Means To Convey Preform To Female Mold Patents (Class 425/126.1)
  • Patent number: 6280661
    Abstract: In order to realize a compact construction of an apparatus for producing an optical recording medium while shortening the time required for transporting a mold, there is provided an apparatus for producing an optical recording medium by curing a curable resin (102b) between a substrate (101) and a mold (103), including: a mold fixing mechanism (2) for fixing the mold (103); a transporting mechanism (1) for transporting the substrate (101) to which the curable resin (102b) has been applied to a position where the mold (103) is fixed, and placing the substrate (101) on the mold (103) such that the surface of said substrate to which the curable resin (102b) has been applied faces the mold (103); a resin curing mechanism (3) for curing the curable resin (102b) which has been sandwiched between the mold (103) and the substrate (101) by the action of the transporting mechanism (1); and a separating mechanism (4) for separating the resin (102) that has been cured by said resin curing mechanism (3), together with the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Takakuwa, Takao Nishikawa, Satoshi Nebashi
  • Patent number: 6270331
    Abstract: In the method, after the pattern-bearing film is fed to the female mold, the distal end of the film is fixed under a lower portion of the female mold, and at the same time the film is retreated by a force from the film supply portion. Thus, this tightens up the film so that the slacks or wrinkles cannot be formed on the film. Therefore, the film can be fortunately spread around the parting surface of the female mold. In the apparatus, the film suppressing frame is pressed to the female mold through the sliding rod arranged in the female mold, in such a manner that the female mold embraces the frame. Thus, the pressing of the frame is performed by a simple structure, and the film is accurately positioned to the internal surface of the female mold. Also, the film suppressing frame is constituted to advance from and retreat to the female mold. Thus, this causes a space between the both molds and an outside standby position to be useless. A space around the apparatus can be effectively utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinpei Oono, Kazushi Miyazawa, Keiji Hanamoto, Takashi Tarutani, Takashi Matano, Kazuhisa Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Atake
  • Patent number: 6264876
    Abstract: In-mold-labeling method and apparatus for labeling a plurality of cylindrical bottles simultaneously by withdrawing the end label from each of a plurality of spaced apart lanes of a label magazine, moving the transfer mechanism supporting such labels to a position aligned with the recesses of a mold and inserting a label in each of said recesses. The support mechanism with vacuum heads carrying adjacent labels causes adjacent vacuum heads to be moved to a position closer together when aligned with the mold recesses than when aligned with the respective lanes of the label magazine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Inventor: Thomas P. Ballay
  • Patent number: 6231328
    Abstract: A foil-decorating injection molding method and a foil-decorating injection molding apparatus adjust the tautness of a decorative sheet fed onto a parting surface of a female mold so that tensions T1, T2 and T3 of the decorative sheet during a sheet feed operation of the sheet feed means, at the start of the sheet clamping operation of the clamper for pressing and fixing the decorative sheet and at a moment immediately before the completion of the sheet clamping operation, respectively, meet an inequality: T1≧T2>T3 to prevent the decorative sheet from breaking or slipping off the clamper when clamping the decorative sheet on the parting surface of the female mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Atake
  • Patent number: 6224363
    Abstract: A system is provided for unloading finished parts from and also loading new raw material into a compression mold having two halves in which the mold halves are in a spaced apart position. The system includes an elongated endless conveyor which extends laterally away from the mold halves. An unloader platform is secured to and spaced upwardly from the conveyor so that an opening is formed between the platform and the conveyor. Raw material is positioned on the conveyor such that, upon actuation of the conveyor, the raw material passes under the platform. The conveyor is mounted on rails while an actuator moves the conveyor between an extended position, in which the platform is positioned in between the mold halves, and a retracted position, in which the conveyor as well as the platform is spaced laterally from the mold halves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Pilot Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Clark D. Mahan, Bruce Killingbeck
  • Patent number: 6221304
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing a film coated article by placing a pre-molded film into a loading station. The film has a decorative surface and a backing surface. The decorative surface is positioned juxtaposed the loading station. The film is transferred to a loader. The loader is positioned juxtaposed the backing surface. The loader and film are positioned in an open mold press between a cavity and a core. The film is transferred from the loader to the cavity. The decorative surface of the film is positioned juxtaposed the cavity. The cavity mates with the film and retains the film in position during the molding operation. The press is closed and a polymeric material is injected against the backing surface of the film. The polymeric material produces a molded article having a rigid substrate fused to the backing of the film and displaying the decorative surface. The press is opened and the molded article is transferred from the cavity to an unloader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Alan Harris, Zinoviy Chernyak
  • Patent number: 6217819
    Abstract: In a single-row and expandable into a multi-row stretch blow molding method and apparatus, a robot having a universal gripper assembly is used to pick up molded preforms during the clamp opening stroke of a preform-molding unit and then transfer the preforms at variable time intervals to a conditioning, stretch blow molding and discharge unit, releases finished hollow articles and returns to a waiting position at the preform-molding unit independent of the preform-molding cycle. Simultaneously, component transfer devices pick up external components, i.e. labels, valves or handles during the stretch blow molding phase and release the components into the blow-mold cavities while the universal gripper assembly is in the waiting position. The universal gripper assembly can alternatively also be pivoted to pick up preforms from a lateral reheat unit to supplement the molded preform supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Inventor: Ernst Dieter Wunderlich
  • Patent number: 6186767
    Abstract: A dispensing head (36) for an in-mold labeling system includes a lever assembly (106) rotatively driven by a rotary drive member (74) and having a pair of levers (108) that are adjustable with respect to the rotary drive member independently of each other. Each lever (108) has a cam and follower connection (112) to an associated label carrier (38) such that rotation of the rotary drive member (74) provides movement of the label carriers (38) between retracted and label transfer positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Inventors: Richard L. Dunlap, Edward L. Sanford, David M. Amirault
  • Patent number: 6183238
    Abstract: An in-mold labeling system for use with a rotary blow molding machine (10) includes first and second electrical servomotors (46, 64) and first and second cam mechanisms (48, 66) respectively driven by the servomotors to move a dispensing head (36) between supply and delivery locations and to move a label carrier (38) on the dispensing head between retracted and label transfer positions independently of each other. A sensor (92) of the system senses rotation of a rotary wheel (12) of the machine to operate first and second electrical controllers (84,86) that respectively operate the first and second electrical servomotors (46,64) in coordination with the machine operation but independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Plastipak Packaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard L. Dunlap, Edward L. Sanford, David M. Amirault