US 11,938,699 B2
Methods and systems for producing pressware
Victor L. Chun, Beaverton, MI (US); Steffen Brown, Beaverton, MI (US); and Philip Eichbauer, Beaverton, MI (US)
Assigned to Brown LLC, Beaverton, MI (US)
Filed by Brown LLC, Beaverton, MI (US)
Filed on Jul. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/369,406.
Prior Publication US 2023/0009038 A1, Jan. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. B31B 50/00 (2017.01); B31B 50/10 (2017.01); B31B 50/14 (2017.01); B31B 50/25 (2017.01); B31B 50/59 (2017.01); B31B 110/40 (2017.01)
CPC B31B 50/005 (2017.08) [B31B 50/006 (2017.08); B31B 50/102 (2017.08); B31B 50/142 (2017.08); B31B 50/252 (2017.08); B31B 50/592 (2018.05); B31B 2110/40 (2017.08)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for forming a pressware product from a web of a roll of material, the system comprising:
a positive mold assembly including a positive mold with a bottom surface for forming a top surface of the pressware product and a positive punch shiftable relative to the positive mold with an edge configured to cut the web to separate the pressware product from the web;
a negative mold assembly including a negative mold with a top surface for forming a bottom surface of the pressware product and a trim die plate with an edge configured to cut the web in cooperation with the edge of the positive punch, the positive mold assembly and the negative mold assembly being shiftable relative to one another;
a heating element coupled to at least one of the positive mold or the negative mold;
a forming station actuator configured to shift at least one of the positive mold assembly or the negative mold assembly;
a force sensor configured to sense a forming force applied by the forming station actuator and generate sensor data representative of the forming force; and
a control system in communication with the force sensor and the forming station actuator, the control system being configured to—
receive a signal representative of the sensor data, and
direct the forming station actuator to adjust the forming force based at least in part on the sensor data.