Triple sheet thermoforming apparatus
First Claim
1. (Amended) Apparatus for differential pressure forming a single article from three heat deformable thermoplastic sheets comprising:
- four work stations designated one, two, three and four positioned in spaced relation in a circular arrangement, a frame supporting said work stations, said work stations one, two and three including an oven for heating the thermoplastic sheets to a thermoformable temperature, said work station four including opposed platens movable vertically between open and closed positions, an indexing wheel rotatably supported surrounding said work stations, said indexing wheel including four clamp frames movable with said indexing wheel into spaced relations with said four work stations respectively, and drive means connected to said indexing wheel for rotating said indexing wheel to advance the three thermoplastic sheets secured to said clamp frames to said work stations one, two, and three for heating and to said work station four for molding each of the three heated thermoplastic sheets into a preselected configuration and fusing the molded sheets together in overlying relation to form a unitary thermoplastic article.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A thermoforming machine for manufacturing triple sheet thermoplastic articles is disclosed. The thermoforming machine comprises three controllable ovens for heating three sheets to a heat deformable temperature, three shape giving molds for separately thermoforming each sheet in succession, and forging-like means to compress the three thermoformed sheets into a unitary article. The three sheets are thernoforned and compressed together in a form station comprising upper and lower platens. Acting with the upper platen is a mold shuttle system for moving two of three molds into position relative the thermoforming and forging-like operations of the apparatus.
-
Citations
12 Claims
-
1. (Amended) Apparatus for differential pressure forming a single article from three heat deformable thermoplastic sheets comprising:
-
four work stations designated one, two, three and four positioned in spaced relation in a circular arrangement, a frame supporting said work stations, said work stations one, two and three including an oven for heating the thermoplastic sheets to a thermoformable temperature, said work station four including opposed platens movable vertically between open and closed positions, an indexing wheel rotatably supported surrounding said work stations, said indexing wheel including four clamp frames movable with said indexing wheel into spaced relations with said four work stations respectively, and drive means connected to said indexing wheel for rotating said indexing wheel to advance the three thermoplastic sheets secured to said clamp frames to said work stations one, two, and three for heating and to said work station four for molding each of the three heated thermoplastic sheets into a preselected configuration and fusing the molded sheets together in overlying relation to form a unitary thermoplastic article.
-
-
6. (Amended) Apparatus for thermoform molding three thermoplastic sheets to form a triple sheet molded article comprising:
-
a work station, three thermoforming molds designated one, two, and three supported on said work station for molding three thermoplastic sheets respectively, a slide assembly mounted on said work station for independently moving two molds in overlying relation into and out of a fixed position on said work station for molding the thermoplastic sheets, a first platen and a second platen positioned in overlying spaced relation on said work station for independent movement between open and closed positions, said first platen receiving mold one for movement into compressed relation with sheet one, said second platen slidably receiving molds two and three in succession for movement into compressed relation with sheets two and three in succession respectively, said first platen with said mold one positioned thereon movable to a closed position into contact with sheet one to mold sheet one into a preselected configuration, said second platen with said mold two positioned thereon movable to a closed position into contact with sheet two to mold sheet two into a preselected configuration, said first and second platen with molded sheets one and two thereon movable into compressed relations to force together molded sheets one and two to form a twin sheet molded sub-assembly, said first platen retaining the twin sheet molded sub-assembly with said second platen slidably exchanging mold two with mold three, said second platen with said mold three positioned thereon movable to a closed position into contact with sheet three to mold sheet three into a preselected configuration, and said first platen carrying the twin sheet molded sub-assembly into compressed relation with said second platen carrying the molded sheet three to fuse molded sheet three to the twin sheet molded article to form a triple sheet molded article.
-
-
7. (New) A thermoforming machine comprising:
-
a machine frame;
three ovens spaced upon the machine frame;
at least three clamp frames operable to convey three sheets in succession through the three ovens and a form station;
the form station has a lower platen and an upper platen;
the lower platen supports a first mold;
the upper platen is connected to a mold shuttle system, the mold shuttle system holds a second mold and a third mold and is operable to alternately deliver the second mold and the third mold into a supporting position upon the second platen;
the lower platen is operable to carry the first mold from an open position to a first closed position to thermoform a first sheet, repeatedly carry the thermoformed first sheet to the open position, compress the first mold against the second mold at a second closed position, and compress the first mold against the third mold at a third closed position; and
the upper platen is operable from an open position to interface with the mold shuttle system, to receive and carry the second mold to a first closed position to thermoform a second sheet, to receive and carry the third mold to a second closed position to thermoform a third sheet, and remain in the first and second closed positions when the lower platen compresses the first mold against the second mold in the first closed position and the third mold in the second closed position. - View Dependent Claims (8)
-
-
9. (New) A Thermoforming apparatus having a triple sheet form station, the triple sheet form station comprising:
-
a frame;
a lower platen supported for vertical movement upon the frame;
a first mold mounted on the lower platen;
an upper platen supported for vertical movement upon the frame above the lower platen;
a mold shuttle system supported upon the frame acting with the upper platen;
a second and third mold mounted for horizontal movement on the mold shuttle system; and
an controllable actuation means selectively moving the second or third mold horizontally on the mold shuttle system into an engaged position upon the upper platen for vertical movement thereon. - View Dependent Claims (10)
-
-
11. (New) Three sheets of thermoplastic are united between thermoform tooling to provide a triple sheet article, the thermoform tooling comprises:
-
a first mold for thermoforming a first sheet of thermoplastic characterized by a first intended article section providing a first exteriorly visible surface, a first outer adjacent section and a first margin section there between;
a second mold for thermoforming a second sheet of thermoplastic characterized by a second intended article section providing a interior structure that is not exteriorly visible, a second outer adjacent section and a second margin section there between;
a third mold for thermoforming a third sheet of thermoplastic characterized by a third intended article section providing a second exteriorly visible surface, a third outer adjacent section and a third margin section there between;
where in the first mold co-acts with the second mold to cross link the first margin section and the second margin section and where after the first mold co-acts with the third mold to cross link the second margin section and the third margin section to thereby unite the three sheets of thermoplastic into a triple sheet article. - View Dependent Claims (12)
-
Specification