Patent ID: 7487007
Filing Date: 2009-02-03
Classification: B29C,B29L

Abstract:
1. A system, comprising: an insert-forming station having a collection of mold halves being configured to only form an insert; an overmolding station having a group of mold halves being configured to only overmold the insert formed by the insert-forming station and thereby form an overmolded insert; a mold-moving assembly being configured to: (i) cooperate with the insert-forming station, (ii) cooperate with the overmolding station, (iii) move the insert from the insert-forming station to the overmolding station, and (iv) move the overmolded insert from the overmolding station to the insert-forming station; the collection of mold halves being used to form the insert, while the group of mold halves being configured to overmold the insert formed by the insert-forming station, the mold halves of the group of mold halves in the insert-forming station being configured to form the insert during a first operation; the group of mold halves in the overmolding station being configured to overmold the overmolded insert during the first operation; the mold-moving assembly being configured to move the insert and one of the mold halves of the collection of mold halves from the insert-forming station to the overmolding station during a second operation; the mold-moving assembly being configured to move the overmolded insert and one of the mold halves of the group of mold halves from the overmolding station to the insert-forming station during the second operation; the insert-forming station being configured to remove the overmolded insert from the one of the mold halves of the group of mold halves during a third operation; the overmolding station being configured to transfer the insert from the one of the mold halves of the collection of mold halves to another one of the mold halves of the group of mold halves during the third operation; the mold-moving assembly being configured to move the one of the mold halves of the collection of mold halves from the overmolding station to the insert-forming station during a fourth operation; and the mold-moving assembly being configured to move the one of the mold halves of the group of mold halves from the insert-forming station to the overmolding station during the fourth operation.