Machine for the Production of Protruded Material from a Flat Substrate and Method of Making the Same

Abstract

A machine and method of forming a protruded material from a generally flat substrate is disclosed. The method includes inserting one or more pieces of flat material into a machine; cutting the flat material using a cutting die comprising one or more cutting blades; and pressing together cut pieces of the flat material using a press die to form protrusions, wherein the one or more cutting blades are disengaged from the flat material periodically and the cutting die is repositioned to a starting position that maintains a set distance from the press die.

Claims

1. A method of forming a protruded material from a generally flat substrate, the method comprising: inserting one or more pieces of flat material into a machine; cutting the flat material using a cutting die comprising one or more cutting blades; and pressing together cut pieces of the flat material using a press die to form protrusions, wherein the one or more cutting blades are disengaged from the flat material periodically and the cutting die is repositioned to a starting position that maintains a set distance from the press die.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting die cuts two patterns simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the cutting die comprises a cutting die plate having two sides, some of the one or more cutting blades are disposed on one of the two sides, and the method further comprises placing anvil rollers on the two sides of the cutting die plate wherein the flat material is located between the anvil rollers and the two sides of the cutting die plate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the anvil rollers move away from the cutting die plate and allow for a disengagement of the flat material from the cutting die plate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein one or more of the anvil rollers are driven to forward the cut pieces of the flat material to the press die.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the cutting die is removable.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the anvil rollers is located between the press die and the cutting die plate.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the anvil rollers are held in a correct area for pressing with rings, bearings, or supports, that do not completely encircle the anvil rollers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising repositioning the cutting die while the pressing of the protrusions is occurring.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the repositioning is done using a spring.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the cutting die and the anvil rollers are made of material having a hardness of at least 40 on Rockwell C scale.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more pieces of flat material are continuous on a roll.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the press die is heated.

14. A machine that forms protruded material from a generally flat substrate, the machine comprising: an area for inserting one or more pieces of flat material; a cutting die comprising one or more cutting blades for cutting the flat material; and a press die for pressing together cut pieces of the flat material to form protrusions, Wherein the cutting die comprises one or more cutting blades that are disengaged from the flat material periodically and the cutting die is repositioned to a starting position that maintains a set distance from the press die.

15. The machine of claim 14, further comprising anvil rollers, wherein the cutting die comprises a cutting die plate having two sides, some of the one or more cutting blades are disposed on one of the two sides, the anvil rollers are disposed on the two sides of the cutting die plate, and the flat material is located between the anvil rollers and the two sides of the cutting die plate.

16. The machine of claim 15, wherein the anvil rollers move away from the cutting die plate and allow for a disengagement of the flat material from the cutting die plate.

17. The machine of claim 15, wherein one or more of the anvil rollers are driven to forward the cut pieces of the flat material to the press die.

18. The machine of claim 15, wherein at least one of the anvil rollers is located between the press die and the cutting die plate.

19. The machine of claim 15, wherein one or more of the anvil rollers are held in a correct area for pressing with rings, bearings, or supports, that do not completely encircle the anvil rollers.

20. The machine of claim 15, wherein the anvil rollers and the cutting die are made of material having a hardness of at least 40 on Rockwell C scale.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0042] In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features may be obtained; a more particular description is provided below and will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments and are not, therefore, to be limiting of its scope, implementations will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.

[0043] FIG. 1 is an isometric drawing of a machine able to form protrusions from cut flat material.

[0044] FIG. 2 is an isometric drawing showing the primary components of the machine of FIG. 1.

[0045] FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, and 3F are isometric drawings illustrating the process of forming a substrate with protrusions.

[0046] Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0047] Embodiments are discussed in detail below. While specific implementations are discussed, this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0048] The terminology used herein is for describing embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms a, an and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. does not denote a limitation of quantity but rather denotes the presence of at least one of the referenced items. The use of the terms first, second, and the like does not imply any order, but they are included to either identify individual elements or to distinguish one element from another. It will be further understood that the terms comprises and/or comprising, or includes and/or including when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Although some features may be described with respect to individual exemplary embodiments, aspects need not be limited thereto such that features from one or more exemplary embodiments may be combinable with other features from one or more exemplary embodiments.

[0049] FIG. 1 is an isometric drawing of a machine system 100 for making domed or protruded paper 11 including domes/protrusions 71 with an input of two rolls of heat sealable paper 1 and 2 that are brought together between hardened anvil rollers 4 and 5 with a cutting die plate 3 located between sheets of said heat sealable paper 1 and 2. Protrusions 71 may be formed with a press die plate 10. Heat sealable paper 1 and 2 provides a generally flat substrate or material that is pressed and formed to make protruded paper 11.

[0050] FIG. 2 illustrates that anvil roller 5 acts as a floating anvil that is floated/supported by roller bearings 7 and semi-annular supports 6. In some embodiments, the roller bearings 7 and semi-annular supports 6 do not interfere with the pressing of sheets of heat sealable paper 1 and 2 by anvil roller. In contrast to anvil roller 5, anvil roller 4 is fixed. Cutting die plate 3 moves forward between the anvil roller 4 and 5 along with sheets of said heat sealable paper 1 and 2. Anvil roller 5 is pressed against anvil roller 4 while cutting a section of the sheets. The pressing of anvil roller 5 against anvil roller 4 is performed with a motor (not shown) connected to anvil roller 4 or 5. The section of the sheets to be cut corresponds to the area to be pressed with press die plate 10.

[0051] A block or press pad unit 8 having form corresponding to press die plate 10 and protrusions thereupon may be disposed on above anvil roller 5 (the floating anvil). When anvil roller 5 is not pressing down against cutting die plate 3, anvil roller 5 presses up to sandwich the cut pieces of paper 4 and 5 between block 8 and press die plate 10. The sandwiching presses block 8 and the cut pieces into press die plate 10 so as to form protrusions 71 into the protruded paper 11. The cuts sheets are formed between the cutting die plate 3 moving between anvil rollers 4 and 5. Press die plate 10 may be heated with heaters 33 along an area pressing down in area 9 against block 8, when the cutting die plate 3 has completed the cut of a predetermined section and advanced thereto. Paper from heat sealable paper 1 and 2 in area 40 of machine may form a buffer of material to allow for correct registration of cuts that might be formed on both raw materials 1 and 2. Cutting die plate 3 may include cutting surfaces 31 and 32 on both sides of cutting die plate 3 to allow for the cutting of a pattern that uses two layers of material to form a compositive structure that is bonded.

[0052] FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, and 3F are isometric drawings illustrating the process of forming a protruded paper 11 with protrusions 71 from flat material rolls 1 and 2. As shown, materials 1 and 2 are bondable to each other via heat and/or pressure are first cut and then secondarily formed into a material with protrusions by press die plate 10. The cutting process occurs with cutting dies mounted on cutting die plate 3 and located between sheets 1 and 2. The cutting dies press against anvil rollers 4 and 5 and as the plate moves from start position 101 in FIG. 3A, to mid position 102 in FIG. 3B, and end position 103 in FIG. 3C the required pattern to press and form the protrusions is cut. The movement of the plate may be driven separately or simply by rotating one of the anvils via an actuator such as a motor. During this cutting process, the floating anvil and block 8 are located in lower position 104. When cutting die plate 3 arrives at position 103 of FIG. 3C, anvil 5 and block 8 moves to position 105 as shown in FIG. 3D. In FIGS. 3D and 3E, anvil rollers 4 and 5 (also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) separate from each other, the cutting die plate 3 becomes free to move backwards back to starting position 101. In FIG. 3E, press die plate 10 and the top surface of block 8 that has a soft silicone engage fully to form the protrusions 71 in the cut material such as paper. In some cases protrusions of press die plate 10 and soft silicone on block 8 can be switched. In some cases protrusions of press die plate 10 and soft silicone on block 8 can include cutting knives or perforation knives. After some time, which is generally less than 5 seconds to form the protrusion, block 8 moves back to position 104 releasing the protruded paper 11 such that it can be pulled forward while cutting plate 3 begins to move forward again towards position 103.

[0053] The forming and then releasing of the paper is important as it allows for the proper registration and correction through the release of tolerance buildups.

[0054] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims. Other configurations of the embodiments described are part of the scope of this disclosure. Further, implementations consistent with the subject matter of this disclosure may have more or fewer acts than as described or may implement acts in a different order than as shown. Accordingly, the appended claims and their legal equivalents should only define the invention, rather than any specific examples given.