WO1999056577A1

WO1999056577A1 - Device for blocking footwear parts in an apparatus which detects automatically the contour of such parts

Info

Publication number: WO1999056577A1
Application number: PCT/IB1999/000805
Authority: WO
Inventors: Davide Ceriani
Original assignee: Officina Meccanica B.D.F. S.R.L.
Priority date: 1998-05-06
Filing date: 1999-05-05
Publication date: 1999-11-11
Also published as: IT243981Y1; ITMI980317U1

Abstract

A device for fixing shoe parts, used in an apparatus for automatically detecting the direction and the dimensions of shoe parts. The device comprises one or more movable gripping elements (4, 6), which are able to position the shoe part against one or more fixed locating elements (1, 2, 3). Said movable gripping elements (4, 6) and said fixed locating elements (1, 2, 3), or at least a portion thereof in contact with the shoe part, are made of a transparent material, for example glass or plastic material such as methacrylates or polycarbonates.

Description

DEVICE FOR BLOCKING FOOTWEAR PARTS IN AN APPARATUS WHICH DETECTS AUTOMATICALLY THE CONTOUR OF SUCH PARTS

_ * _ * The present invention relates to an improved device for fixing shoe parts, such as for example bottoms or soles, which can be used in apparatus for automatically detecting the direction and the dimensions thereof. This type of apparatus is present in automatic machines for processing shoe parts and is used to learn the geometrical information relating to the shoe part being processed, which is needed in order for the tool to be able to follow - automatically and without monitoring by the operator - the desired working path over the shoe part.

International patent application PCT/IB99/00769 in the name of the same Applicant discloses an automatic machine for processing shoe parts which comprises, among other things, an apparatus for automatically detecting the direction and the dimensions thereof. In its most up-to-date version, this apparatus consists of a photocamera or telecamera which is located above the surface supporting the shoe part and is suitable for detecting the external profile of the latter - and hence the direction and dimensions - owing to the fact that said support surface is made of a backlighted transparent material so that the profile of the shoe part may be easily detected by means of contrast.

The detection apparatus described above is normally associated with fixing devices which, prior to detection, are able to fix the shoe part, or rather the pair of shoe parts being processed, against locating and symmetry elements such that the spatial position of said shoe parts cannot be altered between the moment of detection and the moment when processing is started or during processing itself. During use of these apparatus it has been found, however, that the presence of the fixing devices disturbs the automatic detection of the shoe part profile since there is not the necessary contrast in the zone where there is contact between the gripping elements of said devices and the shoe part being processed. The detection of the shoe part profile is therefore of poor quality in those zones.

It has therefore been necessary, hitherto, to provide said detection apparatus with additional resources so as to allow the reconstruction of the profile also in the zones where there is contact with the fixing devices, by means of interpolation of the data detected upstream and downstream thereof. Obviously this interpolation must then be manually verified by the operator as to its correctness and therefore the entire detection operation becomes more problematic, both in terms of the greater cost of the apparatus software and in terms of the detection times.

The object of the present invention is therefore that of providing an improved fixing device which does not have the abovementioned drawback, i.e. is suitable for allowing perfect automatic detection of the entire profile of the shoe part, and hence its direction and its dimensions, also in the zone where it is in contact with the gripping elements of said fixing device.

This object is achieved with the device for fixing shoe parts of the type comprising one or more movable gripping elements able to position the shoe part against one or more fixed locating elements, characterized in that said movable gripping elements and said fixed locating elements, or at least a portion thereof in contact with the shoe part, are made of a transparent material.

The accompanying drawing shows a possible and preferred embodiment of the present invention. The shoe parts being processed P are placed on a transparent surface T which is backlighted. Said support surface T is provided, on top, with a central rib 1 and an end rib 2 which project upwards from the support surface itself by an amount sufficient to form locating elements for the shoe parts P. These ribs may be formed as one piece with the support surface T or may consist of bars fixed with transparent adhesives to said surface. Finally a further locating element. which is positioned between said elements 1 and 2, consists of a spacer pin 3 which also projects from the support surface T and is intended to keep the heel zone of the shoe parts at a desired predefined distance.

The shoe parts P being processed are simply rested by the operator on the surface T, on either side of the locating element 1 , and are pushed and fixed against the locating elements 1 , 2 and 3 in a manner known per se by movable gripping elements. In the embodiment shown, said gripping elements consist of wedges 4 which are displaced in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the shoe parts by cylinder/piston groups 5. The wedges 4, owing to their shape, push the front zone of the shoe parts so as to move the shoe parts against the fixed elements 1 and 2. In the heel zone, furthermore, aligned with the locating pin 3, there are two pins 6 which are movable along eyelets 7 and are suitable for bringing the shoe parts in abutment against the pin 3. According to the present invention, the fixed locating elements 1 , 2 and 3 are made of a suitable transparent material, for example a plastic material, such as methacrylate or polycarbonate, or a vitreous material, such as glass and similar materials. As a result of this measure, the light emitted by the light sources which illuminate the rear of the surface T pass through the locating elements 1 , 2 and 3 without difficulty. In this way the formation of shadow zones along the profile of said shoe parts is avoided, shadow zones which, as already mentioned, do not allow the detection apparatus to provide complete information on the progression of the profile of the shoe part in these zones. Similarly, according to the present invention, the movable gripping elements 4 and 6 have respectively an external perimetral portion 4a and 6a made of a transparent material as indicated above. When the gripping elements 4 and 6 are tightened, it is precisely the transparent portions 4t and 6t which come into contact with the shoe part and, since they allow the light rays coming from the surface T to pass through freely, detection of the profile of the shoe part may be performed automatically without any problem since, in the contact zones of the gripping elements also, there is a marked luminous contrast in the region of the shoe part profile.

In the embodiment shown, it has been preferred to form with said transparent materials only a peripheral portion of the movable gripping elements 4 and 6, while maintaining a metal structure for the remaining portion thereof, so as to avoid any undesirable mechanical weakening of these elements. The object of the invention is obviously achieved, however, also in the case where these elements are entirely made of a transparent material, should this be possible or desirable from a constructional point of view.

The nature of the transparent material and its rigidity may be selected as required, depending on the mechanical characteristics which are to be imparted to the gripping elements and the other contact characteristics which they must have with regard to the shoe parts P, without the present invention being in anyway limited in this connection.

As is clear from the above description, the present invention has fully achieved the desired object. With a very simple modification of the conventional fixing devices, it is in fact able to eliminate completely the drawback described above, making it possible to develop more effectively the full operational capability of an apparatus for automatically detecting the direction and dimensions of shoe parts, incorporating the fixing device according to the present invention.

Claims

1 . Device for fixing shoe parts in an apparatus for automatically detecting the direction and dimensions of shoe parts, of the type comprising one or more movable gripping elements which are able to position the shoe part against one or more fixed locating elements, characterized in that said movable gripping elements and said fixed locating elements or at least a portion thereof in contact with the shoe part are made of transparent material.

2. Device as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein said transparent material is a plastic material.

3. Device as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein said transparent material is glass or a vitreous material.

4. Device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said plastic material is chosen from among methacrylates and polycarbonates.

5. Device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said locating elements are in the form of bars which are entirely made of said transparent material.

6. Device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said locating elements are in the form of pins which are entirely made of said transparent material.

7. Device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said gripping elements are in the form of pins which comprise an external annular portion made of said transparent material.

8. Device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said gripping elements are in the form of wedges which comprise, on one side thereof, a strip portion made of said transparent material.