Plastic embossed carrier tape apparatus and process
AssigneeAdaptsys Limited
InventorsBarry L. Gregerson, James E. Spitzer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An embossed carrier tape manufacturing apparatus includes features for integrating with other processing equipment so that other processes such as forming, filling, and sealing the tape can be performed sequentially in one integrated process. The apparatus includes retractable contact spot heaters for heating the tape prior to embossing, along with a unique heat shield arrangement that is interposable between the heaters and the tape so that the process may be paused. Also, a synchronizing apparatus is integrated so that the carrier tape embossing process may be automatically paused for adjusting to the input rate of other carrier tape processing apparatus.
Claims50
An apparatus for automatically embossing carrier pockets in a continuous strip of plastic material to form a carrier tape, the apparatus comprising:
- a guide structure for positioning and guiding the strip in the apparatus;
- a drive assembly adapted to selectively engage and feed the strip through the guide structure in a sequence of uniform increments;
- a heating assembly adapted to heat at least one region on each increment of the strip, the heating assembly including a selectively positionable portion adapted to apply heat to the strip at the at least one region, the portion being positionable in a retracted position spaced apart from the strip;
- a heat shield assembly arranged to selectively interpose a heat shield between of the portion and the strip when the portion is positioned in the retracted position;
- and
- a molding assembly for molding the heated region into a pocket, the molding assembly including a pair of mold portions selectively contactable with the at least one pocket region, the pair of mold portions including a male mold portion and a corresponding female mold portion.
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said heat shield assembly includes a pair of air diffusers in the body portion, each diffuser positioned so as to direct air onto a surface of a separate one of the shield plate portions.
A process for producing a continuous plastic carrier tape having uniformly spaced embossed pockets, and continuously supplying the tape to processing equipment wherein the carrier tape is further processed, the process including the steps of:
- (a) producing the carrier tape using a carrier tape embossing apparatus adapted to perform an embossing process wherein the pockets are automatically sequentially embossed in adjacent uniform increments of the strip by sequential contact with a heating assembly and a separate molding assembly so as to produce the carrier tape at a continuous tape production rate, the apparatus adapted so that the embossing process is selectively intermittently pausable without causing damage to the strip of plastic material;
- (b) supplying the carrier tape to a piece of carrier tape processing equipment, the equipment adapted to accept the carrier tape at a tape input rate;
- (c) sensing a parameter related to the tape production rate using a first sensor;
- (d) sensing a parameter related to the tape input rate using a second sensor;
- (e) using a processor operably connected with the first and second sensors and the carrier tape embossing apparatus to intermittently pause the embossing process so that the tape production rate substantially equals the tape input rate.
A process for forming a uniform series of carrier pockets in a continuous strip of plastic material to form a carrier tape by sequentially embossing at least one carrier pocket in adjacent increments of the strip, the process including the steps of:
- (a) automatically positioning an increment of the strip between a pair of opposing selectively positionable heating contact surfaces;
- (b) momentarily contacting the strip with the contact surfaces so as to heat a region of the increment to a forming temperature;
- (c) positioning the increment so that the region is between a pair of selectively positionable mold members, the pair of mold members including a male mold member and a female mold member;
- (d) engaging the region with the male and female mold members to form the pocket;
- (e) selectively intermittently pausing the process by maintaining the strip in a fixed position and interposing a heat shield between each heating contact surface and the strip to inhibit heat transfer from the contact surfaces to the strip;
- and
- (f) repeating steps (a), (b), (c),(d), and (e) for adjacent increments of the strip.
An apparatus for automatically embossing carrier pockets in a continuous strip of plastic material to form a carrier tape by a process including the steps of automatically positioning successive uniform increments of the strip between a pair of opposing selectively positionable heating contact surfaces, momentarily contacting the strip with the contact surfaces so as to heat a region of the increment to a forming temperature, positioning the increment so that the heated region is between a male mold member and a female mold member, and engaging the region with the male and female mold members to form the pocket, the apparatus including a heat shield assembly adapted to selectively interpose a heat shield between each contact surface and the strip when the process is paused, thereby preventing heat damage to the strip resulting from excessive heat transfer between the contact surfaces and the strip.
An apparatus for automatically embossing carrier pockets in a continuous strip of plastic material to form a carrier tape, the apparatus comprising:
- means for positioning and guiding the strip in the apparatus;
- means for selectively engaging and feeding the strip through the guide structure in a sequence of adjacent uniform increments;
- means for heating at least one region on each increment of the strip, means for selectively shielding the strip from the heating means;
- and
- means for molding the heated region into a pocket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.