Thermoformable panel for shelves
AssigneeSACO AEI Polymers, Inc.
InventorsPaolo Steinbach, Andrea Savonuzzi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a thermoformable panel for shelves composed of: at least one core plate having a honeycomb structure composed of a plurality of adjacent cells; a coating layer that includes at least one thermoplastic material coupled to the core plate on at least one face of the core plate. The invention envisions using coating films for the honeycomb core plate that improve adhesion between the material of the honeycomb core plate and the coating films, as well as optional finishing layers overlapped thereon, reducing costs in relation to present honeycomb panels by simplifying manufacturing processes, all while maintaining elevated properties of mechanical strength and low density, and therefore a low weight.
Claims25
A thermoformable panel comprising:
- a core plate having a honeycomb structure, which comprises a plurality of adjacent cells arranged with their axes substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to opposing faces of the core plate;
- a thermoplastic polymer film bonded to at least one of the faces of the core plate;
- and
- a second layer bonded to a face of the thermoplastic polymer film, which is opposed to the core plate;
- wherein the second layer comprises a nonwoven layer of continuous thermoplastic polymer fibers embedded in a thermoplastic material;
- wherein at least some of the core plate cells have head edges which at least partially penetrate into the thermoplastic polymer film;
- wherein at least some of the head edges have enlargements in a direction transverse to the axis of the cells.
A thermoformable panel comprising:
- a core plate having a honeycomb structure, which comprises a plurality of adjacent cells arranged with their axes substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to opposing faces of the core plate;
- wherein at least some of the core plate cells have head edges with enlargements in a direction transverse to the axis of the cells;
- a coating layer bonded to enlarged head edges on one of the core plate faces;
- wherein the coating layer comprises a nonwoven layer of continuous thermoplastic polymer fibers embedded in a thermoplastic material;
- and
- a thermoplastic polymer film bonded to a face of the coating layer, which is opposed to the coating layer face bonded to the core plate;
- wherein the thermoplastic polymer film comprises thermoplastic polyolefin and vegetable and/or mineral fibers.
A thermoformable panel comprising:
- a core plate having a honeycomb structure, which comprises a plurality of adjacent cells arranged with their axes substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to opposing faces of the core plate;
- wherein at least some of the core plate cells have head edges with enlargements in a direction transverse to the axis of the cells;
- a coating layer bonded to the enlarged head edges on at least one of the core plate faces;
- wherein the coating layer comprises a nonwoven layer of continuous thermoplastic polymer fibers having a softening temperature of about 180 to 300° C. embedded in a thermoplastic material, which has a softening temperature of about 90 to 120° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.