METHOD FOR BENDING SHEET MATERIAL, BENT SHEET MATERIAL AND SYSTEM FOR BENDING SHEET MATERIAL THROUGH ATTACHMENT DEVICES

• US 20100279842A1
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gregory Epps
• Original Assignee: Gregory Epps
• Inventors: Epps, Gregory
• Application Number:
  US12/664,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20100279842A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 493/405
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 11/20 Bending sheet metal, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 5/01 between rams and anvils or abutments
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/04 of plates or sheets B29C63/04 takes precedence; bending or folding paper B31F1/0003; folding films B65H45/00

Abstract

The invention provides a method of bending sheet material (10), including the steps of attaching two or more attachment devices (30) to a surface of a sheet (10) to be bent and moving each of the attached attachment devices (30) along a predetermined trajectory (40) in order to bend the sheet.

Claims

1. A method of bending sheet material, including the steps of:

attaching two or more attachment devices to a surface of a sheet to be bent; and

moving the attached attachment devices relative to one another by moving one or more of the attachment devices along a predetermined trajectory in order to bend the sheet.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the attachment devices are attached inward of the edges of the sheet to be bent.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method is a method of bending sheet material into a form comprising one or more surface patches, wherein each surface patch is in the form of a flat, a cylinder, a part of a cylinder a cone or a part of a cone.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method is a method of bending sheet material along a fold line, and the fold line separates at least one attachment device from the remaining attachment device or devices.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the fold line is curvilinear.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the fold line is straight.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the fold line includes a curvilinear portion and a straight portion.

8. A method according to claim 4, wherein each attachment device includes two or more attachment pads.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein each attachment device includes three attachment pads.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein a first attachment pad for guiding the bend is attached proximal to the fold line.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein a second attachment pad for providing leverage is attached further from the fold line than the first attachment pad.

12. A method according to claim 4, wherein each attachment device includes one attachment pad.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the attachment pad is attached such that a first extremity for guiding the bend is proximal to the fold line.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the attachment pad is attached such that a second extremity for providing leverage is further from the fold line than the first extremity.

15. A method according to claim 4, including the initial step of providing a line of weakness along the fold line by any one of:

scoring, pre-folding, rolling, perforating or otherwise removing sections of material.

16. A method according to claim 4, wherein the method is a method of bending sheet material along a plurality of fold lines.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein one or more of the plurality of fold lines are non-parallel.

18. A sheet of material bent according to claim 1.

19. A system for bending sheet material, including two or more actuatable attachment devices and a controller programmed to move the actuatable attachment devices relative to one another by moving at least on of the attachment devices along a predetermined trajectory in accordance with the method of claim 1.