| 摘要 |
A method and apparatus is disclosed that enables a consumer to store a wide variety of items in a customized storage unit. The customized storage unit consists of a plastic storage tray that has a pattern of item-receiving compartments formed therein that will correspond exactly to the shapes of items that the consumer wishes to store. The pattern is developed first reading the profiles of the items the consumer wishes to store into a computer graphics unit and arranging these stored profiles into an optimized pattern. This pattern is next sent to a computer-aided manufacturing unit that is connected to a hot wire cutter that cuts the desired pattern into a sheet of structural foam. The cut-out cores of the profiles of the items to be stored are next removed from the structural foam sheet leaving cavities within the sheet. The structural foam sheet is next placed on the lower platen of a vacuum form machine, and the cut-out cores are attached to the upper platen. A sheet of thermoplastic is heated so that it is malleable and is placed upon the structural foam sheet. A vacuum is applied to the lower platen and the upper platen is next brought downwardly into contact with the thermoplastic sheet and pushes the plastic downwardly into the cavity formed in the structural foam sheet. The upper platen is next brought back upwardly away from the thermoplastic sheet, and the thermoplastic sheet and its associated structural foam sheet are allowed to cool. When forming a compartment for a thinner item, it is not necessary to utilize the cut-out cores. The resulting product is a sturdy plastic storage tray that has an upper sheet of plastic and a lower backing unit of structural foam.
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