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US 4,537,739 AGranted
Production of molded plastic articles with artwork thereon
AssigneeReplicap Products, Inc.
InventorGerald F. Ruhl
Life of this patent
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AssigneeReplicap Products, Inc.
InventorGerald F. Ruhl
Estimating the term…
A mold includes relatively movable mold sections which defines multiple cavities and a space between two of the mold sections when the mold is open. The plurality of flexible strips each carrying a heat responsive transfer material are directed through the space and are clamped adjacent the mold cavities when the mold is closed. A plastics material is injected into the cavities to form the articles and to engage the transfer material to form predetermined artwork on the articles within the cavities. When the mold is open, the articles are removed, the strips are pulled through the space to advance new transfer material to the mold cavities, and the cycle is repeated. In one embodiment, the strips carry the transfer material at longitudinally spaced intervals in the form of the desired artwork, and in another embodiment, the artwork is formed by a template attached to the movable mold section adjacent the cavities.
A method of producing articles of molded plastics material with each article having thereon a decorative coating according to predetermined artwork, comprising the steps of forming on a first mold section and a second mold section corresponding surfaces cooperating to define a primary portion of at least one mold cavity corresponding to the shape of the article, positioning adjacent the second mold section a mold plate having a generally flat surface defining a secondary portion of the cavity and substantially coextensive with the cavity, supporting the first and second mold sections for relative movement between open and closed positions, supporting the second mold section and the mold plate for relative movement between a clamped position and a released position defining a clearance space therebetween, providing an elongated flexible carrier strip releasably supporting a layer of heat responsive transfer material, directing the carrier strip through the clearance space and along a path adjacent the mold plate surface and the cavity, clamping the carrier strip between the mold plate surface and the second mold section when the mold plate and the second mold secton are in the clamped position, injecting a molten plastics material into the mold cavity remote from the surface of the mold plate and into contact with the layer of transfer material on the carrier strip adjacent the mold plate surface to form an article within the cavity and to transfer a portion of the layer of transfer material from the carrier strip to the article while the corresponding portion of the carrier strip remains in contact with the generally flat mold plate surface, and pulling the carrier strip longitudinally through the clearance space when the mold plate and the second mold section are in the released position to advance the carrier strip and position another portion of the layer of transfer material adjacent the mold cavity.
A method as defined in claim 25 and including the step of mounting a thin template having an opening corresponding to the artwork on the second mold section adjacent the mold cavity, and advancing the strip of transfer material between the template and the mold plate when the mold plate and the second mold section are in the released position.
A method as defined in claim 25 wherein the mold sections have a plurality of cavities therein, and simultaneously advancing plurality of separate carrier strips through the space between the mold plate and the second mold section in the released position and into positions adjacent the cavities.
Apparatus for producing articles of molded plastics material with each article having thereon a decorative coating according to predetermined artwork, comprising a mold including a first mold section and a second mold section having corresponding surfaces cooperating to define a portion of at least one mold cavity corresponding to the shape of the article, a mold plate disposed adjacent said second mold section and having a generally flat surface also defining a portion of said cavity and substantially coextensive with said cavity, means supporting said first and second mold sections for relative movement between open and closed positions, means supporting said second mold section and said mold plate for relative movement between a clamped position and a released position defining a clearance space therebetween, an elongated flexible carrier strip releasably supporting a layer of heat responsive transfer material, means for directing said carrier strip through said clearance space and along a path adjacent said mold plate surface and said cavity, said carrier strip being clamped between said mold plate surface and said second mold section when said mold plate and said second mold section are in said clamped position, means for injecting a molten plastics material into said mold cavity remote from said surface on said mold plate and into contact with said layer of transfer material on said carrier strip adjacent said mold plate surface to form an article within said cavity and to transfer a portion of said layer of transfer material from said carrier strip to the article while the corresponding portion of said carrier strip remains in contact with said mold plate surface, and means for pulling said carrier strip longitudinally through said clearance space when said mold plate and said second mold section are in the said released position to advance said carrier strip and position another portion of the said layer of transfer material adjacent said mold cavity.
Apparatus for producing articles of molded plastics material with each article having thereon a decorative coating according to predetermined artwork, comprising a mold including a first mold section and a second mold section having corresponding surfaces cooperating to define a portion of at least one mold cavity corresponding to the shape of the article, a mold plate disposed adjacent said second mold section and having a generally flat surface also defining a portion of said cavity and substantially coextensive with said cavity, a thin template mounted on said second mold section and having a surface also defining a portion of said cavity, said template defining an opening corresponding to said artwork, means supporting said first and second mold sections for relative movement between open and closed positions, means supporting said second mold section and said mold plate for relative movement between a clamped position and a released position defining a clearance space therebetween, an elongated flexible carrier strip releasably supporting a layer of heat responsive transfer material, means for directing said carrier strip through said clearance space and along a path between said template and said mold plate surface, said carrier strip being clamped between said mold plate surface and said template when said mold plate and said second mold section are in said clamped position, means for injecting a molten plastics material into said mold cavity remote from said surface on said mold plate and outwardly through said opening within said template into contact with said layer of transfer material covering said opening to form an article within said cavity and to transfer a portion of said layer of transfer material from said carrier strip to the article while the corresponding portion of said carrier strip remains in contact with said mold plate surface, and means for pulling said carrier strip longitudinally through said clearance space when said mold plate and said second mold section are in the said released position to advance said carrier strip and position another portion of the said layer of transfer material to said opening within said template.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.