Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US8066501?dq=7,446,777
Timestamp: 2016-12-07 11:08:51
Document Index: 449022359

Matched Legal Cases: ['§371', 'Application No. 60', 'art 30', 'art 32', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 32', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 32', 'art 32', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 32', 'art 32', 'art 32', 'art 32', 'art 30', 'arts 30', 'arts 30', 'art 32', 'arts 30', 'art 32', 'art 30', 'art 32', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 32', 'art 32', 'art 32', 'art 32', 'art 32', 'art 32', 'art 30', 'art 32']

Patent US8066501 - Apparatus and method for molding onto a stretched blank - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsAn apparatus and method for molding a component onto a stretched blank. The apparatus includes a stretching assembly mounted adjacent to a first mold part. The stretching assembly includes a plurality of clamp assemblies that grasp the peripheral edge of the blank and a plurality of slide assemblies...http://www.google.com/patents/US8066501?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US8066501 - Apparatus and method for molding onto a stretched blankAdvanced Patent SearchTry the new Google Patents, with machine-classified Google Scholar results, and Japanese and South Korean patents.Publication numberUS8066501 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 12/691,431Publication dateNov 29, 2011Filing dateJan 21, 2010Priority dateNov 4, 2003Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN1871105A, CN100522533C, EP1680265A2, EP1680265A4, EP1680265B1, US7677873, US20070116795, US20100119635, WO2005046952A2, WO2005046952A3Publication number12691431, 691431, US 8066501 B2, US 8066501B2, US-B2-8066501, US8066501 B2, US8066501B2InventorsRandy J. Sayers, Pierre Tremblay, Kelly E. Washburn, Kenneth A. LongstreetOriginal AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (18), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (1), Classifications (14), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetApparatus and method for molding onto a stretched blank
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/573,397, filed on Mar. 22, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,677,873, which is a §371 National Stage Entry of PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US04/33583, filed on Oct. 12, 2004, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/517,274, filed Nov. 11, 2003.
The development of high tech fabrics has permitted the incorporation of fabric into a wide variety of applications not previously consider appropriate for fabrics. For example, certain high tech fabrics have been developed that include a weave of multifilament yarns and elastomeric monofilaments. These fabrics provide remarkable load bearing characteristics, while at the same time providing appropriate elasticity to be comfortable as a load bearing fabric in seating applications. More specifically, these fabrics are now widely used to form the seats and backs of office chairs and other seating structures. To enable attachment of the fabric to a chair seat or other support structure, it is known to mold a mounting component directly onto the fabric. The mounting component is typically molded about the periphery of the fabric to provide a structure that can be mounted to a frame or other support structure. In many applications, it is desirable to mount the fabric to the chair in a stretched (or loaded) condition primarily because the stretched fabric provides more desirable comfort characteristics. The desire to have a loaded fabric complicates the manufacturing process—at least with respect to the process of molding the mounting component onto the fabric.
A stretching assembly 14 is mounted around the stationary mold part 30, but could alternatively be mounted around the movable mold part 32 or in other locations. As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stretching assembly 14 generally includes a float plate 42 that is movably mounted about the stationary mold part 30, a plurality of slide assemblies 40 a-d (four in this case) that are movably mounted to the float plate 42 and a plurality of clamp assemblies 18 a-d that are operatively mounted to the slides assemblies 40 a-d. The float plate 42 is movable with respect to the stationary mold part 30 between a stretch position (See FIG. 3) spaced away from the stationary mold part 30 in which the fabric 16 can be loaded and stretched without interference from the stationary mold part 30 and a mold position (See FIG. 15) in which the float plate 42 is disposed over the stationary mold part 30 and the fabric 16 can be enclosed within the mold 12. Referring now to FIG. 4, the float plate 42 is somewhat “+”-shaped and defines a central opening 41 adapted to fit around the stationary mold part 30 (or alternatively the movable mold part 32) when the float plate 42 is in the mold position. The float plate 42 further includes a plurality of slide channels 48 (or bearing rails) to slidably receive the slide assemblies 40 a-d. The channels 48 may be separately fabricated and attached to the float plate 42 or they may be integrally formed with the float plate 42, for example, by machining. The illustrated embodiment includes four pairs of slide channels 48 configured to receive the four slide assemblies 40 a-d. The float plate 42 also include four cylinder brackets 50 a-d for mounting the pistons 52 a-d of stretch cylinders 46 a-d to the float plate 42, as described in more detail below. In the illustrated embodiment, the cylinder brackets 50 a-d are machined or otherwise formed in the float plate 42. The cylinder brackets 50 a-d may alternatively be separately fabricated and attached to the float plate 42. The float plate 42 defines guide holes 100 that are fitted over the alignment rods 102 on the stationary mold part 30. The alignment rods 102 support the float plate 42 in an essentially vertical position while at the same time permitting the float plate 42 to move horizontally between the stretch position and the mold position. A plurality of springs 104 are disposed between the stationary mold part 30 and the float plate 42 to bias the float plate 42 away from the stationary mold part 30 in the stretch position. In operation, closing of the movable mold part 32 pushes the float plate 42 from the stretch position to the mold position. Further, opening of the movable mold part 32 allows the springs 104 to return the float plate 42 to the stretch position. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the float plate may be held stationary (rather than the stationary mold part 30) and the two mold parts may be movable to close on opposite sides of the fabric. In another alternative embodiment, the float plate may be eliminated altogether and the stretch assembly 14 may be mounted to a mold part.
The slide assemblies 40 a-d are mounted to the float plate 42 for reciprocating motion toward and away from the mold 12 in a direction roughly parallel to the face of the stationary mold part 30 (compare the solid and phantom lines of FIG. 5A). In the illustrated embodiment, the stretching assembly 14 is intended to stretch the fabric 16 one amount in the vertical direction and a different amount in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, the stretching assembly 14 includes a top slide assembly 40 a and a bottom slide assembly 40 b that cooperate to provide the vertical stretch, and a left slide assembly 40 c and a right slide assembly 40 d that cooperate to provide the horizontal stretch. The number and location of the slide assemblies 40 may, however, vary from application to application depending primarily on the shape of the blank and the desired stretch profile. The slide assemblies 40 a-d and clamp assemblies 18 a-d will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, which show a sectional view the top slide assembly 40 a and top clamp assembly 18 a. The bottom, left and right slide assemblies 40 b-d and clamp assemblies 18 b-d are generally identical in construction to the top slide assembly 40 a and top clamp assembly 18 a Like components in the different slide and clamp assemblies share essentially identical reference numerals that vary only in a letter suffix. More specifically, the components of the top slide and clamp assemblies are designated with the suffix “a,” the components of the bottom slide and clamp assemblies are designated with the suffix “b,” the components of the left slide and clamp assemblies are designated with the suffix “c,” and the components of the right slide and clamp assemblies are designated with the suffix “d.” The slide assembly 40 a generally includes a substantially planar slide 44 a that is movably mounted to the float plate 42 in the corresponding channels 48, as well as a pneumatic stretch cylinder 46 a that interconnects the float plate 42 and the slide 44 a. Operation of the stretch cylinder 46 a causes movement of the slide 44 a with respect to the float plate 42. The stretch cylinder 46 a is a generally conventional locking pneumatic cylinder having a piston rod that can be locked in a given position. Although this embodiment includes a pneumatic cylinder, the invention may alternatively include a hydraulic cylinder or other conventional mechanism. If desired, a linear transducer (not shown) can be connected between the slide 44 a and the float plate 42 to permit the control system (not shown) to monitor the position of the slides 44 a. The linear transducer (not shown) may be integrated into the stretch cylinder 46 a or may be a separate component. A strain gauge 47 a may be interposed between the piston rod 52 a of the stretch cylinder 46 a and the float plate 42 so that the strain gauge 47 a can monitor the resistance of the fabric 16 to the stretching action. The slide 44 a generally includes a stretch cylinder bracket 72 a for mounting the stretch cylinder 46 a to the slide 44 a, a plurality of head brackets 66 for pivotally mounting the clamp head 68 a to the slide 44 a and a clamp cylinder bracket 70 a for pivotally mounting the clamp cylinder 74 a to the slide 44 a. The slide 44 a may further include a polyurethane jaw 84 a intended to interact with the clamp head 68 a to grip the fabric 16. The top 40 a and bottom 40 b slide assemblies also include a plurality of fabric pins 86 adapted to receive the fabric 16 as described in more detail below.
In operation, the process begins by loading a segment of fabric 16 onto the shot pins 208 of the placing tool 204. With reference to FIG. 6, the fabric 16 is pre-cut to the desired shape and defines a plurality of mounting holes 17 adapted to be fitted over the retractable pins 210. FIG. 6 provides only a representation of the fabric 16 and is not intended to accurately illustrate the weave of the fabric. In many applications, the strands of the fabric will be of a significantly tighter weave than shown in the figures and will include a weave of horizontally extending strands and vertically extending strands. The present invention is not limited for use with fabrics, but is also well suited for use with other stretchable blanks. For example, the present invention may be used with an elastic membrane. In the illustrated embodiment, the fabric 16 is manually loaded by fitting the pre-cut holes 17 over the corresponding transfer pins 210. Although the illustrated embodiment includes shot pins 208 only along the top and bottom of the fabric 16, additional shot pins 208 may be added in other locations, for example, along the left and right edges. The robot arm 200 then moves the fabric 16 to the stretching assembly 14 (See FIG. 7). The robot arm 200 is then positioned such that the retractable pins 210 are aligned with the fabric pins 86—tip to tip. In those embodiments where the retractable pins 210 are configured to be fitted over the fabric pins 86, the robot arm 200 may be positioned so that the retractable pins 210 are telescopically fitted over the fabric pins 86. The robot arm 200 is then moved inwardly toward the fabric pins 86. Simultaneously, the pneumatic pressure in the retractable pins 210 is released allowing the retractable pins 210 to be pushed back into the sleeves 212 at the same rate as the robot arm 200 is moved inwardly. This action continues until the fabric pins 86 have moved into the sleeves 212 and the sleeves 212 have in effect pushed the fabric 16 off of the retractable pins 210 and onto the fabric pins 86 (See FIG. 9). The air knife assembly 220 is then operated to blow the fabric 16 down against the face of the jaws 84 on the left and right clamp assembles 18 c and 18 d (See FIG. 10). While the air knife assembly 220 is operating, the left and right clamp assemblies 18 c-d are closed roughly ninety percent or so. As a result, the left and right clamp assemblies 18 c-d prevent the fabric 16 from re-curling once the air knife assembly 220 is disengaged, but do not pinch the fabric, which could interfere with the vertical stretch. The robot arm 200 is then moved away from the mold 12 a sufficient distance so that the top and bottom clamp assemblies 18 a-b may close on the fabric 16. In this embodiment, the vertical and horizontal stretching are done separately. First, the vertical stretch is applied to the fabric 16 using the top and bottom clamp assemblies 18 a-b. Although the vertical stretch is applied first in the described embodiment, the horizontal stretch may be applied first or the horizontal and vertical stretch may be applied simultaneously. The top and bottom clamp assemblies 18 a-b are closed onto the top and bottom edges of the fabric 16. More specifically, the clamp cylinders 74 a-b of the top and bottom clamp assemblies 18 a-b are extended to pivot the corresponding clamp heads 68 a-b onto the top and bottom peripheral edge of the fabric 16. The fabric 16 is gripped between the polyurethane jaw 84 a-b on the slide 44 a-b and the knurled steel insert 86 a-b in the clamp head 68 a-b. As the clamp heads 68 a-b close, the fabric pins 86 fit into the holes 88 in the clamp head 68 a-b so that they do not interfere with the clamp head 68 a-b closing. The top and bottom slide assemblies 40 a-b are then moved away from one another to apply the desired stretch to the fabric 16. A portion of the molding apparatus 10 is illustrated in FIG. 11 showing the top clamp assembly 18 a closed and the top slide assembly 40 a extended to apply stretch to the fabric 16. The amount of movement of the slide assemblies 40 a-b can be based on a predetermined distance (e.g. using feedback from the linear transducers) or based on the tension in the fabric (e.g. using the strain gauges 47 a-b disposed between the slides 44 a-b and the float plate 42) or based on time (e.g. extend the stretch cylinders 46 a-b for a specific amount of time). Next, the horizontal stretch is applied. As noted above, the left and right clamp assemblies 18 c and 18 d may already be closed roughly ninety percent. In applications where they are partially closed, the left and right clamp assemblies 18 c and 18 d are fully closed onto the left and right edges of the fabric 16 while the fabric 16 remains under the vertical stretch. If desired, the left and right clamp assemblies 18 c and 18 d need not be closed after the vertical stretch has been applied. Rather, the left and right clamp assemblies 18 c and 18 d may be previously closed, for example, at the same time as the top and bottom clamp assembles 18 a and 18 b are closed. Consideration should be given, however, to the impact that the closed left and right clamp assemblies 18 c and 18 d may have on the vertical stretch. The left and right clamp assemblies 18 c and 18 d are closed in essentially the same manner as the top and bottom clamp assemblies 18 a and 18 b described above. Once closed, the left and right slide assemblies 40 c and 40 d are operated to apply the desired stretch to the fabric 16. As with the vertical stretch, the amount of horizontal stretch can be based on the distance of movement of the slides 44 c-d, the tension in the fabric or the amount of time of movement of the slides 44 c-d. In this embodiment, the air knife assembly 220 functions to address curling on the left and right sides of the fabric 16 and is disengaged once the left and right clamp assemblies 18 c and 18 d have been partially closed. In other applications, the air knife assembly 220 may be configured to address curling in other locations on the fabric or the air knife assembly 220 may be eliminated. FIG. 12 shows the molding apparatus with the fabric 16 stretched and held within the stretch assembly 14. As can be seen, the illustrated embodiment includes a pair of opposed slide assemblies 40 a-b and 40 c-d that stretch the fabric 16 in opposite directions. In some applications, one or more of the slide assemblies 40 a-d can be eliminated. For example, in one alternative, the top slide assembly 40 a can be eliminated and the top clamp assembly 18 a can be mounted directly to the float plate 42. In this embodiment, the bottom slide assembly 40 d moves to apply the vertical stretch to the fabric 16. Similarly, either the left or right slide assembly 40 c-d may be eliminated with the left or right clamp assembly 18 c-d being mounted directly to the float plate 42.
Once the fabric 16 is stretched, the movable mold part 32 is closed onto the stationary mold part 32. In the illustrated embodiment, the movable mold 32 is moved in a horizontal direction using a conventional horizontal press 34. As noted above, the closing action of the movable mold part 32 causes the float plate 42 to move into the mold position (See FIG. 15). More specifically, the movable mold part 32 includes a plurality of rams 33 that engage the float plate 42 (See FIG. 13) and move it against the bias applied by springs 104 (Compare FIGS. 14 and 15). This movement of the float plate 42 over the stationary mold part 30 permits the two mold parts 30 and 32 to close about the fabric 16. As noted above, the two mold parts 30 and 32 cooperatively define a mold cavity (not shown) in the shape of the desired component. Molten material is injected into the mold cavity in a conventional manner. In this embodiment, the molten material is injected into the mold cavity via sprues/runners in the movable mold part 32. The molten material flows through and fills the mold cavity to encapsulate the fabric 16. Once the molten material is sufficiently cool, the mold parts 30 and 32 are opened. More specifically, the clamp assemblies 18 a-d are opened and the movable mold part 32 is moved horizontally away from the stationary mold part 30 by the horizontal press 34. As the movable mold part 32 moves away from the stationary mold part 30, the springs 104 move the float plate 42 away from the stationary mold part 30. The sprues/runners (not shown) in the movable mold part 32 are configured to define conventional “sucker” pins (not shown) that mechanically intersecure the molded part and the movable mold part 32. Because of the interconnection created by the sucker pins (not shown), the fabric 16 and integrally molded component remain on the movable mold part 32 during this portion of the mold opening process. As a result, the molded part remains on the movable mold part 32 and continued horizontal movement of the movable mold part 32 carries the molded part away from the float plate 42. The movable mold part 32 is moved a sufficient distance from the stationary mold part 30 for the part to be removed by the robot arm 200. The robot arm 200 is moved into a position adjacent to the movable mold part 32 and the component 20 is grasped by the picking tool 230 (See FIG. 16). Once the fabric 16 and attached molded component 20 are in the picking tool 230, the robot arm 200 shuttles the assembly back to the loading station where it can be removed by the operator.
In one embodiment, the molding apparatus 10 also includes a stretch measuring tool 300 for evaluating the accuracy of the stretch of the fabric 16. In this embodiment, the stretch measuring tool 300 is mounted to the end of the robot arm 200 within the frame 204 of the placing tool 202 (See FIGS. 6 and 17A). The stretch measuring tool 300 may be mounted to a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, such as cylinder 320, or to a linear actuator or other device capable of moving the stretch measuring tool 300 with respect to the frame 204 toward and away from the fabric 16 (Compare FIGS. 17B and 17C). The cylinder 320 may be mounted directly or indirectly to the robot arm 200. The stretch measuring tool 300 generally include a base 340, a frame 302 movably mounted to the base 340, a plurality of blocks 304 movably mounted to the frame 302 and a plurality of linear transducers 310 (See FIG. 17A) for monitoring movement of the blocks 304 with respect to the frame 302. In this embodiment, the base 340 is secured to the fixed portion of cylinder 320 so that it remains stationary during operation of the stretch measuring tool 300 and the frame 302 is secured to the piston rod 321 so that the frame 302 moves with respect to the base 340 as the cylinder 320 is extended and retracted. The base 340 is generally “+”-shaped having four arms 342 a-d. The base 340 may have other shapes as desired. The base 340 defines a central opening 354 through which passes the piston rod 321 of the cylinder 320. The central opening 354 is of sufficient dimension to permit the piston rod 321 to move freely as the cylinder 320 operates. The base 340 includes a generally “U”-shaped needle guard 344 a-d mounted to the end of each arm 342 a-d. The needle guards 344 a-d are pivotally mounted to the base 340 and each includes a spring 356 a-d adapted to bias the needle guard 344 a-d in an open position. The needle guards 344 a-d functionally interact with the frame 302 to selectively cover the fabric needles 312, as described in more detail below. Each of the four arms 342 a-d defines a guide hole 346 a-d for slidably receiving a corresponding alignment rod 348 a-d extending from the frame 302, as described in more detail below. The frame 302 is also generally “+”-shaped having four arms 360 a-d that provide a support structure for the blocks 304. The frame 302 may have other shapes as desired. An alignment rod 348 a-d is rigidly mounted to each of the arms 360 a-d of the frame 302. The alignment rods 348 a-d slidably extend through the guide holes 346 a-d to shepherd movement of the frame 302 with respect to the base 340. A block 304 is movably mounted to the end of each arm of the frame 302. More specifically, each block 304 is slidably mounted for reciprocal movement over a pair of support rods 380 extending in the direction of the arms. The free end of each support rod 380 may be enlarged or include a nut or other stop mechanism to retain the blocks 304. A plurality of springs 308 may be mounted over the support rods 380 between the blocks 304 and the frame 302 to bias the blocks 304 in the outermost position. A separate linear transducer 310 is mounted between the frame 302 and each block 304 so that each transducer 310 produces signals indicative of the position of the corresponding block 304 on the support rods 380. The linear transducers 310 may alternatively be replaced by other sensing devices. Each of the blocks 304 includes a pair of fabric needles 312 that are arranged to penetrate the fabric 16 between the strands. The fabric needles 312 may be replaced by other components that may attach to the fabric 16. In operation, the stretch measure tool 300 is used to test the stretch of the fabric 16 after the fabric 16 has been stretched using the following general steps: (a) move the stretch measuring tool 300 toward the fabric 16 by operation of cylinder 320 so that the fabric needles 312 penetrate the fabric 16, (b) move the slide assemblies 40 a-d to their un-stretched positions so that all stretch is removed from the fabric 16 and (c) monitor the signals generated by the linear transducers 310 as the fabric 16 shrinks back to its original size as the stretching force is removed. FIG. 17C shows the stretch measuring tool 300 after the stretched has been removed and the block 304 have been moved by the shrinking of the fabric 16. To illustrate the movement of the blocks 304, FIG. 17C also shows the original position of the blocks 304 in phantom lines. The information provided by the linear transducers 310 can be analyzed by the control system to determine whether the appropriate stretch is being applied to the fabric 16. After the measuring process is complete, the stretch measuring tool 300 is moved away from the fabric 16 until the fabric needles 312 are withdrawn from the fabric 16. Operation of the needle guards 344 a-d is described in connection with FIGS. 18A and 18B. The needle guards 344 a-d are configured move between open and closed positions as the frame 302 is extended into and retracted from the fabric 16. When the stretch measuring tool 300 is in the retracted position, the frame 302 has engaged and is holding the needle guards 344 a-d in the closed position (See FIG. 18A). In this position, the needle guards 344 a-d cover the fabric needles 312 to reduce the risk of injury to the operator. As the stretch measuring tool 300 is extended, the frame 302 moves away from the base 340. As the frame 302 moves away from the base 340, the springs 356 a-d pivot the needle guards 344 a-d into the open position (See FIG. 18B). This permits the frame 302 to extend beyond the needle guards 344 a-d. The needle guards 344 a-d may engage a portion of the base 340 or a stop attached to the base to prevent them from over-rotating. The springs 356 a-d hold the needle guards 344 a-d in the proper position against the base 340 (or other stop) to receive the frame 302 when the stretch measuring tool 300 is again retracted. When the stretch measuring tool 300 is retracted, the frame 302 moves back into engagement with the needle guards 344 a-d. As the stretch measuring tool 300 is further retracted, the frame 302 closes against the needle guards 344 a-d pivoting them against the bias of the springs 356 a-d back into the closed position. The fabric 16 can then be re-stretched for molding. Alternatively, the stretch measuring tool may be readily configured to engage and measure the fabric as it is being stretch, rather than as it is being released from its stretch.
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