US3724989A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for forming articles comprising a pair of adjacent walled structures unidirectionally presented openings
Assignee: Lanteris Space LLC
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Filing: 1971-12-16
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Granted: 1973-04-03
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Expires: 1991-12-16
Abstract
Abstract In a vacuum-forming operation, a pair of adjacent, side-by-side compartment liners are formed from a single sheet of thermoplastic material. A pair of adjacent molds, each having the desired shape of the inside surface of the corresponding liner to be formed, are mounted along their base portions on frame structure hinged in the region of adjacency of the mold base portions, to provide for pivotation of the base portions so that confronting surfaces of the molds are movable angularly toward and away from one another. A sheet of thermoplastic material is disposed to extend over the molds, and is heated, causing it to soften while the molds are held in pivoted position in which the confronting surfaces are substantially spaced from one another. Mold assist-plugs and the molds are then moved, relative to one another, to urge the sheet into general close conformity with the molds. While the sheet of material is still soft the assist-plugs further are caused to engage the mold frame structure, through the intermediacy of the sheet, pivoting the frame structure and causing adjacent wall portions of the molds to move toward one another and assume their closely spaced position. Air entrapped between the heated sheet and the walls of the molds is then evacuated through a number of small ports or vents in the walls, thereby forming the desired liners which are cooled and stripped from the molds.
Inventors
- 👤 N Houghton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 20:24
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25D; F25D23/00; F25D23/06; F25D23/062; F25D23/064; B; B29; B29C; B29C51/00; B29C51/04; B29C51/26; B29C51/30; B29C51/36; B29C51/10; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/762; B29L2031/7622; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S425/00; Y10S425/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
209 words
In apparatus for forming a deep drawn unitary plastic article comprising a pair of adjacent walled structures having unidirectionally presented openings, said apparatus being of the type including a pair of spaced, unidirectionally presented molds having outer surface portions corresponding to the shape of the article to be formed, an assist-plug structure at least a portion of which is insertable into the space between said unidirectionally presented molds, means for supporting a heatsoftened unitary sheet of thermoplastic material between said molds and said assist-plug structure, means for effecting relative movement between said molds and said assist-plug structure to cause them to bear against said sheet, and means for producing a pressure differential across opposite surface portions of said sheet to cause it to conform to the surface of said molds, the improvement comprising: means for movably mounting said molds so that in one position thereof confronting mold wall sections are closely spaced, and in another position said wall sections are substantially spaced; means for maintaining said molds in said other, substantially spaced position as said molds and said assist-plug are moved together against said sheet; and means for moving said molds to said one, closely spaced position prior to operation of said means for producing the recited pressure differential.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
209 words
In apparatus for forming a deep drawn unitary plastic article comprising a pair of adjacent walled structures having unidirectionally presented openings, said apparatus being of the type including a pair of spaced, unidirectionally presented molds having outer surface portions corresponding to the shape of the article to be formed, an assist-plug structure at least a portion of which is insertable into the space between said unidirectionally presented molds, means for supporting a heatsoftened unitary sheet of thermoplastic material between said molds and said assist-plug structure, means for effecting relative movement between said molds and said assist-plug structure to cause them to bear against said sheet, and means for producing a pressure differential across opposite surface portions of said sheet to cause it to conform to the surface of said molds, the improvement comprising: means for movably mounting said molds so that in one position thereof confronting mold wall sections are closely spaced, and in another position said wall sections are substantially spaced; means for maintaining said molds in said other, substantially spaced position as said molds and said assist-plug are moved together against said sheet; and means for moving said molds to said one, closely spaced position prior to operation of said means for producing the recited pressure differential.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, and characterized by the inclusion of articulated base means for supporting said molds in such manner that the recited movements thereof are pivotal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, and further characterized in that said means for maintaining said molds in said other position comprises latch means automatically releasable upon the recited movement of said molds and said assist plug together against said sheet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, and further characterized in that said latch means further is automatically operable upon movement of said base means to its recited non-pivoted position to retain the latter in such position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, and characterized by the inclusion of means for supporting said molds in such manner that the recited movements thereof are pivotal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
251 words
In apparatus for forming a deep-drawn unitary plastic article comprising a pair of walled tank-like structures having unidirectionally presented openings and adjacent side walls disposed in spaced relation, said walls being joined by flanging extending generally in the plane of the openings of said tank-like structures, said apparatus being of the type including a pair of similarly spaced, unidirectionally presented molds having convex surface portions corresponding to the concave shape of the tank-like structures to be formed, an assist-plug structure at least a portion of which is insertable into the space between the adjacent side walls of said unidirectionally presented molds, means for supporting a heat softened unitary sheet of thermoplastic material between said molds and said assist-plug structure, means for effecting relative movement between said molds and said assist-plug structure to cause them to bear against said sheet, and means for producing a pressure differential across opposite surface portions of said sheet to cause it to conform to the convex surface of said molds, the improvement comprising: means for movably mounting said molds so that in one position thereof confronting wall sections corresponding to said adjacent walls of said tank-like structures are closely spaced, and in another position said wall sections are substantially spaced; means for effecting the recited relative movement between said molds and said assist-plug structure while said wall sections of said molds are in said other substantially spaced position; and means for producing the recited pressure differential while the molds are in said one closely spaced position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
251 words
In apparatus for forming a deep-drawn unitary plastic article comprising a pair of walled tank-like structures having unidirectionally presented openings and adjacent side walls disposed in spaced relation, said walls being joined by flanging extending generally in the plane of the openings of said tank-like structures, said apparatus being of the type including a pair of similarly spaced, unidirectionally presented molds having convex surface portions corresponding to the concave shape of the tank-like structures to be formed, an assist-plug structure at least a portion of which is insertable into the space between the adjacent side walls of said unidirectionally presented molds, means for supporting a heat softened unitary sheet of thermoplastic material between said molds and said assist-plug structure, means for effecting relative movement between said molds and said assist-plug structure to cause them to bear against said sheet, and means for producing a pressure differential across opposite surface portions of said sheet to cause it to conform to the convex surface of said molds, the improvement comprising: means for movably mounting said molds so that in one position thereof confronting wall sections corresponding to said adjacent walls of said tank-like structures are closely spaced, and in another position said wall sections are substantially spaced; means for effecting the recited relative movement between said molds and said assist-plug structure while said wall sections of said molds are in said other substantially spaced position; and means for producing the recited pressure differential while the molds are in said one closely spaced position.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-02 | 1976-10-02 | 1977-04-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-02 | 1980-10-02 | 1981-04-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-02 | 1984-10-02 | 1985-04-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |