CA1082146A - Method of packaging plastic laminate wall cover - Google Patents
Method of packaging plastic laminate wall coverInfo
- Publication number
- CA1082146A CA1082146A CA315,226A CA315226A CA1082146A CA 1082146 A CA1082146 A CA 1082146A CA 315226 A CA315226 A CA 315226A CA 1082146 A CA1082146 A CA 1082146A
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- wall covering
- box
- wall
- end walls
- covering
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
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Abstract
METHOD OF PACKAGING PLASTIC LAMINATE WALL COVER
Abstract of the Disclosure A single sheet of standard grade plastic laminate material is bent at two locations to form it into a side wall and two end walls corresponding to the side wall and two end walls of a bathtub recess. Following forming, one end wall portion of the wall covering is loosely folded over the opposite end wall portion. Then, the partially folded wall covering is pushed endwise into a rectangular cardboard box having a normal thickness which is substantially smaller than the initial depth of the partially folded wall covering. The box with the partially folded wall covering inside is moved through a rectangular opening provided in a rigid mandril, sized to be substantially equal to the normal outside dimension of the box. The mandril forces the outwardly bulging side walls of the box inwardly and reshapes both the side walls of the box and the side and end walls of the partially folded wall covering therein. In so doing, the end walls of the wall covering are slid in position an amount sufficient to cause the side and partially overlapped end walls of the wall covering to bow inwardly until the wall covering has assumed a new configuration which is substantially within the normal rectangular shape of the box. The frictional contact between the backing layer of the wall covering and inner surface portions of the box in contact therewith serve to hold the wall covering in such new configuration, so that the box will retain a substantially rectangular shape.
Abstract of the Disclosure A single sheet of standard grade plastic laminate material is bent at two locations to form it into a side wall and two end walls corresponding to the side wall and two end walls of a bathtub recess. Following forming, one end wall portion of the wall covering is loosely folded over the opposite end wall portion. Then, the partially folded wall covering is pushed endwise into a rectangular cardboard box having a normal thickness which is substantially smaller than the initial depth of the partially folded wall covering. The box with the partially folded wall covering inside is moved through a rectangular opening provided in a rigid mandril, sized to be substantially equal to the normal outside dimension of the box. The mandril forces the outwardly bulging side walls of the box inwardly and reshapes both the side walls of the box and the side and end walls of the partially folded wall covering therein. In so doing, the end walls of the wall covering are slid in position an amount sufficient to cause the side and partially overlapped end walls of the wall covering to bow inwardly until the wall covering has assumed a new configuration which is substantially within the normal rectangular shape of the box. The frictional contact between the backing layer of the wall covering and inner surface portions of the box in contact therewith serve to hold the wall covering in such new configuration, so that the box will retain a substantially rectangular shape.
Description
lOl~Z146 Background of the Invention Field of the Invention This invention relates to a method of packaging such a pre-formed wall covering into a relatively shallow rectangular cardboard box.
Related Application This is a division of Serial No. 270,174, filed January 21, 1977, and entitled Wall Covering For a Bathtub Recess and Method of Forming Same.
Description of the Prior Art There are several multi-piece wall coverina kits for tub recesses on the market today. A common kit comprises three flat panels of a sheet material (e.g. a plastic laminate) having a decorative fact. One panel is installed on the side wall of the tub-recess. The other two panels are separately installed on the two end walls of the tub-recess. It is also known to preform from fiberglass all three walls of the tub-recess with a fiberglass bathtub. However, prior to my invention, I am not aware of any-one having produced a preformed wall covering for the side and end walls of the tub-recess from a single sheet of plastic laminate material.
The art of bending sheet plastic materials into various shapes is also well known. The following are examples of known methods and/or apparatus on which United States patents have been granted: No. 2,420,119, granted May 6, 1947, to Robert Boehm and Aaron A. Ladon; No. 2,744,850, granted May 8, 1956, to Christian A. Scofield; No. 2,897,547, granted August 4, 1959, to
Related Application This is a division of Serial No. 270,174, filed January 21, 1977, and entitled Wall Covering For a Bathtub Recess and Method of Forming Same.
Description of the Prior Art There are several multi-piece wall coverina kits for tub recesses on the market today. A common kit comprises three flat panels of a sheet material (e.g. a plastic laminate) having a decorative fact. One panel is installed on the side wall of the tub-recess. The other two panels are separately installed on the two end walls of the tub-recess. It is also known to preform from fiberglass all three walls of the tub-recess with a fiberglass bathtub. However, prior to my invention, I am not aware of any-one having produced a preformed wall covering for the side and end walls of the tub-recess from a single sheet of plastic laminate material.
The art of bending sheet plastic materials into various shapes is also well known. The following are examples of known methods and/or apparatus on which United States patents have been granted: No. 2,420,119, granted May 6, 1947, to Robert Boehm and Aaron A. Ladon; No. 2,744,850, granted May 8, 1956, to Christian A. Scofield; No. 2,897,547, granted August 4, 1959, to
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Robert J. Clapp, Morton E. Latham and John G. Stansbury; No.
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Robert J. Clapp, Morton E. Latham and John G. Stansbury; No.
3,020,596, granted February 13, 1962, to Robert 3. Clapp and John E. Jamison; and No. 3,574,807, granted August 13, 1971 to Edward A. Heavener. These patents should be consulted for the purpose of properly evaluating my invention and putting it into proper perspective with respect to the prior art.
I am also aware that the Formica Corporation of Cin-cinatti, Ohio has proposed bending its one-sixteenth inch Formica brand laminated plastic about a one and one-half inch diameter tube which is heated to a surface temperature of three hundred seventy-five degrees fahrenheit by a thermostatically controlled internal heater. The company's instructions include an instruction to overform the material by bending the material through a one hundred degree arc, and an instruction to wipe the sanded side of the formed area with water. These steps are outlined by the Formica Corporation in specifications for a post forming procedure.
Summary of -the -Invention The invention in one aspect prcvi~ a methDd of packaging a prefo~d wall ccvering for the side and ena walls of a tub-recess, comprising: providing a one-piece wall covering that was formed from a single sheet of plastic laminate material having a decorative layer on one side and a backing layer on its opposite side, which wall covering comprises a pair of end walls which project outwardly from an interconnecting side - wall, and which end walls meet said side wall at rounded corners, with the decorative layer of the plastic laminate material being on the inside of the wall covering and the backing layer being on the outside thereof, partially folding said preformed wall covering by lapping one end wall thereof ~ over the other end wall thereof, to produce a configuration ~, I
- 108Z~46 of said wall covering in which the side wall thereof bows outwardly in one direction and the partially overlapped end walls thereof bow outwardly in the opposite direction, sub-stantially maintaining this configuration of the wall cover-ing while introducing one end thereof into an open end of a normally rectangular box that is wider than the width of the partially folded wall covering and of a normal depth that is substantially smaller than the depth dimension of the partially folded wall covering, pushing the wall covering into the box, so that the outwardly bowing side and end walls of the wall covering will in turn bow the adjacent side walls of the box outwardly, forcing inwardly and reshaping both the side walls of the box and the side and end walls of the wall covering therein, and in so doing sliding the end walls of the wall - covering in position an amount sufficient to cause the side and partially overlapped end walls of the wall covering to bow inwardly until the wall covering has assumed a new configuration which is substantially within the normal rectangular shape of the box, and closing the ends of the box, with the frictional contact between the backing layer of the wall covering and the inner surfaces of the box in contact therewith serving to hold the wall covering in such new configuration, so that the box will retain a substantially rectangular shape.
In the preferred practice of the invention, I locate a one-sixteenth inch sheet of a standard brand of plastic laminate material between a support bed and a press assembly of a form-ing apparatus. The bed includes a pair of parallel forming tubes having exterior forming surfaces and thermostatically controlled internal heating elements for controlling the -~
temperature of the forming surfaces. The press assembly includes a pair of wing members which are movable to bend the _ lO~Z146 , . , ~ .
end portions of the plastic laminate material about the two forming tubes. Following forming I temper;the formed corner portions by applying water to them.
My preformed wall covering preferably comprises a side wall and two end walls bent forwardly therefrom. The end portions of the preformed product normally make an angle with respect to the side portion which is greater than ninety degrees.
As a result, the end portions must be bent inwardly towards each other during installation of the wall covering. This bending stores energy in the corner portions of the wall product which serves to bias the end walls of the wall covering towards the end walls of the tub-recess.
Preferably, I loosely fold one end wall of the wall covering partially over the opposite end wall. Then, I slide the partially folded wall covering endwise into a rectangular cardboard box having a normal thickness which is substantially less than the partially folded depth of the wall covering.
Movement of the partially folded wall covering into the card-board box causes the side walls of the box to bow outwardly.
I then prefer to move the product containing box relatively through-a rectangular opening provided in a rigid forming mandril. As the box moves relatively through the mandril its side wall,~and the side and partially overlapping end walls of the wall covering therein, are pushed inwardly. The end walls of the wall covering slide over each other and the wall cover-ing assumes a new configuration in which the side wall and partially overlapping end walls bow inwardly towards each other and the wall covering is within the normal rectangular dimensions of the cardboard box. Then, the end of the box is closed and sealed. Frictional contact between the wall cover-ing and internal wall portions of the cardboard box maintain , ~",~
~ -4(a)-the wall covering in its new configuration, and the box rectangular in form. ~he cardboard box is used for trans-porting the product between the place of manufacture and the customer's premises whereat it is installed within a bathtub recess.
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I am also aware that the Formica Corporation of Cin-cinatti, Ohio has proposed bending its one-sixteenth inch Formica brand laminated plastic about a one and one-half inch diameter tube which is heated to a surface temperature of three hundred seventy-five degrees fahrenheit by a thermostatically controlled internal heater. The company's instructions include an instruction to overform the material by bending the material through a one hundred degree arc, and an instruction to wipe the sanded side of the formed area with water. These steps are outlined by the Formica Corporation in specifications for a post forming procedure.
Summary of -the -Invention The invention in one aspect prcvi~ a methDd of packaging a prefo~d wall ccvering for the side and ena walls of a tub-recess, comprising: providing a one-piece wall covering that was formed from a single sheet of plastic laminate material having a decorative layer on one side and a backing layer on its opposite side, which wall covering comprises a pair of end walls which project outwardly from an interconnecting side - wall, and which end walls meet said side wall at rounded corners, with the decorative layer of the plastic laminate material being on the inside of the wall covering and the backing layer being on the outside thereof, partially folding said preformed wall covering by lapping one end wall thereof ~ over the other end wall thereof, to produce a configuration ~, I
- 108Z~46 of said wall covering in which the side wall thereof bows outwardly in one direction and the partially overlapped end walls thereof bow outwardly in the opposite direction, sub-stantially maintaining this configuration of the wall cover-ing while introducing one end thereof into an open end of a normally rectangular box that is wider than the width of the partially folded wall covering and of a normal depth that is substantially smaller than the depth dimension of the partially folded wall covering, pushing the wall covering into the box, so that the outwardly bowing side and end walls of the wall covering will in turn bow the adjacent side walls of the box outwardly, forcing inwardly and reshaping both the side walls of the box and the side and end walls of the wall covering therein, and in so doing sliding the end walls of the wall - covering in position an amount sufficient to cause the side and partially overlapped end walls of the wall covering to bow inwardly until the wall covering has assumed a new configuration which is substantially within the normal rectangular shape of the box, and closing the ends of the box, with the frictional contact between the backing layer of the wall covering and the inner surfaces of the box in contact therewith serving to hold the wall covering in such new configuration, so that the box will retain a substantially rectangular shape.
In the preferred practice of the invention, I locate a one-sixteenth inch sheet of a standard brand of plastic laminate material between a support bed and a press assembly of a form-ing apparatus. The bed includes a pair of parallel forming tubes having exterior forming surfaces and thermostatically controlled internal heating elements for controlling the -~
temperature of the forming surfaces. The press assembly includes a pair of wing members which are movable to bend the _ lO~Z146 , . , ~ .
end portions of the plastic laminate material about the two forming tubes. Following forming I temper;the formed corner portions by applying water to them.
My preformed wall covering preferably comprises a side wall and two end walls bent forwardly therefrom. The end portions of the preformed product normally make an angle with respect to the side portion which is greater than ninety degrees.
As a result, the end portions must be bent inwardly towards each other during installation of the wall covering. This bending stores energy in the corner portions of the wall product which serves to bias the end walls of the wall covering towards the end walls of the tub-recess.
Preferably, I loosely fold one end wall of the wall covering partially over the opposite end wall. Then, I slide the partially folded wall covering endwise into a rectangular cardboard box having a normal thickness which is substantially less than the partially folded depth of the wall covering.
Movement of the partially folded wall covering into the card-board box causes the side walls of the box to bow outwardly.
I then prefer to move the product containing box relatively through-a rectangular opening provided in a rigid forming mandril. As the box moves relatively through the mandril its side wall,~and the side and partially overlapping end walls of the wall covering therein, are pushed inwardly. The end walls of the wall covering slide over each other and the wall cover-ing assumes a new configuration in which the side wall and partially overlapping end walls bow inwardly towards each other and the wall covering is within the normal rectangular dimensions of the cardboard box. Then, the end of the box is closed and sealed. Frictional contact between the wall cover-ing and internal wall portions of the cardboard box maintain , ~",~
~ -4(a)-the wall covering in its new configuration, and the box rectangular in form. ~he cardboard box is used for trans-porting the product between the place of manufacture and the customer's premises whereat it is installed within a bathtub recess.
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-4 (b)--~..f ' ':
lO~Z146 These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be a~parent from the ~etailed description of the preferred embod.iment.
Brief Description of the Drawing FIG. 1 is a pictorial view, taken from above anc' looking towards the top, the front and the outside of one end of a one-piece preformed plastic laminate covering ~or a tub-recess wall constructed in accordance with the present invention, sucn view showing the end walls of said tub~recess covering in their formed positions in which thev extend outwardly from the side wall of the tub-recess covering an amount greater than ninety degrees, and said view also sllowing the moldincJ pieces which are installed on the upper and front edge portions of the tub-recess wall covering spaced in position relative to the edge on which they are installed FIG. 2 is a fragmentary portion of one corner and end wall portion of the tub-recess wall covering with the edge molding attached, with the portion of the end wall being brok~n away between the corner and its front edgei -FIG. 3 is a somewhat diagram~atic view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of the forming apparatus of the present invention, said view showing a sheet of plastic laminate to be formed located between a relatively fiY.ed su?port bed and a relatively movable press assembly, with said press assembly being shown in spaced relationship from the support bed, and said view showing forming pressure applying wing portions of the press asse~ly in a retracted position;
- FI~. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the press -assembly moved downwardly against the intermediate portion of the 1~82146 sheet of ~lastic 1aminate material, and showing the forming ~ressure ai?plying ~7in~ portions of the ~ress assembl~, and the end ~ortions of the plastic laminate material in contact there-with, swung downwardly into a position at the end of their forming paths, ana said view showing excess tem?ering water being collected by troughs provided .~50r that puroose;
FI5. 5 is an end view of a tub-recess wall co~Jering formed in accordance with the present invention, ~Jith one enG
wall thereof slightly overlapping the other, said view sho~ing the outwardly bGwed configuration which the tub-recess wall covering assumes when the two end walls are positionec1 in this manner;
FIG. 6 is a pictorial view taken from above and to~ards one major side, one minor side and one end o5 a cardboard box for said tub-recess wall covering, said view showins the semi-folded tub-recess wall covering being moved relatively into the box, and snowing the oo~osite end of the box situated in a forming mandril;
FIG. 7 is a view like FI5. 6, but showing the forning mandril moved into a oosition near the open end o-5 .he box, and showing the change in form o5 both the box and the tub-recess ~all covering therein caused by.such movement of -the mandril; an~
FIG. 8 is a view taken substantially alon~ line 8-8 of FI.-. 7, showing the stored configuration of the tub-recess ~7all covering within the box after use of the mandril. .
Description of the Preferred ~mbodiment My tub-recess wall covering kit comprises a one-~iece wall covering 10 which in pre.5erred form is formed ..rom a single - ~08Z146 sheet or ~eneral ~?urpose ~race (about 1/16 inch thick) i~lastic laminate material, such as ~or~lica (trademark) or l~ilson-l'.rt (trademark). The kit may further include a plurality of pieces of edge molding. Specifically, the kit may inclu~e two prebent inside corner sections 12, 14; one straight upper rear edGe section 16; two straight upper side edge sections 1~, 20; and two straight forward edge sections 22, 24. Sections 13 and 22 are bevel cut at corner 26. Similarly, sections 20 and 24 are bevel cut at corner 23. The opposite ends of sucn section 18, 2~, 22, 24, hoth ends of section 16, and the two ends of each of sections 12, 14 are straight cut.
The ormins of tne wall covering 10 will now be described.
A sheet of plastic laminate, preferably general pur~ose grade 1/1~ inch thic~, having a decorative layer on one sicle and a backing la~er on its opposite side is placed between a support bed 30 and a press asser~bly 32. mhe plastic laminate raterial 10 may measure approxirately ive feet two inches in width and appro-ximately ten feet in length. The material 10 is placed decorative layer down onto the support bed 30, as shown by FI~. 3. Sup~ort bed 30 carries a pair of elongated heating pipes 34, each of which includes a thermostatically controlled internal heating element.
Tubes 34 include an outer forming surface of a ~redetermined radius, e.g. three-quarters of an lnch radius. Tne tubes 34 are parallel to each other and are spaced apart a distance equal to the desired widt'n of the side wall i~ortion 36 of the wall coverin~
10. Plastic laminate 10 is centered with respect to the forr~lins tu'oes 34, so that end wall portions 38, 40 thereof will be su~-stantially equal in width.
Following proper location o~ plastic laminate 10 on the support bed 30, the press assembly 32 is lowered down onto the side wall portion O r material 10. The 'orming tubes 34 are heated lO~Z146 to the forming temperature of the plastic laminatc material 10.
By way of example, for forming 1~16 inch standard grade Formica brand laminate plastic or the like I preheat the internal heating elements to about three hundred seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit.
Then, I increase the temperature by resetting the thermostat to about four hundred degrees and perform the forming steps as the temperature is rising. By following this procedure I am able to form a standard grade laminate without scorching it.
Press assembly 32 includes a pair of wing portions 44, 46 which are hinge connected to an intermediate portion 48 along hinge lines which extend parallel to the forming tubes 34. In op-eration, the wing portions 44, 46 are moved downwardly, either one at a time or together, for bending the end wall portions 38, 40 of the material 10 about the heated forming tubes 34. ~he bending occurs at a relatively slow but steady rate. Pressure is applied evenly by the wing members 44, 46 until the end wall portions 38, 40 have been moved through an arc greater than ninety cegrees, e.g.
one hundred degrees.
Heating of the forming tubes 34 is discontinued and water is applied to the backing layer side of the material 10 at the corners, in order to temper the material. The equipment shown by FIGS. 3 and 4 is equipped with a pair of spray bars 50, each having a plurality of outlet openings 52 spaced along its length, and each being positioned to discharge water onto the formed corners of the material 10. This type of arrangement is preferred because it results in a substantially simultaneous distribution of water to all regions of the corners, so that all regions of the corners will be substantially evenly tempered. Suitable trough structure 54, shown in section in FIG. 4, may be provided beiow support bed 30, to extend the full length of each spray bar 50 and function to collect any excess water which may be present.
Both the support bed 30 and the intermediate portion 48 of the press assembly 32 may be adjustable for the purpose of varying the spacing of the forming tubes 34 and the hinge lines 108Z~46 for the wing portions 44, 46. ~y way of t~pical an~ there ore nonlimitative example, this adjustment may be easily done by constructing each means 30, 48 to include two side portions and a common base to which the side portions are connected by means of a plurality of fasteners which provide for adjustment of the positions of the side members relative to the common base. For example, the fasteners may comprise bolts carried by the side members which extend through slots formed in the com~on base which are elongated in the direction of desired adjustment, with wing type clamL~ nuts or the like being provided on the bolts.
A very important aspect of the invention involves the steps of pac]~aging the wall covering lO within a relatively small di~ension cardboard box 52, following the forming operation.
Placement of the preformed wall covering lO within a box will now be described.
Firstly, the wall covering lO is partially folded into the configuration shown by FIG. 5. This is done by lapping one end wall (e.g. 40) over the other end wall (e.g. 38), to produce a configuration of said wall covering lO in which the side wall 36 thereof bows outwardly in one direction and the partially over-lapped end walls 38, 40 thereof bow outwardly in the opposite direction (see FIG. 5). Care is taken to not overs-tress the corner regions of the partially folded wall covering lO.
.~ext, this configuration is substantially maintained while one end of the partially folded wall covering lO is intro-duced into an open end of the rectangular box 52. Box 5 is normally rectangular in form and is normally wider than the width of the partially folded wall covering lO and has a normal depth that is substantially smaller than the depth dimension of the partially folded wall covering lO. ~his can be appreciated by comparing FIGS. 6 - 8 of the drawing.
~ Jext, the partially folded wall covering is moved endwise into the box (FIG. 6) so that the outwardly bowing side and end --` 10~2196 walls thereof will in turn bo~l the side walls of the box ou-twar-ily (also FI~,. 6).
Then, the box ~2, with the outwarc'ly bowed wall covering 10 therein, is 7~0vec relativelv throu~h a rectansular for~ling opening 54 of a ri~id mandril 56. ~he opening 54 is sized to be substantially equal to the normal outside di~ension of the box 52.
As it moves the r~andril 56 forces the two sides Or the bo~ 52 inwardly and reshapes both the side walls OL the box and the side en~ walls of the wall covering lC therein. ~s this is done, the 13 end walls 38, 40 of the wall coverin~ ]0 are shi~ted in position an amount sufficient to cause the side and partially overlapped end walls of the wall coverin~ 10 to bow inwardly until the wall cov-ering 10 has assume~ a new confic;uration which is suhstantiall~
within the normal rectangular shape of the box (FIGS. 7 and 8).
Finally, the end of the box is closec. an~. sealed. -It was found that the ~7all coverir.a 10 retained its ne~
~ configuration rather than returning to the outwardly bowed con-- figuration. It is believed that this is because tne frictional , contact between the bac~in~ layer o. the w211 covering 10, which layer is relatively rough, and the inner surfaces Or the car~boar~' box 52 in contact therewi~h, serve to hold the ~7all covering 10 in the new configuration.
17hen the ~7all coverin~ 10 is inside the box its corner portions are not overly stressed an~ are protecte~ by the ri~
rectan~ular corner shape of the box.
As mentioned above, 7hile being for7~ed the end wall portions 38, 40 or the ~.7all covering 10 axe bent inwardly past a ~ -perpendicular position (FI~. 4). However, after the ormed product 10 has coole~, including after it is removed fro~ the box to ne installed, the two en~ walls 3~, 4~ 7~ake ar. an~le with respe!ct to the side wall 36 which is greater than ninetv degrees. '~his is ., .
10~214~i shown by FIG. 1 in whi^h the tr~le ~osition OL the en~ al]s 3~, 40 is shown by full line anc' an exactly perpendicular position is shown by phantom line. Owinc; to this feature, wllen the wall covering 1~ is set into place the two end ~.~Jalls 3~ must be swung in~lardl~y towa~c's the perpendicular position. This stresse~
the corner ?ortions somewllat, storing energ in the r.aterial ~-rhich tends to bias the end walls 38, 40 into contact witn the end ~Jalls OL the tub recess.
Also, it has been found that the wall coverins 10 ~
easily acapt to a tub-recess that is not exactly regular, viz.
the walls are not plu~b and/or square with each other. If ~eneral `:
gracle r.laterial (1/16 inch thick) is u~ecl, the wall coverjns 10 may be installe~ without it being necessary .for all portions o.f it to be flat against a wall ?ortion of the tub-recess. The ma'erial is : 15 stiff enough to provide a solid installation even ~7ith some space existin~ behinrl say one or both of the corner portions of the tub-recess.
During installation it rnay be necessary to tri~. one or r,ore of the edges of the wall covering 10, particularly i~ the tub-recess i5 not true. ~his can easily be clone. Il some cuttin~
of the metal trim is necessary, it will involve only cutting o~
a portion Oc a squared enc' o. one or l~.ore of the straig.lt sections.
~ ccording to an aspect of the invention, I form 'he corner sections Oc ~rim 12, 14 by insertins a piece Oc the plastic 25 laminate material in the slot provic'ed thereJore anc tnen benc.ing ~ :
both such material and the trir. piece tosether. "xcept for the selection anA cut of the pieces, the edge matQrial is the standard edge material which has been ~sed for years in connection wiLh plastic laminate ~.aterial. It includes a relativel~ deep back flan~;e portion which is hidclen behind the l,lastic laminate material, a ~1eb which extenas across an edge of the material, and a front flange whieh exte~ds over a small edge portion of the front face of the plastie laminate material.
The invention may be embodied in other specifie forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristies thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be eonsidered in all respeets as illustrative and not restrietive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing deseription, and all changes which eome within the meaning and range of equivaleney of the claims are therefore to be embraeed therein.
lO~Z146 These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be a~parent from the ~etailed description of the preferred embod.iment.
Brief Description of the Drawing FIG. 1 is a pictorial view, taken from above anc' looking towards the top, the front and the outside of one end of a one-piece preformed plastic laminate covering ~or a tub-recess wall constructed in accordance with the present invention, sucn view showing the end walls of said tub~recess covering in their formed positions in which thev extend outwardly from the side wall of the tub-recess covering an amount greater than ninety degrees, and said view also sllowing the moldincJ pieces which are installed on the upper and front edge portions of the tub-recess wall covering spaced in position relative to the edge on which they are installed FIG. 2 is a fragmentary portion of one corner and end wall portion of the tub-recess wall covering with the edge molding attached, with the portion of the end wall being brok~n away between the corner and its front edgei -FIG. 3 is a somewhat diagram~atic view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of the forming apparatus of the present invention, said view showing a sheet of plastic laminate to be formed located between a relatively fiY.ed su?port bed and a relatively movable press assembly, with said press assembly being shown in spaced relationship from the support bed, and said view showing forming pressure applying wing portions of the press asse~ly in a retracted position;
- FI~. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the press -assembly moved downwardly against the intermediate portion of the 1~82146 sheet of ~lastic 1aminate material, and showing the forming ~ressure ai?plying ~7in~ portions of the ~ress assembl~, and the end ~ortions of the plastic laminate material in contact there-with, swung downwardly into a position at the end of their forming paths, ana said view showing excess tem?ering water being collected by troughs provided .~50r that puroose;
FI5. 5 is an end view of a tub-recess wall co~Jering formed in accordance with the present invention, ~Jith one enG
wall thereof slightly overlapping the other, said view sho~ing the outwardly bGwed configuration which the tub-recess wall covering assumes when the two end walls are positionec1 in this manner;
FIG. 6 is a pictorial view taken from above and to~ards one major side, one minor side and one end o5 a cardboard box for said tub-recess wall covering, said view showins the semi-folded tub-recess wall covering being moved relatively into the box, and snowing the oo~osite end of the box situated in a forming mandril;
FIG. 7 is a view like FI5. 6, but showing the forning mandril moved into a oosition near the open end o-5 .he box, and showing the change in form o5 both the box and the tub-recess ~all covering therein caused by.such movement of -the mandril; an~
FIG. 8 is a view taken substantially alon~ line 8-8 of FI.-. 7, showing the stored configuration of the tub-recess ~7all covering within the box after use of the mandril. .
Description of the Preferred ~mbodiment My tub-recess wall covering kit comprises a one-~iece wall covering 10 which in pre.5erred form is formed ..rom a single - ~08Z146 sheet or ~eneral ~?urpose ~race (about 1/16 inch thick) i~lastic laminate material, such as ~or~lica (trademark) or l~ilson-l'.rt (trademark). The kit may further include a plurality of pieces of edge molding. Specifically, the kit may inclu~e two prebent inside corner sections 12, 14; one straight upper rear edGe section 16; two straight upper side edge sections 1~, 20; and two straight forward edge sections 22, 24. Sections 13 and 22 are bevel cut at corner 26. Similarly, sections 20 and 24 are bevel cut at corner 23. The opposite ends of sucn section 18, 2~, 22, 24, hoth ends of section 16, and the two ends of each of sections 12, 14 are straight cut.
The ormins of tne wall covering 10 will now be described.
A sheet of plastic laminate, preferably general pur~ose grade 1/1~ inch thic~, having a decorative layer on one sicle and a backing la~er on its opposite side is placed between a support bed 30 and a press asser~bly 32. mhe plastic laminate raterial 10 may measure approxirately ive feet two inches in width and appro-ximately ten feet in length. The material 10 is placed decorative layer down onto the support bed 30, as shown by FI~. 3. Sup~ort bed 30 carries a pair of elongated heating pipes 34, each of which includes a thermostatically controlled internal heating element.
Tubes 34 include an outer forming surface of a ~redetermined radius, e.g. three-quarters of an lnch radius. Tne tubes 34 are parallel to each other and are spaced apart a distance equal to the desired widt'n of the side wall i~ortion 36 of the wall coverin~
10. Plastic laminate 10 is centered with respect to the forr~lins tu'oes 34, so that end wall portions 38, 40 thereof will be su~-stantially equal in width.
Following proper location o~ plastic laminate 10 on the support bed 30, the press assembly 32 is lowered down onto the side wall portion O r material 10. The 'orming tubes 34 are heated lO~Z146 to the forming temperature of the plastic laminatc material 10.
By way of example, for forming 1~16 inch standard grade Formica brand laminate plastic or the like I preheat the internal heating elements to about three hundred seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit.
Then, I increase the temperature by resetting the thermostat to about four hundred degrees and perform the forming steps as the temperature is rising. By following this procedure I am able to form a standard grade laminate without scorching it.
Press assembly 32 includes a pair of wing portions 44, 46 which are hinge connected to an intermediate portion 48 along hinge lines which extend parallel to the forming tubes 34. In op-eration, the wing portions 44, 46 are moved downwardly, either one at a time or together, for bending the end wall portions 38, 40 of the material 10 about the heated forming tubes 34. ~he bending occurs at a relatively slow but steady rate. Pressure is applied evenly by the wing members 44, 46 until the end wall portions 38, 40 have been moved through an arc greater than ninety cegrees, e.g.
one hundred degrees.
Heating of the forming tubes 34 is discontinued and water is applied to the backing layer side of the material 10 at the corners, in order to temper the material. The equipment shown by FIGS. 3 and 4 is equipped with a pair of spray bars 50, each having a plurality of outlet openings 52 spaced along its length, and each being positioned to discharge water onto the formed corners of the material 10. This type of arrangement is preferred because it results in a substantially simultaneous distribution of water to all regions of the corners, so that all regions of the corners will be substantially evenly tempered. Suitable trough structure 54, shown in section in FIG. 4, may be provided beiow support bed 30, to extend the full length of each spray bar 50 and function to collect any excess water which may be present.
Both the support bed 30 and the intermediate portion 48 of the press assembly 32 may be adjustable for the purpose of varying the spacing of the forming tubes 34 and the hinge lines 108Z~46 for the wing portions 44, 46. ~y way of t~pical an~ there ore nonlimitative example, this adjustment may be easily done by constructing each means 30, 48 to include two side portions and a common base to which the side portions are connected by means of a plurality of fasteners which provide for adjustment of the positions of the side members relative to the common base. For example, the fasteners may comprise bolts carried by the side members which extend through slots formed in the com~on base which are elongated in the direction of desired adjustment, with wing type clamL~ nuts or the like being provided on the bolts.
A very important aspect of the invention involves the steps of pac]~aging the wall covering lO within a relatively small di~ension cardboard box 52, following the forming operation.
Placement of the preformed wall covering lO within a box will now be described.
Firstly, the wall covering lO is partially folded into the configuration shown by FIG. 5. This is done by lapping one end wall (e.g. 40) over the other end wall (e.g. 38), to produce a configuration of said wall covering lO in which the side wall 36 thereof bows outwardly in one direction and the partially over-lapped end walls 38, 40 thereof bow outwardly in the opposite direction (see FIG. 5). Care is taken to not overs-tress the corner regions of the partially folded wall covering lO.
.~ext, this configuration is substantially maintained while one end of the partially folded wall covering lO is intro-duced into an open end of the rectangular box 52. Box 5 is normally rectangular in form and is normally wider than the width of the partially folded wall covering lO and has a normal depth that is substantially smaller than the depth dimension of the partially folded wall covering lO. ~his can be appreciated by comparing FIGS. 6 - 8 of the drawing.
~ Jext, the partially folded wall covering is moved endwise into the box (FIG. 6) so that the outwardly bowing side and end --` 10~2196 walls thereof will in turn bo~l the side walls of the box ou-twar-ily (also FI~,. 6).
Then, the box ~2, with the outwarc'ly bowed wall covering 10 therein, is 7~0vec relativelv throu~h a rectansular for~ling opening 54 of a ri~id mandril 56. ~he opening 54 is sized to be substantially equal to the normal outside di~ension of the box 52.
As it moves the r~andril 56 forces the two sides Or the bo~ 52 inwardly and reshapes both the side walls OL the box and the side en~ walls of the wall covering lC therein. ~s this is done, the 13 end walls 38, 40 of the wall coverin~ ]0 are shi~ted in position an amount sufficient to cause the side and partially overlapped end walls of the wall coverin~ 10 to bow inwardly until the wall cov-ering 10 has assume~ a new confic;uration which is suhstantiall~
within the normal rectangular shape of the box (FIGS. 7 and 8).
Finally, the end of the box is closec. an~. sealed. -It was found that the ~7all coverir.a 10 retained its ne~
~ configuration rather than returning to the outwardly bowed con-- figuration. It is believed that this is because tne frictional , contact between the bac~in~ layer o. the w211 covering 10, which layer is relatively rough, and the inner surfaces Or the car~boar~' box 52 in contact therewi~h, serve to hold the ~7all covering 10 in the new configuration.
17hen the ~7all coverin~ 10 is inside the box its corner portions are not overly stressed an~ are protecte~ by the ri~
rectan~ular corner shape of the box.
As mentioned above, 7hile being for7~ed the end wall portions 38, 40 or the ~.7all covering 10 axe bent inwardly past a ~ -perpendicular position (FI~. 4). However, after the ormed product 10 has coole~, including after it is removed fro~ the box to ne installed, the two en~ walls 3~, 4~ 7~ake ar. an~le with respe!ct to the side wall 36 which is greater than ninetv degrees. '~his is ., .
10~214~i shown by FIG. 1 in whi^h the tr~le ~osition OL the en~ al]s 3~, 40 is shown by full line anc' an exactly perpendicular position is shown by phantom line. Owinc; to this feature, wllen the wall covering 1~ is set into place the two end ~.~Jalls 3~ must be swung in~lardl~y towa~c's the perpendicular position. This stresse~
the corner ?ortions somewllat, storing energ in the r.aterial ~-rhich tends to bias the end walls 38, 40 into contact witn the end ~Jalls OL the tub recess.
Also, it has been found that the wall coverins 10 ~
easily acapt to a tub-recess that is not exactly regular, viz.
the walls are not plu~b and/or square with each other. If ~eneral `:
gracle r.laterial (1/16 inch thick) is u~ecl, the wall coverjns 10 may be installe~ without it being necessary .for all portions o.f it to be flat against a wall ?ortion of the tub-recess. The ma'erial is : 15 stiff enough to provide a solid installation even ~7ith some space existin~ behinrl say one or both of the corner portions of the tub-recess.
During installation it rnay be necessary to tri~. one or r,ore of the edges of the wall covering 10, particularly i~ the tub-recess i5 not true. ~his can easily be clone. Il some cuttin~
of the metal trim is necessary, it will involve only cutting o~
a portion Oc a squared enc' o. one or l~.ore of the straig.lt sections.
~ ccording to an aspect of the invention, I form 'he corner sections Oc ~rim 12, 14 by insertins a piece Oc the plastic 25 laminate material in the slot provic'ed thereJore anc tnen benc.ing ~ :
both such material and the trir. piece tosether. "xcept for the selection anA cut of the pieces, the edge matQrial is the standard edge material which has been ~sed for years in connection wiLh plastic laminate ~.aterial. It includes a relativel~ deep back flan~;e portion which is hidclen behind the l,lastic laminate material, a ~1eb which extenas across an edge of the material, and a front flange whieh exte~ds over a small edge portion of the front face of the plastie laminate material.
The invention may be embodied in other specifie forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristies thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be eonsidered in all respeets as illustrative and not restrietive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing deseription, and all changes which eome within the meaning and range of equivaleney of the claims are therefore to be embraeed therein.
Claims (6)
1. A method of packaging a preformed wall covering for the side and end walls of a tub-recess, comprising:
providing a one-piece wall covering that was formed from a single sheet of plastic laminate material having a decorative layer on one side and a backing layer on its opposite side, which wall covering comprises a pair of end walls which project outwardly from an interconnecting side wall, and which end walls meet said side wall at rounded corners, with the decorative layer of the plastic laminate material being on the inside of the wall covering and the backing layer being on the outside thereof, partially folding said preformed wall covering by lapping one end wall thereof over the other end wall thereof, to produce a configuration of said wall covering in which the side wall thereof bows outwardly in one direction and the partially overlapped end walls thereof bow outwardly in the opposite direction, substantially maintaining this configuration of the wall covering while introducing one end thereof into an open end of a normally rectangular box that is wider than the width of the partially folded wall covering and of a normal depth that is substantially smaller than the depth dimension of the partially folded wall covering, pushing the wall covering into the box , so that the outwardly bowing side and end walls of the wall covering will in turn bow the adjacent side walls of the box outwardly, forcing inwardly and reshaping both the side walls of the box and the side and end walls of the wall covering therein, and in so doing sliding the end walls of the wall covering in position an amount sufficient to cause the side and partially overlapped end walls of the wall covering to bow inwardly until the wall covering has assumed a new configuration which is substantially within the normal rectangular shape of the box, and closing the ends of the box, with the frictional contact between the backing layer of the wall covering and the inner surfaces of the box in contact therewith serving to hold the wall covering in such new configuration, so that the box will retain a substantially rectangular shape.
providing a one-piece wall covering that was formed from a single sheet of plastic laminate material having a decorative layer on one side and a backing layer on its opposite side, which wall covering comprises a pair of end walls which project outwardly from an interconnecting side wall, and which end walls meet said side wall at rounded corners, with the decorative layer of the plastic laminate material being on the inside of the wall covering and the backing layer being on the outside thereof, partially folding said preformed wall covering by lapping one end wall thereof over the other end wall thereof, to produce a configuration of said wall covering in which the side wall thereof bows outwardly in one direction and the partially overlapped end walls thereof bow outwardly in the opposite direction, substantially maintaining this configuration of the wall covering while introducing one end thereof into an open end of a normally rectangular box that is wider than the width of the partially folded wall covering and of a normal depth that is substantially smaller than the depth dimension of the partially folded wall covering, pushing the wall covering into the box , so that the outwardly bowing side and end walls of the wall covering will in turn bow the adjacent side walls of the box outwardly, forcing inwardly and reshaping both the side walls of the box and the side and end walls of the wall covering therein, and in so doing sliding the end walls of the wall covering in position an amount sufficient to cause the side and partially overlapped end walls of the wall covering to bow inwardly until the wall covering has assumed a new configuration which is substantially within the normal rectangular shape of the box, and closing the ends of the box, with the frictional contact between the backing layer of the wall covering and the inner surfaces of the box in contact therewith serving to hold the wall covering in such new configuration, so that the box will retain a substantially rectangular shape.
2. A method accoridng to claim l, comprising reshaping both the side wallsof the box and the side and end walls of the wall covering therein by moving the box with the wall covering therein relatively through a rectangular forming opening of a rigid mandril, sized to be substantially equal to the normal outside dimensions of the box.
-13a-
-13a-
3. A method according to claim 1, comprising bending the end portions of the plastic laminate material an amount sufficient so that following such bending each end wall of the preformed wall covering will naturally extend out-wardly from the side wall of said wall covering at an interior angle that is greater than ninety degrees.
4. A method according to claim 1, comprising uniformly applying moisture to the corner regions of the plastic laminate material, so that the corner regions will be sub-stantially uniformly tempered.
5. A method according to claim 4, comprising substan-tially uniformly applying moisture to the corner regions of the plastic laminate material by sptraying substantially equal amount of water over an entire corner region at sub-stantially the same time.
6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising partially folding said preformed wall covering by lapping one end wall thereof over the other end wall thereof, to produce a configuration of said wall covering in which the side wall thereof bows outwardly in one direction and the partially overlapped end walls thereof bow outwardly in the opposite direction, substantially maintaining this configuration of the wall covering while introducing one end thereof into an open end of a normally rectangular box that is wider than the width of the partially folded wall covering and has a normal depth that is substantially smaller than the depth dimension of the partially folded wall covering, pushing the wall covering into the box, so that the outwardly bowing side and end walls of the wall covering will in turn bow the adjacent side walls of the box outwardly, moving the box with the wall covering therein relatively through a rectangular forming opening of a rigid mandril, sized to be substantially equal to the normal outside dimensions of the box, so that such mandril will force inwardly and reshape both the side walls of the box and the side and end walls of the wall covering therein, and in so doing will slide the end walls of the wall covering in position an amount sufficient to cause the side and partially overlapped end walls of the wall covering to bow inwardly until the wall covering has assumed a new configuration which is substantially within the normal rectangular shape of the box, and closing the ends of the box, with the frictional contact between the backing layer of the wall covering and the inner surfaces of the box in contact therewith serving to hold the wall covering in such new configuration, so that the box will retain a substantially rectangular shape.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA315,226A CA1082146A (en) | 1976-06-23 | 1978-10-31 | Method of packaging plastic laminate wall cover |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US698,951 | 1976-06-23 | ||
| US05/698,951 US4052835A (en) | 1976-06-23 | 1976-06-23 | Preformed one-piece wall covering for a bathtub recess |
| CA270,174A CA1053434A (en) | 1976-06-23 | 1977-01-21 | Wall covering for a bathtub recess and method of forming same |
| CA315,226A CA1082146A (en) | 1976-06-23 | 1978-10-31 | Method of packaging plastic laminate wall cover |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1082146A true CA1082146A (en) | 1980-07-22 |
Family
ID=27164885
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA315,226A Expired CA1082146A (en) | 1976-06-23 | 1978-10-31 | Method of packaging plastic laminate wall cover |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1082146A (en) |
-
1978
- 1978-10-31 CA CA315,226A patent/CA1082146A/en not_active Expired
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