Patent US1997991A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5116550A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method of making biodegradable free fill foam packing material
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1990-03-27
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Granted: 1992-05-26
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Expires: 2010-03-27
Abstract
Abstract Biodegradable free fill expanded polyurethane foam packing materials are formed by pumping liquid starch or sugar, diisocyanate, polyols and a catalyst into a mixing head. The mixture is released from an exit port in the mixing chamber as a sticky material. At predetermied intervals air blasts chop the sticky material mass from the exit port. The material beings expanding as it drops through a curing chamber against upward warm air currents. When the materials expand to full size and dry to a non-tacky surface, the materials are released from the chamber and collected for use as packing materials. The materials have a bionutrient starch or sugar content of about 40% or more, making them readily biodegradable by microbes. The polyurethane components are broken down into very small sizes and convert to urea, making the products highly suitable for disposal in landfills and as soil amendment and fertilizers.
Inventors
- 👤 Newton B. Perkins
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 04:07
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C67/00; B29C67/24; B29B; B29B9/00; B29B9/16; B29C44/00; B29C44/34; B29C44/3402; B29K; B29K2003/00; B29K2075/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
The method of making a free fill foam expanded packing material, comprising flowing liquid A and B components separately to A and B nozzleheads, heating the A and B components to about 90° F. to 140° F., mixing the A and B components in a swirl chamber, releasing material from the swirl chamber through an opening and chopping flow from the opening and thereby forming shapes, expanding the shapes in an expansion chamber, dropping the expanding shapes in the expansion chamber, removing the fully expanded shapes from the expansion chamber and storing the expanded shapes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
95 words
The method of making a free fill foam expanded packing material, comprising flowing liquid A and B components separately to A and B nozzleheads, heating the A and B components to about 90° F. to 140° F., mixing the A and B components in a swirl chamber, releasing material from the swirl chamber through an opening and chopping flow from the opening and thereby forming shapes, expanding the shapes in an expansion chamber, dropping the expanding shapes in the expansion chamber, removing the fully expanded shapes from the expansion chamber and storing the expanded shapes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising flowing a bionutrient material to the nozzleheads, mixing the bionutrient material with the A and B components in the swirl chamber, and wherein the releasing comprises exiting the mixed bionutrient and the A and B components and chopping the released material into shapes in the expansion chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a bionutrient component to the B component, mixing the B component and the bionutrient, and releasing the mixed B component and bionutrient into the swirl chamber for mixing with the A component.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the chopping comprises releasing the material from the swirl mixing chamber through an exit port and moving plural orifices laterally across an air blast tube beside the exit port.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 4, wherein the chopping further comprises blowing cyclic air blasts across the exit port.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the chopping comprises blowing timed air blasts across the extruder to separate shapes from the extruder.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the flowing comprises flowing about 30% A component, about 30% B component, and about 40% bionutrient.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the flowing comprises flowing together about 20% to 35% A component, about 20% to 35% B component, and about 30% to 60% bionutrient.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
106 words
The method of forming loose free fill foam expanded packing material, comprising feeding A and B components separately to between about 90° F. and 140° F., feeding a bionutrient into the B component flowing the B component and bionutrient mixture to a first nozzle, flowing the A component to a second nozzle, releasing the B component and starch mixture and the A component toward each other from the nozzles, and periodically chopping the mixed components from the nozzles with sequential air blasts, moving the chopped particles into an expansion chamber and expanding the particles within the expansion chamber, and withdrawing fully expanded particles from the chamber.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
106 words
The method of forming loose free fill foam expanded packing material, comprising feeding A and B components separately to between about 90° F. and 140° F., feeding a bionutrient into the B component flowing the B component and bionutrient mixture to a first nozzle, flowing the A component to a second nozzle, releasing the B component and starch mixture and the A component toward each other from the nozzles, and periodically chopping the mixed components from the nozzles with sequential air blasts, moving the chopped particles into an expansion chamber and expanding the particles within the expansion chamber, and withdrawing fully expanded particles from the chamber.
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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) | 1995-05-26 | 1995-11-25 | 1996-05-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-05-26 | 1999-11-25 | 2000-05-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-05-26 | 2003-11-25 | 2004-05-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |