CA2233220A1 - Installation for the manufacture of shoe inserts - Google Patents
Installation for the manufacture of shoe inserts Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2233220A1 CA2233220A1 CA002233220A CA2233220A CA2233220A1 CA 2233220 A1 CA2233220 A1 CA 2233220A1 CA 002233220 A CA002233220 A CA 002233220A CA 2233220 A CA2233220 A CA 2233220A CA 2233220 A1 CA2233220 A1 CA 2233220A1
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- foot
- sensors
- tool
- sole
- measuring
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43D—MACHINES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT OR METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING OR REPAIRING FOOTWEAR
- A43D1/00—Foot or last measuring devices; Measuring devices for shoe parts
- A43D1/02—Foot-measuring devices
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43D—MACHINES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT OR METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING OR REPAIRING FOOTWEAR
- A43D39/00—Machines for making foot-supporting pads or instep-raisers for flat feet
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- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Biophysics (AREA)
- Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
Abstract
The invention concerns an installation for the largely automatic manufacture of orthopaedic shoe inserts, the installation comprisisng a device for measuring the sole of the foot, a device for producing the inserts using the results of the measurement and a data-processing unit which takes the measurement results, and processes them, e.g. by smoothing them, if necessary and converts them into control data for the insert-production device. The measurement device scans the sole of the foot essentially line by line, thus establishing the topography of the sole in the form of vertical slices. To this end, one or more electro-mechanical sensors (13) travel in the longitudinal direction over the sole, following its vertical profile. The motion of the sensors (13) is converted by linear potentiometers (25) into electrical signals. The insert-production device has a machining head, e.g. a milling cutter, which is moved in a spiral over the insert blank. The cutter height-control data is determined largely automatically from the sole-measurement results by the data-processing unit.
Description
(25351WO.DOC Prt: 06.03.1993 i(G) FILE ~1 THIS AI~L~
TE~ TRANSLATI~)N
INSTALLATION FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOE INSERTS
The present invention relates to an installation for manufacturing shoe inserts according to the preamble of claim 1, particularly also a device for registering the topography of feet according to the preamble of claim 2 as well as a manufacturing device of such shoe inserts according to the preamble of claim 8.
For the manufacture of orthopedic shoe inserts on the one hand one needs a device for measuring the feet, particularly the topography of the sole of the foot, and on the other hand means for the manufacture of the shoe inserts in accordance with the measuring, if necessary under consideration of intended corrections. For an economical manufacture of shoe inserts it is desirable to match the measuring procedure and the manufacture.
From EP-A-0 071 386 an apparatus is known, in which at first the form of the sole of the foot is detected on a measuring device.
The measuring device mainly consists of a plurality of measuring pins, which under the action of springs are pressed upwards. A foot is positioned from above on that surface which is provided with pins, in such a way that the pins are depressed according to the form of the sole of the foot. ~ith a clamping device the pins are blocked in that position, so that the surface formed by the pin ends represent a negative from the sole of the foot. The pattern so obtained is then introduced in an apparatus that scans it line by line in the XY-plane. Parallel to the movement of the detector in the XY-plane a milling tool is moved over an shoe insert blank. The height information of the pattern detected by the detector is mechanically transmitted to the ~26851WO.r~OC Prt: 06.03.1993 I~G) milling tool. Synchronously to the detection of the pattern by means of the detector the shoe insert is milled out from the blank.
This known appliance present different disadvantages. The pattern with its great number of pins and its clamping device is quite complicated. Beside other things it is necessary that the pins all move as identically as possible, and are subject to the same spring pressure to achieve congruous measuring conditions on all measuring points. Due to the direct mechanic connection to the milling tool possible mistakes are directly transposed to the shoe insert and must be laboriously corrected by hand, if they are recognizable.
The patterns must be introduced in the clamped state into the manufacturing device. This requires that the measuring takes place in spatial neighborhood to the manufacturing device in order to minimize the risk of an alteration of the patterns during a transport.
The manufacture by milling line by line includes the risk that at each end of a line, when the milling cutter leaves the material, the blank material is broken away. Milling machines present the additional disadvantage that for a high quality work, they only mill in one direction and after every milling of a line, an empty return movement of the milling tool must be intercalated. Finally the particular risk exists that the last remaining rib of the blank at the edge of the blank is broken away by the milling cutter. The so produced, bursted edge of the shoe insert must then also be subject to a rework.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an installation for manufacturing shoe inserts in which the (25851WO.DOC l'rt: 06.03.1993 KG) result of the measuring of the sole of a foot is obtained in a form which is easier transferable and useable and which, after a substantially automatic transfer, serves for the control of the device for manufacturing shoe inserts.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a measuring appliance that is of a simpler construction and preferably delivers the result of the measuring in the form of electric signals.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing device shoe inserts that avoids at least one of the disadvantages of the known device of this kind.
Such a device is defined in claim 15. The devices for measuring the soles of feet and for manufacturing of shoe inserts are the objects of claims 1 and 8 resp. Preferred embodiments are defined in the respective dependent claims.
Accordingly, the installation consists of the measuring appliance according to the invention, the manufacturing device for shoe inserts and a data processing unit that transforms the data obtained from the measuring appliance into control data for the manufacturing device and at the same time allows a refinement, if necessary, e. g.
smoothening but also orthopedic corrections.
The measuring appliance is characterized by the fact that the sole of the foot is scanned line by line by one or several sensors sliding over the sole of the foot.
Advantageously there is only one passage, e. g. from the heel to the toes, wherefor a sufficiently great number of sensors is installed side by side.
~25851WO.DOC Pre: 06.03.1993 I~G) The manufacturing device according to the invention substantially proceeds in a spiral manner. Thereby the described problem of the thin rib to be removed at the end is reduced to a central, not very critical cone.
The invention shall further be described on behalf of an exemplary embodiment with reference to Figures.
Figure 1 an isometric representation of the hole installation for manufacturing, Figure 2 an isometric representation of the effective manufacturing device, ~5 Figure 3 an isometric representation of a sensor and its surrounding, Figure 4 an isometric representation with section of a support model, Figure 5 a simplified top view with indicated feet, Figure 6 an isometric representation of the electro-mechanical function of the manufacturing device, Figure 7 an isometric representation of the electro-mechanical function of the manufacturing device, Figure 8 an isometric representation of the work routine, Figure 9 a representation of the geometry of the tool engagement, ~25851WO.DOC l?rt: 06.03.1998 KG) Figure 10 an isometric representation of the detail of the process on the circular table with a truncated cone as terminal part, Figure 11 an isometric representation of the machining from the inner or the outer side, and Figure 12 disadvantages occurring by linear line by line processing on a compound table.
The external form of the measuring appliance is defined by two lateral boxes 1, 2, the effective measuring apparatus lying between them, and front and rear covers 3, 4, respectively.
The two walls of the boxes 1, 2 that are directed toward each another, support the effective measuring apparatus that consists of the working units wire rope grid A and sensor unit B explained below.
The wire rope grid A consists of a tensioning axle 5, a reversing axle 6, two adjusting axles 7, 8 and a wire rope 9.
The reversing axle 6 and the adjusting axles 7, 8 rest with their pivots in holes in the walls of the boxes 1, 2. The tensioning axle 5 is there supported in longitudinal holes and adjustable with regard to ribs 11, 12 at the boxes 1, 2 by means of two screws 10.
The adjustability serves the pre-tensioning of the wire rope 9 which is affixed to the tensioning and reversing axles 5, 6 respectively, and is strained to a taut grid. The adjusting axles 7, 8 that are profiled with recesses, (25851WO.DOC Prt: 06.01.1998 I~G) guarantee the parallelism of the trunks of the rope 9, such that a regular grid of rope trunks 9 and gaps is formed.
That wire rope grid A forms the measuring platform on top of which the foot to be measured is centrally placed in such a way that its longitudinal axis is parallel to the axis of the wire rope. Then, the other foot of the test person is placed on top of one of the two adjacent boxes 1, 2.
Penetrating through the gaps of the wire rope grid A, sensors 13 measure longitudinal sections of the sole of the foot. The sensors 13 are part of the sensor unit B lying underneath it which processes as follows:
A basic body 14 that is formed as a slide with bearing bushes 15, mounted on two guiding axles 16, 17 and displaceable by a toothed belt 18, carries two bearing plates 19 with an axle 20, onto which the twenty four sensors 13 are rotatably mounted.
The sensors 13, separated by spacer blocks 21, are drawn into the working position by extension springs 22. The extension springs are predrawn to an axle 23. For measuring, each sensor 13 is individually connected to a linear potentiometer 25 by a linkage of bars 24.
The guiding axles 16, 17 are, at their ends, bolted on angles 26, 27 which themselves are bolted with bolts and nuts onto the boxes 1, 2. One of the angles 26 carries also the step motor 28, the other 27 the deflection wheel 29 (see figure 1).
Two levers 30, 31, which are connected by two bars 32, 33 and rotatably mounted on upright bearings 36, 37 by bolts 34, 35, are dislocated in both end positions by rollers 38, ~25851WO.DOC P~:t: 06.03.1995 ~G) 39 and thus lower the sensors 13 during the empty stroke of the sensor unit B. The rollers 38, 39 are mounted onto one of the box side walls 2 by means of screws.
The step motor 28 draws the sensor system B from the heel 41 beneath the foot beyond the toes 43, each sensor 13 transfers the foot profile of one section to the length potentiometer 25. The measured data are read in a synchronously to the step motor 28 clocked manner and converted from analog to digital. The other foot is placed on top of one of the boxes 1 or 2.
The apparatus stores the topography of a foot in the form of the sections in a data file.
The feet can be positioned with orthopedic corrections in the form of thin-walled support models 40 that are open on their lower side. The sensors 13 also detect the inner form of the support models 40 and register simultaneously the correction.
Beside others, it is imaginable that different sensors than the indicated electro-mechanical ones can be used, e. g.
contactless ones, using which the measuring occurs by the reflection of light or sound, and/or different transformers of the height values into electric signals can be used, e. g. those working contactless, measuring incremental or absolute values, or using inductive, optical or capacitive principles.
It is also conceivable to use a small number of sensors, in the extreme case only one, which then scan(s) several times the measuring section and, thereby, at each passage scan(s) a different line on the sole of the foot.
(ZS851WO.~OC Prt: 06.03.~996 KG~
Instead of wire ropes 9 for the grid A, strings of different material or thicker bars can be used.
The data provided by the measuring appliance, which at the beginning are available in analog form, are registered by a (not shown) data processing unit and converted into control signals for the manufacturing device as described in the following. For said data processing unit known standard components as e. g. A/D converters and small computers (PCs) can be used. In the easiest case, a PC currently purchasable with interface boards known in the market as well for registering measuring values and machine control can be used. It is also conceivable to connect a processing unit to the measuring appliance, wherein the data are stored on a portable data carrier. Those data are read into a control unit suitably equipped and connected to the manufacturing device. The necessary computing and possibly postprocessing of the data is done in the one or the other unit. Instead of the portable data carrier, a data transfer of any type can be used.
In addition to the pure conversion of the measuring data into control data for the manufacturing it is possible to provide for an optical survey on a screen, a rework in the sense of an orthopedic correction of the foot and/or a smoothening or any other useful manipulation of the data by using known programs.
The manufacturing device the shoe inserts is illustrated in Figures 6 to 12.
The support of the device, which consists of a base 101 and two post-like mountings 102, 103 is closed by four bolted covers 104, 105, 10~, 107 and contains the function groups - circular table with actuator C
(25351WO.DOC Prt: 06.03.1993 I~G) - radial axis with actuator D and - interpolation axis with actuator E
which are bolted onto it.
Moreover, the cover 106 carries a field of control buttons 108 and behind the cover 105, the box with the electric control unit 109 is hidden.
The circular table with actuator C is driven by a two-stage toothed belt mechanism. A step motor 110, which is bolted onto a support angle 111, opposite the base 101, drives the toothed belt 113 by means of the actuating wheel 112 of the first gear stage. A double intermediate wheel 114 is actuated that is mounted on a fixed bearing neck 115. The bearing neck 115 is bolted to the mounting 103 by means of its flange. The intermediate wheel 114 is axially hold in place by a set collar 116. In the second gear stage the toothed belt 117 connects the intermediate wheel 114 with the actuating wheel 118 of the axis 119 of the circular table.
Two ball bearings 120 support the shaft 119 of the circular table in the mounting 103. It is made in form of a hollow shaft and at its front end, it has a plane flange 121 onto which the circular table 122 is laid such that it is, with its central hole, positioned over a disk with internal screw thread 123 that can be put under tension by means of a spindle having a star wheel 124.
In the working zone, the circular table 122 is supported by a support roller 125 with its support 126 that is affixed to the outer side of the mounting 103. The same support 126 carries also a sensor 127, which serves for indexing the angle of the circular table 122 by means of a hole 171 present in the latter.
~25551WO.DOC l?rt: 0~.03.1999 KG) The radial axle with actuator D is actuated by a step motor 128 which is mounted to the base 101 by means of its support angle 129. The actuator consists of a trapezoidally threaded spindle 130 and a nut 131. The first one is key-bolted to the motor axle and supported by a axial bearing 132 on the front side of the motor, the latter one is bolted to a sledge 133 that guides the radial movement.
The sledge 133 slides with slide bearings 134 on two guiding shafts 135, 136, which are bolted to ribs at the machine base 101, and it carries, on a pillar 137, the step motor 138, which actuates the interpolation arbor E. The radial position of the working tool is indexed on an end switch 39 by means of the sledge 33.
The interpolation arbor with actuator E consists of a rocker 140 that is hingedly mounted to one of the guiding spindles 135, 136 by means of slide bearings 134 and is axially guided between the bearing plates 133a of the sledge 133. At its lower end, the rocker 140 carries a platform onto which the spindle drive motor 141 is affixed.
The shaft of motor 141 carries a flat belt wheel 142, which actuates a belt wheel 144 on the tool spindle 145 by means of a flat belt 143. The tool spindle 145 is hollow and by means of roller bearings rotatably mounted in the spindle cage 146 that is affixed to a platform 140a of the rocker 140 by means of two screws 147. The tool spindle 145 carries, in a grip at its front side, the working tool 148, a cylindrical hard metal grinding body with spherical front, that is pulled aginst to the spindle 145 by means of a screw 149.
(2saslwo.Doc Prt: o~i.o~.l99a I~G) The step motor 138, which is hingedly bolted over a fork-shaped part 150 to the pillar 137 of the sledge 133 by means of a shaft screw 151 and which is provided with an axial bearing 152, drives the trapezoidally threaded spindle 153 key-bolted to it which on its part carries a pivotable nut which is pivotably mounted to two bearings 154 at the rocker 140.
The fork-shaped part 150 on the pillar 137 carries the end switch 155 that indexes the position of the rocker 140 and consequently of the interpolation arbor E.
The circular table 122 can easily been taken off from the machine to a working table to be equipped with the blanks.
The blanks 156 are positioned on the markings corresponding to the size of the respective shoe inserts and fixed to the circular table 122 by means of two-sided adhesive tape.
Afterwards, the circular table 122 is re-positioned into the machine and bolted by means of spindle 124 and disk 123.
A data file containing the topography of two feet is read into the control unit through an interface.
When the working process is started, first all axes are reset to zero and then the control unit 109 first starts the spindle motor 141, then the circular table 122 and finally the radial axle D.
~hile the circular table C, carrying the two blanks 56 slowly rotates (arrow 157), the radial axle D moves from the periphery 159 of the circular table 122 towards its center 160: the working process draws a spiral on the circular table 122 (similar to the function of a disc player).
(25851WO.DOC Prt: 06.03.1998 KG) As soon as the track of the tool meets the geometry of the topographies of the soles of the feet, the interpolation axle E starts to machine the defined foot rests into the blanks 156.
To avoid that the working tool 148 tears the blanks 156 off the circular table 122, the axle of the spindle 145 is inclined by an angle 161 of at least 15~ relative to the axle of the circular table, such that the cylindrical part of the working tool 148 presses the blanks 156 towards the circular table 122 by means of a component 162 of the cutting pressure 172.
Depending on the suitability of the material, the processing of the blanks 156 can take place either in same 157 or in opposite 158 working directions of advance and tool rotation.
At the end of the working process, the normally highest zone of the pair of blanks 156, the truncated cone 163 corresponding to the arches of the two feet, is processed, so that due to the small depth of cut there exists only a little risk of edge tearing. Moreover, the last zone which is processed forms an arch 164 and thus is more stable on the blank 156 than a straight strip 165 at a line by line processing on a cross table 166.
The processing on the circular table allows also proceeding from the center 167 towards the periphery 159.
It is also possible to move the working tool in a spirally way and to keep the blanks on an immobile table. The spirally movement can also be realized by combining two linear movements, preferably arranged perpendicularly one to (25ESlWO.WC Pr~: 06.03.1993 I(G) another. Therein, the movement of the tool and the other of the table could be adapted, too.
From the above description of the manufacturing device the advantage becomes apparent that now two shoe inserts can be produced in one working process, instead of only one insert.
The above description allows the man skilled in the art to modify the invention without leaving the scope of protection of the invention.
TE~ TRANSLATI~)N
INSTALLATION FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOE INSERTS
The present invention relates to an installation for manufacturing shoe inserts according to the preamble of claim 1, particularly also a device for registering the topography of feet according to the preamble of claim 2 as well as a manufacturing device of such shoe inserts according to the preamble of claim 8.
For the manufacture of orthopedic shoe inserts on the one hand one needs a device for measuring the feet, particularly the topography of the sole of the foot, and on the other hand means for the manufacture of the shoe inserts in accordance with the measuring, if necessary under consideration of intended corrections. For an economical manufacture of shoe inserts it is desirable to match the measuring procedure and the manufacture.
From EP-A-0 071 386 an apparatus is known, in which at first the form of the sole of the foot is detected on a measuring device.
The measuring device mainly consists of a plurality of measuring pins, which under the action of springs are pressed upwards. A foot is positioned from above on that surface which is provided with pins, in such a way that the pins are depressed according to the form of the sole of the foot. ~ith a clamping device the pins are blocked in that position, so that the surface formed by the pin ends represent a negative from the sole of the foot. The pattern so obtained is then introduced in an apparatus that scans it line by line in the XY-plane. Parallel to the movement of the detector in the XY-plane a milling tool is moved over an shoe insert blank. The height information of the pattern detected by the detector is mechanically transmitted to the ~26851WO.r~OC Prt: 06.03.1993 I~G) milling tool. Synchronously to the detection of the pattern by means of the detector the shoe insert is milled out from the blank.
This known appliance present different disadvantages. The pattern with its great number of pins and its clamping device is quite complicated. Beside other things it is necessary that the pins all move as identically as possible, and are subject to the same spring pressure to achieve congruous measuring conditions on all measuring points. Due to the direct mechanic connection to the milling tool possible mistakes are directly transposed to the shoe insert and must be laboriously corrected by hand, if they are recognizable.
The patterns must be introduced in the clamped state into the manufacturing device. This requires that the measuring takes place in spatial neighborhood to the manufacturing device in order to minimize the risk of an alteration of the patterns during a transport.
The manufacture by milling line by line includes the risk that at each end of a line, when the milling cutter leaves the material, the blank material is broken away. Milling machines present the additional disadvantage that for a high quality work, they only mill in one direction and after every milling of a line, an empty return movement of the milling tool must be intercalated. Finally the particular risk exists that the last remaining rib of the blank at the edge of the blank is broken away by the milling cutter. The so produced, bursted edge of the shoe insert must then also be subject to a rework.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an installation for manufacturing shoe inserts in which the (25851WO.DOC l'rt: 06.03.1993 KG) result of the measuring of the sole of a foot is obtained in a form which is easier transferable and useable and which, after a substantially automatic transfer, serves for the control of the device for manufacturing shoe inserts.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a measuring appliance that is of a simpler construction and preferably delivers the result of the measuring in the form of electric signals.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing device shoe inserts that avoids at least one of the disadvantages of the known device of this kind.
Such a device is defined in claim 15. The devices for measuring the soles of feet and for manufacturing of shoe inserts are the objects of claims 1 and 8 resp. Preferred embodiments are defined in the respective dependent claims.
Accordingly, the installation consists of the measuring appliance according to the invention, the manufacturing device for shoe inserts and a data processing unit that transforms the data obtained from the measuring appliance into control data for the manufacturing device and at the same time allows a refinement, if necessary, e. g.
smoothening but also orthopedic corrections.
The measuring appliance is characterized by the fact that the sole of the foot is scanned line by line by one or several sensors sliding over the sole of the foot.
Advantageously there is only one passage, e. g. from the heel to the toes, wherefor a sufficiently great number of sensors is installed side by side.
~25851WO.DOC Pre: 06.03.1993 I~G) The manufacturing device according to the invention substantially proceeds in a spiral manner. Thereby the described problem of the thin rib to be removed at the end is reduced to a central, not very critical cone.
The invention shall further be described on behalf of an exemplary embodiment with reference to Figures.
Figure 1 an isometric representation of the hole installation for manufacturing, Figure 2 an isometric representation of the effective manufacturing device, ~5 Figure 3 an isometric representation of a sensor and its surrounding, Figure 4 an isometric representation with section of a support model, Figure 5 a simplified top view with indicated feet, Figure 6 an isometric representation of the electro-mechanical function of the manufacturing device, Figure 7 an isometric representation of the electro-mechanical function of the manufacturing device, Figure 8 an isometric representation of the work routine, Figure 9 a representation of the geometry of the tool engagement, ~25851WO.DOC l?rt: 06.03.1998 KG) Figure 10 an isometric representation of the detail of the process on the circular table with a truncated cone as terminal part, Figure 11 an isometric representation of the machining from the inner or the outer side, and Figure 12 disadvantages occurring by linear line by line processing on a compound table.
The external form of the measuring appliance is defined by two lateral boxes 1, 2, the effective measuring apparatus lying between them, and front and rear covers 3, 4, respectively.
The two walls of the boxes 1, 2 that are directed toward each another, support the effective measuring apparatus that consists of the working units wire rope grid A and sensor unit B explained below.
The wire rope grid A consists of a tensioning axle 5, a reversing axle 6, two adjusting axles 7, 8 and a wire rope 9.
The reversing axle 6 and the adjusting axles 7, 8 rest with their pivots in holes in the walls of the boxes 1, 2. The tensioning axle 5 is there supported in longitudinal holes and adjustable with regard to ribs 11, 12 at the boxes 1, 2 by means of two screws 10.
The adjustability serves the pre-tensioning of the wire rope 9 which is affixed to the tensioning and reversing axles 5, 6 respectively, and is strained to a taut grid. The adjusting axles 7, 8 that are profiled with recesses, (25851WO.DOC Prt: 06.01.1998 I~G) guarantee the parallelism of the trunks of the rope 9, such that a regular grid of rope trunks 9 and gaps is formed.
That wire rope grid A forms the measuring platform on top of which the foot to be measured is centrally placed in such a way that its longitudinal axis is parallel to the axis of the wire rope. Then, the other foot of the test person is placed on top of one of the two adjacent boxes 1, 2.
Penetrating through the gaps of the wire rope grid A, sensors 13 measure longitudinal sections of the sole of the foot. The sensors 13 are part of the sensor unit B lying underneath it which processes as follows:
A basic body 14 that is formed as a slide with bearing bushes 15, mounted on two guiding axles 16, 17 and displaceable by a toothed belt 18, carries two bearing plates 19 with an axle 20, onto which the twenty four sensors 13 are rotatably mounted.
The sensors 13, separated by spacer blocks 21, are drawn into the working position by extension springs 22. The extension springs are predrawn to an axle 23. For measuring, each sensor 13 is individually connected to a linear potentiometer 25 by a linkage of bars 24.
The guiding axles 16, 17 are, at their ends, bolted on angles 26, 27 which themselves are bolted with bolts and nuts onto the boxes 1, 2. One of the angles 26 carries also the step motor 28, the other 27 the deflection wheel 29 (see figure 1).
Two levers 30, 31, which are connected by two bars 32, 33 and rotatably mounted on upright bearings 36, 37 by bolts 34, 35, are dislocated in both end positions by rollers 38, ~25851WO.DOC P~:t: 06.03.1995 ~G) 39 and thus lower the sensors 13 during the empty stroke of the sensor unit B. The rollers 38, 39 are mounted onto one of the box side walls 2 by means of screws.
The step motor 28 draws the sensor system B from the heel 41 beneath the foot beyond the toes 43, each sensor 13 transfers the foot profile of one section to the length potentiometer 25. The measured data are read in a synchronously to the step motor 28 clocked manner and converted from analog to digital. The other foot is placed on top of one of the boxes 1 or 2.
The apparatus stores the topography of a foot in the form of the sections in a data file.
The feet can be positioned with orthopedic corrections in the form of thin-walled support models 40 that are open on their lower side. The sensors 13 also detect the inner form of the support models 40 and register simultaneously the correction.
Beside others, it is imaginable that different sensors than the indicated electro-mechanical ones can be used, e. g.
contactless ones, using which the measuring occurs by the reflection of light or sound, and/or different transformers of the height values into electric signals can be used, e. g. those working contactless, measuring incremental or absolute values, or using inductive, optical or capacitive principles.
It is also conceivable to use a small number of sensors, in the extreme case only one, which then scan(s) several times the measuring section and, thereby, at each passage scan(s) a different line on the sole of the foot.
(ZS851WO.~OC Prt: 06.03.~996 KG~
Instead of wire ropes 9 for the grid A, strings of different material or thicker bars can be used.
The data provided by the measuring appliance, which at the beginning are available in analog form, are registered by a (not shown) data processing unit and converted into control signals for the manufacturing device as described in the following. For said data processing unit known standard components as e. g. A/D converters and small computers (PCs) can be used. In the easiest case, a PC currently purchasable with interface boards known in the market as well for registering measuring values and machine control can be used. It is also conceivable to connect a processing unit to the measuring appliance, wherein the data are stored on a portable data carrier. Those data are read into a control unit suitably equipped and connected to the manufacturing device. The necessary computing and possibly postprocessing of the data is done in the one or the other unit. Instead of the portable data carrier, a data transfer of any type can be used.
In addition to the pure conversion of the measuring data into control data for the manufacturing it is possible to provide for an optical survey on a screen, a rework in the sense of an orthopedic correction of the foot and/or a smoothening or any other useful manipulation of the data by using known programs.
The manufacturing device the shoe inserts is illustrated in Figures 6 to 12.
The support of the device, which consists of a base 101 and two post-like mountings 102, 103 is closed by four bolted covers 104, 105, 10~, 107 and contains the function groups - circular table with actuator C
(25351WO.DOC Prt: 06.03.1993 I~G) - radial axis with actuator D and - interpolation axis with actuator E
which are bolted onto it.
Moreover, the cover 106 carries a field of control buttons 108 and behind the cover 105, the box with the electric control unit 109 is hidden.
The circular table with actuator C is driven by a two-stage toothed belt mechanism. A step motor 110, which is bolted onto a support angle 111, opposite the base 101, drives the toothed belt 113 by means of the actuating wheel 112 of the first gear stage. A double intermediate wheel 114 is actuated that is mounted on a fixed bearing neck 115. The bearing neck 115 is bolted to the mounting 103 by means of its flange. The intermediate wheel 114 is axially hold in place by a set collar 116. In the second gear stage the toothed belt 117 connects the intermediate wheel 114 with the actuating wheel 118 of the axis 119 of the circular table.
Two ball bearings 120 support the shaft 119 of the circular table in the mounting 103. It is made in form of a hollow shaft and at its front end, it has a plane flange 121 onto which the circular table 122 is laid such that it is, with its central hole, positioned over a disk with internal screw thread 123 that can be put under tension by means of a spindle having a star wheel 124.
In the working zone, the circular table 122 is supported by a support roller 125 with its support 126 that is affixed to the outer side of the mounting 103. The same support 126 carries also a sensor 127, which serves for indexing the angle of the circular table 122 by means of a hole 171 present in the latter.
~25551WO.DOC l?rt: 0~.03.1999 KG) The radial axle with actuator D is actuated by a step motor 128 which is mounted to the base 101 by means of its support angle 129. The actuator consists of a trapezoidally threaded spindle 130 and a nut 131. The first one is key-bolted to the motor axle and supported by a axial bearing 132 on the front side of the motor, the latter one is bolted to a sledge 133 that guides the radial movement.
The sledge 133 slides with slide bearings 134 on two guiding shafts 135, 136, which are bolted to ribs at the machine base 101, and it carries, on a pillar 137, the step motor 138, which actuates the interpolation arbor E. The radial position of the working tool is indexed on an end switch 39 by means of the sledge 33.
The interpolation arbor with actuator E consists of a rocker 140 that is hingedly mounted to one of the guiding spindles 135, 136 by means of slide bearings 134 and is axially guided between the bearing plates 133a of the sledge 133. At its lower end, the rocker 140 carries a platform onto which the spindle drive motor 141 is affixed.
The shaft of motor 141 carries a flat belt wheel 142, which actuates a belt wheel 144 on the tool spindle 145 by means of a flat belt 143. The tool spindle 145 is hollow and by means of roller bearings rotatably mounted in the spindle cage 146 that is affixed to a platform 140a of the rocker 140 by means of two screws 147. The tool spindle 145 carries, in a grip at its front side, the working tool 148, a cylindrical hard metal grinding body with spherical front, that is pulled aginst to the spindle 145 by means of a screw 149.
(2saslwo.Doc Prt: o~i.o~.l99a I~G) The step motor 138, which is hingedly bolted over a fork-shaped part 150 to the pillar 137 of the sledge 133 by means of a shaft screw 151 and which is provided with an axial bearing 152, drives the trapezoidally threaded spindle 153 key-bolted to it which on its part carries a pivotable nut which is pivotably mounted to two bearings 154 at the rocker 140.
The fork-shaped part 150 on the pillar 137 carries the end switch 155 that indexes the position of the rocker 140 and consequently of the interpolation arbor E.
The circular table 122 can easily been taken off from the machine to a working table to be equipped with the blanks.
The blanks 156 are positioned on the markings corresponding to the size of the respective shoe inserts and fixed to the circular table 122 by means of two-sided adhesive tape.
Afterwards, the circular table 122 is re-positioned into the machine and bolted by means of spindle 124 and disk 123.
A data file containing the topography of two feet is read into the control unit through an interface.
When the working process is started, first all axes are reset to zero and then the control unit 109 first starts the spindle motor 141, then the circular table 122 and finally the radial axle D.
~hile the circular table C, carrying the two blanks 56 slowly rotates (arrow 157), the radial axle D moves from the periphery 159 of the circular table 122 towards its center 160: the working process draws a spiral on the circular table 122 (similar to the function of a disc player).
(25851WO.DOC Prt: 06.03.1998 KG) As soon as the track of the tool meets the geometry of the topographies of the soles of the feet, the interpolation axle E starts to machine the defined foot rests into the blanks 156.
To avoid that the working tool 148 tears the blanks 156 off the circular table 122, the axle of the spindle 145 is inclined by an angle 161 of at least 15~ relative to the axle of the circular table, such that the cylindrical part of the working tool 148 presses the blanks 156 towards the circular table 122 by means of a component 162 of the cutting pressure 172.
Depending on the suitability of the material, the processing of the blanks 156 can take place either in same 157 or in opposite 158 working directions of advance and tool rotation.
At the end of the working process, the normally highest zone of the pair of blanks 156, the truncated cone 163 corresponding to the arches of the two feet, is processed, so that due to the small depth of cut there exists only a little risk of edge tearing. Moreover, the last zone which is processed forms an arch 164 and thus is more stable on the blank 156 than a straight strip 165 at a line by line processing on a cross table 166.
The processing on the circular table allows also proceeding from the center 167 towards the periphery 159.
It is also possible to move the working tool in a spirally way and to keep the blanks on an immobile table. The spirally movement can also be realized by combining two linear movements, preferably arranged perpendicularly one to (25ESlWO.WC Pr~: 06.03.1993 I(G) another. Therein, the movement of the tool and the other of the table could be adapted, too.
From the above description of the manufacturing device the advantage becomes apparent that now two shoe inserts can be produced in one working process, instead of only one insert.
The above description allows the man skilled in the art to modify the invention without leaving the scope of protection of the invention.
Claims (16)
1. Device for registering the topography of a feet (42) with at least one sensor (13), characterized in that the sensor is movable along substantially parallel tracks in a measuring plane, and that during such a movement, values corresponding to the distance of the sole of a foot (42) present in the zone of detection of the sensor from a given ground plane are determinable by the sensor (13), such that the topography of the sole of the foot (42) is registerable in the form of data which represent substantially parallel sections of the foot.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of similar sensors (13) is present and a registration is obtained in that the sensors (13) scan the measuring plane one single time from one beginning to one end.
3. Device according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that each sensor (13) is in contact with the sole of the foot during the measurement, is movably arranged and pressed against the sole of the foot, preferably by a spring element (22), such that the sensor (13) makes a movement following the form of the sole of the foot, and that the movement of the sensor is transformable into an electrical signal by a converter (25).
4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the converter (25) produces an analog signal and that at least one analog/digital converter is used which transforms the analog signal provided from one or several sensor(s) (13) into a digital signal.
5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a grid (A) is used that substantially consists of parallelly disposed, tensioned or rigid strings, preferably wires (9), and on top of which the foot to be measured can be disposed, and in that each sensor (13) penetrates through a gap between two strings of the grid (A) and is movable along the gap for executing the measuring.
6. Device according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that at the beginning and at the end of the tracks of the sensors (13) each a stationary control element (38, 39 resp.) is located, in that the sensors (13) present a protrusion, and in that a movable, following-on actuating element (30 - 38) is present, that is brought into the one resp. the other of two positions by moving over the one resp. the other of the control elements (39) so that it enters into operational contact with the protrusion of the sensors (13), whereby the sensors (13) are movable between the active measuring position and a passive position, in which the sensors (13) if moved along their track in their passive position, do not touch a foot being present in the measuring position on the appliance, thereby allowing a free return of the sensors (13) into their starting position of a measurement.
7. Device according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized by a wire rope grid (A) onto which the foot to be measured can be placed, wherein a reversing axle (6) and a tensioning axle (5) being pulled by screws (10), tension the wire rope grid (A), and two guiding axles (7, 8) hold the wire ropes (9) in the grid, by a sensor unit (B) that is pulled from the heel beyond the toes by means of a step motor (28) and a toothed belt (18) along two guiding axles (16, 17), wherein sensors (13) which are positioned on a common axle (20), record longitudinal sections of the foot by means of linkages of bars (24) on linear potentiometers (25), said sections being converted from analog into digital and stored, by two levers (30, 31) that are connected to two axles (32, 33) and are rotatably mounted in upright bearings (36, 37) by means of pins (34, 35) and which in both end positions of the measuring stroke are swivelled by rollers (38, 39) such that the sensors (13) remain lowered in the wire rope grid (A) during the return stroke, by thin-walled support models (40) that are open at their underside and are placed under the foot for orthopedic correction before the measuring takes place, so that the sensors also register the correction and thus the appliance registers corrected foot undersurface data.
8. Device for automatic manufacturing of shoe inserts from at least one blank (156) comprising an installation for removing material (148), characterized in that a tool (148) acting as removing tool is in a plane movable with respect to the blank (156) on a track which is substantially spirally, and is liftable and lowerable in a direction which is at least inclined and preferably perpendicular to said plane, in order to produce on the blank a predefined topography of the shoe insert.
9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that at least one pair of blanks (156) can be positioned in such a way that the tool (156) travels over all blanks (156) on the spirally track during a 360° turn to simultaneously produce pairs of shoe inserts.
10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the blanks (156) can be affixed in such a way on a table (122) that the part of the shoe insert, corresponding to the arch of a human foot, is processed last by the tool (156).
11. Device according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the blanks are mountable on a table (122) and the cutting plane or edge of the tool (156) is positioned in an angle of at least 15° relative to the vertical of the table to produce a force component that presses the blank (156) onto the table (122).
12. Device according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that a table (122) with rotary actuator (C) for receiving the blanks (156) is present, and that the tool is provided with an interpolating actuator (E) for a movement at least approximately perpendicular to the table (122) and a radial actuator for a foreward and backward movement between the periphery (159) and the center (160) of the table.
13. Device according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that it is provided a control unit that can read a data set through an input, preferably from a data carrier, and according to the data set an automatic processing of the blank (156) can take place.
14. Device according to one of claims 8 to 13 for fully automatic processing of foot rests on shoe inserts, characterized by a circular table with actuator (C) that receives the blanks (156) and rotates, by a radial axle with actuator (D) that guides the tool spindle (145) in radial direction of the circular table (122), by an interpolation axle with actuator (E) that carries the tool spindle (145) and the spindle drive motor (141), wherein in varying the distance between the working tool (148) and the circular table (122), the topography of the foot rests is transferred to the blanks (156), and wherein the working tool (148) stands relative to the axis of the circular table (122) in an angle that presses the blanks (156) onto the circular table (122) by a force component of the cutting pressure.
15. Installation for manufacturing shoe inserts with a first device according to one of claims 1 to 7 for registering the topography of human feet (42) and a second device according to one of claims 8 to 13 for the manufacture of shoe inserts by a removing process of blanks (156), characterized in that by the first device, the topography of the sole of the foot (42) is scanned line by line and is registerable and outputtable in the form of measuring data, particularly of digital nature, in that by the second device the processing of the blank is performed in a substantially spirally way in accordance to control data that can be read in, and in that a data processing unit is provided that transforms the measuring data of the first device into control data for the second device.
16. Use of the device according to one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that a pair of blanks is positioned in an about natural position of feet that is symmetric to the center of the spirally track of the tool (148) in the working zone of the tool (148).
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CH272395 | 1995-09-27 | ||
| CH2723/95 | 1995-09-27 | ||
| CH2847/95 | 1995-09-27 | ||
| CH284795 | 1995-09-27 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2233220A1 true CA2233220A1 (en) | 1997-04-03 |
Family
ID=25691247
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002233220A Abandoned CA2233220A1 (en) | 1995-09-27 | 1996-09-27 | Installation for the manufacture of shoe inserts |
Country Status (9)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0852470A1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH11511368A (en) |
| KR (1) | KR19990063754A (en) |
| CN (1) | CN1198082A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU718646B2 (en) |
| BR (1) | BR9610653A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2233220A1 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE19680816D2 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1997011619A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP2006116003A (en) * | 2004-10-20 | 2006-05-11 | Ai Denshi Kogyo:Kk | Measuring apparatus |
| PL1810585T3 (en) | 2006-01-24 | 2009-10-30 | Hundertmarck Guenter | Device for measuring and casting feet and for producing insoles, insoles and inserts |
| WO2010007200A1 (en) * | 2008-07-16 | 2010-01-21 | Podo Activa, S.L. | Method and device for obtaining a plantar image and double-sided machining of the insole thus obtained |
| KR102137742B1 (en) * | 2012-12-19 | 2020-07-24 | 뉴우바란스아스레틱스인코포레이팃드 | Customized footwear, and method for designing and manufacturing same |
| CN115120009A (en) * | 2022-06-28 | 2022-09-30 | 邢台职业技术学院 | Automatic measuring equipment for shoemaking and measuring method thereof |
Family Cites Families (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3696456A (en) * | 1971-02-22 | 1972-10-10 | Intern Nominees Bahamas Ltd | Custom shoe construction system |
| NL7900596A (en) * | 1979-01-25 | 1980-07-29 | Stichting Voet En Schoeisel | FOOT MEASUREMENT. |
| US4745290A (en) * | 1987-03-19 | 1988-05-17 | David Frankel | Method and apparatus for use in making custom shoes |
| US4876758A (en) * | 1987-03-31 | 1989-10-31 | Amfit Inc. | System and method for forming custom-made shoe inserts |
| US5164793A (en) * | 1991-09-13 | 1992-11-17 | Brown Group, Inc. | Shoe size selection system and apparatus therefor |
| DE4328380C1 (en) * | 1993-08-24 | 1995-04-13 | Lauth Klaus | Method for producing and / or correcting the dimensions of auxiliary parts adapted to areas of a living body and measuring device for carrying out the method |
| DE4404695C2 (en) * | 1994-02-15 | 1998-11-19 | Dietmar Walter | Process for making orthopedic insoles |
-
1996
- 1996-09-27 BR BR9610653A patent/BR9610653A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1996-09-27 AU AU69831/96A patent/AU718646B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1996-09-27 EP EP96930942A patent/EP0852470A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1996-09-27 WO PCT/CH1996/000337 patent/WO1997011619A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1996-09-27 JP JP9513037A patent/JPH11511368A/en active Pending
- 1996-09-27 CA CA002233220A patent/CA2233220A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1996-09-27 DE DE19680816T patent/DE19680816D2/en not_active Ceased
- 1996-09-27 KR KR1019980702221A patent/KR19990063754A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1996-09-27 CN CN96197284A patent/CN1198082A/en active Pending
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE19680816D2 (en) | 1999-07-15 |
| JPH11511368A (en) | 1999-10-05 |
| EP0852470A1 (en) | 1998-07-15 |
| AU718646B2 (en) | 2000-04-20 |
| KR19990063754A (en) | 1999-07-26 |
| AU6983196A (en) | 1997-04-17 |
| WO1997011619A1 (en) | 1997-04-03 |
| BR9610653A (en) | 1999-05-11 |
| CN1198082A (en) | 1998-11-04 |
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