A mold includes a main body and a separable feature. One or more first weakened regions join the separable feature to the main body. The one or more first weakened regions are breakable to enable the main body to be removed from a shell independently of the separable feature after the shell is formed over the mold. The main body includes a first section and a second section that are at least partially separable at one or more second weakened regions to enable the first section to be removed from the shell independently of the second section after the shell is formed over the mold.

A mold includes a main body and a separable feature. One or more first weakened regions join the separable feature to the main body. The one or more first weakened regions are breakable to enable the main body to be removed from a shell independently of the separable feature after the shell is formed over the mold. The main body includes a first section and a second section that are at least partially separable at one or more second weakened regions to enable the first section to be removed from the shell independently of the second section after the shell is formed over the mold.

A flipper assembly that can be used with a package-producing mold, for instance, a mold that is used during thermoforming procedures. The flipper assembly includes a base mounted to the mold, a flipper arm pivotably connected to the base between a first position where the arm is substantially perpendicular to the height of the base and a second position where the arm is substantially parallel to the height of the base, and a spring mounted to the base and the flipper arm. During the thermoforming process, the flipper arm forms an undercut of finger into the package, which improves the stability and strength of the package. The flipper arm is moved between first and second positions based on linear extension and retraction of the spring.

A reclosable package, and a machine and method for making that reclosable package that includes a tray for receiving a product and a substantially horizontal edge, wherein the horizontal edge extends circumferentially on an upper side of the tray and has a clamping portion releasably connected thereto. The package includes a top film across the tray, the edge and the clamping portion, and which may be releasably connected to the edge by a first sealed seam to seal the tray in a gas-tight manner. The top film may be connected to the clamping portion by a second sealed seam. A side face of the tray may include an undercut provided with a projection, the projection being suitable for locking the clamping portion in position when the clamping portion has been detached from the edge and is located between the projection of the undercut and the side face of the tray.

A thermoforming in-lay technique is discussed that uses retractable pins to hold an in-lay piece securely in place in a primary mold. The in-lay piece is fabricated prior to the primary molding process and creates multiple pin receivers in the in-lay that are retractably engaged by the retractable pins when placed into the primary mold. When the primary substrate is formed into the primary mold, the retractable pins prevent the in-lay piece from moving out of position. Once the primary substrate has cooled sufficiently, the pins are retracted allowing the finished primary carrier art to be removed from the primary mold.

A thermoforming in-lay technique is discussed that uses retractable pins to hold an in-lay piece securely in place in a primary mold. The in-lay piece is fabricated prior to the primary molding process and creates multiple pin receivers in the in-lay that are retractably engaged by the retractable pins when placed into the primary mold. When the primary substrate is formed into the primary mold, the retractable pins prevent the in-lay piece from moving out of position. Once the primary substrate has cooled sufficiently, the pins are retracted allowing the finished primary carrier art to be removed from the primary mold.

A forming station for producing a packaging trough by thermoforming at least an area of a film web positioned between a forming tool upper part and a forming tool lower part of the forming station. A male die part of the forming tool upper part may be moved in a vertical direction and inserted into a forming space of a female die part of the forming tool lower part. The packaging trough is produced by deforming the film web between the male die part and an inner wall of the forming space of the female die part. In an inserted condition of the male die part within the female die art, a push-in unit is extended from the male die part towards the inner wall of the forming space at an angular orientation relative to the vertical direction.

A method of vacuum forming an object includes heating a plastic sheet. After heating the plastic sheet, a vacuum is applied to pull the sheet against an outer surface of a flexible mold so that the plastic sheet has a formed shape that conforms to a contoured shape of the outer surface of the flexible mold. A rigid core is withdrawn from a cavity in the flexible mold. The flexible mold is then withdrawn from the plastic sheet by applying force to the flexible mold in a single direction, thereby causing flexing of the flexible mold past the undercut. An apparatus for vacuum forming a plastic sheet includes the flexible mold.

A method of vacuum forming an object includes heating a plastic sheet. After heating the plastic sheet, a vacuum is applied to pull the sheet against an outer surface of a flexible mold so that the plastic sheet has a formed shape that conforms to a contoured shape of the outer surface of the flexible mold. A rigid core is withdrawn from a cavity in the flexible mold. The flexible mold is then withdrawn from the plastic sheet by applying force to the flexible mold in a single direction, thereby causing flexing of the flexible mold past the undercut. An apparatus for vacuum forming a plastic sheet includes the flexible mold.

A crisscross thermoforming assist plug assembly having a pair of oppositely outwardly facing thermoforming assist plugs each carried by a respective one of a pair of thermoforming assist plug linkage arrangements, where at least one link of the linkage arrangement is used to extend one of the assist plugs in one direction crosses but does not contact in a side view or profile of the thermoforming assist plug assembly, and at least one link of the other linkage arrangement is used to extend the other one of the assist plugs in an opposite direction. The links of the linkage arrangement preferably pivot about a common pivot axis that preferably is an elongate pivot shaft extending transversely between elongate upper rails of a frame of the assembly. At least one of the links of the linkage arrangement is a drive link that extends or retracts one of the plugs that crosses a drive link that extends and/or retracts the other one of the plugs. The drive links preferably form a crisscross arrangement when actuated in a manner that substantially simultaneously extends the respective plugs into the mold cavity and/or substantially simultaneously retracts the respective plugs from the mold cavity.