Apparatus and methods for forming, filling and sealing fluid filled cavities

A multi-station apparatus for fabricating an article having a filled cavity from simultaneously fed twin thermoplastic webs, the apparatus comprising:

• web transport means including web engaging means and web disengaging means for simultaneously feeding twin thermoplastic webs from two separate rolls of thermoplastic film into and through the apparatus,
• the web engaging means comprising take off rollers for metered delivery of the twin thermoplastic webs to the transport means and an upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower engaging shoe,
• the upper engaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to grasp a top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper engaging shoe and the lower engaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to engage a bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower engaging shoe,
• the web disengaging means comprising the upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower disengaging shoe;
• the upper disengaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to release the top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper disengaging shoe and the lower disengaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to release the bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower disengaging shoe;
• an oven for raising the temperature of each of the two thermoplastic webs for subsequent thermoforming and molding;
• cavity forming means for forming a cavity from the two thermoplastic webs into a cavity and substantially fusing the cavity so as to provide an injection port and an outlet port;
• fluid injection assembly for injecting a fluid through the injection port into the cavity;
• and
• sealing means for sealing the injection port and the outlet port of the filled cavity,
• the web transport means further including an upper and lower continuous chain drive operably connected to the upper releasable clamp and the lower releasable clamp, respectively,
• the chain drive being synchronized with the takeoff rollers to maintain a predetermined placement of each of the twin thermoplastic webs.

A multi-station apparatus for fabricating an article having a filled cavity from simultaneously fed twin thermoplastic webs, the apparatus comprising:

• a first station including web transport means for simultaneously feeding twin thermoplastic webs into and through the apparatus, the web transport means including web engaging means and web disengaging means for simultaneously feeding twin thermoplastic webs from two separate rolls of thermoplastic film into and through the apparatus, the web engaging means comprising take off rollers for metered delivery of the twin thermoplastic webs from two separate rolls of thermoplastic film to the transport means and an upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower engaging shoe,
• the upper engaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to grasp a top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper engaging shoe and the lower engaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to engage a bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower engaging shoe, the web disengaging means comprising the upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower disengaging shoe;
• the upper disengaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to release the top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper disengaging shoe and the lower disengaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to release the bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower disengaging shoe;
• a second station for heating the material of each of the two thermoplastic webs to a sufficient temperature for thermoforming and molding;
• a third station for forming a cavity from the two thermoplastic webs and substantially fusing the cavity so as to provide an injection and outlet port;
• a fourth station for injecting a fluid through the injection port into the cavity;
• and
• a fifth station for sealing the injection and outlet ports of the filled cavity,
• the web transport means extending throughout the apparatus and being indexed such that equal distances exist between each station and the twin thermoplastic webs being caused to dwell an equal predetermined amount of time at each station.

A multi-station apparatus for fabricating an article having a filled cavity from simultaneously fed twin thermoplastic webs, the apparatus comprising:

• a first station including web transport means for simultaneously feeding twin thermoplastic webs into and through the apparatus, the web transport means including web engaging means and web disengaging means for simultaneously feeding twin thermoplastic webs from two separate rolls of thermoplastic film into and through the apparatus, the web engaging means comprising take off rollers for metered delivery of the twin thermoplastic webs from two separate rolls of thermoplastic film to the transport means and an upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower engaging shoe,
• the upper engaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to grasp a top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper engaging shoe and the lower engaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to engage a bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower engaging shoe,
• the disengaging means comprising the upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower disengaging shoe,
• the upper disengaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to release the top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper disengaging shoe and the lower disengaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to release the bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower disengaging shoe;
• a second station for heating the material of each of the two thermoplastic webs to a sufficient temperature for thermoforming and molding;
• a third station for forming a cavity from the two thermoplastic webs and substantially fusing the cavity so as to provide an injection port and an outlet port;
• a fourth station for injecting a fluid through the injection port into the cavity;
• and
• a fifth station for sealing the injection port and the outlet port of the filled cavity,
• the transport means extending throughout the apparatus and being indexed such that equal distances exist between each station, and the twin thermoplastic webs being caused to dwell an equal predetermined amount of time at each station, the transport means further including an upper and lower continuous chain drive operably connected to the upper releasable clamp and the lower releasable clamp, respectively,
• the chain drive being synchronized with the takeoff rollers to maintain a predetermined tension in each of the twin thermoplastic web.

A multi-station apparatus for fabricating an article having a filled cavity from simultaneously fed twin thermoplastic webs, the apparatus comprising:

• a first station including web engaging means for simultaneously feeding twin thermoplastic webs from two separate rolls of thermoplastic film into and through the apparatus,
• the web engaging means comprising take off rollers for metered delivery of the twin thermoplastic webs into web engaging means comprising an upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower engaging shoe and an upper and lower continuous chain drive operably connected to the upper releasable clamp and the lower releasable clamp, respectively,
• the chain drive being synchronized with the takeoff rollers to maintain a predetermined placement of each of the twin thermoplastic webs,
• the upper engaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to grasp a top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper engaging shoe and the lower engaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to engage a bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower engaging shoe;
• a second station for heating each of the two thermoplastic webs to a sufficient temperature for thermoforming and molding;
• a third station for forming a cavity from the two thermoplastic webs and substantially fusing the cavity so as to provide an injection port and an outlet port;
• a fourth station for injecting a fluid through the injection port into the cavity;
• a fifth station for sealing the injection and the outlet ports of the filled cavity;
• and
• web disengaging means positioned subsequent the fifth station including the upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower disengaging shoe, the upper disengaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to release the top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper disengaging shoe and the lower disengaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to release the bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower disengaging shoe.

A method of manufacturing an article having a filled cavity fabricated from simultaneously fed twin thermoplastic webs comprising the steps of:

• simultaneously feeding the twin thermoplastic webs from two separate rolls of thermoplastic film into web engaging means, the web engaging means comprising take off rollers for metered delivery of the twin thermoplastic webs to a transport means and an upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower engaging shoe,
• the upper engaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to grasp a top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper engaging shoe and the lower engaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to engage a bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower engaging shoe;
• heating the twin thermoplastic webs to a sufficient temperature for thermoforming and molding;
• simultaneously vacuum molding the twin heated thermoplastic webs into a cavity;
• substantially fusing the cavity about its periphery to create an injection port and an outlet port;
• filling the cavity with a fluid;
• sealing the injection and the outlet ports of the cavity, and
• releasing the twin thermoplastic webs through disengaging means, the disengaging means including the upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower disengaging shoe, the upper disengaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to release the top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper disengaging shoe subsequent the step of sealing the injection and the outlet ports of the cavity and the lower disengaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to release the bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower disengaging shoe subsequent the step of sealing the injection and the outlet ports of the cavity.

A multi-station apparatus for fabricating an article having a filled cavity from simultaneously fed twin thermoplastic webs, the apparatus comprising:

• horizontal web transport means including web engaging means and web disengaging means for simultaneously feeding twin thermoplastic webs in substantially a horizontal plane from two separate rolls of thermoplastic film into and through the apparatus,
• the web engaging means comprising take off rollers for metered delivery of the twin thermoplastic webs to the transport means and an upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower engaging shoe,
• the upper engaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to grasp a top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper engaging shoe and the lower engaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to engage a bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower engaging shoe;
• an oven for raising the temperature of each of the two thermoplastic webs for subsequent thermoforming and molding;
• cavity forming means for simultaneously vacuum molding the twin heated thermoplastic webs into a cavity and substantially fusing the cavity so as to provide an injection port and an outlet port;
• a fluid injection assembly for injecting a fluid through the injection port into the cavity;
• sealing means for sealing the injection port and the outlet port of the filled cavity;
• and
• the web disengaging means comprising the upper and lower releasable clamp and an upper and lower disengaging shoe, the upper disengaging shoe causing the upper releasable clamp to release the top one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the upper disengaging shoe subsequent the step of sealing the injection and outlet ports of the cavity and the lower disengaging shoe causing the lower releasable clamp to release the bottom one of the twin thermoplastic webs when in operative contact with the lower disengaging shoe subsequent the step of sealing the injection and outlet ports of the cavity.