US 12,491,673 B1
Systems, apparatus, and methods for creating thin plastic films
Tom Roudebush, Broken Arrow, OK (US)
Assigned to Paragon Films, Inc., Broken Arro, OK (US)
Filed by Paragon Films, Inc., Broken Arrow, OK (US)
Filed on Jan. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/154,438.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/299,275, filed on Jan. 13, 2022.
Int. Cl. B29C 48/00 (2019.01); B29C 48/08 (2019.01); B29C 48/21 (2019.01); B29C 53/04 (2006.01); C08L 23/12 (2006.01); B29K 23/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 48/0019 (2019.02) [B29C 48/0022 (2019.02); B29C 48/08 (2019.02); B29C 48/21 (2019.02); B29C 53/043 (2013.01); C08L 23/12 (2013.01); B29K 2023/0625 (2013.01); B29K 2023/12 (2013.01); C08L 2203/16 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
providing a plurality of source materials for a coextrusion process, wherein the plurality of source materials comprises a metallocene linear low density polyethylene (mLLDPE) octene material, a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) octene material, and a polypropylene (PP) material, wherein at least one of the plurality of source materials comprises a recycled source material;
filtering the at least one of the plurality of source materials comprising the recycled source material;
coextruding the plurality of source materials from a single die to form a film with five layers;
slitting the film into a plurality of sections;
moving the plurality of sections through a folding mechanism, wherein the folding mechanism produces edge folds at edges of the plurality of sections, wherein the step of filtering is configured to prevent downstream passage of melt impurities and/or gels from the recycled source material from causing lost folds;
oscillating the plurality of sections;
passing the plurality of sections over a retractable roller that is parallel to a film roll and moves vertically away from the film roll at a separation rate that maintains a distance between the retractable roller and the film roll; and
winding the plurality of sections onto the film roll.