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US 2014/0348971 A1Published application
Apparatus and methods for selective thermoforming
OwnerWilliam C. Shanley, IVinventor
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods of forming selected portions of integral sheets of material are disclosed. Unformed portions of the sheets may remain undistorted during the forming process, allowing them to contain text, art work, or other desired information without material risk of the information being degraded or becoming unintelligible during the forming process. This result may be accomplished, moreover, with less trim than usually occurs in conventional forming processes.
Claims12
Apparatus for thermoforming a plastic material, comprising:
- a. a mold;
- b. means for positioning a plastic material adjacent the mold, the plastic material defining integral first and second regions;
- and
- c. means for selectively heating the first region to its forming temperature while maintaining the second region at less than its forming temperature when the plastic material is positioned adjacent the mold.
1 more element
8-16. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.