The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 15, 2003
Filed:
Nov. 22, 2000
Eric J. Hanson, Hudson, WI (US);
John R. Wheeler, Oakdale, MN (US);
Alan P. Miller, Woodbury, MN (US);
David B. Pritchard, Bloomington, MN (US);
Donald G. Peterson, Shoreview, MN (US);
John R. Jacobson, Newport, MN (US);
Jeffrey J. Missling, Mound, MN (US);
James N. Dobbs, Woodbury, MN (US);
David C. Kramlich, St. Paul, MN (US);
3M Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
A product stacking apparatus and method employs one or more stations, each including a stationary stacking platform or a conveyor upon which spaced-apart pucks are coupled for travel thereon. A product delivery apparatus drives one or more movable webs to which segmented product sheets are removably affixed. The product delivery apparatus includes one or more rotatable lamination interfaces associated with each of the stations for transferring product sheets from the webs to the pucks on a repetitive basis to produce a stack of product sheets on the respective pucks. Each of the segmented product sheets may define all or a portion of an electrochemical cell, all or a portion of a pad including layers of film or sheet material, wherein a portion of each of the layers is provided with a bonding feature, or all or a portion of a pack comprising layers of medical dressing. A puck need not be in motion during the transfer of the product sheet from the lamination roll to the puck. The puck may or may not be attached to a conveyor, but the conveyor need not be in motion during the lamination or stack building process. In this case, a roller is moved across the puck and simultaneously rotated so a point on the surface of the roller interfaces with the puck at the same location on each pass.