Method of automatically decorating articles as they are in-mold formed automatically
AssigneeDri-Print Foils, Inc.
InventorFrancis J. Conner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A novel method of automatically decorating articles as they are formed, in-mold, of heated plastics flowing within and filling mold cavities. Pursuant to the invention an elongated tape or strip of decorating material is automatically advanced and pre-fed and positioned in the molds at each molding cycle, interfacing therein automatically with the plastics as they fill the molds under heat and pressure; as the article is thus formed, the decorating material forms therewith a unitary, permanent decorating part thereof.
Claims27
A method of automatically, in mold, decorating an article formed of heated plastic material, as said plastic material flows in and fills the molds, to form said articles in the molding cycle comprising:
- (a) positioning a decorating tape in said molds, said tape having a carrier layer and a decorative portion releasable from said carrier layer by the flow and pressure of said heated plastic material introduced into said molds;
- (b) filling said molds with plastic material;
- (c) causing said plastic material to flow into and fill said molds and to activate said decorative portion of said tape;
- thereby automatically uniting the tape of decorating material and article;
- producing a unitary and decorated plastic article in said molding cycle;
- and
- (d) removing substantially the entire released carrier layer from the molds.
A method of decorating an article during the molding of said article from a heated plastic material in a mold cavity having the shape of said article, said mold cavity formed by the union of mold members comprising:
- (a) positioning in said mold cavity a tape having a carrier layer and a decorative portion including an adhesive layer facing the direction of entry of plastic material into said mold cavity, said decorative portion being releasable from said carrier layer by the flow and pressure of said heated plastic material;
- (b) filling said mold cavity with a plastic material under heat and pressure, causing said plastic material to contact said decorative portion and bond said tape to said article as it is formed and thereby releasing said carrier layer;
- (c) allowing said plastic material to form said article having said tape bonded thereto;
- (d) removing a decorated molded article from said mold cavity;
- and
- (e) removing substantially the entire released carrier layer from said mold, thereby advancing said tape through said mold members.
A continuous method of decorating articles during the molding of said articles from a heated plastic material in a mold cavity having the shape of said article, said mold cavity formed by the union of mold members comprising:
- (a) positioning in said mold cavity a predetermined length of tape from a continuous source of supply of said tape, said tape having a carrier layer and a decorative portion including a thermally activatable adhesive layer facing the direction of entry of plastic material into said mold cavity, said decorative portion being releasable from said carrier layer by the flow and pressure of said heated plastic material
- (b) filling said mold cavity with a plastic material under heat and pressure causing said plastic material to contact said decorative portion and bond said length of tape to said article as it is formed and thereby releasing said carrier layer;
- (c) allowing said plastic material to form said article having said length of tape bonded thereto;
- (d) removing a decorated molded article from said mold cavity;
- (e) removing substantially the entire released carrier layer from said mold, thereby advancing said length of tape through said mold members by means of said carrier layer a next predetermined length;
- and
- (f) repeating steps (b) to (e) continuously to produce a plurality of decorated molded articles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.