US5533956A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for manufacturing articles employing folded honeycomb panels
Assignee: Hexacomb Corp
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Filing: 1995-06-06
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Granted: 1996-07-09
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Expires: 2015-06-06
Abstract
Abstract A method is disclosed of folding a honeycomb panel, the panel preferably comprising a honeycomb core having opposing face sheets. A slit is preferably cut through one face sheet and the underlying honeycomb core and a wedge is driven into the honeycomb panel at the location of the slit. The wedge crushes the honeycomb core to a preselected depth with a preselected angle whereby the crushed honeycomb core forms a hinge. The honeycomb panel can then folded along the hinge in a direction opposite the intact face sheet.
Inventors
- 👤 Dale W. Komarek
- 👤 Paul Moser
- 👤 George T. Wroblewski, Sr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 16:14
CPC Classifications
B; B31; B31F; B31F1/00; B31F1/08; B26; B26D; B26D7/00; B26D7/27; B31D; B31D3/00; B31D3/02; B31D3/0292; B31F1/0003; B31F1/0006; B31F1/0009; B31F1/0012; B31F1/10; B29; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/60; B29L2031/608; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24149; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/02; Y10T83/0207
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of forming a fold in a honeycomb panel along a predetermined line, the method comprising the steps of: a) cutting a slit into the honeycomb panel along the predetermined line; and b) crushing portions of the honeycomb panel along the predetermined line to crush the honeycomb panel to form a trough, the crushed portions of the honeycomb panel forming a hinge whereby the honeycomb panel is foldable along the hinge.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of forming a fold in a honeycomb panel along a predetermined line, the method comprising the steps of: a) cutting a slit into the honeycomb panel along the predetermined line; and b) crushing portions of the honeycomb panel along the predetermined line to crush the honeycomb panel to form a trough, the crushed portions of the honeycomb panel forming a hinge whereby the honeycomb panel is foldable along the hinge.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the slit is continuous and is cut into the honeycomb panel before crushing the honeycomb panel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the crushing step utilizes a wedge that has an angle at a vertex defined thereby of about 100 degrees to about 120 degrees.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of mounting a knife having a cutting edge at the vertex of the wedge with the cutting edge extending beyond the vertex thus forming a knife and wedge combination.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the wedge is comprised of two wedge segments, the vertex of the wedge being formed at the intersection of the wedge segments, the cutting edge of the knife extending beyond the vertex of the wedge.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of mounting a plurality of the knife and wedge combinations on a die cut machine in a preselected pattern and diecutting the honeycomb panel to fold in the preselected pattern.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 5 wherein a plurality of the knife and wedge combinations are mounted on a support and driven into the honeycomb panel together.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the knife and wedge combination is mounted about the circumference of a wheel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising steps of mounting a plurality of the knife and wheel combinations on a support and feeding the honeycomb panel through the combinations to slit and crush the panels.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the honeycomb panel comprises a honeycomb core having opposing face sheets, the slit being cut through one face sheet along the predetermined line.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the honeycomb core is slit along with the one face sheet along the predetermined line.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the slit is cut by a knife having a cutting edge.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
80 words
A method of preparing a honeycomb panel having a honeycomb core and opposing face sheets for folding along a predetermined line, the method comprising the steps of: a) slitting a portion of one face sheet of the panel with a knife along the predetermined line; and b) crushing the honeycomb panel along the slit to crush the honeycomb panel to a predetermined depth and at a predetermined angle such that the crushed portion of the honeycomb panel forms a hinge.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
80 words
A method of preparing a honeycomb panel having a honeycomb core and opposing face sheets for folding along a predetermined line, the method comprising the steps of: a) slitting a portion of one face sheet of the panel with a knife along the predetermined line; and b) crushing the honeycomb panel along the slit to crush the honeycomb panel to a predetermined depth and at a predetermined angle such that the crushed portion of the honeycomb panel forms a hinge.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the slit is at least partially cut into the honeycomb core.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the slitting step utilizes a knife having a cutting edge and the crushing step utilizes a wedge having a vertex, and further comprising the step of mounting the knife at the vertex of the wedge with the cutting edge extending beyond the vertex thus forming a knife and wedge combination.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
92 words
A method of manufacturing a foldable honeycomb panel comprising the steps of: a) cutting a slit into a honeycomb panel; b) providing a wedge including at least two sidewalls that define an angle and a vertex; and c) crushing portions of the honeycomb panel with the wedge along the slit to form a predetermined trough defining an angle, the angle of the sidewalls of the wedge being greater than the angle of the trough, the crushed portions of the honeycomb panel forming a hinge whereby the panel is foldable along the hinge.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
92 words
A method of manufacturing a foldable honeycomb panel comprising the steps of: a) cutting a slit into a honeycomb panel; b) providing a wedge including at least two sidewalls that define an angle and a vertex; and c) crushing portions of the honeycomb panel with the wedge along the slit to form a predetermined trough defining an angle, the angle of the sidewalls of the wedge being greater than the angle of the trough, the crushed portions of the honeycomb panel forming a hinge whereby the panel is foldable along the hinge.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of folding a honeycomb panel in claim 16 wherein the at least two sidewalls are angled greater than 90 degrees.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
90 words
A method of preparing a foldable honeycomb panel, including a honeycomb core and opposing face sheets, comprising the steps of: a) providing a cutting edge; b) providing a crushing device that defines an angle; c) slitting one of the opposing face sheets of the panel with the cutting edge; and d) crushing the honeycomb panel along the slit to a predetermined depth to form a predetermined angle, wherein the crushing device angle is greater than the angle formed in the honeycomb panel and whereby the crushed honeycomb forms a hinge.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
90 words
A method of preparing a foldable honeycomb panel, including a honeycomb core and opposing face sheets, comprising the steps of: a) providing a cutting edge; b) providing a crushing device that defines an angle; c) slitting one of the opposing face sheets of the panel with the cutting edge; and d) crushing the honeycomb panel along the slit to a predetermined depth to form a predetermined angle, wherein the crushing device angle is greater than the angle formed in the honeycomb panel and whereby the crushed honeycomb forms a hinge.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of folding a honeycomb panel in claim 18 wherein the at least two sidewalls are angled greater than 90 degrees.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
256 words
A method of forming a fold line in a honeycomb panel, said honeycomb panel comprising a pair of opposed face sheets that are interconnected together through a plurality of generally laterally spaced but periodically interconnected, and also transversely generally perpendicularly extending, spacer sheet strips located between said face sheet, said fold line being defined along a predetermined straight line defined on one of said face sheets, said method comprising the steps of: a) cutting a slit along said line, said slit extending through said one face sheet and into adjacent portions of said spacer sheet strips, thereby to define a pair of opposed edge portions with each edge portion being on a different adjacent side of said slit; and b) locally inwardly crushing portions of said one face sheet and adjacent portions of said spacer sheet strips along and symmetrically adjacent to each side of said slit, thereby to define an elongated, trench-configured depression in said so crushed portions of said one face, said opposed edge portions being located medially in and also longitudinally extending in said depression with said opposed edge portions being in laterally adjacent but spaced relationship to one another, whereby said honeycomb panel is foldable along a hinge axis which is defined in said other face sheet and which is in transversely spaced, parallel relationship to said line, and whereby, when said honeycomb panel is so folded, said so crushed portions of said one face sheet on each side of said slit are brought into generally contacting interfacial engagement with one another.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
256 words
A method of forming a fold line in a honeycomb panel, said honeycomb panel comprising a pair of opposed face sheets that are interconnected together through a plurality of generally laterally spaced but periodically interconnected, and also transversely generally perpendicularly extending, spacer sheet strips located between said face sheet, said fold line being defined along a predetermined straight line defined on one of said face sheets, said method comprising the steps of: a) cutting a slit along said line, said slit extending through said one face sheet and into adjacent portions of said spacer sheet strips, thereby to define a pair of opposed edge portions with each edge portion being on a different adjacent side of said slit; and b) locally inwardly crushing portions of said one face sheet and adjacent portions of said spacer sheet strips along and symmetrically adjacent to each side of said slit, thereby to define an elongated, trench-configured depression in said so crushed portions of said one face, said opposed edge portions being located medially in and also longitudinally extending in said depression with said opposed edge portions being in laterally adjacent but spaced relationship to one another, whereby said honeycomb panel is foldable along a hinge axis which is defined in said other face sheet and which is in transversely spaced, parallel relationship to said line, and whereby, when said honeycomb panel is so folded, said so crushed portions of said one face sheet on each side of said slit are brought into generally contacting interfacial engagement with one another.
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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) | 1999-07-09 | 2000-01-08 | 2000-07-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-07-09 | 2004-01-08 | 2004-07-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-07-09 | 2008-01-08 | 2008-07-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |