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US 8,958,901 B2Granted
Automated manufacturing of shoe parts
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorPatrick Conall Regan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by executing various shoe-manufacturing processes in an automated fashion. For example, information describing a shoe part may be determined, such as an identification, an orientation, a color, a surface topography, an alignment, a size, etc. Based on the information describing the shoe part, automated shoe-manufacturing apparatuses may be instructed to apply various shoe-manufacturing processes to the shoe part.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing shoe parts in an automated manner, the method comprising:
- positioning a first shoe part at a first manufacturing station, wherein a part-recognition system determines a first identity of the first shoe part and determines a first orientation and first location of the first shoe part;
- retrieving a second shoe part from a second manufacturing station, wherein the part-recognition system determines a second identity of the second shoe part and determines a second orientation of the second shoe part;
- using a part-manufacturing apparatus to transfer the second shoe part onto the first shoe part by transferring the second shoe part from its second orientation to a third orientation relative to the first shoe part, which is determined based on the first orientation and the first identity of the first shoe part;
- and
- using the part-manufacturing apparatus, which transferred the second shoe part, to temporarily attach the second shoe part to the first shoe part to maintain positioning for downstream processing.
2 more elements
A system for manufacturing shoe parts in an automated manner, the system comprising:
- a first manufacturing station at which a first shoe part is positioned;
- a second manufacturing station at which a second shoe part is positioned;
- a part-recognition system that uses a processor, which communicates with computer-storage media, to determine a first identity and a first orientation of the first shoe part and to determine a second identity and a second orientation of the second shoe part;
- and
- a part-manufacturing apparatus that transfers the second shoe part onto the first shoe part by transferring the second shoe part from its second orientation to a third orientation relative to the first shoe part,
- (1) wherein the part-recognition system determines the third orientation based on the first identity and the first orientation of the first shoe part, and
- (2) wherein the part-manufacturing apparatus attaches the second shoe part onto the first shoe part.
4 more elements
A method for manufacturing shoe parts in an automated manner, the method comprising:
- positioning a first shoe part on a support surface and at a first manufacturing station, wherein the first shoe part is substantially flat on the support surface, and wherein a part-recognition system determines a first identity and a first location of the first shoe part;
- using the part-recognition system to determine a second identity of a second shoe part and a second orientation of the second shoe part;
- placing by a first automated part pickup tool the second shoe part on top of the first shoe part by transferring the second shoe part from its second orientation to a third orientation relative to the first shoe part, wherein a first automated attachment tool attaches the second shoe part to the first shoe part, thereby forming an assembly of the first shoe part and the second shoe part;
- using the part-recognition system to determine a third identity and a fourth orientation of the assembly of the first shoe part and the second shoe part;
- using the part-recognition system to determine a fourth identity of a third shoe part and a fifth orientation of the third shoe part;
- moving the assembly of the first shoe part and the second shoe part to a second manufacturing station, wherein a second automated part pickup tool places the third shoe part on top of the assembly of the first shoe part and the second shoe part by transferring the third shoe part from its fifth orientation to a sixth orientation relative to the assembly of the first shoe part and the second shoe part, which is determined based on the third identity and the fourth orientation of the assembly;
- and
- attaching by a second automated attachment tool the third shoe part to the assembly of the first shoe part and the second shoe part.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.