Patent Publication Number: US-2018050499-A1

Title: Vamp 3d-printing system

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a 3D-printing system, and more particularly to a vamp 3D-printing system. 
     Related Prior Art 
     The patterns on a simple vamp or a vamp of a sports shoe are normally formed by the following method, firstly, TPU or other plastic sheet materials are die cut into welts of desired thickness, and then the welts are adhered to the vamp by manual or integrally formed on the vamp by in-mold forming, so as to form versatile patterns. Or, the vamp can also be partially or fully coated with TPU or other plastic coating according to the design of the shoe. The current method for forming the coating is to produce a steel stencil with a desired pattern, then the steel stencil is filled with TPU material and pressed against the vamp, the TPU coating is pressed onto the vamp by heat and pressure, and thus the vamp with desired patterns is obtained. 
     However, different metal stencils of different sizes and patterns must be made in order to produce coatings of different patterns. Not only does the process of preparing the template cost the overall manufacturing time and cost, but the melted TPU is difficult to be precisely pressed at the desired position on the vamp. Therefore, the existing vamp pattern making method has the problems of high cost and complicated working procedure, and has room for improvement. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY 
     One objective of the present invention is to provide a vamp 3D-printing system. Mainly, by using a 3D-printing device comprising at least one fixed printing head and a rotatable printing head, printable materials are overlapped and printed on a vamp assembly by means of cooperation of the fixed printing head and the rotatable printing head according to a preset printing program of a computer. In this way, the technical effects are achieved that vamp pattern styles having thick and thin line changes and high precision of printing positions are printed by using more two printing heads; in addition, manufacturing costs are actually reduced and manufacturing procedures are actually simplified by applying the 3D-printing technology to printing of vamp pattern styles. 
     To solve the aforementioned problem, the present invention provides a vamp 3D-printing system which is used to perform 3D printing on a plurality of vamps, and comprises a conveying device, a movable device, and a printing device electrically connected to a computer, wherein the conveying device includes a conveying belt, a direction extending between two ends of the conveying belt is defined as X, the vamps are conveyed in the direction X; the movable device includes a bridge frame bridging over the conveying belt, and a slide mechanism hung above the conveying belt by the bridge frame, an operating direction of the slide mechanism is defined as a direction Y; characterized in that: the printing device includes a lifting mechanism connected to the slide mechanism, a mounting seat connected to and moved together with the lifting mechanism, a motor mounted on the mounting seat, at least one fixed printing head, and at least one rotatable printing head, the fixed printing head includes a spray nozzle with an opening, the opening has a round shape, the rotatable printing head includes a spray nozzle with an opening in the form of a slit, the motor includes a drive shaft with a drive toothed portion at one end of the drive shaft, the rotatable printing head includes a driven toothed portion, the motor drives the rotatable printing head to rotate via the engagement of the drive toothed portion with the driven toothed portion, the lifting mechanism has an operating direction defined as a direction Z, the lifting mechanism moves in the direction Y along with the slide mechanism, the motor, the fixed printing head and the rotatable printing head move in the direction Y or Z along with the lifting mechanism via the mounting seat. By such arrangements, the computer controls the slide mechanism and the lifting mechanism to drive the fixed printing head, the rotatable printing head to move to a position aligned to the vamps, so as to print a 3D-printing layer on each of the vamps. 
     In the above vamp 3D-printing system, the conveying belt of the conveying device is provided with a roller at one end and a drive motor at another end thereof, and the conveying belt is driven by the drive motor to move the vamps in the direction X; the slide mechanism of the movable device includes a rail mounted on the bridge frame and a motor disposed at one end of the rail which extends in the direction Y, and serves to drive the mounting seat, and the printing head and the rotatable printing head mounted on the mounting seat to move along the direction Y. The lifting mechanism includes a ball screw extending in the direction Z and a servo motor rotating the ball screw, the mounting seat is connected to the ball screw and moves in the direction Z. 
     The vamp 3D-printing system further comprises a fixing device fixed on the conveying device to carry the vamps. The fixing device includes a retaining member fixed to the conveying belt by a plurality of fixing members, so that the vamps are fixed on the retaining member and moved in the direction X. The computer is electrically connected to the drive motor of the conveying device, the slide mechanism of the movable device, and the lifting mechanism, the motor, the fixed printing head and the rotatable printing head of the printing device, the computer controls the conveying speed at which the vamps are conveyed by the conveying device by controlling rotation speed of the drive motor of the conveying device and the motor of the slide mechanism, so as to cooperate with the lifting mechanism of the printing device to lift or lower the fixed printing head and the rotatable printing head to perform 3D printing. 
     Or, the vamp 3D-printing system can be provided with a camera disposed on the conveying belt to allow the computer to calculate the position and direction of the vamps to perform printing process. The camera is hung above the conveying belt of the conveying device by a suspension bracket to scan the vamps entering the camera&#39;s video taking range, so as to obtain location information of each of the vamps on the conveying device. By such arrangement, the computer is electrically connected to the drive motor of the conveying device, the slide mechanism of the movable device, the camera, and the lifting mechanism, the motor, the fixed printing head and the rotatable printing head of the printing device, the computer receives the location information, and calculates and processes the location information by the use of an image processing software, so as to create a coordinate instruction for turning on the drive motor of the conveying device, and a printing-path instruction for instructing the motor of the slide mechanism and the fixed printing head and the rotatable printing head of the lifting mechanism to perform 3D printing, the computer controls the conveying speed at which the vamps are conveyed by the conveying device by controlling rotation speed of the drive motor of the conveying device and the motor of the slide mechanism, so as to cooperate with the lifting mechanism of the printing device to lift or lower the fixed printing head and the rotatable printing head to perform 3D printing. 
     To solve the aforementioned problem, the present invention provides a vamp 3D-printing system used to perform 3D printing on a plurality of vamps, comprising a work table, a printing device, and a two-dimensional slide device electrically connected to a computer, the work table includes a work surface and a cantilever hung above the work surface, the printing device is disposed at one end of the cantilever, the two-dimensional slide device includes a first slide assembly and a second slide assembly perpendicular to the first slide assembly, an operating direction of the first slide assembly is defined as a direction Y, an operation direction of the second slide assembly is defined as a direction X, the second slide assembly is disposed on and moves along with the first slide assembly, a retaining member for carrying the vamps is fixed at one side of the second slide assembly, and is driven by the first and second slide assemblies to move on the work surface in a two dimensional manner along the directions X and Y. The printing system includes a lifting mechanism disposed at one end of the cantilever. By such arrangements, the computer controls the lifting and lowering of the fixed printing head and the rotatable printing head, and controls the first and second slide assemblies to move each of the vamps to a position aligned to the fixed and rotatable printing heads of the printing device, so as to print a 3D-printing layer on each of the vamps. 
     In the above vamp 3D-printing system, the first slide assembly of the two-dimensional slide device includes two parallel rails disposed on the work surface of the work table, a slide plate has two ends connected to the two rails via two slide blocks disposed at two ends of the slide plate, the first slide assembly includes a power source disposed on the work surface and connected to a middle section of the slide plate, so that the slide plate is driven by the power source to slide along the two rails, the second slide assembly includes a rail disposed on the slide plate of the first slide assembly, the retaining member is a slab structure and provided with two quick-release assemblies at a lateral edge thereof, so that the retaining member is connected to the rail by the two quick-release assemblies in a quick-lease manner, a power source is disposed at one end of the rail to drive the retaining member to move along the rail. 
     The power source of the first slide assembly is a ball screw and includes a motor driving a screw to rotate with respect to a nut disposed at a bottom of the middle section of the slide plate, causing a slide displacement of the slide plate along the rails, and the slide plate of the first slide assembly is provided with two assembling portions at two ends thereof for connecting to two ends of the rail. 
     The printing device is provided several fixed printing heads, and the spray nozzles of the printing heads have different openings of different diameters, so as to print lines of different thicknesses. 
     The printable material used by the vamp 3D-printing system is adhesive, primer or thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer. 
     The printing layer printed on the vamps by the vamp 3D-printing system has a thickness up to 0.3 mm. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a vamp 3D-printing system in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a vamp 3D-printing system in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows a vamp 3D-printing system in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 4  shows the detailed structure of the printing device  40  of the vamp 3D-printing system of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , a vamp 3D-printing system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. 
     The vamp 3D-printing system of the invention, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , is used to perform 3D printing on a plurality of vamps A carried on a conveyor, or as shown in  FIG. 3 , is used to perform 3D printing on a vamp A which is position adjustably placed on a working table. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 , which show a first embodiment and a second embodiment of the vamp 3D-printing system of the invention, respectively, in the first and second embodiments, the printing system includes: a conveying device  10 , a movable device  30 , and a printing device  40  electrically connected to a computer (not shown). In the first embodiment, a fixing device  20  whose position and direction are known is provided on the conveying device  10 , and the vamp A is placed on the fixing device  20 , then the computer can calculate the printing path of the printing device  40  based on the preset position and direction of the fixing device  20 . In the second embodiment, a camera  70  is hung above the conveying device  10 , so that the computer can calculate the printing path of the printing device  40  based on the image data of the camera  70 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the conveying device  10  includes a conveying belt  11  with two ends, one end is provided with a roller  12 , and another end is provided with a drive motor  13 . A direction extending between the two ends of the conveying belt  11  is defined as X. The conveying belt  11  is driven by the drive motor  13  to move the vamp A in the direction X. The fixing device  20  is fixed on the conveying belt  11  to carry the vamp A, and includes a retaining member  21  fixed to the conveying belt  11  by a plurality of fixing members  22 , so that the vamp A can be placed on the retaining member  21  and moved in the direction X. The movable device  30  includes a bridge frame  31  bridging over the conveying belt  11 , and a slide mechanism  32  hung above the conveying belt  11  by the bridge frame  31 . An operating direction of the slide mechanism  32  is defined as a direction Y. The slide mechanism  32  includes a rail  321  mounted on the bridge frame  31  and a motor  322  disposed at one end of the rail  321 . The rail  321  extends in the direction Y. In this embodiment, the printing device  40  is mounted on the movable device  30 , and assembled to and driven by the slide mechanism  32  to move along the direction Y. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates the position of the printing device  40 , and the detailed structure of the printing device  40  of the vamp 3D-printing system of the invention is shown in  FIG. 4 . The printing device  40  includes a lifting mechanism  41  connected to the slide mechanism  32 , a mounting seat  42  connected to and moved together with the lifting mechanism  41 , a motor  43  mounted on the mounting seat  42 , at least one fixed printing head  44 , and at least one rotatable printing head  45 . The fixed printing head  44  includes a heating portion  441  and a spray nozzle  442  with an opening  443  having a round shape. The rotatable printing head  45  includes a heating portion  451  and a spray nozzle  452  with an opening  453  in the form of a slit. The heating portions  441 ,  451  are used to heat printable material, which enables the printable material to be smoothly outputted from the openings  443 ,  453  of the spray nozzles  442 ,  452 . The motor  43  includes a drive shaft  431  with a drive toothed portion  432  at the end of the drive shaft  431 . The rotatable printing head  45  includes a driven toothed portion  454 . The motor  43  drives the rotatable printing head  45  to rotate via the engagement of the drive toothed portion  432  with the driven toothed portion  454 . The lifting mechanism  41  has an operating direction defined as a direction Z. The lifting mechanism  41  moves in the direction Y along with the slide mechanism  32 . The motor  43 , the fixed printing head  44  and the rotatable printing head  45  move in the direction Y or Z along with the lifting mechanism  41  via the mounting seat  42 . 
     In the first embodiment of the invention, the computer is electrically connected to the drive motor  13  of the conveying device  10 , the slide mechanism  32  of the movable device  30 , and the lifting mechanism  41 , the motor  43 , the fixed printing head  44  and the rotatable printing head  45  of the printing device  40 , so as to control the conveying speed at which the vamp A is conveyed by the conveying device  10 , then controls the slide mechanism  32  and the lifting mechanism  41  to move the fixed printing head  44  and the rotatable printing head  45  to the position where the vamp A is located to print a 3D-printing layer A 1  on the surface of the vamp A. 
     What follows is the second embodiment of the vamp 3D-printing system of the invention. The detailed structures of the conveying device  10 , the movable device  30  and the printing device  40  are the same as the first embodiment, and further explained would be omitted here. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the camera  70  is hung above the conveying belt  11  of the conveying device  10  by a suspension bracket  71 , so that the camera  70  can scan the vamp A entering its video taking range to obtain the location information of the vamp A on the conveying device  10 . With the computer electrically connected to the drive motor  13  of the conveying device  10 , the slide mechanism  32  of the movable device  30 , the camera  70 , and the lifting mechanism  41 , the motor  43 , the fixed printing head  44  and the rotatable printing head  45  of the printing device  40 , the computer can receive the location information, and calculate and process the location information by use of an image processing software, so as to create a coordinate instruction for turning on the drive motor  13  of the conveying device  10 , and a printing-path instruction for instructing the motor  322  of the slide mechanism  32  and the fixed printing head  44  and the rotatable printing head  45  of the lifting mechanism  41  to perform 3D printing. The computer controls the rotation speed of the drive motor  13  of the conveying device  10  and the motor  322  of the slide mechanism  32 , and the conveying speed that the vamp A is conveyed by the conveying device  10 , which is used to cooperate with the lifting mechanism  41  of the printing device  40  which lifts and lowers the fixed printing head  44  and the rotatable printing head  45  to perform 3D printing. 
     The third embodiment of the vamp 3D-printing system of the invention is described as follows with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , in this embodiment, the printing system includes a work table  50 , the printing device  4  as shown in  FIG. 4 , and a 2D (two dimensional) slide device  60  electrically connected to a computer. The work table  50  includes a work surface  51  and a cantilever  52  hung above the work surface  51 . The printing device  40  is disposed at one end of the cantilever  52 . The 2D slide device  60  includes a first slide assembly  601  and a second slide assembly  602  perpendicular to the first slide assembly  601 . An operating direction of the first slide assembly  601  is in the direction Y, and an operation direction of the second slide assembly  602  is in the direction X. The second slide assembly  602  is disposed on and moves along with the first slide assembly  601 . A retaining member  603  for carrying the vamp A is fixed at one side of the second slide assembly  602 , and is driven by the first and second slide assemblies  601 ,  602  to move on the work surface  51  in a two dimensional manner along the directions X and Y. By such arrangements, the computer controls the lifting and lowering of the fixed and rotatable printing heads  44 ,  45 , and controls the first and second slide assemblies  601 ,  602  to move the vamp A to a position aligned to the fixed and rotatable printing heads  44 ,  45  of the printing device  40 , so as to print a 3D-printing layer A 1  on the vamp A. 
     In this embodiment, the first slide assembly  601  of the 2D slide device  60  includes two parallel rails  61  disposed on the work surface  51  of the work table  50 . A slide plate  62  has two ends connected to the two rails  61  via two slide blocks  621  disposed at two ends of the slide plate  62 . The first slide assembly  601  includes a power source  63  disposed on the work surface  51  and connected to a middle section of the slide plate  62 , so that the slide plate  62  is driven by the power source  63  to slide along the two rails  61 . The second slide assembly  602  includes a rail  64  disposed on the slide plate  62  of the first slide assembly  601 . The retaining member  603  is a slab structure and provided with two quick-release assemblies  604  at a lateral edge thereof, through which the retaining member  603  is connected to the rail  64  in a quick-lease manner. A power source  65  is disposed at one end of the rail  64  to drive the retaining member  603  to move along the rail  64 . Preferably, the power source  63  of the first slide assembly  601  is a ball screw and includes a motor  631  driving a screw  632  to rotate with respect to a nut  633  disposed at the bottom of the middle section of the slide plate  62 , causing the slide displacement of the slide plate  62  along the rails  61 . The slide plate  62  of the first slide assembly  601  is provided with two assembling portions  622  at two ends thereof for connecting to two ends of the rail  64 . 
     The printable material used by the vamp 3D-printing system of the invention is adhesive, primer or thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU), or their combination. The printable material is heated and melted by the heating portions  441 ,  451  of the fixed printing head  44  and the rotatable printing head  45 , and sprayed from the spray nozzle  442  or  452  onto the surface of the vamp A to form the 3D-printing layer A 1 . The opening  443  having a round shape of the spray nozzle  442  of the fixed printing head  44  of the printing device  40  is suitable for printing lines. When the rotatable printing head  45  is rotated by the motor  43 , the opening  453  in the form of a slit of the spray nozzle  452  of the rotatable printing head  45  can print marker-pen lines and produce a width-adjustable thin layer on the surface of the vamp A. The printing layer A 1  printed on the vamp A by the vamp 3D-printing system of the invention has a certain thickness up to 0.3 mm. 
     It is to be noted that on the mounting seat  42  of the printing device  40  can be provided one or more fixed printing heads  44 . When there are more than two fixed printing heads  44 , different printable materials with different colors can be printed by different printing heads  44 , and the spray nozzles  442  the printing heads  44  can have different openings  443  of different diameters, so as to print lines of different thicknesses. 
     While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN COMPONENTS 
     The Invention
         A is vamp, A 1  is 3D printing layer;     10  is conveying device,  11  is conveying belt,  12  is roller,  13  is drive motor;     20  is fixing device,  21  is retaining member,  22  is fixing member     30  is movable device,  31  is bridge frame,  32  is slide mechanism,  321  is rail,     322  is motor;     40  is printing device,  41  is lifting mechanism,  411  is ball screw,  412  is servo motor,  42  is mounting seat,  43  is motor,  431  is driven shaft,  432  is drive toothed portion,  44  is fixed printing head,  441  is heating portion,  442  is spray nozzle,  443  is opening,  45  is rotatable printing head,  451  is heating portion,  452  is spray nozzle,  453  is opening,  454  is driven toothed portion;     50  is work table,  51  is work surface,  52  is cantilever;     60  is 2D slide device,  601  is first slide assembly,  61  is rail,  62  is slide plate,  621  is slide block,  622  is assembling portion,  63  is power source,  631  is motor,  632  is screw,  633  is nut,  602  is second slide assembly,  64  is rail,  65  is power source,  603  is retaining member,  604  is quick-release assembly;     70  is camera,  71  is suspension bracket;   the direction X, the direction Y, the direction Z.