Patent Publication Number: US-2013251955-A1

Title: Multi-Layer Decorating Element and Method of its Manufacture

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     The present application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/053,494 filed on Mar. 22, 2011. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a multi-layer decorating element and, more particularly, to a multi-layer decorating element for decorating materials such like shoes or bags. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Shoes have been specialized and improved for years. Currently, shoe manufacturers and designers provide specialized shoes for many activities, such as, for example, running shoes, tennis shoes, cycling shoes, walking shoes, cross-trainers, and the like. These shoes can be designed to respond to particular pressures and hot spots for the assumed usage. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,832,123 shows a set of shoes for use by members of a team. The shoes allow for a uniform appearance in a team environment by way of substantially similar uppers, while providing individualized performance specifications, with respect to support and breathability, for each upper. The substantially similar appearance of the upper may be due to material overlays, stitch patterns, color scheme and/or perforations and may be based on team criteria. The uppers are materially different from each other due to internal or external supports, material types and/or breathability. 
     Presently, the construction of a shoe upper requires a substantial amount of manual labor. While the production of a sole of a modern sport shoe can be automated to a great extent, the stitching of the different materials of the upper still requires a significant amount of manual labor. 
     The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, the main purpose is to provide a method for producing a multi-layer decorating element which includes the steps of (a) providing a base, a first plate, a second plate and an adhesive layer; (b) stacking the first and second plates onto one of the base and the adhesive layer; (c) stacking the other of the base and the adhesive layer onto one of the base and the adhesive layer to form a stacked array; (d) hot pressing the stacked array; and (e) removing the adhesive layer. 
     An advantage of the method for producing the multi-layer decorating element according to the present invention is that the first and second plates are connected with each other by hot pressing rather than stitching, thereby allowing the multilayer decorating element to be processed accurately, conveniently and in a cost-saving manner. 
     Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description referring to the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described through detailed illustration of the preferred embodiments referring to the drawings. 
         FIG. 1  shows a shoe with a multi-layer decorating element according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the multi-layer decorating element according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart of a method for producing a multi-layer decorating element, in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the multi-layer decorating element of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section view of  FIG. 4  and shows a first plate stacked onto a base and a second layer stacked onto the first plate. 
         FIG. 6  is a continued cross-section view of  FIG. 5  and shows a release liner of each of the first and second plates detached. 
         FIG. 7  shows an adhesive layer stacked onto the base to form a stacked array. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the stacked array of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  shows the stacked array heated and pressed by a hot pressing apparatus. 
         FIG. 10  shows the adhesive layer detached. 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective view of the multi-layer decorating element in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  shows the adhesive layer stacked onto the base to form the stacked array. 
         FIG. 13  shows the adhesive layer detached. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the multi-layer decorating element in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 15  is an exploded perspective view of the multi-layer decorating element in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 16  shows the release liner of each of the first and second plates detached. 
         FIG. 17  shows the base stacked onto the adhesive layer to form the stacked array. 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the stacked array of  FIG. 17 . 
         FIG. 19  shows the adhesive layer detached. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will be described through detailed illustration of three embodiments referring to the drawings. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a multi-layer decorating element according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The multi-layer decorating element is adapted for coupling with an upper of the shoe (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) or with an outer surface of a bag. The multi-layer decorating element comprises a base  10 , a first plate  21  and a second plate  22  both connected to the base  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a method for producing the multi-layer decorating element includes the steps of: (a) providing a base, a first plate, a second plate and an adhesive layer; (b) stacking the first and second plates onto one of the base and the adhesive layer; (c) stacking the other of the base and the adhesive layer onto one of the base and the adhesive layer to form a stacked array; (d) hot pressing the stacked array; and (e) removing the adhesive layer. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , each of the base  10 , the first plate  21  and the second plate  22  is cut to a required shape, respectively. The base  10  may be constructed of cloth or leather. 
     The first plate  21  may be constructed of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or polyurethane (PU). The first plate  21  includes a proximal side, a distal side opposite from the proximal side and a hot melt glue layer  211  provided on the proximal side thereof in which the hot melt glue layer  211  has a release liner  9  in releasable contact therewith. The second plate  22  may be constructed of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or polyurethane (PU). The second plate  22  includes a proximal side, a distal side opposite from the proximal side and a hot melt glue layer  221  provided on the proximal side thereof in which the hot melt glue layer  221  has a release liner  9  in releasable contact therewith. The adhesive layer  30  is easy to stick on and to remove from the base  10 , and the first and second plates  21  and  22 , even through the adhesive layer  30  is hot pressed. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the first plate  21  is stacked onto a surface of the base  10  with the release liner  9  detached, and the second plate  22  is stacked onto the first plate  21  with the release liner  9  detached. In a preferred form, each of the base  10 , the first and the second plates  21  and  22  are disposed to a fixture (not shown), sequentially. The hot melt glue layer  211  of the first plate  21  is connected to the surface of the base  10  and the hot melt glue layer  221  of the second plate  22  is connected to the distal side of the first plate  21 . Preferably, a periphery of the second plate  22  extends outside a periphery of the first plate  21 . Hence, the second plate  22  has a first section directly disposed to the first plate  21  and a second section directly disposed to the base  10 . 
     The adhesive layer  30  is stacked onto the base  10  to form a stacked array. Preferably, the first and second plates  21  and  22  are sandwiched between the base  10  and the adhesive layer  30  and are fixed by the adhesive layer  30  such that the first and second plates  21  and  22  are prevented from moving with respect to the base  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , simultaneously, the stacked array is detached from the fixture and is disposed in a hot press apparatus  40 , in which the hot press apparatus  40  is of a preferred temperature, time and pressure. The stacked array is heated and is pressed by the hot press apparatus  40  such that the base  10  and the first and second plates  21  and  22  would be tightly connected with each other. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , while the adhesive layer  30  is removed from the base  10 , the process of fabricating the multi-layer decorating element is finished. 
     The first and second plates  21  and  22  are connected with each other by hot pressing rather than stitching, thereby allowing the multilayer decorating element to be processed accurately, conveniently and in a cost-saving manner. 
       FIGS. 11 through 14  show a multi-layer decorating element in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. Parts of the multi-layer decorating element of the second embodiment corresponding to parts of the multi-layer decorating element of the first embodiment have the same reference numerals with the suffix “b”. The second embodiment is like the first embodiment except that contours of the first and second plates  21  b and  22   b  of the second embodiment are different from that of the first embodiment. Preferably, the second plate  22   b  has a thickness larger than that of the first plate  21   b  so that a surface of the multi-layer decorating element is ridges and hills irregularly. Additionally, a periphery of the second plate  22   b  is completely within a periphery of the first plate  21  b, hence, the second plate  22   b  has a first section directly disposed to the first plate  21   b  and a second section directly disposed to the base  10   b.    
     In a preferred form, each of the adhesive layer  30   b,  the first and second plates  21   b  and  22   b  is disposed to a fixture (not shown), sequentially. The hot melt glue layer  211  b of the first plate  21   b  is connected to the surface of the base  10   b  and the hot melt glue layer  221   b  of the second plate  22   b  is connected to the distal side of the first plate  21   b.    
     The adhesive layer  30   b  is stacked onto the base  10   b  to form a stacked array. Preferably, the first and second plates  21   b  and  22   b  are sandwiched between the base  10   b  and the adhesive layer  30   b  and are fixed by the adhesive layer  30   b  such that the first and second plates  21   b  and  22   b  are prevented from moving with respect to the base  10   b.    
     Then, the stacked array is detached from the fixture and is disposed in a hot press apparatus. The stacked array is heated and is pressed by the hot press apparatus such that the base  10   b  and the first and second plates  21   b  and  22   b  would be tightly connected with each other. 
       FIGS. 15 through 17  show a multi-layer decorating element in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. Parts of the multi-layer decorating element of the third embodiment correspond to parts of the multi-layer decorating element of the first embodiment have the same reference numerals with the suffix “c”. The third embodiment is like the first embodiment except that a stacking sequence of the stacked array of the third embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment. 
     While stacking the first and second plates  21   c  and  22   c  onto the adhesive layer  30   c,  the first plate  21   c  is stacked onto a surface of the adhesive layer  30   c,  then, the release liner  9   c  thereof is detached. The second plate  22   c  is stacked onto the first plate  21   c,  then, the release liner  9   c  thereof is detached. In a preferred form, each of the first and second plates  21   c  and  22   c  is disposed to a fixture (not shown), sequentially. The distal side of the first plate  21   c  is connected to the surface of the adhesive layer  30   c  and the distal side of the second plate  22   c  is connected to the hot melt glue layer  211  c of the first plate  21   c . Preferably, a periphery of the second plate  22   c  extends outside a periphery of the first plate  21   c.    
     The base  10   c  is stacked onto the adhesive layer  30   c  to form a stacked array. Preferably, the first and second plates  21   c  and  22   c  are sandwiched between the base  10   c  and the adhesive layer  30   c  and are fixed by the adhesive layer  30   c  such that the first  21   c  and second  22   c  plates are prevented from moving with respect to the base  10   c.  Additionally, the second plate  22   c  has a first section directly connected to the first plate  21   c  and a second section directly connected to the base  10   c.    
     The stacked array is detached from the fixture and is disposed in a hot press apparatus (not shown). Referring to  FIGS. 18 and 19 , while the adhesive layer  30   c  is removed from the base  10   c,  the process of fabricating the multi-layer decorating element is finished. 
     The present invention has been described through the illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Hence, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.