Apparatus for assembling a closure tab to a lid
A method and apparatus for assembling a first thermoformed workpiece, such as a tab closure, to a second thermoformed workpiece, such as a lid.
1. An apparatus for automatically forming a composite article by assembling first and second workpieces thermoformed in a common plastic sheet comprising a plurality of the first and second workpieces, the apparatus comprising:
a trimmer for individually trimming at least one of the first workpieces from the plastic sheet, wherein the plastic sheet comprises alternating one of rows and columns of the first workpieces and the second workpieces; and
a carrier moveable between a first position, where the carrier picks up one of the trimmed first workpieces, and a second position, where the carrier assembles the trimmed first workpiece to one of the second workpieces in the plastic sheet.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the carrier moves directly between the first and second positions eliminating the need to temporarily store the trimmed first workpiece prior to assembly to the one of the second workpieces.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the carrier assembles the trimmed first workpiece to the one of the second workpieces by a press-fit coupling.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there are multiple carriers, with each carrier picking up a different trimmed first workpiece in the first position and assembling it to a different second workpiece.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the carrier assembles the trimmed first workpiece to the second workpiece by a press-fit coupling.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the press-fit coupling is a snap-fit coupling.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the carrier assembles the trimmed first workpiece to the second workpiece by an adhesive coupling.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the carrier assembles the trimmed first workpiece to the second workpiece by an ultrasonic weld.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the sheet comprises a portion of a web of plastic.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the sheet comprises opposing front and rear sides, and the trimmer trims the first thermoformed workpiece from the front side, and the carrier picks up the one of the trimmed first workpieces from the front side and assembles the one of the trimmed first workpieces to the one of the second workpieces on the front side.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the carrier is moveable relative to the alternating one of rows and columns between the first and second positions.
12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the carrier comprises a suction device to pick the first workpiece as it is trimmed from the sheet and to hold the trimmed first workpiece as it is assembled to the second workpiece.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the carrier comprises a force reliever to control the amount of force applied by the carrier to the second workpiece during the assembly of the trimmed first workpiece to the second workpiece.
14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the carrier comprises a reciprocating arm on an end of which the suction device is mounted.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the force reliever mounts the suction device to the end of the arm.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the reciprocating arm reciprocates between a pick-up position that corresponds to the first position, and an assembly position that corresponds to the second position.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the reciprocating arm reciprocates between the pick-up and assembly positions in a direction that is either parallel or transverse to the machine direction as defined by the movement of the plastic sheet through the apparatus.
18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the trimmer comprises a first punch and die set for trimming the first workpiece from the plastic sheet.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the die comprises an inlet opening in which the punch is received to trim the first workpiece from the plastic sheet when the plastic sheet is positioned between the punch and die, and an outlet opening into which the reciprocating arm extends to pick up the trimmed first workpiece when the reciprocating arm is in the pick-up position.
20. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the carrier further comprises a moveable platform carrying the reciprocating arm and which is moveable between a first position where the reciprocating arm is positioned within the die outlet, and a second position where the reciprocating arm is positioned outside of the die outlet.
21. The apparatus according to claim 20 wherein there are multiple reciprocating arms, with at least one of the arms at the pick-up position when another of the arms is at the assembly position.
22. The apparatus according to claim 21 and further comprising a second trimmer having a second punch and die set for trimming the assembled first and second workpieces from the plastic sheet.
23. An apparatus for automatically forming a composite article by assembling first and second workpieces thermoformed in a common plastic sheet comprising a plurality of the first and second workpieces, the apparatus comprising:
a trimmer comprising a first punch and die set for trimming at least one of the first workpieces from the plastic sheet; and
a carrier moveable between a first position, where the carrier picks up one of the trimmed first workpieces, and a second position, where the carrier assembles the trimmed first workpiece to one of the second workpieces in the plastic sheet by a press-fit coupling, wherein the carrier is movable directly between the first and second positions eliminating the need to temporarily store the trimmed first workpiece prior to assembly to the one of the second workpieces.
24. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the carrier comprises a suction device to pick the first workpiece as it is trimmed from the sheet and to hold the trimmed first workpiece as it is assembled to the second workpiece.
25. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the carrier comprises a force reliever to control the amount of force applied by the carrier to the second workpiece during the assembly of the trimmed first workpiece to the second workpiece.
26. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the carrier comprises a reciprocating arm on an end of which the suction device is mounted.
27. The apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the force reliever mounts the suction device to the end of the arm.
28. The apparatus according to claim 27 wherein the reciprocating arm reciprocates between a pick-up position that corresponds to the first position, and an assembly position that corresponds to the second position.
29. The apparatus according to claim 28 wherein the reciprocating arm reciprocates between the pick-up and assembly positions in a direction that is either parallel or transverse to the machine direction as defined by the movement of the plastic sheet through the apparatus.
30. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the die comprises an inlet opening in which the punch is received to trim the first workpiece from the plastic sheet when the plastic sheet is positioned between the punch and die, and an outlet opening into which the reciprocating arm extends to pick up the trimmed first workpiece when the reciprocating arm is in the pick-up position.
31. The apparatus according to claim 30 wherein the carrier further comprises a moveable platform carrying the reciprocating arm and which is moveable between a first position where the reciprocating arm is positioned within the die outlet, and a second position where the reciprocating arm is positioned outside of the die outlet.
32. The apparatus according to claim 31 wherein there are multiple reciprocating arms, with at least one of the arms at the pick-up position when another of the arms is at the assembly position.
33. The apparatus according to claim 32 and further comprising a second trimmer having a second punch and die set for trimming the assembled first and second workpieces from the plastic sheet.