CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Taiwanese Invention Patent Application No. 107111673, filed on Apr. 2, 2018.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for assembling shoe components.

BACKGROUND

A shoe is mainly composed of shoe components, such as an upper and a sole, and may further include other shoe components, such as a reinforcing member, an eyestay, a tongue, a decorative piece, etc. These shoe components are usually bonded by hot pressing adhesive. However, if the hot pressing adhering process is done manually, not only is the quality difficult to stabilize, but also the process is time consuming, so that the cost of assembly is increased.

Referring toFIG. 1, a system1for applying heat, and pressure to a three-dimensional article, as disclosed in Chinese Patent Publication No. 107518525, mainly includes an intermediate member11and a base member12oppositely connected to each other and cooperatively defining an airtight space13for receiving a footwear unit2. The intermediate member11has a flexible film111for covering the footwear unit2. External pressure (for example, vacuum pressure) may be applied to the flexible film111so that the footwear unit2may be pressed by the flexible film111and be integrally connected.

Although the aforesaid system1can improve the deficiencies found in manually making the shoe, if still has the following drawbacks:

1. Since air in the airtight space13is discharged through a hole (not shown) in the base member12, the position of the footwear unit2on the base member12should not block the hole, so that the placement of the footwear unit2on the base member12is restricted.

2. In the processing method of the system1, there is need to wait for the footwear unit2to finish adhering and then remove from the base member12before the next process may be performed, so that the process efficiency thereof is limited.

3. To construct the airtight space13, the base member12and the intermediate member11must be provided, so that the structure of the system1is not only complicated, but the cost thereof is also increased.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a method and an apparatus for assembling shoe components that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for assembling shoe components includes the steps of: providing at least two shoe components, a shoe last and a film unit, at least one of the at least two shoe components having an adhesive layer; placing the at least two shoe components on an outer surface of the shoe last; removably covering an assembly of the at least two shoe components and the shoe last with the film unit such that, the film unit and the shoe last cooperatively define a confining space therebetween; and pumping air out of the confining space and heating the at least two shoe components to shrink and deform the film unit so as to press the at least two shoe components to adhere tightly to each other.

According to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus for assembling at least two shoe components includes a shoe last, a film unit, a vacuum unit and a heating unit. The shoe last has a shoe last body for placing of the at least two shoe components on an outer surface thereof. The film unit is provided for removably covering an assembly of the shoe last and the at least two shoe components, and cooperates with the shoe last to define a confining space therebetween. The vacuum unit is provided for pumping air out of the confining space to shrink and deform the film unit for pressing the at least two shoe components tightly to each other. The heating unit is used for heating the at least two shoe components so as to adhere the at least two shoe components tightly to each other.

