Patent ID: 7699595

Claim:
An apparatus for molding a sheet-form raw material blank to form a molded product, said apparatus comprising: a machine frame; a first mold tool including a first outer edge mold that is relatively movable relative to said machine frame, and a first inner core mold that is arranged adjacent to said first outer edge mold and that is relatively movable relative to said first outer edge mold; a second mold tool including a second outer edge mold and a second inner core mold that is arranged adjacent to said second outer edge mold and that is relatively movable relative to said second outer edge mold, wherein said first and second inner core molds cooperate with one another to receive, deform and mold a main central body portion of the raw material blank therebetween, and said first and second outer edge molds cooperate with one another to receive, press and slippingly hold an edge rim of the raw material blank therebetween so as to allow the edge rim to slip toward said inner core molds while the central body portion is being deformed therebetween to form the molded product; a first drive device connected to said machine frame and to said first outer edge mold so as to selectively move said first outer edge mold relative to said machine frame selectively toward and away from said second outer edge mold; a second drive device connected to said first outer edge mold and to said first inner core mold so as to selectively move said first inner core mold relative to said first outer edge mold selectively toward and away from said second inner core mold; a third drive device connected to said second outer edge mold and to said second inner core mold so as to selectively move said second inner core mold relative to said second outer edge mold selectively toward and away from said first inner core mold; and a controller connected to and adapted to control operation of said drive devices, wherein said controller is programmed and adapted to control said drive devices so that said first and second inner core molds cooperate with one another to receive, deform and mold the main central body portion of the raw material blank therebetween, and so that said first and second outer edge molds cooperate with one another to receive, press and slippingly hold the edge rim of the raw material blank therebetween so as to allow the edge rim to slip toward said inner core molds while the central body portion is being deformed therebetween to form the molded product.