Method of manufacture of a linear panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018009155-A1
Application number	US-201715661310-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 27, 2017
Priority date	Jul 8, 2016
Publication date	Jan 11, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one aspect, a method of forming a linear panel from a thermoformable fibrous material by a continuous process includes continuously drawing an elongate strip of thermoformable fibrous material through a heating station to heat the material, forming the heated material into a desired panel shape, and continuously drawing the material through a cooling unit in order to cool the material after the material has been formed into the desired panel shape.

First claim

1 . A method of forming a linear panel from a thermoformable fibrous material by a continuous process, the method comprising:
continuously drawing an elongate strip of thermoformable fibrous material through a heating station to heat said material; forming said heated material into a desired panel shape; and continuously drawing said material through a cooling unit in order to cool said material after said material has been formed into the desired panel shape.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said heating station heats said material to a temperature of greater than or equal to approximately 80° C. and less than or equal to approximately 250° C.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired panel shape includes a flange extending along at least part of an elongate side of said elongate strip of material.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said material comprises at least one of bi-component polyester fibers, two different types of fibers having different melting points, a mixture of bi-component polyester fibers, or non-bi-component polyester fibers.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
said material comprises a plurality of bi-component polyester fibers; and each fiber includes an inner core formed from a first polyester material and an outer layer formed from a second polyester material.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:
said first polyester material has a first melting temperature; said second polyester material has a second melting temperature; and said first melting temperature is greater than said second melting temperature;

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
said material comprises a first material having a first melting temperature and a second material having a second melting temperature; and said first melting temperature differs from said second melting temperature.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
heating said material comprises pre-heating said material; and pre-heating said material comprises passing a heated air flow through said material as said material is continuously drawn through said heated air flow.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a temperature of said material as said material is heated.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising adjusting at least one of a temperature a heated air flow used to heat said material, a speed of the heated air flow, or a processing speed of said material to maintain the temperature of said material at a given temperature or to adjust the temperature of said material to a given temperature.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
cooling said material comprises passing an air flow through said material as said material is continuously drawn through the air flow; and the air flow is at a temperature at or below ambient air temperature.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
monitoring a temperature of said material as said material passes through said cooling unit; and adjusting at least one of a temperature of the air flow, a speed of the air flow, or a processing speed of said material to adjust the temperature of said material to a given temperature.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising cutting said elongate strip of material into linear panel lengths after said material has been formed and cooled.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising pulling said material through said heating station via a pulling unit including at least one roller having a surface formed of at least one of a resilient material, a sticky material, or a rough material or spikes.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said panel is formed by a continuous roll-forming process.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
continuously drawing said elongate strip of material through a heated mould of said heating station; and controlling the processing speed of said material and a temperature of said heated mould as said elongate strip of material is drawn through said heated mould.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein:
continuously drawing said elongate strip of material through said heated mould comprises continuously drawing said elongate strip of material through a plurality of form blocks of said heated mould; and each form block includes a different cut-out shape such that, when said material passes through said heated mould, said material passes through each of said plurality of form blocks to incrementally change a shape of said material.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising joining ends of two separate elongate strips of material together prior to heating said material.

19 . A method of forming a linear panel from a thermoformable fibrous material by a continuous process, the method comprising:
continuously drawing an elongate strip of thermoformable fibrous material through a heating station to heat said material, said material comprising a first material having a first melting temperature and a second material having a second melting temperature; forming said heated material into a desired panel shape; and continuously drawing said material through a cooling unit in order to cool said material after said material has been formed into the desired panel shape; wherein said first melting temperature differs from said second melting temperature.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein;
said material comprises a plurality of bi-component polyester fibers; each fiber including an inner core formed from said first material and an outer layer formed from said second material; and said first melting temperature is greater than said second melting temperature.

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas Ind Bv

Inventors

• Langeveld Michiel Jacobus Johannes
• Steenbergen Ralph
• De Goeij Hans Kurt

Classifications

• B29C53/005 Primary

  characterised by the choice of material (B29C53/36 and B29C53/56 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29K2067/00

  Use of polyesters {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B29C53/02 Primary

  Bending or folding (B29C53/22, B29C53/34, B29C53/36, B29C53/56 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29L2007/002

  Panels; Plates; Sheets · CPC title

• B29C53/84

  Heating or cooling · CPC title