Methods for forming complex-shaped components in a heated polymeric film

A method of forming a polymeric component having a cross-sectional shape that includes a concave portion, comprising the steps of:

• heating a sheet of polymeric film to a malleable temperature to form a heated portion of the sheet;
• pressing a shaping portion of a forming tool into the heated portion while the heated portion is malleable to form a protrusion having an open proximal end, a distal end, and sidewalls extending between the proximal and distal ends, the sidewalls and distal end defining a first shape having a shape that is different from the shape of the shaping portion of the forming tool, the shaping portion of the forming tool including a segment having a concave cross-sectional shape;
• and
• exerting a differential pressure on the protrusion to move the distal end and sidewalls inwardly to engage with the forming tool's shaping portion with the distal end and sidewalls moving from the first shape to a second shape that conforms to the shape of the forming tool's shaping portion and wherein at least part of the protrusion has a cross-sectional shape that conforms with the concave cross-sectional shape.

A method of forming a polymeric component, comprising the steps of:

• heating a sheet of polymeric film to a malleable temperature to form a heated portion of the sheet;
• pressing a shaping portion of a forming tool including a segment having a concave cross-sectional shape into the heated portion while the heated portion is malleable to form a protrusion having an open proximal end, a distal end, and sidewalls extending between the proximal and distal ends, the shaping portion including an elongated segment having a detent mold circumferentially disposed thereabout, the sidewalls and distal end defining a first shape having a shape that is different from the shape of the shaping portion of the forming tool;
• and
• exerting a differential pressure on the protrusion to move the distal end and sidewalls inwardly to engage with the forming tool's shaping portion with the distal end and sidewalls moving from the first shape to a second shape that conforms to the concave cross-sectional shape of the forming tool's shaping portion so that at least part of the protrusion has a cross-sectional shape, and wherein the sidewalls move into engagement with the detent mold to form a detent member on an inner surface thereof.

A method of forming a polymeric component, comprising the steps of:

• heating a sheet of polymeric film to a malleable temperature to form a heated portion of the sheet;
• pressing a shaping portion of a forming tool including a segment having a concave cross-sectional shape into the heated portion while the heated portion is malleable to form a protrusion having an open proximal end, a distal end, and sidewalls extending between the proximal and distal ends, the shaping portion having a plurality of first threads disposed thereon, the sidewalls and distal end defining a first shape having a shape that is different from the shape of the shaping portion of the forming tool;
• and
• exerting a differential pressure on the protrusion to move the distal end and sidewalls inwardly to engage with the forming tool's shaping portion with the distal end and sidewalls moving from the first shape to a second shape that conforms to the concave cross-sectional shape of the forming tool's shaping portion so that at least part of the protrusion has a cross-sectional shape, and wherein the differential pressure moves the sidewalls into engagement with the first threads to form a plurality of second threads in the sidewalls that conform to the first threads on the shaping portion.