Patent US4256850A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4256850A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Article and process simulating plantation crepe rubber

Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
•
Filing: 1979-07-31
•
Granted: 1981-03-17
•
Expires: 1999-07-31
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A molded article simulating the appearance of natural plantation crepe rubber and a method for producing this article. Styrene/butadiene linear or radial block copolymer having a polymerized styrene content of the range of about 20 to about 50 weight percent of the total block copolymer and resinous polymer of vinyl-substituted aromatic compound in the range of about 10 to about 60 parts resinous polymer per 100 parts block copolymer are blended with a sufficient amount of polarizing agent to achieve rapid heating through response to microwave treatment. The composition is melted, molded against a surface mirroring the appearance of plantation crepe rubber, and removed from the mold as an article simulating plantation crepe rubber. In an embodiment of the invention with chemical blowing agent incorporated into the molding composition, an amount of the molding composition is introduced with the mold that upon activation of the blowing agent during the molding operation produces a molded article having a normally dense skin with a microporous interior.

Inventors

  • 👤 Agmund K. Thorsrud

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 18:45
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08J; C08J9/00; C08J9/0061; C08J9/34; C08L; C08L53/00; C08L53/02; C08J2353/00; C08J2353/02; C08J2425/00

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 207 words
A method for producing a molded article simulating the appearance of natural plantation crepe rubber, said method comprising: (1) blending a composition comprising styrene/butadiene linear or radial block copolymer elastomer having a polymerized styrene content in the range of about 20 to about 50 weight percent of total block copolymer and resinous polymer of vinyl substituted aromatic compound in the range of about 10 to about 60 parts resinous polymer per 100 parts block copolymer elastomer with a sufficient amount of polarizing agent to permit rapid heating using energy at microwave frequencies said polarizing agent chosen from the group consisting of simple and polymeric alkylene glycols and their mono- and dialkyl ethers, ethanolamines and isopropanolamines and their hydrocarbyl-substituted derivatives, liquid acrylonitrile butadiene polymers, acrylonitrile butadiene blends with homopolymers of polyvinyl chloride, styrene acrylonitrile copolymer, glyceryl diacetae, di(2-hydroxyethyl)-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, styrene acrylonitrile resin, and normally solid resinous ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers; (2) introducing said composition into a mold that has at least one molding surface that mirrors the appearance of plantation crepe rubber; (3) closing the mold; (4) melting said composition using microwave energy; (5) subjecting said composition to molding conditions; (6) removing from the mold an object having at least one surface with the appearance of natural plantation crepe rubber.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 207 words
A method for producing a molded article simulating the appearance of natural plantation crepe rubber, said method comprising: (1) blending a composition comprising styrene/butadiene linear or radial block copolymer elastomer having a polymerized styrene content in the range of about 20 to about 50 weight percent of total block copolymer and resinous polymer of vinyl substituted aromatic compound in the range of about 10 to about 60 parts resinous polymer per 100 parts block copolymer elastomer with a sufficient amount of polarizing agent to permit rapid heating using energy at microwave frequencies said polarizing agent chosen from the group consisting of simple and polymeric alkylene glycols and their mono- and dialkyl ethers, ethanolamines and isopropanolamines and their hydrocarbyl-substituted derivatives, liquid acrylonitrile butadiene polymers, acrylonitrile butadiene blends with homopolymers of polyvinyl chloride, styrene acrylonitrile copolymer, glyceryl diacetae, di(2-hydroxyethyl)-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, styrene acrylonitrile resin, and normally solid resinous ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers; (2) introducing said composition into a mold that has at least one molding surface that mirrors the appearance of plantation crepe rubber; (3) closing the mold; (4) melting said composition using microwave energy; (5) subjecting said composition to molding conditions; (6) removing from the mold an object having at least one surface with the appearance of natural plantation crepe rubber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 69 words
A method of claim 1 wherein said compositon also comprises blowing agent dispersed throughout the composition said blowing agent activated by the elevated temperature during the molding process said composition with blowing agent being introduced into the mold in an amount such that the expansion of the composition as gas is produced from the activated blowing agent results in a microporous structure within a skin of normally dense polymer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said mold has at least one surface formed against natural plantation crepe rubber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 33 words
A method of claim 2 wherein said composition with blowing agent is introduced into the mold in an amount that causes the mold to be about 80 percent to about 90 percent full.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 42 words
A method of claim 1 or 2 wherein melting is accomplished by subjecting the compositon to microwave energy in the range of about 25 to about 120 MH z (megahertz) for a period ranging from about 4 seconds to about 4 minutes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 25 words
A method of claim 2 wherein the amount of blowing agent is in the range of about 0.5 to 10 php of total polymeric mixture.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 26 words
A method of claim 6 wherein the amount of blowing agent is in the range of about 3 to about 6 php of total polymeric mixture.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 33 words
A method of claim 5 wherein sufficient pressure is maintained on the closed mold for a time sufficient to allow forming of a molded object within the mold after melting said composition mixture.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said composition mixture also contains compounds chosen from among odorants, colorants, and fillers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 18 words
A molded article simulating the appearance of natural plantation crepe rubber produced by the method of claim 1.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 18 words
A molded article simulating the appearance of natural plantation crepe rubber produced by the method of claim 2.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

GB111250A Cited
DE1795547U Cited
GB953750A Cited
GB1092563A Cited
US3562204A Cited
US3444275A Cited
US3640913A Cited
US3639521A Cited
US3803274A Cited
US3832111A Cited
US3950292A Cited
US3959545A Cited
US4110139A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1984-03-16 1984-09-15 1985-03-17 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1988-03-16 1988-09-15 1989-03-17 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1992-03-16 1992-09-15 1993-03-17 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag