Apparatus for thermobonding seams in thermoplastic material

Claim 3

The device of claim 1, wherein said recessed wall is provided in said pressure means for receiving said heat element and confining said thermoplastic material therebetween.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1, wherein said support means and said pressure means are each provided with a layer of insulating material.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1, wherein said support means and said pressure means are each provided with a layer of insulative material actings as a flow channel to control the melt flow of the material in said melt zone volume.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1, wherein said heat element is provided with an imbedded heating means.

Claim 7

The device of claim 2, wherein said recess means is provided with heating means imbedded below the surface thereof.

Claim 8

The device of claim 2 wherein said heat element and said recess means are each provided with heating means imbedded below the surface thereof.

Claim 9

The device of claim 7 wherein each of said heating means are independently controlled.

Claim 10

The device of claim 2, further including a crimping zone formed between said heat element and recess means when they are in a mating relationship.

Claim 11

The device of claim 2, wherein at least two melt zones are provided further including a crimping zone formed between said heat element and recess means when they are in a mating relationship, said crimping zone being positioned between said two melt zones.

Claim 12

The device of claim 2 wherein said recess means comprise first and second recess means, each configured to mate with a selected portion of said heat element, and melt zones are formed between said heat element and at least one of said recess means.

Claim 13

The device of claim 11, wherein said first and second recess means are provided with heating means imbedded below the surface thereof.

Claim 14

The device of claim 1, wherein said heat element comprises a support portion for holding said heat element in position and an outer portion received within the recess means.

Claim 15

The device of claim 1, wherein said heat element has selected length and a plurality thereof are provided at spaced apart intervals for forming intermittent joints in said material.

Claim 16

The device of claim 1, wherein said heat element has a selected length and selected portions thereof are indented at spaced intervals to form intermittent joints in said material.

Claim 17

The device of claim 2 wherein said recess means has selected portions thereof indented at spaced intervals along the length thereof for forming intermittent joints in said material.

Claim 18

The device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of elongated heat elements transversely spaced from one another.

Claim 19

The device of claim 1, in which said heat element has channel means longitudinally formed therein to provide a zone in which no pressure is applied to said material when said heat element means and said pressure plate means are mated.

Claim 20

The device of claim 1, in which said heat element is configured to a generally finger-like contour, and said support means are resiliently expandable to accommodate expansion of said heat element in the longitudinal direction of said contour when heated.

Claim 21

Apparatus for forming a garment or glove from two sheets of thermoplastic material, which comprises: a mold including pressure means and a heat element; said pressure means being operable for providing pressure on both thermoplastic sheets; said heat element having the longitudinal configuration of the desired garment or glove to be formed; said pressure means defining a cavity having an opening facing the heat element; at least one of said pressure means and said heat element having a recessed wall and the other of said pressure applying means and said heat element having a non-planar surface, configured to define a melt zone volume between said pressure means and said heat element; means for conveying both sheets, in overlying relationship, to the mold, between the pressure means and the heat element; said pressure means and heat element being configured to provide said confined melt zone volume between the pressure means and the heat element when the pressure means and heat element are in a mating relationship and are operating with the sheets of thermoplastic material; means for evacuating air from the cavity to draw a portion of one of the sheets into the cavity; means for applying pressure on one side of the sheets by the pressure means while the heat element on the opposite side of the sheets is operating to provide heat to the sheets to melt the thermoplastic material in the configuration of the desired garment or glove and to force the melted thermoplastic to flow into and be confined within the melt zone volume.

Claim 22

Apparatus for forming a garment or glove from two sheets of thermoplastic material, which comprises: a mold including pressure means and a heat element; said pressure means being operable for providing pressure on both thermoplastic sheets; said heat element having the longitudinal configuration of the desired garment or glove to be formed; said pressure means defining a cavity having an opening facing the heat element; at least one of said pressure means and said heat element having a recessed wall and the other of said pressure applying means and said heat element having a non-planar surface, configured to define a melt zone volume between said pressure means and said heat element; means for conveying both sheets, in overlying relationship, to the mold, between the pressure means and the heat element; said pressure means and heat element being configured to provide said confined melt zone volume between the pressure means and the heat element when the pressure means and heat element are in a mating relationship and are operating with the sheets of thermoplastic material; means for evacuating air from the cavity to draw a portion of one of the sheets into the cavity; means for applying pressure on one side of the sheets by the pressure means while the heat element on the opposite side of the sheets is operating to provide heat to the sheets to melt the thermoplastic material in the configuration of the desired garment or glove and to force the melted thermoplastic to flow into and be confined within the melt zone volume.

Claim 23

Apparatus as described in claim 20, including means for providing an air jet under said one sheet as it is drawn into the cavity.

Claim 24

Apparatus as described in claim 20, in which the conveying means comprises means for conveying separated sheets toward the mold with the separated sheets becoming closer to each other as they approach the mold.

Claim 25

Apparatus as described in claim 20, in which said pressure means defines recessed wall configured to define said melt zone volume between said pressure means and said heat element when said pressure means and heat element are operating with the thermoplastic material, said heat element having a curvilinear cross-section configuration and said recessed wall being in alignment with the heat element whereby, during operation of the pressure means and the heat element on the sheets of thermoplastic material, an portion of the recessed wall and a portion of the heat element will apply a crimping pressure on the thermoplastic material and simultaneously leave a void between other portions of the recessed wall and the heat element to form the melt zone volume.