Process and apparatus for manufacturing a honeycomb composite material

• US 20060000547A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cascades Canada ULC (Cascades Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cascades Canada Inc. (Cascades Incorporated)
• Inventors: O'Callaghan, Wendy, Roberge, Jean-Louis, Cantin, Andre, Lebeau, Benoit, Chevrette, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,288,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/292
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4835 Heat curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/438 Joining sheets for making hollow-walled, channelled structures or multi-tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53462 joining substantially flat covers and substantially flat bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72328 Paper
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72341 for gases
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72521 comprising corrugated cores
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7254 honeycomb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83423 cooperating bands or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 24/005 the structure having joined ribs, e.g. honeycomb
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/00 Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/083 EVA, i.e. ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2311/14 Wood, e.g. woodboard or fibreboard
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2711/14 Wood, e.g. woodboard or fibreboard
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2016/00 Articles with corrugations or pleats B29L2023/18, B29L2024/003 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/608 Honeycomb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/1215 : Hot-melt adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 : characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/146 : whereby one or more of the layers is a honeycomb structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1003 : by separating laminae between spaced secured areas [e.g., honeycomb expanding]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 : Flash, trim or excess removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1084 : of continuous or running length bonded web
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1712 : Indefinite or running length work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1727 : Plural indefinite length or running length workpieces

Abstract

The present invention relates to for a continuous production of a web of a composite material. The process comprises the steps of: providing a web of honeycomb material; providing at least one web of face sheet material having a corrugated medium with at least one linerboard on at least one face thereof; carrying the web of honeycomb material and the at least one web of face sheet material along a production line; and adhesively applying the at least one web of face sheet material to one face of the honeycomb material while the honeycomb material is being conveyed through the production line and maintained in an expanded state. The present invention also relates to a packaging material manufactured with a process described hereinabove and an apparatus to manufacture same.

Claims

1. A process for a continuous production of a web of a composite material, the process comprising the steps of:

providing a web of honeycomb material;

providing at least one web of face sheet material having a corrugated medium with at least one linerboard on at least one face thereof;

carrying said web of honeycomb material and said at least one web of face sheet material along a production line; and

adhesively applying said at least one web of face sheet material to one face of said honeycomb material while said honeycomb material is being conveyed through the production line and maintained in an expanded state.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of expanding said honeycomb material from a collapsed state to said expanded state while said honeycomb material is being conveyed through the production line.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of adhesively applying said at least one web of face sheet material to one face of said honeycomb material further comprises

applying an adhesive on one of at least one face of said web of honeycomb material and a face of each of said at least one web of face sheet material;

laminating said at least one web of face sheet material on said web of honeycomb material, said adhesive being located therebetween; and

permitting said adhesive to set to keep said at least one web of face sheet material laminated with said web of honeycomb material.

4. A process as claimed in claim 3, wherein said adhesive is applied on at least one face of said web of honeycomb material.

5. A process as claimed in claim 3, further comprising heating said adhesive.

6. A process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising trimming said web of composite material.

7. A process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising cutting one of said at least one face sheet material of said web of composite material and bending said web of composite material to a predetermined angle.

8. A process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising cutting longitudinally said web of composite material.

9. A process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising cutting transversally said web of composite material.

10. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one web of face sheet material comprises a linerboard on each face of said corrugated medium.

11. A packaging material manufactured with a process as claimed in claim 1.

12. An apparatus for a continuous production of a web of a composite material, said apparatus comprising:

at least one carrier for moving a web of honeycomb material along said apparatus;

at least one carrier for moving at least one web of a face sheet material along said apparatus, said face sheet material having a corrugated medium with a linerboard on at least one face thereof;

at least one laminator for adhesively applying said at least one web of said face sheet material to a face of said web of honeycomb material in an expanded state.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising an expanding mechanism for expanding said web of honeycomb material from a collapsed state to said expanded state.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said expanding mechanism comprises at least two expanding rolls.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said carrier for said web of honeycomb material comprises at least one driven roll.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said carrier for said at least one web of face sheet material comprises at least one driven roll.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, comprising at least one heater to activate said adhesive.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said at least one heater is selected from the group consisting of:

an electric plate, a steam plate, a gas or an electric infrared heater, microwaves, and a warm air flow.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said laminator comprises at least one adhesive applicator.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said adhesive applicator applies an adhesive on at least one face of said web of honeycomb material.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said at least one web of face sheet material comprises a linerboard on each face of the corrugated medium.

22. A packaging material manufactured with an apparatus as claimed in claim 12.