Thermofrom a tray insitu with an article

Abstract

The objective of this invention is to eliminate the stacking of the trays into nests and removing the trays from the nest. Another objective is to eliminate the need for an increase size of the indentations and achieve a more snug fit. These objectives are accomplished by forming the tray insitu with the articles. This insures a snug fit and at the same time allows the articles to be removed from the tray as a unit.

1 . An apparatus for thermoforming a tray in a mold having indentations at the bottom of the mold wherein at least one article pushes a heated sheet into the indentations to thermoform the tray comprising;
 means for providing a sheet   means for heating the sheet to a temperature conducive to thermoforming   means for positioning the heated sheet on a mold having at least one predetermined indentation to accommodate the shape of at least one article   means for pushing at least one article into the mold so that the sheet is pressed into the indentation thereby thermoformed the sheet into the shape of the indentation and the bottom of the article.   means for removing the tray and article as a unit from the mold.   
   
   
       2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  including a transfer plate for moving the sheet to a hot plate. 
   
   
       3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2  including means for moving the transfer plate to the mold. 
   
   
       4 . An apparatus according to  claim 2  including means for applying a vacuum through holes in the transfer plate to hold the sheet to the transfer plate. 
   
   
       5 . An apparatus according to  claim 2  including means for providing rigidity to the tray by forming a ridge around the tray. 
   
   
       6 . An apparatus according to  claim 3  including means for pushing at least one article into the mold to press the sheet into the indentation in the mold. 
   
   
       7 . An apparatus according to  claim 4  including means for blowing air through holes in the heat transfer plate to push the sheet into the mold. 
   
   
       8 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  including means for blowing air into the mold to assist the removal of the tray from the mold. 
   
   
       9 . An apparatus according to  claim 6  including means for removing at the article and the tray as a unit from the mold. 
   
   
       10 . A process for thermoforming a tray in a mold wherein at least one article pushes a heated sheet into the indentations at the bottom of the mold to form the tray comprising;
 providing a sheet   heating the sheet to a temperature conducive to thermoforming   positioning the heated sheet on a mold having at least one predetermined indentation at the bottom of the mold to accommodate the shape of at least one article   pushing at least one article into the mold so that the sheet is pressed into the indentation thereby thermoforming the sheet into the shape of the indentation, and   removing the tray and article as a unit from the mold.   
   
   
       11 . A process according to  claim 10  including moving the sheet to hot plate with a transfer plate. 
   
   
       12 . A process according to  claim 11  including moving the sheet from the hot plate to the mold. 
   
   
       13 . A process according to  claim 12  including means for applying a vacuum through holes in the transfer plate to hold the sheet to the transfer plate. 
   
   
       14 . A process according to  claim 10  including forming a ridge around the tray to provide rigidity to the tray. 
   
   
       15 . A process according to  claim 10  including pushing at least one article into the mold to press the sheet into the indentation within the mold. 
   
   
       16 . A process according to  claim 11  including blowing air through holes in the heat transfer plate to the place the sheet on the mold. 
   
   
       17 . A process according to  claim 15  including blowing air into the mold to assist the removal of the tray from the mold. 
   
   
       18 . A process according to  claim 17  including removing at least one article and the tray as a unit from the mold. 
   
   
       19 . A product produced by the process of  claim 10   
   
   
       20 . An article comprising;
 a tray having an indentation   an article having the bottom of the article pressed into the indentation of the tray so that the tray and article can be moved as a unit.