Method of laminating plastic film to plastic foam and of drawing the same, and foam-film laminates

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FORMING A DRAWN HOLLOW CONTAINERLIKE ARTICLE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) FIRST, PLACING SHEETS OF CONTINUOUS IMPERFORATE HEATPERMEABLE, THERMO-PLASTIC SYNTHETIC FILM IN OVERLYING AND UNDERLYING TO AN IMPERFORATE SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT CLOSED CELL THERMO-PLASTIC RESIN FOAM SHEET AND RESTRAINING THE PREIPHERY OF THE SANDWICH OF FILM AND FOAM SHEETS FORMED THEREBY; (B) SECOND, THROUGH APPLICATION OF A PARTIAL POSITIVE VACUUM EVACUATING THE INTERFACES BETWEEN THE FLAT SURFACES OF SAID SHEETS TO CAUSE SAID FILM SHEETS TO MOVE IN CONTACTING PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SURFACES OF SAID FOAM SHEET ACROSS THE INTERFACES THEREBETWEEN; (C) THEREAFTER, WHILE MAINTAINING SAID POSITIVE PARTIAL VACUUM, DIRECTING RADIANT HEAT ONTO AND THROUGH SAID SHEETS OF PLASTIC FILM THROUGHOUT SAID INTERFACES IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO SIMULTANEOUSLY RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FOAM SHEET SURFACES AND THE OVERLYING CONTACTING SURFACES OF SAID FILM SHEETS SUFFICIENTLY TO AUTOMATICALLY CREATE A BOND THEREBETWEEN THROUGHOUT SAID INTERFACES AND TO A POINT WHERE THE FILM SHEETS AND FOAM SHEET MAY BE SIMULTANEOUSLY DRAWN TO THE HOLLOW SHPAE; AND, (D) WHILE STILL MAINTAINING SAID POSITIVE PARTIAL VACUUM, ESTABLISHING A DIFFERENTIAL GAS PRESSURE BETWEEN OPPOSITE MAJOR FACES OF SAID SANDWICH, AND BY MEANS OF SAID DIFFERENTIAL GAS PRESSURE, DRAWING THE BONDED SHEETS TO THE FINAL HOLLOW SHAPE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF FORMING A DRAWN HOLLOW CONTAINERLIKE ARTICLE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) FIRST, PLACING SHEETS OF CONTINUOUS IMPERFORATE HEATPERMEABLE, THERMO-PLASTIC SYNTHETIC FILM IN OVERLYING AND UNDERLYING TO AN IMPERFORATE SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT CLOSED CELL THERMO-PLASTIC RESIN FOAM SHEET AND RESTRAINING THE PREIPHERY OF THE SANDWICH OF FILM AND FOAM SHEETS FORMED THEREBY; (B) SECOND, THROUGH APPLICATION OF A PARTIAL POSITIVE VACUUM EVACUATING THE INTERFACES BETWEEN THE FLAT SURFACES OF SAID SHEETS TO CAUSE SAID FILM SHEETS TO MOVE IN CONTACTING PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SURFACES OF SAID FOAM SHEET ACROSS THE INTERFACES THEREBETWEEN; (C) THEREAFTER, WHILE MAINTAINING SAID POSITIVE PARTIAL VACUUM, DIRECTING RADIANT HEAT ONTO AND THROUGH SAID SHEETS OF PLASTIC FILM THROUGHOUT SAID INTERFACES IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO SIMULTANEOUSLY RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FOAM SHEET SURFACES AND THE OVERLYING CONTACTING SURFACES OF SAID FILM SHEETS SUFFICIENTLY TO AUTOMATICALLY CREATE A BOND THEREBETWEEN THROUGHOUT SAID INTERFACES AND TO A POINT WHERE THE FILM SHEETS AND FOAM SHEET MAY BE SIMULTANEOUSLY DRAWN TO THE HOLLOW SHPAE; AND, (D) WHILE STILL MAINTAINING SAID POSITIVE PARTIAL VACUUM, ESTABLISHING A DIFFERENTIAL GAS PRESSURE BETWEEN OPPOSITE MAJOR FACES OF SAID SANDWICH, AND BY MEANS OF SAID DIFFERENTIAL GAS PRESSURE, DRAWING THE BONDED SHEETS TO THE FINAL HOLLOW SHAPE.