Method of molding load-bearing articles from compressible cores and heat malleable coverings
First Claim
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3-1. The method according to claim 1, wherein said core member and said first and said second thermoplastic sheets comprise materials that bond to one another when said materials are heated and held in contact with one another.
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Abstract
Load-bearing article are manufactured from shape defining compressible cores and thermoplastic shells. The manufacture of these articles requires specific methods and tools. Articles that can be manufactured using these methods include relatively lightweight pallets with high load-bearing capacity.
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Citations
64 Claims
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3-1. The method according to claim 1, wherein said core member and said first and said second thermoplastic sheets comprise materials that bond to one another when said materials are heated and held in contact with one another.
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24. An apparatus for forming a load-bearing article having a shape defining compressible core member and a thermoplastic external shell, said apparatus comprising:
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a first molding tool having a first perforated surface;
a vacuum source connected to said perforations in said first molding tool for reversibly holding said core member;
a second molding tool having a convex interior surface;
a heating component for heating thermoplastics;
a first device for positioning said a first thermoplastic sheet between said core member attached to said first molding tool and said concave surface of said second molding tool;
a mechanism for compressing said first sheet and said core member into contact with said concave surface of said second molding tool;
a mechanism for withdrawing said first molding tool after said first sheet is placed in contact with said second molding tool a device for positioning said second heated thermoplastic sheet between said core member attached to first heated thermoplastic sheet and said second molding tool and said first molding tool;
a mechanism for compressing said first sheet, said core member, and said second sheet together; and
a device for welding portions of said first and second sheets in contact with one another together. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A load-bearing article, said article comprising:
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a shape defining compressible core member, having at least one surface including a convex feature and a core member perimeter; and
a thermoplastic shell having a shell interior and a shell edge, wherein said shell includes a first heated pliable thermoplastic sheet having an interior shaped by said convex surface of said core member and a first sheet edge extending outside of said core member perimeter, and a second heated pliable thermoplastic sheet having a second sheet interior and second sheet edge extending outside of said core member perimeter, said article is formed by compressing said core member between the interiors of said first and said second sheets, and bonding the edges of said first and said second sheets to one another to form said edge of said shell, said core member is compressed within said shell formed by said first, and said core member bonds to the said interior surface of said shell. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A pallet comprising:
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a shape defining compressible core member, having a first core member surface, a second core member surface, and a core member perimeter, wherein said second core member surface is substantially flat, said core member first surface includes convex features, and said core member substantially determines the shape of said pallet.;
a thermoplastic shell having a shell interior and a shell edge, wherein said article is formed by a twin sheet molding process, said shell includes a first heated pliable thermoplastic sheet having an interior and a first sheet edge, said first sheet edge extending outside of said core member perimeter, and a second heated pliable thermoplastic sheet having a second sheet interior and second sheet edge extending outside of said core member perimeter, said article is formed by compressing said core member between the interiors of said first and said second sheets, and bonding the edges of said first and said second sheets to one another to form said edge of said shell, said core member is compressed within said shell formed by said first, and said core member bonds to the said interior of said shell. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 64)
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Specification