maintained by the frame, wherein the material first face and the frame first face are similarly oriented;
- positioning the frame at a second manufacturing station with a second face positioned toward a second manufacturing operation to be performed at the second manufacturing station;
- aligning the frame at the second manufacturing station with the first alignment tab extending from the frame mechanically engaged with the second manufacturing station;
- and
- performing the second manufacturing operation on a second face of the material maintained by the frame, wherein the material second face and the frame second face are similarly oriented.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.