US 9,579,832 B2Granted

Method of shortening the time to compression mold a roofing shingle or tile and apparatus for facilitating same

AssigneeCertainTeed Corporation

InventorsThomas Kevin MacKinnon, David Nelson, Nolan Loy Son, Trevor Reeve

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method of shortening cycle time required to compression mold shingle or tile is provided, wherein carrier plates are comprised of a surface material and a base, and receive a thermoplastic material, thereon. The roofing material is applied to the carrier plate and the carrier plate is subjected to induction heating, by which its surface material has its temperature raised, without substantially raising the temperature of the carrier plate base, such that the thermoplastic material applied thereto is kept heated in the compression mold. Cooling of the thermoplastic material is by heat transfer from the carrier plate surface material to the carrier plate base, and with both materials having good heat conduction capability. The carrier plate surface material has a high receptivity to being heated by induction heating relative the carrier plate base. The carrier plates are serially delivered through the process, to the compression mold.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of shortening the cycle time required to compression mold a roofing product, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a carrier plate that has a base and a surface material;
(b) delivering the carrier plate to an induction heater and induction heating the carrier plate surface material to raise the temperature of the carrier plate surface material;
(c) then delivering the carrier plate to an extruding means and extruding a hot, partially molten thermoplastic material onto the surface material of the carrier plate;
(d) then, while the raised temperature of the carrier plate surface material keeps the extruded thermoplastic material in a partially molten state, delivering the carrier plate to a compression molding means and compression molding the thermoplastic material to a desired configuration while it is on the carrier plate surface material;
(e) cooling the thermoplastic material by allowing heat transfer from the surface material of the carrier plate to the base of the carrier plate;
wherein the improvement comprises:
(f) the carrier plate base having a heat conduction capability and is comprised of a material that has a first level of receptivity to being heated by induction heating;
(g) the carrier plate surface material comprising an exterior surface of the carrier plate and comprising a surface means for receiving hot, partially molten thermoplastic material thereon, with the surface material having heat conduction capability and is comprised of a material that has a second level of receptivity to being heated by induction heating, with said second level of receptivity being higher than said first level of receptivity;
(h) with the carrier plate surface material being in bonded relation to the carrier plate base;
(i) wherein the carrier plate base is responsive to receiving heat transferred thereto from the carrier plate surface material;
and
(j) wherein the carrier plate surface material is responsive to being cooled by heat transfer from the carrier plate surface material to the carrier plate base.

9 more elements

A method of shortening the cycle time required to compression mold a product, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a carrier plate that has a base and a surface material;
(b) delivering the carrier plate to an induction heater and induction heating the carrier plate surface material to raise the temperature of the carrier plate surface material;
(c) then delivering the carrier plate to an extruding means and extruding a hot, partially molten thermoplastic material onto the surface material of the carrier plate;
(d) then, while the raised temperature of the carrier plate surface material keeps the extruded thermoplastic material in a partially molten state, delivering the carrier plate to a compression molding means and compression molding the thermoplastic material to a desired configuration while it is on the carrier plate surface material;
(e) cooling the thermoplastic material by allowing heat transfer from the surface material of the carrier plate to the base of the carrier plate;
wherein the improvement comprises:
(f) the carrier plate base having a heat conduction capability and is comprised of a material that has a first level of receptivity to being heated by induction heating;
(g) the carrier plate surface material comprising an exterior surface of the carrier plate and comprising a surface means for receiving hot, partially molten thermoplastic material thereon, with the surface material having heat conduction capability and is comprised of a material that has a second level of receptivity to being heated by induction heating, with said second level of receptivity being higher than said first level of receptivity;
(h) with the carrier plate surface material being in bonded relation to the carrier plate base;
(i) wherein the carrier plate base is responsive to receiving heat transferred thereto from the carrier plate surface material;
and
(j) wherein the carrier plate surface material is responsive to being cooled by heat transfer from the carrier plate surface material to the carrier plate base.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/652,720Filed 16 Oct 2012 · continuation
Priority: 12 Dec 2008
Published: US 2013/0037994 A114 Feb 2013
Granted: 28 Feb 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B29C 43/18
Of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for…
B29C 43/34
Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations: feeding the material to the mould or the compression means
B29C 43/00
Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material
B29C 2043/3416
Using carrying means: conveyor belts

Family

Application61/121,925Us provisional application · filed 12 Dec 2008
Application12/636,024Parent of this division · filed 11 Dec 2009
Application13/340,773Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Dec 2011
US 2013/0037994 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Feb 2013
US 8,128,857 B2Parent of this division
Application13/340,773Parent of this division
US 2010/0327489 A1Published application
US 2012/0107443 A1Published application
US 9,579,832 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.