Method and apparatus for applying flocking to the outsole of shoe under pressure
AssigneeVida Shoes International, Inc.
InventorJie Zhan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Flocking fibers are applied to the outsole of a shoe by placing the fibers in a chamber within a housing and placing the outsole over an opening in the housing after applying an adhesive to a surface of the outsole which is to receive the flocking. A pressurized gas jet is activated to increase the pressure in the housing thereby causing the fibers to exit the chamber and collide with the adhesive surface of the outsole. The outsoles may be supported on screens within openings in a tray which is removably mountable on the housing over the opening therein.
Claims9
A method of applying flocking fibers to the outsole of a shoe comprising,
- inserting flocking fibers into a chamber within a housing,
- coating a surface of said outsole with an adhesive,
- placing said outsole outside of said chamber with said surface of said outsole over an opening in said housing in communication with said chamber,
- increasing the pressure in said chamber to a level greater than the pressure outside of said chamber sufficiently to force said flocking fibers to exit said chamber through said opening without subjecting said flocking fibers to any electric field, and to collide with said adhesive on said surface of said outsole whereby at least some of said flocking fibers adhere to said adhesive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.