Patent ID: 7172721
Filing Date: 2007-02-06
Classification: A63H,B29C,B29K,B29L

Abstract:
1. A process for making a deformable, hollow thermoplastic doll head, comprising: (a) providing an injection moldable flexible thermoplastic elastomer; (b) providing a first mold, the mold comprising exterior mold front and rear sections and an interior core which extends vertically through the first mold, the first mold comprising a parison injection station, wherein the exterior sections of the first mold are spaced apart from the interior core to define a first mold cavity in the shape of a a complete doll head below a latitudinal plane intersecting the head at a position above the eyes and below the crown of the head; (c) assembling the exterior mold sections of the first mold thereby forming a planar junction between the exterior mold parts; (d) during an injection molding process, injecting the elastomer into the first mold cavity to form a parison; (e) opening the exterior mold parts of the first mold and transferring the rear section of the first mold and the parison to a blow station; (f) providing a second mold at the blow station, the second mold comprising an exterior mold front section, the rear section of the first mold, and an interior core, wherein the exterior mold front section of the second mold and the rear section of the first mold exterior sections are oriented latitudinally relative to one another and wherein the exterior sections of the second mold are spaced apart from the interior core of the second mold to define a cavity in the shape of the entirety of the hollow doll head; (g) during a blow molding process drawing a vacuum on, and injecting compressed gas into, the second mold, thereby dispersing the parison relatively evenly, and with a substantially uniform thickness, against the second mold cavity interior surface to form the hollow doll head, the hollow doll head having an opening for removing the interior core; (h) cooling the dispersed parison, thereby causing it to set and form the hollow doll head having facial features determined by injection molding and a crown determined by blow molding; and (i) separating the second mold interior core from the hollow doll head, wherein (I) the second mold cavity vacuum pressure ranges from about −7 psig to about −14.5 psig, the pressure of the compressed gas injected into the second mold ranges from about 80 psig to about 1,000 psig, the parison injection station temperature is from about 150° C. to less than about 300° C., the temperature of the compressed gas injected into the second mold ranges from about 30° C. to about 40° C., a vacuum is drawn upon the first mold cavity for about three to about ten seconds prior to the end of the elastomer injection period, the elastomer is injected into the first mold cavity over a period of from about 0.2 to about 6 seconds and the cooled and dispersed parison sets within the second mold in about 5 seconds to about 90 seconds; and (ii) the doll head has a hair line which forms a substantially continuous circle extending around the top of the doll head, and the first mold cavity is in the shape of a portion of the hollow doll head below the hair line, the rear section of the first mold defining facial features of the hollow doll head, the facial features of the doll head formed during the injection molding process remaining unchanged by the blow molding process.