Thermoforming with precision in-lay
AssigneeSpecialty Manufacturing Company
InventorsJeff Upton, Haydn Forward, Frank Ames, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermoforming in-lay technique is discussed that uses retractable pins to hold an in-lay piece securely in place in a primary mold. The in-lay piece is fabricated prior to the primary molding process and creates multiple pin receivers in the in-lay that are retractably engaged by the retractable pins when placed into the primary mold. When the primary substrate is formed into the primary mold, the retractable pins prevent the in-lay piece from moving out of position. Once the primary substrate has cooled sufficiently, the pins are retracted allowing the finished primary carrier art to be removed from the primary mold.
Claims8
A primary mold for thermoforming, the primary mold comprising:
- an in-lay pattern negative-image configured to receive an in-lay piece;
- and
- a plurality of retractable pins configured to retractably engage a plurality of pin receivers formed in a positioning portion of the in-lay piece placed in the primary mold during formation of a heated substrate, wherein the primary mold is configured to form the heated substrate around at least all exposed edges not in the positioning portion of the in-lay piece not in contact with the primary mold.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising:
- program code executable by a computer for causing the computer to place an in-lay piece into a primary mold, the in-lay piece having a plurality of pin receivers retractably engaged by a plurality of retractable pins in the primary mold;
- program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to form a heated substrate into the primary mold, wherein the heated substrate forms around at least all exposed edges not in a positioning portion of the in-lay piece not in contact with the primary mold, wherein the plurality of retractable pins are being received into the plurality of pin receivers on the in-lay piece placed within the primary mold cavity during formation of the heated substrate into the primary mold;
- program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to cool the heated substrate;
- program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to retract the plurality of retractable pins;
- and
- program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to remove a primary carrier part from the primary mold, the primary carrier part comprising the in-lay piece molded into the heated substrate.
An apparatus configured for in-lay forming, said apparatus comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- a memory coupled to said at least one processor,
- wherein said at least one processor is configured:
- to cause placement of an in-lay piece into a primary mold, the in-lay piece having a plurality of pin receivers retractably engaged by a plurality of retractable pins in the primary mold;
- to cause formation of a heated substrate into the primary mold, wherein the heated substrate forms around at least all exposed edges not in a positioning portion of the in-lay piece not in contact with the primary mold, wherein the plurality of retractable pins are being received into the plurality of pin receivers on the in-lay piece placed within the primary mold cavity during the formation;
- to cause cooling of the heated substrate;
- to cause the plurality of retractable pins to retract;
- and
- to cause removal of a primary carrier part from the primary mold, the primary carrier part comprising the in-lay piece molded into the heated substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.