The present disclosure relates to tools and methods for forming materials into articles, elements, constructs, or containers that may be used to hold, contain, or prepare food products or other products.
In one aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to an apparatus for operating upon a construct (e.g., a bowl, tray, plate, or any other suitable type of container (e.g., a press-formed paperboard container) or support). In one example, the apparatus comprises a tool, a feed path for feeding the construct to and withdrawing the construct from the tool, and a positioning mechanism. In one example, the positioning mechanism comprises an arm positioned proximate to the tool and a guide for directing the construct toward the tool. The arm is movable between a guiding position and a withdrawn position, and the guide is mounted to the arm for moving with the arm so that the guide is at least partially disposed in the feed path when the arm is in the guiding position. A recess is defined in the tool for at least partially accommodating the guide.
In general, another aspect of the disclosure is directed to a method of using an apparatus comprising a tool to operate upon a construct. The method comprises moving a positioning mechanism into a guiding position, in which at least a portion of the positioning mechanism is in a feed path of the apparatus. The tool defines a recess for at least partially accommodating at least a portion of the positioning mechanism. The method further includes feeding a construct along the feed path into the apparatus, and guiding the construct in the tool with at least a portion of the positioning mechanism.
In accordance with one aspect of this disclosure, the above-discussed apparatus, method, aspects, and/or features, in various combinations and/or subcombinations, may be integrated into a system that makes press-formed paperboard containers
Those skilled in the art will appreciate the above stated advantages and other advantages and benefits of various additional embodiments reading the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the below-listed drawing figures.
According to common practice, the various features of the drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features and elements in the drawings may be expanded or reduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the disclosure.
Corresponding parts are designated by corresponding reference numbers throughout the drawings.
The present disclosure relates generally to various aspects of materials, packages, elements, articles, containers (e.g., press-formed paperboard containers) and methods of making such materials, packages, elements, articles and containers. Although several different features, aspects, implementations, and embodiments are provided, numerous interrelationships between, combinations thereof, and modifications of the various features, aspects, implementations, and embodiments of the disclosure are contemplated hereby. In one illustrated embodiment, the present disclosure relates to forming a container for heating or cooking food items, such as in a microwave oven. However, in other embodiments, the disclosure can be related to forming articles or containers that are not used for microwave cooking.
The present disclosure includes a forming tool 1 for at least partially containing and operating upon (e.g., at least partially forming) a container (e.g., schematically shown in the drawings as a construct C) suitable for use in heating or cooking a food item. For example, the container or construct C may be a press-formed paperboard container, or any other suitable type of container or construct. For example, the container may be similar to the containers disclosed in the following U.S. patents and U.S. patent applications: U.S. Pat. No. 7,365,292; U.S. Pat. App. Pub. Nos. 2005/0109653; 2008/0047958; and 2007/0262487, the disclosures of the above-noted documents being entirely incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. Also, the forming tool 1 of the present disclosure can have similar features as any of the various forming tools and forming features disclosed in the above-identified patents and published patent applications.
In the illustrated embodiment, a tool assembly or apparatus includes the forming tool 1 and a positioning mechanism 13 mounted on the forming tool or in any other suitable location. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
A method of forming the container from the blank according to one embodiment is described below, wherein the blank, container, or partially-formed container is generally referred to as a construct C. The container of the present disclosure can be formed from the blank by feeding the blank into the preceding forming tool 100 and pressing and shaping the blank into a partially-formed container or other construct by operating the preceding forming tool 100. Next, the construct is transferred to the forming tool 1, which can be a second forming tool located in-line with a first forming tool, or the forming tool 1 can be other than the second forming tool (e.g., first, third, etc.). In one embodiment, after a construct C exits the preceding forming tool 100 such as by being ejected by a puff of air or by a pick-and-place apparatus, the construct can translate along the feed path 102 to the inlet end 104 of the forming tool 1. The construct C can travel between stages on a chute or slide under the force of gravity. Alternatively, the construct can be transported between the stages on any conveyor, such as rollers, a belt, etc., or the construct can be manually inserted into the forming tool 1.
When the upper tool assembly 3 and lower tool assembly 5 are separated in an open position (
The positioning mechanism 13 and other aspects of the forming tool 1 and the preceding forming tool 100 can be controlled by one or more programmable logic controllers (PLC) 108 (
In an exemplary embodiment, wherein the forming tool 1 is in the open position of
In one embodiment, the upper tool assembly 3 and the lower tool assembly 5 can be mounted at approximately a 45° angle in a machine (not shown) of the type manufactured by Peerless Machine & Tool Corporation in Marion, Ind., USA. The machine provides the primary compressive forces to sufficiently close and open the tool assemblies 3, 5 of the present disclosure. The closing and opening of the tool assemblies 3, 5 by the machine forms the three-dimensional articles or containers. In other types of machines, the tool assemblies 3, 5 may be revised/modified to permit the tool assemblies to operate in alternative orientations (e.g., upside down or on their side). It should be understood that the operating position of tool assemblies 3 and 5 shown and/or described herein is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
In accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the container can optionally include microwave interactive material that may comprise a microwave interactive element such as a susceptor. The container can include microwave interactive elements or material as is disclosed in any of the U.S. patents and Published patent applications that are noted above and incorporated by reference herein. Alternatively, the microwave interactive material can comprise any other type of microwave interactive elements, materials, and/or various combinations of microwave interactive elements and material, as discussed in greater detail below. The microwave interactive elements and materials may be omitted from the container without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
In accordance with one embodiment of this disclosure, the above-discussed aspects, features and methods of this disclosure, various combinations thereof, and/or various subcombinations thereof, are integrated into a system (e.g., a set of tools) that makes press-formed paperboard containers, such that the construct C is a press-formed paperboard container and/or a precursor thereof. The system may be conventional, except for incorporating the above-discussed aspects, features and methods of this disclosure, various combinations thereof, various subcombinations thereof, and/or any other modifications that would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure. The combination of the forming tool 1 and positioning mechanism 13, which may be cooperatively associated with a controller (e.g., PLC 108) and/or other respective aspects, features and methods of this disclosure, provides a very useful, accurate and reliable addition to, for example, the reciprocating tools for press-forming paperboard containers or any similar articles that are made in a similar way, or the like.
The foregoing description of the disclosure illustrates and describes various exemplary embodiments. Various additions, modifications, changes, etc., could be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only selected embodiments of the disclosure, but the disclosure is capable of use in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings, and/or within the skill or knowledge of the relevant art. Furthermore, certain features and characteristics of each embodiment may be selectively interchanged and applied to other illustrated and non-illustrated embodiments of the disclosure.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that while the present disclosure has been discussed above with reference to exemplary embodiments, various additions, modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/335,040, filed Dec. 30, 2009. U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/335,040, which was filed on Dec. 30, 2009, is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if presented herein in its entirety.
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