System, method and computer program product for forming a reconfigurable cavity and an expandable shoe last and for constructing a shoe

Abstract

The present invention is an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system, method and computer program product for creating a three-dimensionally reconfigurable cavity. The system can include a container that is configurable to create a three dimensional cavity. The system can be operative to form a footwear last in the cavity. The last can be formed from a plastic-like material. The system can include a blow molding apparatus having at least one directional deflector. The container can be capsule, hemispherical, cylindrical, or spherical-shaped. The system can include a container having holes to receive rods. The system can include an array of rods. The rods can be movable through the container. The system can further include rods that are threaded; gear-driven; coupled to a belt; coupled to a partial belt; or belt-driven. The cavity can be formed by an inner end of the rods. If more than one rod occupies a single point of the cavity, then only one rod participates in forming the cavity and other rods will not participate. Participating rods can be selected according to an optimizing module. The software module can determine an intersection of a rod with a digitized cluster of points representing a 3 dimensional surface. A method of forming a footwear last from a collapsible and expandable last is described.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for creating a reconfigurable cavity comprising: 
 a container having a three dimensionally reconfigurable cavity.    
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said container comprises: 
 holes to receive rods.    
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said container comprises at least one of: 
 a capsule-shaped container,    a spherical-shaped container,    a conical-shaped container, and    a cylindrical-shaped container.    
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an array of rods.    
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein said rods are operative to move through said container.  
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein said rods are at least one of: 
 threaded;    gear-driven;    coupled to a belt;    coupled to a partial belt; and    belt-driven.    
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein said cavity can be formed by an inner end of said rods.  
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein if more than one rod occupies a single point of said cavity, then one rod participates in forming said cavity and other rods do not participate.  
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 8 , wherein participating rods are selected according to an optimizing module.  
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein said optimizing module maximizes the number of participating rods.  
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein a software module determines an intersection of a rod with a digitized cluster of points representing a 3 dimensional surface.  
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said cavity can be used for any operation and for any field of industry.  
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein said field of industry includes at least one of: 
 pouring in the cavity,    blowing in the cavity,    forming a collapsible and expandable last in the cavity,    lasting footwear in the cavity, and    rotating in the cavity.    
     
     
         14 . A method for producing a collapsible and expandable footwear last comprising: 
 (a) reconfiguring in three dimensions a shape of a cavity.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 (b) forming a collapsible and expandable last in said cavity.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said last is formed from a plastic material.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 (b) blow molding a last in said cavity including directionally deflecting.    
     
     
         18 . A computer program product embodied on a computer-usable medium, the computer program product comprising program code means for producing a last comprising: 
 program code means for enabling a computer to reconfigure in three dimensions a shape of a cavity.    
     
     
         19 . A method of lasting an article of footwear comprising: 
 forming a pattern for a shoe upper from a first stock material with first stitch markers;    forming a pattern for a lasting sock from a second stock material with second stitch markers, wherein said second stitch markers have a one-to-one correspondence with said first stitch markers; and    attaching a perimeter of the lasting sock to a bottom edge of the shoe upper such that every second stitch marker is attached to the corresponding first stitch marker forming an attached shoe upper and lasting sock enclosure.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 inserting a collapsible and expandable shoe last into the attached shoe upper and lasting sock enclosure.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 shaping the attached shoe upper and lasting sock enclosure including: 
 expanding the collapsible and expandable shoe last until a final shoe shape is reached.  
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 fitting the shoe including: 
 reinserting the collapsible and expandable shoe last into the shoe; and  
 expanding the collapsible and expandable shoe last until the shoe is stretched by a small increment in length and width.