Patent ID: 9296146
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: B29C,B29D

Claim Text:
1. An extrusion-to-sheet production line, comprising: a first roll and a second roll set to a predetermined gap through which a continuously-extruded sheet of molten plastic material passes to calender the sheet to a predetermined thickness; a heated third roll and a cooled fourth roll spaced apart from one another; a continuous belt looped around the third roll and the fourth roll, the belt comprising an embossing pattern of optical element shapes that is an inverse pattern of a pattern of optical element shapes to be embossed at a first major surface of the sheet; wherein the second roll and the belt at a closest point between the second roll and the third roll form a nip that transfers the pattern of optical element shapes on the belt to the first major surface of the sheet, and the sheet remains in contact with the second roll until the sheet passes through the nip; a flat cooling area downstream of the third roll through which the belt passes while the first major surface of the sheet is still in contact with the embossing pattern on the belt for cooling the sheet and completing the set of the pattern of optical element shapes into the sheet while the sheet is in a flat configuration; and a separation area downstream of the flat cooling area where the belt separates from the sheet after completing the set of the pattern of optical element shapes into the sheet.