Thermoformed twin-sheet panel

• US 6,018,927 A
• Filed: 04/17/1998
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Formall, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Formall, Inc.
• Inventors: Major, Daniel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): CALLO, LAURA ANTOINETTE
• Application Number:
  US09/062,144
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 52/789.1, 52/793.1, 52/783.1, 52/309.1, 52/302.3, 108/57.25, 108/57.26, 108/57.27, 108/57.28, 108/57.29, 108/901, 108/902, 248/346.02, 248/678, 428/178, 428/179, 428/180
• US Class Current: 52/793.1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/738 Thermoformability
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2607/00 Walls, panels
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/28 characterised by a layer comprising a deformed thin sheet , i.e. the layer having its entire thickness deformed out of the plane, e.g. corrugated, crumpled B32B29/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0002 Platforms, i.e. load supporting devices without provision for handling by a forklift
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/38 Details or accessories
• 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 2519/00348 contact surface of other form
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00562 chemical connection, e.g. glued, welded, sealed
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/32 formed of corrugated or otherwise indented sheet-like material; composed of such layers with or without layers of flat sheet-like material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 108/901 Synthetic plastic industrial platform, e.g. pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24661 Forming, or cooperating to form cells

Abstract

A structural, load bearing panel is fabricated with twin-sheets of thermoformed polymer material to provide-substantially equal bending strength about each of substantially normal polar moment axes. Parallel rows of generally rectangular depressions in the top sheet surface are fused with a corresponding row pattern of depressions in the bottom sheet surface oriented substantially 90° to the top sheet rows. End walls of top sheet depressions are fused with side walls of bottom sheet depressions. Conversely, end walls of bottom sheet depressions are fused with side walls of top sheet depressions. An orthogonal matrix of interconnected gas flow channels vent substantially all void spaces between the top and bottom sheets.

Claims

1. A thermoformed twin-sheet panel having top and bottom shell members, said shell members being secured together in substantially parallel top and bottom plane alignment with an enclosed void space therebetween, a plurality of elongated depressions in said top and bottom shell members having length between end walls greater than width between side walls and depth across said void space between said shell members, said depressions in said top shell member being longitudinally aligned in substantially parallel rows with the length of said depressions in one said row being offset from the length of said depressions in laterally adjacent said rows, the orientation of said rows in said top shell member being substantially normal to the orientation of corresponding rows in said bottom shell member, said end walls of said depressions in said top shell member being fused with said side walls of said depressions in said bottom shell member and said end walls of said depressions in said bottom shell member being fused with said side walls of said depressions in said top shell member.

2. A twin-sheet panel as described by claim 1 wherein bottoms respective to the depressions in said top shell member are fused with said bottom shell member and bottoms respective to the depressions in said bottom shell member are fused with said top shell member.

3. A twin-sheet panel as described by claim 1 wherein the length of said depressions is proportional to the width of said depressions by a ratio of about 3:

1.

4. A twin-sheet panel as described by claim 1 having a substantially orthogonal matrix of interconnected gas flow channels within said void space.

5. A twin-sheet panel as described by claim 4 wherein said gas flow channels comprise conduit enclosures traversing the width of said depressions between opposite said side walls.

6. A twin-sheet panel as described by claim 5 wherein said conduit enclosures between opposite said side walls of said depressions are interconnected by a transverse conduit enclosure.

7. A twin-sheet panel as described by claim 5 wherein at least a portion of said conduit enclosures across said depressions in a first said row, are substantially aligned with said conduit enclosures across the depressions of adjacent said rows.

8. A structural panel having substantially parallel, spacially separated top and bottom surface planes, said surface planes being formed by top and bottom sheets of thermally formable material having respective sheet thickness substantially less than the spacial separation between said top and bottom surface planes, said panel further comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular depressions into said top and bottom surface planes, said depressions having a depth dimension between said top and bottom surface planes and bounded by side walls along a length dimension and end walls along a width dimension, said depressions in each surface plane being aligned in a plurality of substantially parallel rows with said depression length dimension aligned substantially parallel with a respective said row, each depression being spaced from adjacent said depressions in the same said row by approximately the same distance as said depression width dimension, each depression being spaced from adjacent said depressions in adjacent said rows by approximately the same dimension as said depression width dimension, space between adjacent said depressions in one said row being substantially symmetrically offset from the corresponding space between said depressions of laterally adjacent said rows, the rows of said depressions in said top surface plane being oriented substantially normal to the rows of said depressions in said bottom surface plane whereby the end walls of said depressions in said top surface plane are fused with said side walls of said depressions in said bottom surface plane.

9. A structural panel as described by claim 8 wherein the width dimension of said depressions is about one-third of the length dimension.

10. A structural panel as described by claim 8 having a substantially orthogonal matrix of interconnected gas flow channels internally of said panel.

11. A structural panel as described by claim 10 wherein said gas flow channels include conduit enclosures between opposite said side walls of said depressions.

12. A structural panel as described by claim 11 wherein said conduit enclosures between opposite said side walls of said depressions are interconnected by a transverse conduit enclosure.

13. A structural panel as described by claim 11 wherein at least a portion of said conduit enclosures across the depressions in a first said row are substantially aligned with said conduit enclosures across the depressions of adjacent said rows.