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US 2010/0140831 A1Published application
Molded object-forming apparatus and method
AssigneeComputerized Cutters Ltd.
InventorCarl Ondracek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for forming a molded object, e.g., a channel letter trim and trimmed face. A shape is stored in a processor. A mold material is held by vacuum on a table, movably supported on a support frame. The table moves to a second position on the support frame, where the mold material is cut into a mold having the stored shape. The table and mold are moved to a third position on the support frame. Heated synthetic material is drawn over the mold by vacuum. After the synthetic material hardens, excess material is cut off, if necessary, and the synthetic material, now in the shape of the mold, is removed from the mold.
Claims67
A molded object forming-apparatus, comprising:
- a processor storing a shape of an object;
- a support frame;
- a table mounted on the support frame, movable between a plurality of table positions;
- a first holding device holding a mold material on said table at a first table position on the support frame;
- a moving apparatus configured to move said table and the mold material from the first table position to another table position on the support frame;
- a cutting apparatus positioned above the table and the mold material;
- a lifter configured to raise the mold material up off of the table toward the cutting apparatus, to undergo a first cutting operation by the cutting apparatus, and lowering said mold material back onto the table to undergo a second cutting operation by a cutting apparatus, thereby defining a mold having the stored shape;
- wherein the moving apparatus is configured to move said table and the mold to the other table position on the support frame;
- heaters, provided at the other table position, configured to heat and soften a synthetic sheet, the softened synthetic sheet draping over the mold to define the molded object;
- wherein the moving apparatus is further configured to move the table and the molded object back to the first table position,
- wherein said cutting apparatus, at said first table position, is further configured to trim excess synthetic material from side surfaces of the molded object.
8 more elements
A molded object forming-apparatus, comprising:
- a support frame;
- a table mounted on the support frame, movable between a plurality of table positions;
- a first holding device holding a mold material on said table at a first table position on the support frame;
- a moving apparatus configured to move said table and the mold material from the first table position to another table position on the support frame;
- a cutting apparatus positioned above the table and the mold material;
- a lifter configured to raise the mold material up off of the table toward the cutting apparatus, to undergo a first cutting operation by the cutting apparatus, and lowering the mold material back onto the table to undergo a second cutting operation by the cutting apparatus, thereby defining a mold having a stored shape;
- wherein the moving apparatus is configured to move said table and the mold to the other table position on the support frame;
- heaters, provided at the other table position, configured to heat and soften a synthetic sheet, the softened synthetic sheet draping over the mold to define the molded object.
5 more elements
A method of forming a molded object, comprising the steps of:
- storing in a processor a shape of an object;
- securing a mold material on a table, said table movably supported, on a support frame, at a first table position;
- moving the table to a second table position on the support frame;
- lifting the mold material up off the table at the second table position;
- moving the table to the first table position on the support frame;
- cutting a first portion of the mold material in a first cutting step;
- reacquiring the mold material on the table at the second table position;
- cutting a second portion of the mold material in a second cutting step, thereby defining a mold having the stored shape;
- removing an excess portion of the material;
- moving the table and the mold to a third table position on the table;
- heating and softening a synthetic sheet at the third table position;
- drawing the softened synthetic sheet onto the mold to form a molded object;
- cutting the excess material from the molded object;
- and
- removing the molded object from the mold.
12 more elements
A method of forming a molded object, comprising the steps of:
- securing a mold material on a table, said table movably supported on a support frame, at a first table position;
- moving the table to a second table position on the support frame;
- acquiring the mold material with lifters and lifting it up off the table at the second table position;
- moving the table to the first table position on the support frame;
- cutting a first portion of the mold material in a first cutting step into a stored shape;
- reacquiring the mold material on the table;
- cutting a second portion of the mold material in a second cutting step, thereby defining a mold having the stored shape;
- removing an excess portion of the material;
- moving the table and the mold to a third table position on the table;
- heating and softening a synthetic sheet at the third table position;
- drawing the softened synthetic sheet onto the mold to form a molded object;
- and
- removing the molded object from the mold.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.