# US 10,307,944 B2 · System and method for creating a fold in a portion of expandable material > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,307,944 B2 - Document ID: US10307944B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/503,484 - Filed: 2015-08-12 - Published: 2017-08-24 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-12 - Assignees: Icee Holdings Pty Ltd. - Applicants: ICEE Holdings Pty Ltd - Inventors: Leslie John Skinner; Hamish Hingston - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10307944B2 ## CPC - B29C 44/0446: {by increasing the density locally by compressing part of the foam while still in the mould} - B29C 44/58: Moulds - B29C 44/445: {in the form of expandable granules, particles or beads} - B29C 44/585: {with adjustable size of the mould cavity} - B29K 2023/12: {PP, i.e. polypropylene} - B29K 2025/06: {PS, i.e. polystyrene} - B29K 2067/046: {PLA, i.e. polylactic acid or polylactide} - B29K 2105/048: {Expandable particles, beads or granules} - B29L 2031/22: Hinges {, pivots} - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract There is described a method of creating a hinge in a body of expandable material, said body being substantially flat and having at least two planar regions connected by said hinge to facilitate folding of the planar regions about said hinge, comprising: expanding said expandable material to form said body; creating a region of excess expandable material in said body adjacent said hinge; and compressing said region of excess expandable material into the hinge of said body after the expandable material has fused to create a hinge having a concentrated volume of expanded material when compared to said at least two planar regions of said body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of creating a hinge in a body of expandable material, said body being substantially flat and having at least two planar regions connected by said hinge to facilitate folding of the planar regions about said hinge, comprising: expanding said expandable material to form said body; creating a region of excess expandable material in said body adjacent said hinge; and compressing said region of excess expandable material into the hinge of said body by moving a moveable anvil to push the excess expandable material, after the expandable material has fused against a static projection to create the hinge, having a concentrated volume of expanded material when compared to said at least two planar regions of said body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of expanding said expandable material comprises creating a mould into which the expandable material is expanded to form said body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2, wherein the mould is a two piece mould comprising a first mould member and a second mould member, the first mould member and the second mould member being configured to be secured together to define a mould cavity therebetween, the mould cavity being configured to substantially define said body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3, wherein the mould cavity is filled with expandable material in accordance with a predetermined density. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4, wherein the expandable material is caused to expand within said mould cavity to form said body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method according to claim 5, wherein the expandable material is caused to expand through the introduction of steam into said mould cavity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) A method according to claim 5, wherein the mould further comprises said movable anvil provided in the first mould member or the second mould member, the movable anvil being movable with respect to the mould cavity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A method according to claim 7, wherein the step of creating a region of excess expandable material in said body comprises withdrawing said movable anvil from said mould cavity to create an open space extending from said mould cavity into which said excess expandable material expands. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the open space is located adjacent the hinge of the body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, wherein the hinge of the body is formed by the projection formed on either the first mould member or the second mould member that extends into said mould cavity to define a shape of the hinge. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10, wherein the movable anvil is provided in either the first mould member or the second mould member such that it is positioned opposite the projection. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, wherein movable anvil is configured such that it extends substantially the width of the projection. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, wherein the movable anvil is configured such that it extends greater than the width of the projection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the step of compressing said region of excess expandable material into the hinge of said body after the expandable material has fused is performed by moving the movable anvil toward the mould cavity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A method according to claim 14, wherein the movable anvil is moved toward the mould cavity such that it is flush with an internal wall of the mould cavity to define the body and the excess expandable material present in the open space is compressed into the hinge of the body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method according to claim 15 wherein the movable anvil is maintained in the position flush with the internal wall of the mould cavity until the expandable material has cooled and the body has been ejected from the mould cavity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the expandable material is a rigid cellular plastic selected from the group comprising expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), and expanded polylactic acid (EPLA). ### Claim 18 A system for creating a hinge in a body made of expandable material, said body being substantially flat and having at least two planar regions connected by said hinge to facilitate folding of the planar regions about said hinge, comprising: a mould configured to receive said expandable material therein to form said body, the mould having a static projection formed on a surface thereof to form the hinge; and an anvil attachable to said mould and movable with respect to said mould to define a space into which a region of excess expandable material can form, said space being positioned adjacent the hinge; wherein the anvil is controllable such that following formation of said region of excess expandable material the anvil is movable to compress said region of excess expandable material against said static projection such that the hinge has a concentrated volume of expandable material formed therein.