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US 5,670,001 AGranted
Honeycomb fabrication
AssigneePlascore, Inc.
InventorsFritz Huebner, Gerard J. Schoeb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for forming honeycomb structure from a plurality of substrate layers. The layers are bonded together by spaced, parallel, solid node strips of thermoplastic material pressed and heated above the softening temperature to bond to the substrate surfaces and form a block. After cooling, the block is expanded into a honeycomb structure. Alternatively, the solid node strips can be placed on the spaced raised crests of corrugated layers of substrate, and successive layers bonded together by pressure and sufficient heat between the crests of one layer and the corresponding depression of the successive layer, to elevate the node strips above the softening temperature. Several alternative methods and apparatuses for achieving the result are disclosed.
Claims48
A method of making honeycomb product comprising the steps of:
- advancing a plurality of substrate layers to be overlaid relative to each other;
- applying to individual ones of said substrate layers a plurality of segment node strips of solid polymeric material having a softening temperature and a higher melting temperature, said solid node strips being placed spaced from and parallel to each other on each said substrate layer, and placed in alternating offset but parallel relationship to solid node strips on substrate layers thereabove and therebelow;
- placing said substrate layers in stacked relationship to each other and applying pressure to said substrate layers and said solid node strips while elevating the temperature of said solid node strips to a value above said softening temperature but below said melting temperature, and maintaining said pressure and said temperature for a time sufficient to force softened portions of said solid node strips into full engagement with said substrate layers;
- removing the pressure and cooling said layers and solid node strips and thereby bonding said solid node strips to said substrate layers to form a laminated structure;
- and
- expanding said cooled laminated structure into a honeycomb core structure.
3 more elements
A method of making honeycomb product comprising the steps of:
- advancing a continuous web of substrate material;
- advancing a plurality of continuous node strips of solid thermoplastic node material in the same direction as said advancing substrate material;
- applying said node strips to a surface of said substrate material while said node strips are retained spaced from and parallel to each other;
- heating said node strips above the softening temperature thereof and applying pressure to said softened strips against said substrate material to adhere said parallel node strips to said substrate material;
- transversely cutting said continuous substrate material into substrate sheets and said adhered node strips into node segments;
- stacking said substrate sheets and adhered node segments in layers, with said segment node strips on successive layers being laterally offset and parallel to node strips on layers thereabove and therebelow;
- heating said segment node strips above the softening temperature thereof and pressing said layers together to bond said layers together with each other and with said node strips, along said node strips, to form a block;
- cooling said block;
- and
- expanding said block into a honeycomb structure.
7 more elements
A method of making a honeycomb structure comprising the steps of:
- advancing substrate material in a first direction;
- advancing node strips of solid thermoplastic polymeric node material in a second direction transverse to said first direction across said substrate material at spaced intervals to provide spaced parallel node strips, for a combination of substrate and node strips;
- effecting a stack of layers of said combination substrate and node strips while offsetting said node strips on each layer to be laterally offset midway relative to any node strips on a layer therebelow and any node strips on a layer thereabove;
- pressing said stack of layers including said node strips while heating said node strips sufficiently to soften said node strips to bond to the layer therebelow and the layer thereabove, forming a block;
- cooling said block;
- and
- expanding said block into a honeycomb structure.
4 more elements
A method of making honeycomb blocks comprising the steps of:
- providing a windup form having faces and being rotational about its center;
- winding up onto said form at least one web of substrate material to form substrate layers thereof on said faces, while winding up a plurality of spaced parallel node strips of solid thermoplastic node material between the said layers of substrate material, said solid node material having a softening temperature and a higher melting temperature, and causing said spaced parallel solid node strips applied to successive substrate layers to be midway between the solid node strips applied to the previous substrate layer;
- and
- heating and pressing said solid node strips and substrate layers to a temperature above said softening temperature, but below said melting temperature of said solid node strips to sufficiently soften said solid node strips and cause them to bond between adjacent layers of said substrate material.
1 more element
A method of making honeycomb precursor product, capable of expansion into a honeycomb product, from sheet stock, comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of substrate layers;
- corrugating said layers to result in parallel, spaced, offset crests and depressions in each layer;
- placing on said crests node strips of solid thermoplastic node material having a softening temperature and a higher melting temperature, with said node strips being spaced from and parallel to each other;
- stacking said substrate layers to cause said depressions in each layer to engage said node strips on the said crests of the layer therebelow, and thereby cause said node strips on said crests of each layer to engage the depressions of the layer thereabove;
- applying pressure to said crests and depressions of successive said substrate layers while heating said node strips to a temperature above said softening temperature to bond said node strips to said substrate layers of said crests and depressions, and thereby bond said corrugated substrate layers together;
- and
- cooling and removing said pressure from said substrate layers to result in a honeycomb structure.
4 more elements
A method for forming a precursor block expandable into a honeycomb structure, comprising the steps of:
- providing and advancing substrate layers, and stacking said substrate layers;
- providing and advancing successive sets of pluralities of solid polymeric node strips in parallel relationship, at equal spacings, onto said substrate layers before or while said substrate layers are stacked, one set for each layer, and each set laterally offset halfway relative to the strip spacing of the set therebelow;
- and
- softening said solid node strips and pressing them into bonding relationship with said substrate layers to form a block, to thereby form an expandable block.
1 more element
The method defined in 30 wherein the substrate layers that are advanced are made of a porous material.
A method for forming a precursor block expandable into a honeycomb structure, comprising the steps of:
- providing and advancing at least one web of substrate material to a stacking apparatus that stacks successive layers of said substrate material;
- providing and advancing a plurality of spaced parallel node strips of solid thermoplastic node material toward said web of substrate material, said node material having a softening temperature and a higher melting temperature;
- and
- heating said solid node strips to a temperature above said softening temperature, but below said melting temperature as said solid node strips are applied between adjacent layers of said substrate material to bond the adjacent layers of substrate material together as said solid node strips are allowed to cool.
1 more element
A method for forming a precursor block expandable into a honeycomb structure, comprising the steps of:
- providing a windup form having faces and being rotational about its center;
- winding up onto said windup form at least one web of substrate material to form substrate layers thereof on said faces;
- advancing a plurality of spaced parallel node strips of solid thermoplastic node material toward said windup form, said node material having a softening temperature and a higher melting temperature;
- and
- heating said solid node strips to a temperature above said softening temperature, but below said melting temperature as said solid node strips are wound upon said windup form between adjacent layers of said substrate material to bond the adjacent layers of substrate material together as said solid node strips are allowed to cool.
2 more elements
A method for forming a honeycomb structure, comprising the steps of:
- providing a windup form having faces and being rotational about its center;
- winding up onto said windup form a first web of porous substrate material on said faces to form a plurality of layers of said first substrate web;
- advancing a first set of spaced parallel node strips of solid thermoplastic node material toward said windup form for application onto said first substrate web, said node material having a softening temperature and a higher melting temperature;
- winding up onto said windup form a second web of porous substrate material on said first set of spaced parallel node strips to form a plurality of layers of said second substrate web;
- advancing a second set of spaced parallel node strips of said solid thermoplastic node material toward said windup form for application onto said second substrate web, said second set of node strips being applied to said second substrate web at spacings off-set halfway between the node strips of said first set;
- heating said solid node strips of said first and second set to a temperature above said softening temperature, but below said melting temperature as said solid node strips are wound upon said windup form between adjacent layers of said first and second substrate layers to bond the adjacent substrate layers together as said solid node strips are allowed to cool, said node strips being applied as a softened solid material to prevent wicking of the node strips through the layers of said first and second webs of porous substrate material;
- rotating said windup form until a multi-layered structure is formed that includes a plurality of alternating layers of said first and second substrate webs bonded together along nodes formed therebetween by said node strips;
- cutting the multi-layered structure into flat precursor blocks;
- and
- expanding a precursor block into a honeycomb structure.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.