Joshua L Bosworth

US Patent:

20080079199, Apr 3, 2008

Filed:

Oct 2, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/537735

Inventors:

Richard Wykoff - Commerce Township MI, US
Stanley Staniszewski - Grosse Pointe Woods MI, US
Kedzie Fernholz - New Boston MI, US
Joshua Bosworth - Hastings MI, US

Assignee:

FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC - Dearborn MI

International Classification:

B29C 51/10
B29C 51/14

US Classification:

264553, 264571, 425388, 425384

Abstract:

A chilled air pressure box is provided for thermoforming a plastic sheet. The chilled air pressure box comprises a box, a box perimeter, an inlet valve, a compressed air source and a chilled air source. The box has an interior space within the box and defines an inlet opening. The box perimeter is for sealingly interfacing with a vacuum mold. The inlet valve is substantially disposed within the interior space, adjacent and aligned with the inlet opening such that when the inlet valve is closed the inlet opening is substantially sealed and when the inlet valve is opened the inlet opening is not sealed. The compressed air source is capable of pressurizing the interior space with compressed air and interfaces with the box. The chilled air source communicates with the inlet opening.