Press and method of use
AssigneePlantd, Inc.
InventorsHuade Tan, Dillon Voss, Staton Michaels, Shek Lam Nicholas Poon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In variants, the system can include a press frame, a set of conveyor systems, a set of core units, a set of pressure control systems, a power source, and/or any other suitable system components. The system components can cooperatively form a continuous press for manufacturing composite boards from composite board material by applying pressure and/or heat to the composite board material. In variants, the system can provide a modular, extensible, and lightweight continuous press that can be elongated or shortened by adding or removing modular core units to the core section.
Claims20
A modular continuous press, comprising:
- a press frame defining a frame length;
- an upper and lower conveyor loop mounted to the press frame and extending along the frame length;
- a plurality of press modules arranged in series along the frame length, each comprising:
- a module frame rigidly mounted to the press frame;
- a horizontal lower platen rigidly mounted to the module frame and arranged within the lower conveyor loop;
- a horizontal upper platen arranged within the upper conveyor loop;
- a bank of vertical hydraulic cylinders, each comprising a left and right hydraulic cylinder subset, statically mounting the horizontal upper platen to the module frame and configured to bias the upper platen toward the lower platen;
- a platen alignment bracket statically mounted to the lower platen and applying a lateral alignment force to the upper platen;
- and
- a linear displacement sensor monitoring a vertical position of the upper platen;
- wherein upper platens of the plurality of press modules are rigidly connected to each other;
- a set of linkages connecting an upper platen of a press module of the plurality of press modules to the press frame, wherein a force applied by the set of linkages opposes a longitudinal friction force applied to the upper platen of the press module by the upper conveyor loop;
- a continuous metal layer arranged between the upper conveyor loop and the upper platens of the plurality of press modules;
- and
- a processing system configured to differentially control the left and right hydraulic cylinder subsets of each press module based on the vertical position measured by the respective linear displacement sensor of the respective press module.
A modular continuous press system, comprising:
- a press frame defining a longitudinal axis;
- a pair of vertically-offset conveyor loops movably mounted to the press frame, the pair of conveyor loops arranged along the longitudinal axis and cooperatively defining a pressing region;
- a set of press modules, each press module comprising:
- a module frame rigidly mounted to the press frame;
- a dynamic platen arranged within one of the pair of conveyor loops;
- and
- a set of vertical linear actuators mounting the dynamic platen to the module frame;
- and
- a set of struts connecting the press frame to a dynamic platen from the set of press modules, wherein the set of struts:
- extend along the longitudinal axis;
- and
- resist friction forces parallel to the longitudinal axis exerted on the dynamic platen due to motion of the one of the pair of conveyor loops.
A modular press system, comprising:
- a press frame defining a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis;
- and
- a set of press modules arranged along the longitudinal axis, each press module comprising:
- a module frame rigidly mounted to the press frame;
- a pair of platens, comprising a first platen and a second platen mounted to the module frame;
- a set of vertical linear actuators mounting the first platen to the module frame;
- and
- a rigid alignment bracket rigidly mounted to one of the first or second platen and exerting a lateral alignment force on the other platen of the pair.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.