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US 9,694,521 B2Granted
Ozone adhesion process for insulating container manufacture
AssigneeYETI Coolers, LLC
InventorsJohn French, Paul Nugent, Francis Laxamana, Argel Adarlo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for improving adhesion of an insulating foam to a molded polymeric insulating structure through use of ozone gas for functionalization of molded polymeric surfaces of an internal cavity of the insulating structure.
Claims25
A method of manufacturing an insulating container, comprising:
- molding an external structure of the insulating container from a polymer, the external structure comprising:
- an inner trough;
- an outer shell coupled to the inner trough by a top edge surface;
- an internal cavity spaced between the inner trough and the outer shell and extending around four sides and a base of the external structure;
- a first opening extending into the internal cavity at a first corner of a base surface of the outer shell;
- a second opening extending into the internal cavity at a second corner, opposite the first corner, of the base surface of the outer shell;
- positioning the external structure such that the second opening is above the first opening;
- injecting an ozone gas containing 5-7.5% ozone into the first opening;
- filling at least 80% of the cavity with the ozone gas to displace a mass of air out through the second opening;
- flushing the cavity with air to remove ozone gas from the cavity;
- and
- filling the cavity with an insulating foam.
9 more elements
A method for producing an insulating structure, comprising:
- (a) molding an outer shell of the insulating structure from a polymer, the outer shell comprising:
- an internal cavity;
- a first opening extending into the internal cavity;
- a second opening extending into the internal cavity;
- (b) positioning the outer shell such that the second opening is above the first opening;
- (c) injecting an ozone gas containing 5-7.5% ozone into the first opening;
- (d) filling the cavity with the ozone gas to displace a mass of air out through the second opening;
- (e) at a time after step (d), filling the cavity with a gas to remove at least 97% of the ozone gas from the cavity;
- and
- (f) injecting an insulating foam into the cavity.
7 more elements
A method for manufacturing a cooler, comprising:
- (a) molding an external structure of the cooler from polyethylene, the external structure comprising:
- an inner trough;
- an outer shell coupled to the inner trough by a top edge surface;
- an internal cavity spaced between the inner trough and the outer shell and extending around four sides and a base of the external structure;
- a first opening extending into the internal cavity at a first corner of a base surface of the outer shell;
- a second opening extending into the internal cavity at a second corner, opposite the first corner, of the base surface of the outer shell;
- (b) positioning the external structure such that the second opening is above the first opening;
- (c) injecting an ozone gas containing 5-7.5% ozone into the first opening;
- (d) filling at least 90% of the cavity with the ozone gas in at least four minutes to displace a mass of air out through the second opening;
- (e) flushing the cavity with air for at least two minutes to remove ozone gas from the cavity;
- and
- (f) filling the cavity with polyurethane insulating foam.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.