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Title:
PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING VACUUM FORMING
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO2002026475
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
A vacuum wrapping process and apparatus for adhering a flexible material (100) to a rigid substrate (82). The material (100) is supported over the substrate (82) in a mold (150). Spring-loaded rotatable bars (126) are supported within the mold and compress the marginal portion (157) of the material against the mold (156). A vacuum draws the material toward the substrate, and the bars control the release of the material at a desired rate. The temperature of and vacuum drawn on the material is monitored, processed and controlled by the control unit. The amount of vacuum applied to the material is inversely related to the temperature of the material. To reduce material tearing, stretching and/or wrinkling, the spring-loaded bars (126) control the rate at which the material is drawn toward the substrate under the vacuum and the control unit alters parameters of the vacuum molding process, such as material temperature and vacuum.

Inventors:
RUGG PAUL J
WEEKS LAURIE A
HASKIN CHAD R
BROERSMA MARLIN D
Application Number:
PCT/US2001/042225
Publication Date:
January 30, 2003
Filing Date:
September 20, 2001
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
CASCADE ENG INC (US)
International Classes:
B29C51/46; B29C51/10; B29C51/14; B29C51/16; (IPC1-7): B29C63/04; B29C51/16; B29C51/36; B29C51/46; B60R13/00
Foreign References:
US3149018A1964-09-15
US2781078A1957-02-12
EP0063462A11982-10-27
FR844127A1939-07-19
FR2669572A11992-05-29
Other References:
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 2000, no. 04 31 August 2000 (2000-08-31)
JAMES L. THRONE: "THERMOFORMING", 1987, HANSER PUBLISHERS, XP002193844
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