System for shoe sole portion painting
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsPatrick Conall Regan, Feng-Ming Ou, Hao-Zhen Chen, Chih-Chung Wu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated system for painting a shoe sole portion of a shoe is provided. The automated painting system is adapted to use a variety of stations and components to automatically paint a side surface of the shoe sole portion while it is secured in a jig, transition the jig to an open position, and remove the painted shoe sole portion from the jig.
Claims20
A painting system for painting a shoe sole portion of a shoe, the painting system comprising:
- at least one loading station adapted to position the shoe sole portion, the at least one loading station comprising at least a jig having a first plate and a second plate coupled to the first plate, wherein the loading station is adapted to position the shoe sole portion on at least the first plate of the jig, wherein the loading station is further configured to place the first plate and the second plate of the jig in a closed position, and wherein when the first plate and the second plate are placed in the closed position at the loading station, at least a portion of a first surface and a second opposite surface of the shoe sole portion are covered by the first plate and the second plate of the jig, and at least a portion of a third surface of the shoe sole portion is left exposed;
- at least one computer-controlled painting station adapted to automatically paint the portion of the third surface of the shoe sole portion while the shoe sole portion is positioned in the closed jig;
- and
- a transport assembly adapted to transport the closed jig from the loading station to the painting station.
A painting system for painting a shoe sole portion of a shoe, the painting system comprising:
- at least one loading station adapted to position the shoe sole portion, the at least one loading station comprising at least a jig, the at least one loading station adapted to position the shoe sole portion on the jig and place the jig in a closed position, wherein when the jig is in the closed position, the jig is adapted to hold the shoe sole portion in a fixed position such that only a first surface of the shoe sole portion is exposed;
- at least one painting station adapted to paint the exposed first surface of the shoe sole portion while being held by the jig, wherein the painting station is controlled by a computing device having a predefined painting path;
- and
- a transport assembly adapted to transport the jig from the loading station to the painting station, and from the painting station to an opening station.
A painting system for painting a shoe sole portion of a shoe, the painting system comprising:
- a loading station adapted to position the shoe sole portion, the loading station comprising at least a jig, the loading station adapted to position the shoe sole portion on the jig and place the jig in a closed position, wherein when the jig is in the closed position, the jig is configured to hold the shoe sole portion such that only a side surface of the shoe sole portion is exposed;
- a computer controlled painting station that is adapted to paint the exposed side surface of the shoe sole portion while being maintained by the jig;
- an opening station having an opening mechanism adapted to transition the jig from the closed position to a fully-open position;
- an unloading station having a mechanism adapted to remove the shoe sole portion from the jig;
- and
- a transport assembly adapted to transport the jig from a first location to the painting station, from the painting station to the opening station, and from the opening station to the unloading station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.