Laminate structural plastic material

• US 5,143,778 A
• Filed: 10/31/1990
• Issued: 09/01/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lyle H. Shuert
• Original Assignee: Lyle H. Shuert
• Inventors: Shuert, Lyle H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, Elizabeth
• Application Number:
  US07/606,171
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 428/323, 428/324, 428/480, 428/516
• US Class Current: 428/213
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/03 3 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/40 Symmetrical or sandwich layers, e.g. ABA, ABCBA, ABCCBA
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2323/04 Polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/06 as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/045; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/046; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/12; next to a metal layer B32B15/08; next to a glass layer B32B17/10; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/045; next to a wood layer B32B21/08; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/08; next to a natural or synthetic rubber layer B32B25/08
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0028 and each contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00318 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00338 contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00432 Non-integral, e.g. inserts B65D2519/00462 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00557 without separate auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00562 chemical connection, e.g. glued, welded, sealed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/251 Mica
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31786 : Of polyester [e.g., alkyd, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31913 : Monoolefin polymer

Abstract

An improved laminated structural material; an improved method of forming a relatively rigid structural article such as a pallet; and an improved structural article using the invention laminated structural material. The invention article is formed by separately extruding relatively thin outer skin layers of a 25% talc filled polyethylene material and a relatively thick central core layer of an essentially virgin polyethylene material; bonding the layers together to form a composite laminate strip including the relatively thin talc filled outer skins and the thick central core layer of virgin polyethylene; severing the strip to form upper and lower sheets; heating the upper and lower sheets in an oven to place them in a flowable condition; delivering the upper and lower sheets respectively to upper and lower molds carried by upper and lower platens of a press; vacuum forming the upper and lower sheets respectively to the upper and lower molds; and thereafter bringing the platens of the press together to selectively knit or fuse the upper and lower sheets together to form the article. The article produced by the invention methodology costs only slightly more than an article formed of virgin polyethylene material and yet has vastly superior stiffness characteristics as compared to the virgin polyethylene article while retaining substantially all of the superior impact characteristics of the virgin polyethylene article.

Claims

1. A laminate structural material comprising:

central inner core layer formed of a polyolefin material essentially devoid of reinforcing filler materials; and

a pair of outer skin layers sandwiching said core layer therebetween and each formed of a polyolefin material having a percentage by weight of a reinforcing filler material higher than the percentage by weight of filler material in said inner core layer, wherein said core layer has a thickness at least twice as great as the thickness of each skin layer.

2. A structural material according to claim 1 wherein:

said layers are formed of polyethylene.

3. A structural material according to claim 1 wherein:

said reinforcing filler material in said skin layers comprises an inorganic filler material.

4. A structural material according to claim 3 wherein:

said filler material comprises a siliceous filler material.

5. A structural material according to claim 4 wherein:

said filler material is selected from the group consisting of talc, mica or quartz.

6. A structural material according to claim 5 wherein:

said filler material comprises talc.

7. A structural material according to claim 6 wherein:

said talc comprises approximately 15-50% by weight of said skin layers.

8. A structural material according to claim 7 wherein:

said talc comprises approximately 25% by weight of said skin layers.

9. A structural material according to claim 1 wherein:

said core layer has a thickness at least twice as great as the thickness of each of said skin layers.

10. A structural material according to claim 9 wherein:

said core layer has a thickness at least trice as great as the thickness of each of said skin layers.

11. A method of forming a laminate structural material comprising the steps of forming a central inner core layer formed of a polyolefin material essentially devoid of reinforcing filler material and a pair of outer skin layers each formed of a polyolefin material having a percentage by weight of a reinforcing filler material higher than the percentage by weight of reinforcing filler material in said inner core layer, wherein said core layer has a thickness at least twice as great as the thickness of each skin layer;

bonding said layers together with said core layer sandwiched between said skin layers to form said laminate structural material.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein:

said layers are formed and bonded together in a coextrusion process.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein:

said layers are formed of polyethylene.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein:

said reinforcing filler material in said skin layers comprises an inorganic filler material.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein:

said filler material comprises a siliceous filler material.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein:

said filler material is selected from the group consisting of talc, mica or quartz.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein:

said filler material comprises talc.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein:

said talc comprises approximately 15-50% by weight of said skin layers.

19. A method according to claim 16 wherein:

said talc comprises approximately 25% by weight of said skin layers.

20. A method according to claim 11 wherein:

said core layer has a thickness at least twice as great as the thickness of each of said skin layers.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein:

said core layer has a thickness at least trice as great as the thickness of each of said skin layers.

22. A method of forming a relatively rigid structural article comprising the steps of:

forming a central core layer of a first high impact plastic material;

forming a pair of outer skin layers of a second plastic material having less impact strength than said first material but greater stiffness strength than said first material;

bonding said layers together with said core layer sandwiched between said outer skin layers to form a laminate structural material; and

thermoforming said laminate structure material to form said rigid structural article.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein:

said forming steps comprise heat extruding steps; and

said bonding step comprises bringing the extruded layers together while still in a heated state to form a continuous laminate strip.

24. A method according to claim 22 wherein:

said thermoforming step comprises a vacuum thermoforming step.

25. A method according to claim 23 wherein said structural article is a twin sheet article and wherein:

said method includes the further step of severing said strip to form at least two individual sheets; and

said thermoforming step comprises individually thermoforming said sheets and thereafter selectively fusing said sheets together to form said rigid twin sheet structural article.

26. A method according to claim 22 wherein:

said central core layer is and is formed of a polyolefin material essentially devoid of reinforcing filler materials; and

said outer layers comprise outer skin layers each formed of a polyolefin material having a percentage by weight of a reinforcing filler material higher than the percentage by weight of reinforcing filler material in said inner core layer, wherein said core layer has a thickness at least twice as great as the thickness of each skin layer.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein:

said layers are formed of polyethylene.

28. A method according to claim 25 wherein:

said reinforcing filler material in said skin layers comprises an inorganic filler material.

29. A method according to claim 28 wherein:

said filler material comprises a siliceous filler material.

30. A method according to claim 29 wherein:

said filler material is selected from the group consisting of talc, mica or quartz.

31. A method according to claim 30 wherein:

said filler material comprises talc.

32. A method according to claim 31 wherein:

said talc comprises approximately 15-50% by weight of said skin layers.

33. A method according to claim 32 wherein:

said talc comprises approximately 25% by weight of said skin layers.

34. A method according to claim 22 wherein:

said core layer has a thickness at least twice as great as the thickness of each of said skin layers.

35. A method according to claim 33 wherein:

said core layer has a thickness at least trice as great as the thickness of each of said skin layers.

36. A method of forming a pallet comprising the steps of:

forming a central core layer of a high impact plastic material;

forming a pair of outer layers of a second plastic material having less impact strength than said first material but greater stiffness strength than said first material;

bonding said layers together with said core layer sandwiched between said outer layers to form a laminate structural material; and

thermoforming said laminated structural material to form said pallet.

37. A method according to claim 36 wherein said pallet is a twin sheet pallet and wherein:

said forming steps comprise heat extruding steps;

said bonding step comprises bringing the extruded layers together while still in a heated state to form a continuous laminate strip;

said method includes the further step of severing said strip to form an upper sheet and a lower sheet; and

said thermoforming step comprises individually thermoforming said upper and lower sheets and thereafter selectively fusing said sheets together to form said pallet.

38. A plastic structural article characterized in that the article is formed of a laminate structural material comprising a central core layer formed of a first high impact plastic material and a pair of outer skin layers sandwiching said core layer, wherein said core layer has a thickness at least twice as great as the thickness of each skin layer therebetween and formed of a second plastic material having less impact strength than said first material but greater stiffness strength than said first material.

39. An article according to claim 38 wherein:

said article is a twin sheet article formed from first and second sheets and each of said sheets is formed of said laminate structural material.

40. An article according to claim 39 wherein:

said article is a pallet including a platform structure and a plurality of legs extending downwardly from said platform structure; and

said legs and platform structure are each formed from deformed and selectively fused together portions of said first and second sheets.

41. An article according to claim 38 wherein:

said first plastic material forming said central inner core layer comprises a polyolefin material essentially devoid of reinforcing filler materials; and

said second plastic material comprising said outer layers comprises a polyolefin material having a percentage by weight of a reinforcing filler material higher than the percentage by weight of reinforcing filler material in said inner core layer.

42. An article according to claim 41 wherein:

said layers are formed of polyethylene.

43. An article according to claim 42 wherein:

said reinforcing filler material in said outer layers comprises an inorganic filler material.

44. An article according to claim 43 wherein:

said filler material comprises a silicious filler material.

45. An article according to claim 44 wherein:

said filler material is selected from the group consisting of talc, mica or quartz.

46. An article according to claim 45 wherein:

said filler material comprises talc.

47. An article according to claim 46 wherein:

said talc comprises approximately 15-50% by weight of said outer layers.

48. An article according to claim 47 wherein:

said talc comprises approximately 25% by weight of said outer layers.

49. An article according to claim 48 wherein:

said core layer has a thickness at least twice as great as the thickness of each of said outer layers.

50. An article according to claim 49 wherein:

said core layer has a thickness at least thrice as great as the thickness of each of said outer layers.

51. A twin sheet plastic structural article comprising first and second plastic sheets individually thermoformed and selectively fused together to form the twin sheet article, characterized in that said sheets are each formed of a laminate structural material comprising a central inner core layer formed of a polyolefin material essentially devoid of reinforcing filler material and a pair of outer skin layers sandwiching said core layer, wherein said core layer has a thickness at least twice as great as the thickness of each skin layer therebetween and each formed of a polyolefin material having a percentage by weight of a reinforcing filler material higher than the percentage by weight of reinforcing filler material in said inner core layer.