US3919445A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for forming expanded laminates and products
Assignee: Union Carbide Corp
•
Filing: 1973-12-26
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Granted: 1975-11-11
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Expires: 1993-12-26
Abstract
Abstract A low pressure process for preparing laminates by expanding the cross-section of a blank of thermoformable material between mold plates serving as skin laminae with the attendant formation of one or more voids having a partial vacuum or reduced pressure within the cross-section of such blank, which comprises venting the voids during the expansion of the cross-section so as to equilibrate the level of pressure within the voids with the level of pressure without the blank of thermoformable material so as to thereby regulate the uniformity and integrity of the resulting cross-sectional geometry of the expanded blank which serves as the core lamina of the resulting laminate. Laminate products having an expanded cross-section are formed by such process.
Inventors
- 👤 Walter H Smarook
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 19:15
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B3/00; B32B3/10; B32B3/12; B29; B29C; B29C67/00; B29C67/0011; B29D; B29D24/00; B29D24/002; B29D24/005; B29D99/00; B29D99/0089; B32B15/00; B32B15/04; B32B15/08; B32B38/00; B32B2038/0052; B32B2038/0088; B32B2307/00; B32B2307/70; B32B2307/738; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S425/00; Y10S425/812; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24149; Y10T428/24174; Y10T428/24273; Y10T428/24298; Y10T428/24322
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
218 words
A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A LAMINATE FROM A THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL HAVING A TA AND A PAIR OF MOLD PLATES HAVING A TA HIGHER THAN THAT OF SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES POSITIONING SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL BETWEEN SAID MOLD PLATES WHILE SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL IS HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE WHICH IS $ THE TA OF SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL AND AT WHICH TEMPERATURE SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL IS IN A THERMOFORMABLE STATE ADHESIVELY BONDING SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL BY HOT TACK ADHESION TO SAID MOLD PLATES PULLING SAID MOLD PLATES APART, WHILE SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL IS THUS ADHESIVELY BONDED THERETO AND IS IN SAID THERMOFORMABLE STATE, SO AS TO THEREBY EXPAND THE CROSS SECTION OF SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL AND EFFECT WITHIN SAID EXPANDING THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL ONE OR MORE VOIDS HAVING A PARTIAL VACUUM THEREIN, VENTING SAID VOIDS DURING SAID PULLING APART SO AS TO EQUILIBRATE THE LOWER LEVEL OF PRESSURE WITHIN SAID VOIDS WITH THE HIGHER LEVEL OF AMBIENT PRESSURE WITHOUT SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL AND THEREBY REGULATE THE UNIFORMITY AND INTEGRITY OF THE GEOMETRY OF THE RESULTING EXPANDED CROSS SECTION OF SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL, AND COOLING THE EXPANDED THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE HEAT DISTORTION POINT OF SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL, SO AS TO THEREBY FORM A LAMINATE OF THE EXPANDED THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MOLD PLATES.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
218 words
A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A LAMINATE FROM A THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL HAVING A TA AND A PAIR OF MOLD PLATES HAVING A TA HIGHER THAN THAT OF SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES POSITIONING SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL BETWEEN SAID MOLD PLATES WHILE SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL IS HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE WHICH IS $ THE TA OF SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL AND AT WHICH TEMPERATURE SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL IS IN A THERMOFORMABLE STATE ADHESIVELY BONDING SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL BY HOT TACK ADHESION TO SAID MOLD PLATES PULLING SAID MOLD PLATES APART, WHILE SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL IS THUS ADHESIVELY BONDED THERETO AND IS IN SAID THERMOFORMABLE STATE, SO AS TO THEREBY EXPAND THE CROSS SECTION OF SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL AND EFFECT WITHIN SAID EXPANDING THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL ONE OR MORE VOIDS HAVING A PARTIAL VACUUM THEREIN, VENTING SAID VOIDS DURING SAID PULLING APART SO AS TO EQUILIBRATE THE LOWER LEVEL OF PRESSURE WITHIN SAID VOIDS WITH THE HIGHER LEVEL OF AMBIENT PRESSURE WITHOUT SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL AND THEREBY REGULATE THE UNIFORMITY AND INTEGRITY OF THE GEOMETRY OF THE RESULTING EXPANDED CROSS SECTION OF SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL, AND COOLING THE EXPANDED THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE HEAT DISTORTION POINT OF SAID THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL, SO AS TO THEREBY FORM A LAMINATE OF THE EXPANDED THERMOFORMABLE MATERIAL WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MOLD PLATES.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process as in claim 1 in which said thermoformable material comprises thermoplastic material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process as in claim 2 in which said thermoplastic material comprises synthetic resin.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process as in claim 3 in which said synthetic resin comprises vinyl resin.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as in claim 4 in which said vinyl resin comprises ethylene polymer resin.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as in claim 5 in which said ethylene polymer resin is a homopolymer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as in claim 5 in which said ethylene polymer resin is a copolymer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process as in claim 7 in which said copolymer is a copolymer of ethylene and ethyl acrylate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process as in claim 7 in which said copolymer is a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process as in claim 3 in which said synthetic resin comprises urethane resin.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process as in claim 3 in which said synthetic resin comprises polysulfone resin.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process as in claim 3 in which said synthetic resin comprises silicone resin.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
A process as in claim 3 in which at least one of said mold plates comprises metal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process as in claim 13 in both of said mold plates comprise metal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process as in claim 13 in which said metal comprises iron.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process as in claim 13 in which said metal comprises aluminum.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process as in claim 4 in which at least one of said mold plates comprises cellulosic material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
13 words
A process as in claim 17 in which said cellulosic material comprises cardboard.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process as in claim 1 in which said venting is accomplished through at least one of said mold plates.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process as in claim 19 in which said venting is accomplished through both of said mold plates.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process as in claim 1 in which said venting is accomplished through said thermoformable material.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
9 words
A laminate product of the process of claim 1.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as in claim 1 in which a laminate is formed from said expanded thermoformable material and one of said mold plates.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as in claim 1 in which a laminate is formed from said expanded thermoformable material and both of said mold plates.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-10 | 1979-05-12 | 1979-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-10 | 1983-05-12 | 1983-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-10 | 1987-05-12 | 1987-11-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |