US 12,246,481 B2
Mould configuration
Edmund David Aufenast, Amsterdam (NL)
Assigned to What the Future B.V., Amsterdam (NL)
Appl. No. 17/414,079
Filed by WHAT THE FUTURE B.V., Amsterdam (NL)
PCT Filed Dec. 19, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/086423
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 15, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/127807, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 25, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2022253 (NL), filed on Dec. 20, 2018; and application No. 2022437 (NL), filed on Jan. 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0097289 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 51/42 (2006.01); B29C 51/30 (2006.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 51/428 (2013.01) [B29C 51/30 (2013.01); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mould configuration for forming one or more thermoformed objects, the mould configuration comprising:
one or more moulds made from a polymer material by additive manufacturing and provided with an upper end, side walls, and a bottom which is spaced apart from the upper end defining a mould volume having an upper zone and a lower zone, wherein the mould volume consists of a shaped recess having a recess wall corresponding with the shape of the object and having a thickness of between 0.5 and 5 mm, wherein the upper zone extends above the recess wall, and wherein the lower zone extends below the upper zone and is divided from the upper zone by the recess wall, wherein the lower zone is provided with one or more open spaces which fluidly connect the lower surface of the recess wall with one or more openings in the bottom of the mould; and
a heat exchanger module facing the bottom of the one or more moulds comprising cooling means and one or more cooling gas displacement means and cooling medium inlet openings and cooling medium outlet openings, wherein the cooling medium inlet openings and the cooling medium outlet openings are in fluid communication with the one or more openings in the bottom of the mould;
wherein the one or more moulds are positioned above the heat exchange module within a single container, wherein the container has a metal bottom, side walls and an open upper end such that the recess of the mould is accessible from above;
wherein the one or more moulds can be removed; and
wherein the mould is removably placed in a mould holder suited to hold one or more moulds and wherein the mould holder and the one or more moulds are positioned on top of the heat exchange module within the container thereby fixating the moulds relative to the heat exchange module.