(19)

(11)

EP 1 592 545 A2

(12)

(88) Date of publication A3: 23.12.2004 (43) Date of publication: 09.11.2005 Bulletin 2005/45 (21) Application number: 04704862.4 (22) Date of filing: 23.01.2004

(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: B29C 70/48, B29C 70/08, B29C 51/00, B29C 70/86, B32B 27/04, B32B 27/30 (86) International application number: PCT/US2004/001843 (87) International publication number: WO 2004/067246 (12.08.2004 Gazette 2004/33)

(84) Designated Contracting States: AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR Designated Extension States: AL LT LV MK (30) Priority: 24.01.2003 US 351254 03.10.2003 US 678931 (71) Applicant: VEC Technology, Inc. Minneapolis, MN 55402 (US)	(72) Inventors: MCCOLLUM, Robert, P. Transfer, PA 16150 (US) SIDI, Shiraz Hermitage, PA 16148 (US) O'HARA, Jeffrey, J. Sharon, PA 16146 (US) CLARK, Richard, Eugene Osceola, IN 46561 (US) (74) Representative: Lotti, Giorgio  c/o Ing. Barzanò & Zanardo Milano S.p.A. Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 61 10128 Torino 10128 Torino (IT)