METHOD FOR FIXING A DECORATIVE MEMBER ON A VAMP OF A SHOE IN A THREE DIMENSIONAL MANNER

Abstract

A method for fixing a decorative member on a vamp of a shoe in a three dimensional manner includes: a step of pressing which includes: preparing a sole mould filled with a semi-cured sole, and a decorative-member mould filled with a semi-cured decorative member, pushing the decorative-member mould against the vamp with the semi-cured decorative members and the semi-cured sole pressed against the bottom surface; and a step of heating which includes: heating the shoe to melt the semi-cured sole and decorative members; the decorative members and the sole will be fully cured.

Claims

1. A method for fixing a decorative member on a vamp of a shoe in a three dimensional manner, the vamp including an upper surface, a lateral surface and a bottom surface, the method comprising: a step of pressing including: preparing a sole mould and a decorative-member mould, wherein the sole mould includes a sole mould cavity and a first abutting surface, the decorative-member mould includes a decorative-member mould cavity and a second abutting surface, filling the sole mould with a semi-cured sole, filling the decorative-member mould with a semi-cured decorative member, pushing the decorative-member mould against the upper surface or the lateral surface of the vamp, with the second abutting surface pressing against the upper surface or the lateral surface to attach the semi-cured decorative members to the upper surface or the lateral surface; pushing the sole mould against the bottom surface with the first abutting surface pressing against the bottom surface to attach the semi-cured sole to the bottom surface; and a step of heating including: heating the vamp to melt the semi-cured sole and decorative members; the decorative members and the sole are cured when heated to a predetermined temperature.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semi-cured sole and the decorative member are made of a material selected from a group consisting of rigid polyurethane, casting and polyurethane.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sole mould and the decorative-member mould are made of a material selected from a group consisting of polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane and silicon.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sole mould and the decorative-member mould are soft or rigid moulds.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the step of heating, the semi-cured sole and decorative members are heated to 30-80 C. when they are heated to a melted state.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is 60-120 C.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view illustrating the conventional method for making a vamp;

[0018] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing the step of pressing of the method for fixing the decorative member on the vamp in a three dimensional manner in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 3 is an illustrative view showing the step of heating of the method for fixing the decorative member on the vamp in a three dimensional manner in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the method for fixing the decorative member on the vamp in a three dimensional manner in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 5 is an illustrative view showing the decorative members in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 6 is a photograph showing the decorative members in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[0023] FIG. 7 is a flow chart view showing the showing the method for fixing the decorative member on the vamp in a three dimensional manner in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] 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.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 2-7, a shoe made by the method for fixing a decorative member 40 on a vamp 12 in a three dimensional manner in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: the vamp 20, a sole 30 and the decorative member 40.

[0026] The vamp 20 includes an upper surface 21, a lateral surface 22 connected to the upper surface 21, and a bottom surface 23. The upper surface 21, the lateral surface 22 and the bottom surface 23 define a 3 dimensional shape of a shoe.

[0027] The sole 30 is heated by a sole mould 31 and then connected to the bottom surface 23 of the vamp 20. The sole mould 31 includes a sole mould cavity 311 for accommodation of the sole 30, and a first abutting surface 312 for abutting against the bottom surface 23.

[0028] The decorative member 40 is heated and connected to the upper surface 21 or/and the lateral surface 22 of the vamp 20 by a decorative-member mould 41. The decorative-member mould 41 includes a decorative-member mould cavity 411 for accommodation of the decorative member 40, and a second abutting surface 412 for abutting against the upper surface 21 and the lateral surface 22 of the vamp 20.

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 2-7 again, the method for fixing the decorative member 40 on the vamp 12 in a 3 dimensional manner in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0030] a step 1 of pressing, as shown in FIG. 2: preparing the sole mould 31 and a plurality of decorative-member moulds 41, there are three decorative-member moulds 41 in this embodiment, the sole mould 31 is filled with a semi-cured sole 30, each of the decorative-member moulds 41 is filled with a semi-cured decorative member 40, the semi-cured sole 30 and the decorative members 40 are made of RPU (rigid polyurethane), CPU (casting polyurethane) or PU (polyurethane); pushing the three decorative-member moulds 41 against the upper surface 21 and the lateral surface 22 of the vamp 20, respectively, with the second abutting surface 412 of each of the decorative-member moulds 41 tightly pressing against the upper surface 21 and the lateral surface 22 to make the semi-cured decorative members 40 attached to the upper surface 21 and the lateral surface 22; pushing the sole mould 31 against the bottom surface 23 with the first abutting surface 312 tightly pressing against the bottom surface 23 to make the semi-cured sole 30 attached to the bottom surface 23. In this embodiment, the sole mould 31 and the three decorative-member moulds 41 can be soft or rigid moulds and are made of PU, TPU or silicon;

[0031] a step 2 of heating, as shown in FIG. 3: heating the vamp 20 to melt the semi-cured sole 30 and decorative members 40; the decorative members 40 inside the decorative-member moulds 41 and the sole 30 inside the sole mould 31 will be fully cured when heated to a predetermined temperature, so that the decorative members 40 on the upper surface 21 and the lateral surface 22 become patterns or LOGO, and the sole 30 attached to the bottom surface 23 becomes outsole or heel.

[0032] The predetermined temperature is 60-120 C., and the semi-cured sole 30 and decorative members 40 are heated to 30-80 C. when they are heated to a melted state.

[0033] It is to be noted that the method for fixing the decorative member on the vamp in a 3 dimensional manner in accordance with the present invention allows the decorative members 40 and the vamp 20 to be formed in the same step. In the step 1 of pressing, a plurality of decorative members 40 can be simultaneously formed on the upper surface 21 and the lateral surface 22, and the sole 30 can also be formed on the bottom surface 23 simultaneously with the decorative members 40. Not only the decorative members 40 can be formed in the same step, but also the sole 30 can be formed in the same step along with the decorative members 40. Or, the sole 30 can also be formed in a separate step from the decorative members 40, so that the step for pressing the decorative members 40 and the step for connecting the sole 30 are simplified.

[0034] Referring then to FIGS. 5 and 6, since the method for forming the decorative members 40 is different from the conventional art, the decorative members 40 can be integrally formed with the vamp 20 by starting from the upper surface 21 to the lateral surface 22, which makes the decorative members 40 more variable in shapes and styles than conventional decorative members.

[0035] With the method for fixing the decorative member on the vamp in a 3 dimensional manner in accordance with the present invention, the decorative members 40 and the sole 30 can be formed on the upper surface 21, the lateral surface 22 and the bottom surface 23 of the vamp 20 simultaneously in the same step, which simplifies the steps for forming the decorative members 40 and the sole 30, consequently substantially reducing the necessary time for manufacturing shoes.

[0036] 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.