US3756399A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Skin package for an article and method of forming the package
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
•
Filing: 1971-08-30
•
Granted: 1973-09-04
•
Expires: 1991-08-30
Abstract
Abstract An article having irregular protrusions on one side, such as a printed circuit board having electrical components mounted thereon, is packaged by positioning it on a backing member with the protrusions facing outward from the backing member, and then placing a relatively cool inner sheet of thermoplastic film over the one side of the article. Next, a heated outer sheet of thermoplastic film is moved downward over the inner sheet and vacuum is applied to the opposite side of the backing member to draw the two sheets into tight-fitting relationship with respect to the article and to draw the heated outer sheet into engagement with portions of the backing member, whereby the heated outer sheet bonds to the cool inner sheet and to the backing member. In the completed package the inner sheet extends at least into engagement with the backing member around the periphery of the article, and the two bonded sheets form reinforcing ''''tents'''' or ribs between certain of the article protrusions, and between these protrusions and the periphery of the article.
Inventors
- 👤 R Cosier
- 👤 Donnella Mc
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 02:19
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K5/00; H05K5/06; H05K5/068; B; B65; B65D; B65D75/00; B65D75/28; B65D75/30; B65D75/305; H05K3/00; H05K3/22; H05K3/28; H05K3/284; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/13; H05K2203/1305; H05K2203/1311; H05K2203/1322
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
A package for an article, which comprises: an air-pervious backing member in engagement with one side of the article; an inner layer of fluid-imPervious material in tight-fitting engagement with an opposite side of the article; and an outer layer of fluid-impervious material integrally bonded to said inner layer of material and having portions extending beyond said inner layer of material and vacuum bonded to said backing member to retain said layers of material in fixed relationship relative to the article.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
A package for an article, which comprises: an air-pervious backing member in engagement with one side of the article; an inner layer of fluid-imPervious material in tight-fitting engagement with an opposite side of the article; and an outer layer of fluid-impervious material integrally bonded to said inner layer of material and having portions extending beyond said inner layer of material and vacuum bonded to said backing member to retain said layers of material in fixed relationship relative to the article.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A package for an article, as recited in claim 1, in which: said inner layer of material extends into engagement with the backing member about substantially the entire periphery of the article.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
57 words
A package for an article, as recited in claim 1, in which the side of the article with which the inner layer of material is engaged includes a plurality of irregular protrusions, and in which: said integrally bonded layers of material form reinforcing ribs between the protrusions and between the protrusions and the periphery of the article.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
90 words
A package for an article, which comprises: an air-pervious backing member in engagement with one side of the article; a fluid-impervious covering in tight-fitting engagement with the opposite side of the article and having portions extending beyond the periphery of the article and vacuum bonded to said backing member, substantially the entire portion of said covering up to the periphery of the article being of substantially greater thickness than the portions of said covering which extend beyond the periphery of the article and which are bonded to said backing member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
90 words
A package for an article, which comprises: an air-pervious backing member in engagement with one side of the article; a fluid-impervious covering in tight-fitting engagement with the opposite side of the article and having portions extending beyond the periphery of the article and vacuum bonded to said backing member, substantially the entire portion of said covering up to the periphery of the article being of substantially greater thickness than the portions of said covering which extend beyond the periphery of the article and which are bonded to said backing member.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
88 words
The method of packaging an article, which comprises: positioning the article on a backing member; positioning a relatively cool inner sheet of formable material over the article; positioning a relatively hot outer sheet of formable material over the relatively cool inner sheet of material at a temperature such that the hot outer sheet is heat-bondable to the backing member; simultaneously forming the two sheets of material into tight-fitting relationship with respect to the article; and heat-bonding portions of the relatively hot sheet of material to the backing member.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
88 words
The method of packaging an article, which comprises: positioning the article on a backing member; positioning a relatively cool inner sheet of formable material over the article; positioning a relatively hot outer sheet of formable material over the relatively cool inner sheet of material at a temperature such that the hot outer sheet is heat-bondable to the backing member; simultaneously forming the two sheets of material into tight-fitting relationship with respect to the article; and heat-bonding portions of the relatively hot sheet of material to the backing member.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
99 words
The method of packaging an article, which comprises: positioning the article on an air-pervious backing member; positioning a relatively cool inner sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material over the article; positioning a relatively hot outer sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material over the relatively cool inner sheet of material at a temperature such that the hot outer sheet is heat-bondable to the backing member; applying a vacuum to the backing member to draw the two sheets of material into tight-fitting relationship with respect to the article simultaneously; and heat-bonding the relatively hot sheet of material to the backing member.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
99 words
The method of packaging an article, which comprises: positioning the article on an air-pervious backing member; positioning a relatively cool inner sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material over the article; positioning a relatively hot outer sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material over the relatively cool inner sheet of material at a temperature such that the hot outer sheet is heat-bondable to the backing member; applying a vacuum to the backing member to draw the two sheets of material into tight-fitting relationship with respect to the article simultaneously; and heat-bonding the relatively hot sheet of material to the backing member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method of packaging an article, as recited in claim 6, which further comprises: predimensioning the relatively cool inner sheet of material so that the sheet has initial side dimensions which are greater than the corresponding side dimensions of the article; and predimensioning the relatively hot outer sheet of material so that the sheet has initial side dimensions which are greater than the corresponding initial side dimensions of the relatively cool inner sheet of material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
104 words
The method of packaging an article, as recited in claim 6 in which: the article is positioned on one side of the backing member so that the backing member projects beyond the periphery of the article; the vacuum is applied to an opposite side of the backing member to draw the two sheets of material into tight-fitting relationship with respect to the article and to draw portions of the relatively hot sheet of material into engagement with portions of the one side of the backing member; and the engaged portions of the relatively hot sheet of material and the backing member are bonded together.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of packaging an article, as recited in claim 6, in which: the two sheEts are of fluid-impervious thermoplastic material.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
235 words
The method of skin packaging an article having a plurality of irregular protrusions on one side thereof, which comprises: positioning the article on one side of an air-pervious backing member with the protrusions on the one side of the article facing outward relative to the backing member and so that the backing member projects beyond the periphery of the article; positioning a relatively cool inner sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material, having initial side dimensions which are greater than the corresponding side diemensions of the article, over the one side of the article; positioning a relatively hot outer sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material having a temperature such that it is heat-bondable to the backing member, and having initial side dimensions which are greater than the corresponding initial side dimensions of the relatively cool inner sheet of material, over the relatively cool inner sheet of material; applying a vacuum to an opposite side of the backing member to draw the two sheets of material into tight-fitting relationship with respect to the article simultaneously and to draw portions of the relatively hot sheet of material into engagement with portions of the one side of the backing member; and heat-bonding the portions of the relatively hot outer sheet of material to the portions of the one side of the backing member about substantially the entire periphery of the relatively cool inner sheet of material and the article.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
235 words
The method of skin packaging an article having a plurality of irregular protrusions on one side thereof, which comprises: positioning the article on one side of an air-pervious backing member with the protrusions on the one side of the article facing outward relative to the backing member and so that the backing member projects beyond the periphery of the article; positioning a relatively cool inner sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material, having initial side dimensions which are greater than the corresponding side diemensions of the article, over the one side of the article; positioning a relatively hot outer sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material having a temperature such that it is heat-bondable to the backing member, and having initial side dimensions which are greater than the corresponding initial side dimensions of the relatively cool inner sheet of material, over the relatively cool inner sheet of material; applying a vacuum to an opposite side of the backing member to draw the two sheets of material into tight-fitting relationship with respect to the article simultaneously and to draw portions of the relatively hot sheet of material into engagement with portions of the one side of the backing member; and heat-bonding the portions of the relatively hot outer sheet of material to the portions of the one side of the backing member about substantially the entire periphery of the relatively cool inner sheet of material and the article.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of packaging an article, as recited in claim 10, in which: the relatively cool inner sheet of material is precut so that each initial side dimension of the sheet is not substantially less than the sum of the corresponding side dimension of the article plus twice the height of the highest protrusion on the one side of the article.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
99 words
The method of packaging an article, which comprises: positioning a relatively cool inner sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material in engagement with the article; positioning a relatively hot outer sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material over the relatively cool inner sheet of material at a temperature such that the hot outer sheet is heat-bondable to the cool inner sheet; and applying a vacuum to the two sheets of material simultaneously to draw the sheets into tight-fitting relationship relative to the article and to bond the two sheets of material together and in a fixed position relative to the article.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
99 words
The method of packaging an article, which comprises: positioning a relatively cool inner sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material in engagement with the article; positioning a relatively hot outer sheet of formable substantially fluid-impervious material over the relatively cool inner sheet of material at a temperature such that the hot outer sheet is heat-bondable to the cool inner sheet; and applying a vacuum to the two sheets of material simultaneously to draw the sheets into tight-fitting relationship relative to the article and to bond the two sheets of material together and in a fixed position relative to the article.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
209 words
The method of packaging a board having a plurality of projecting components, which comprises: placing the board on a backing member constructed of air-pervious material, said backing member having sufficient width and length to extend beyond the periphery of the board; placing an inner sheet of thermoplastic formable material, at room temperature, over the board and projecting components, said inner sheet having sufficient width and length to provide a peripheral section that extends beond the periphery of the board but not to the periphery of the backing member; placing a hot outer sheet of thermoplastic formable material having a temperature sufficient to render it heat-bondable to the inner sheet and the board, over the inner sheet, said outer sheet having sufficient width and length to provide a peripheral section that extends beyond the periphery of the inner sheet to the proximate periphery of the backing member; and applying vacuum through the air-pervious backing member to simultaneously draw the inner and outer sheets onto the projecting components and to draw the extending peripheral sections of the sheets into firm engagement with the backing member, to bond the hot outer sheet to the inner sheet and to bond the extending peripheral section of the hot outer sheet to the backing member.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
209 words
The method of packaging a board having a plurality of projecting components, which comprises: placing the board on a backing member constructed of air-pervious material, said backing member having sufficient width and length to extend beyond the periphery of the board; placing an inner sheet of thermoplastic formable material, at room temperature, over the board and projecting components, said inner sheet having sufficient width and length to provide a peripheral section that extends beond the periphery of the board but not to the periphery of the backing member; placing a hot outer sheet of thermoplastic formable material having a temperature sufficient to render it heat-bondable to the inner sheet and the board, over the inner sheet, said outer sheet having sufficient width and length to provide a peripheral section that extends beyond the periphery of the inner sheet to the proximate periphery of the backing member; and applying vacuum through the air-pervious backing member to simultaneously draw the inner and outer sheets onto the projecting components and to draw the extending peripheral sections of the sheets into firm engagement with the backing member, to bond the hot outer sheet to the inner sheet and to bond the extending peripheral section of the hot outer sheet to the backing member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-09-03 | 1977-03-05 | 1977-09-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-09-03 | 1981-03-05 | 1981-09-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-09-03 | 1985-03-05 | 1985-09-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |