Ozone Adhesion Process for Insulating Container Manufacture
First Claim
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1. A method of manufacturing an insulating container, comprising:
- molding an external structure of the insulating container from a polymer, the external structure comprising;
an inner trough;
an outer shell coupled to the inner trough by a top edge surface;
an internal cavity spaced between the inner trough and the outer shell and extending around four sides and a base of the external structure;
a first opening extending into the internal cavity at a first corner of a base surface of the outer shell;
a second opening extending into the internal cavity at a second corner, opposite the first corner, of the base surface of the outer shell;
positioning the external structure such that the second opening is above the first opening;
injecting an ozone gas containing 5-7.5% ozone into the first opening;
filling at least 80% of the cavity with the ozone gas to displace a mass of air out through the second opening;
flushing the cavity with air to remove ozone gas from the cavity; and
filling the cavity with an insulating foam.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for improving adhesion of an insulating foam to a molded polymeric insulating structure through use of ozone gas for functionalization of molded polymeric surfaces of an internal cavity of the insulating structure.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing an insulating container, comprising:
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molding an external structure of the insulating container from a polymer, the external structure comprising; an inner trough; an outer shell coupled to the inner trough by a top edge surface; an internal cavity spaced between the inner trough and the outer shell and extending around four sides and a base of the external structure; a first opening extending into the internal cavity at a first corner of a base surface of the outer shell; a second opening extending into the internal cavity at a second corner, opposite the first corner, of the base surface of the outer shell; positioning the external structure such that the second opening is above the first opening; injecting an ozone gas containing 5-7.5% ozone into the first opening; filling at least 80% of the cavity with the ozone gas to displace a mass of air out through the second opening; flushing the cavity with air to remove ozone gas from the cavity; and filling the cavity with an insulating foam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for producing an insulating structure, comprising:
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(a) molding an outer shell of the insulating structure from a polymer, the outer shell comprising; an internal cavity; a first opening extending into the internal cavity; a second opening extending into the internal cavity; (b) positioning the outer shell such that the second opening is above the first opening; (c) injecting an ozone gas containing 5-7.5% ozone into the first opening; (d) filling the cavity with the ozone gas to displace a mass of air out through the second opening; (e) at a time after step (d), filling the cavity with a gas to remove at least 97% of the ozone gas from the cavity; and (f) injecting an insulating foam into the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for manufacturing a cooler, comprising:
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(a) molding an external structure of the cooler from polyethylene, the external structure comprising; an inner trough; an outer shell coupled to the inner trough by a top edge surface; an internal cavity spaced between the inner trough and the outer shell and extending around four sides and a base of the external structure; a first opening extending into the internal cavity at a first corner of a base surface of the outer shell; a second opening extending into the internal cavity at a second corner, opposite the first corner, of the base surface of the outer shell; (b) positioning the external structure such that the second opening is above the first opening; (c) injecting an ozone gas containing 5-7.5% ozone into the first opening; (d) filling at least 90% of the cavity with the ozone gas in at least four minutes to displace a mass of air out through the second opening; (e) flushing the cavity with air for at least two minutes to remove ozone gas from the cavity; and (f) filling the cavity with polyurethane insulating foam. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification