Manufacture of foam-filled panels and cores therefor
AssigneeM.P.M. Industries Inc.
InventorsAndrew G. Meray-Hovarth, Ricky W. Myers, Robert A. A. Palmberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a manner of making a core by shearing and bending a strip (36) of sheet metal into ribbons. The ribbons thereby constitute a series of troughs (53) and crests (52). The core is sandwiched between two skins (64,65). The crest and troughs are presented as tubes (66) extending into the interior of the core from an edge of the panel. Polyurethane foam is injected into these tubes. The foam rises and sticks the cores to the skins. The resulting panel is strong, rigid, durable, inexpensive, and extremely versatile.
Claims11
Method of making a foamed, cored panel, the method comprising the steps:
- of forming a sandwich of two skins (64,65) and a core (62) placed between the skins;
- where the sandwich has these characteristics;
- that the core is so shaped and arranged with respect to the skins that when viewed from an edge of the panel the sandwich presents the appearance of a series of open-ended, straight-through tubes (66);
- that the walls of such a tube are not closed or continuous but are provided with many openings along the length of the tube;
- that the openings are of such a size, position, and nature, that the tube is substantially open to neighbouring tubes and to the skins;
- of injecting, into the tubes thus presented, the ingredients of plastic foam in liquid form;
- of causing the ingredients to foam and to substantially fill the tubes and all spaces between the skins, and to adhere to the core and to the skins;
- and of allowing the foam to cure and become hard.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.