CA2708457A1

CA2708457A1 - Apparatus and method for three-dimensional shaping of extrudable profiles

Info

Publication number: CA2708457A1
Application number: CA2708457A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Soheyl Sm Mottahedeh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-07-13
Filing date: 2010-07-13
Publication date: 2012-01-13

Abstract

An apparatus provided with a central rotating hub cooperating with multiple spoke-like linear guides guiding positionable shapers that collectively define a deformable mold with retractable portions; said linear guides are radially-oriented in relation to the hub and angularly orientable; In operation, an extruded profile portion drawn by and wrapped helically around the periphery of the deformable mold is first longitudinally and variably shaped, then hardened and finally, portion-after-portion, released for being carried away by a profile carrier. Bonding side-by-side adjacent shaped profile portions during shaping generates three-dimensional bodies.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL SHAPING OF
EXTRUDABLE PROFILES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus and method relate to variably shaping extrudable profiles in a continuous manner into bodies that have both convex and concave shapes, inline with an extrusion process. The principles of the bending apparatus and method also apply to thin-wall metal profiles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Extruded profiles such as but not limited to thermoplastics are commonly used in every sector of human life. Extruded profiles are usually supplied in linear form. Currently bending of extruded profiles such as plastic pipes or arched plastic window frames is primarily done in post-extrusion environments where a pre-determined length of linear-shaped profile is re-heated and gradually bent into a desired shape. Such methods of bending and shaping of profiles are labor intensive and therefore costly, and limit profiles utility.
Production costs further increase if some level of complexity is introduced in the geometry of the profile.

Spiral welding machines for wrapping a hot strip of metal or plastic material around a constant-diameter coiler to form a pipe or a tank are also known technologies. However, wrapping a hollow profile of complex cross-sectional geometry around a deformable mold that enables the production of both convex and concave shapes while maintaining both inner and outer cross-sectional dimensions substantially constant during bending is a challenge.
Moreover, varying outer longitudinal dimensions of the profile including relative angles in relation to former profile wraps such for making twisted bodies is a challenge that becomes compounded when all above activities are to be accomplished in an economic manner in a commercial or an industrial setting.

Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a cost-effective apparatus and method for bending and shaping extruded profiles inline with an extrusion process. It is also desirable that the method accommodates hollow profiles of all cross-sectional dimensions made of malleable materials that can solidify outside the extruder under the effect of cold, heat, or chemical treatment. Materials may range from thermoplastics to extrudable organic minerals or other compounds.

To address some of these requirements, a number of apparatus and methods have been disclosed such as in US Pat.4,275,525, US Pat.
5,424,025, US Pat. 6,190,595 and US Pat. 6,952,942. Furthermore, few post-extrusion processes have also been proposed, but none for continuously shaping complex profiles involving the winding of hollow profiles into complex three-dimensional shapes inline with an extrusion process. Finally, my U.S. Patent Application 20090102090 and my Canadian Patent Application CA 2512411 addressed partially some of the above challenges.

PRIOR ART

US Pat. 4,275,525, US Pat. 5,424,025 and US Pat. 6,952,942 have disclosed limited solutions in terms of shaping profiles of complex geometry into three-dimensional bodies of also complex geometry. US Pat. 6,190,595 proposed an extrusion arrangement for a die guided in an extrusion chamber.
This prior art 6,190,595' refers primarily to a die and not to a stand-alone bending apparatus that accommodates the bonding of adjacent coils into three-dimensional bodies.

Post-extrusion solutions disclosed in prior art related primarily to tubes, pipes and other profiles of simple geometry which when bent in a post-extrusion environment suffer from the disadvantage of being labor-intensive and limited in their ability to bend and shape hollow thermoplastic profiles of complex geometries, and this in a cost-effective and continuous manner.

Both my US Patent Application 20090102090 and my Canadian Patent Application CA 2512411 disclosed an apparatus and method for shaping thermoplastic profiles. In these prior art, the disclosed shapers were based on one or multiple series of sequential plates tethered by an elongate element of short length. The disclosed plates slide over a rotating size-variable mold.

While both prior art 20090102090' and 2512411' addressed the challenge of bending thermoplastic profiles they suffered from the limitation of disclosing a rotating mold that deformed only radially but not both radially, angularly and asymmetrically. Additionally, prior art 20090102090' and 2512411' disclosed a tethered system attached to a short-length series of external calibrated plates for maintaining constant the outside cross-sectional dimensions of incoming profiles. These suffered from the limitation that they require from an operator to push the freshly made, not-yet-hardened profile through a series of calibrated plates.

Furthermore, mold disclosed in prior art 20090102090' and 2512411' suffered from the disadvantage of not being able to impart to a same profile both a convex and a concave outer contour.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus and method provide a cost-effective approach of continuously bending and shaping extruded profiles into shaped strands of variable sizes and shapes inline with an extrusion process.

The apparatus and method also provide a process for fabricating elongate and curved three-dimensional bodies using means that are simple in terms of manufacturing, handling, and quick set-up time, so that elongate curved bodies' costs of manufacturing can be largely reduced.

Furthermore, the apparatus and method provide a continuous method of fabrication of partially curved hollow profiles, such as elbows or fully closed profiles such as window-like frames, made inline with an extrusion process.

The apparatus and method also provide a simple process for producing elongate bulky bodies having concave, convex and twisted portions by winding a profile around a rotating deformable mold which virtual contour is able to vary both radially and angularly.

The apparatus and method provide shapers that maintain the profile cross-sectional dimensions constant but allow only for longitudinal dimensions to vary.

The apparatus and method also provide a simple process for creating three-dimensional bodies by interlocking and bonding abutting edges of shaped profile coils, side-by-side.

Profile materials to be shaped by the bending apparatus include extrudable materials such as thermoplastic polymers, organic minerals and exceptionally thin-wall metal profiles.

The bending apparatus is provided with a central rotating hub that cooperates with multiple linear guides that are radially-oriented vis-a-vis the hub center and angularly movable in relation to each other or relative to a reference point. Each linear guide supports a positionable shaper. Positioning of shapers along linear guides and angular movement of linear guides around the hub are provided by drive means such controlled by a computer. The apparatus is also provided with a hardening means and a profile carrier.

The radially and angularly positionable shapers around the rotating hub define collectively a rotating deformable mold. The number of linear guides in a deformable mold is determined by the number of curves present in the product to be created by the apparatus.

While being drawn by the rotating deformable mold, a not-yet-hardened profile is submitted to a gradual hardening process, such as cooling, heating or a chemical treatment depending on the nature of the extruded profile.
In operation, a profile portion passes from a partially-shaped and partially-hardened stage to a fully-shaped and fully-hardened stage.

The process of drawing, shaping, hardening and releasing a profile portion, is repeated portion-after-portion in a continuous manner. As shaped and hardened profile portions are formed, they are slightly shifted sideways, like helicals, so that they can leave the mold and stack side-by-side over a profile carrier.

After a 5D model of a desired product is created using a CAD
program, a slicing software is used to slice the 5D model into layers distanced from each other by a-product-width. The slicing software provides a dataset of the product inner and outer dimensions, layer by layer. A second software subdivides said dimensions into curves of various radiuses and straight lines.
These curves and lines are then translated into drive signals to position the shapers in corresponding locations around the hub.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, shapers are made of roller-like forms or triangular-like forms placed around the hub. These are machine cut or molded to dimensions to best replicate the product curves while maintaining constant the profile outer cross-sectional dimensions during bending.
In another embodiment of the invention, shapers are made of roller-like or triangular-like supports that in turn support an endless flexible conveyor-like series of calibrated plates provided with cavities corresponding to some of the cross-sectional dimensions of the profile. Collectively, the rotating hub, guides, shapers, extendable elements and series of plates form a rotating deformable mold.

Depending on the size and final shape of the object or body to be created, the axis of the deformable mold may be oriented vertically, horizontally or obliquely at a desired angle.

The invention has been described with reference to several preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The apparatus may take form in various components and arrangements of components; and the method may apply various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments of the method and apparatus and are not to be construed as limiting the same. The below detailed description of the preferred embodiments is in conjunction with appended drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements in figures, and wherein-FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of an inline bending apparatus showing a deformable mold created by moveable rollers mounted on radial linear guides cooperating with to a central rotating hub.

FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective front view of FIG. 1 illustrated from another angle showing a profile being shaped around its periphery.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a deformable mold of the bending apparatus of FIG. 1 showing in dotted lines trajectories of a single convex shaper, of a concave shaper and of a hardened profile portion.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a deformable mold of the bending apparatus provided with an endless shaper supported by triangular supports.
FIG. 5 is a front view of another deformable mold of the bending apparatus showing multiple roller-like supports holding an endless conveyor-like shaper.

FIG. 6 is a perspective side-view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 with linear actuators for moving angularly shapers around the central hub.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a linear guide a shaper moveable by a linear belt drive and an angular drive means.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a three-dimensional twisted body produced by the bending apparatus of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a prior art bending apparatus for fabricating variable-size coils made of profiles.

FIG. 10 is a perspective close-up view of multiple components of an endless shaper of the deformable mold of FIG. 5.

FIG. 11 is a close-up perspective view of a triangular-like shaper mountable on the bending apparatus of FIG. 1 FIG. 12 is a front view of a prior art bending apparatus provided with a short series of calibrated plates sliding over a rotating mold.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a profile portion being shaped by an endless rubber shaper that is supported by a roller-like shaper support mounted to a deformable mold.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a series of embossed plates.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the apparatus and method only and not for purposes of limiting the same, the figures show a bending apparatus having five linear guides which should not be read as a limitation in numbers of guides, but as an example.

Protecting walls of a hollow profile from collapsing during a continuous bending and shaping process is a challenge of the plastic industry.
In addition to this challenge, comes the need to manufacture on a continuous basis bended and shaped products inline with an extrusion process, so that the latent heat of the extrusion process can be used more efficiently. Still another challenge is to bend and shape profiles of complex cross-sectional dimensions and do so in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Going beyond the needs of the plastic industry, the present application discloses principles that cover not only the bending and shaping of thermoplastics and polymers but also other extrudable materials such as composites and organic compounds such as clay, mineral pastes, resins and concrete-based materials. Roll formed thin-wall metal and alloy profiles may also be shaped by the apparatus and method of the present invention.

The amount of time and methods used to solidify an extrudate may vary. While thermoplastic materials need relatively short cooling time to solidify, some clay-based compounds require longer time for drying and curing, while other materials require heating, UV light, rapid Induction-hardening techniques and yet others such as certain cements have rapid setting time. In all cases, to apply the teachings of the present invention a rapid method of solidification is required. In the current application, the term conditioning is used to refer to cooling, heating, drying or chemical treatment of materials.

Exceptionally, hollow, thin-walled extruded or roll-formed metal profiles that otherwise collapse when bended continuously without filler means may also be shaped by the bending apparatus 10 of the present invention;
metals are known to retain their shapes after they are formed, therefore no further treatment may be needed.

The key shape generating principle underlying the operation of the bending apparatus 10 is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. A freshly extruded, not-yet-hardened profile portion 100 is first longitudinally drawn around multiple shapers 200 rotating around a central hub 50; as profile portion 100 is being re-shaped into a fully shaped profile portion 104, it is also hardened resulting into a fully hardened profile portion 104 that can be carried away without affecting its newly acquired shape. The last shaper 200 that accompanied and shaped that hardened profile portion 104 is retracted to release it from that last shaper 200 so that it can, from one hand, be carried away by profile carrier 500, and from the other hand, be relocated into a new or an old position around hub 50, ready to shape the next incoming profile portion 100. This process is repeated portion-after-portion, creating coils of shaped profile portions 104 that when bonded side-by-side form together a three-dimensional body as complex as one shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 1 shows the general layout of the preferred embodiment of the bending apparatus 10 comprising a central hub 50 that is entrained by an axle 450 which is rotated by a drive means 400. The hub 50 cooperating with multiple linear guides 210, each guide supporting a shaper such as a shaper 200 that slides along linear guide 210 when moved by a drive means 800. Linear guides 210 are radially-oriented in relation to hub axle 450 and are angularly movable by drive means 900 relative to each other or relative to a reference point.

Collectively, rotating hub 50, shapers 200, linear guides 210 and their drive means 800 and 900 define a deformable mold 110. In addition, the bending apparatus is provided with a hardening means 700 and a profile carrier 500 that rotates with hub 50 and is configured to receive and transfer shaped and hardened profile portion 104, portion-after-portion to an exterior cantilevered profile carrier (not shown). Drive means 800 and 900 may include a stepper motor, a servomotor, linear motor or a linear actuator.

An extruded profile 100 exiting from an extruder die 3000 may be drawn by said rotating deformable mold 110 from above the rotating hub 50 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 or from below hub 50 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6 or on the side of hub 50 (not shown).

Optionally, deformable mold 110 may be rotated around a horizontally-oriented hub axle 450 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, around an obliquely-oriented axle 450 (not shown) or a vertically-oriented hub axle 450 (not shown). The orientation of hub axle 450 depends on the size, shape and the material of the product or of the three-dimensional bodies to be produced. For example producing very large batches of coil-shaped profile strands 104 or long three-dimensional bodies 120 (Fig. 8), it is preferable to shape the product around a horizontally-oriented hub axle 450 wherein the long product can be gradually loaded sideways on an outside cantilevered carrier (not shown). For very wide bodies of short length, it is preferable to use a deformable mold that rotates in a horizontal plane or an oblique plane with a corresponding vertical or oblique hub axle 450.

The number of linear guides 210 cooperating with hub 50 may be as high as required, but no less than two. This minimum number is required so that at least one of the two shapers 200 can retract while the other holds a portion of profile 100 being shaped. However, there is no limitation on the maximum number of linear guides 210 cooperating with hub 50. As long as all linear guides 210 are radially-oriented towards hub axle 450 and as long as the product to be shaped is large enough to accommodate many linear guides 210 around hub 50, no higher limitation exists besides costs, space and practicality.
In fact, the higher the number of linear guides, the more convex- and concave-shaped curves may be imparted to an incoming profile 100.

For smaller products, the need to fit multiple convex shapers 200 around hub 50, all inside the product contour limits the number of linear guides 210 that may be mounted in a bending apparatus 10.

The bending apparatus 10 is also provided with multiple sensor means as shown in FIG. 1. First, sensor means 500 are mounted to detect when a portion of deformable mold 110 must retract so that a shaped and hardened profile portion 104 may be released from deformable mold 110 and then return to a desired position; second, sensor means 550 are provided to read distance to the contour of a shaped profile 104 and to generate a contour pattern dataset that may be compared to a dataset of a desired CAD model in order to prompt linear drivers 800 and angular drivers 900 to reposition shapers in a more suitable position to minimize differences between the two datasets. Distance sensor 550 cooperates with an encoder (not shown) on axle 450 to signal angular position of hub 50 in relation to distance sensor 550. A third pair of sensors 580 such as optical sensors is also provided for moving hub 50 to reduce angular deviations of profile 100 in relation to deformable mold 110 which has a variable outer contour. For a deformable mold 110 rotating around a horizontal hub axle 450, hub 50 moves up and down, whereas for a vertical axle 450, hub 50 moves sideways. The hardening means 700 is provided with its own temperature sensors (not shown).

It should be noted that at every rotation of hub 50, a controller 980 such as a PLC, a CPU or a computer resets the position of each shaper 200 after it was retracted by drive means 800 to release a hardened profile portion 104, thus redefining whether a shaper 200 shall reposition itself in a same position as in the former cycle and therefore replicate a former mold shape or shall move into a new position, defining a new mold shape. By repeating this process, rotation after rotation, or in other words, layer after layer, and by bonding adjoining layers together a three-dimensional body such as body 120 shown in FIG. 8 will emerge.

In another embodiment of the invention, bending apparatus 10 is provided with a distance laser 550 (see FIG. 1) that works in cooperation with an encoder (not shown) to collect data on the contour of a product produced in real-time by the bending apparatus 10. This data is compared to the desired shape of the CAD model originally used as a base to generate signals for positioning shapers 200 around deformable mold 110. The difference of data obtained between the two measurements determines the amount of electrical input required to move shapers 200 in the right position. The bending apparatus 10 is also provided with a laser protractor 570 to visually verify or calibrate manually the position of linear guides 210.

The sequential operation of shaping, hardening and releasing a shaped profile portion creates continuous spirally-formed products. The range of products produced in this manner may range from profiled elbows, closed frames to three-dimensionally shaped bodies when newly shaped profile portions are bonded side-by-side to former profile coils.

In the preferred embodiment, roller-like shapers are given numeral 200. For sake of simplicity, numeral 200 is also used to represent other forms of shapers 200 being attached to deformable mold 110 unless specified otherwise.

The ability for shapers 200 in a deformable mold 110 to retract at the right time enables a shaped profile portion 104 to be released without affecting the shaping process. FIG. 3 illustrates trajectories of both a conventional convex shaper 200 such as a roller-like shaper 200 versus a hardened profile portion 104. As shown, while a convex shaper 200 follows a partially-circular and a partially-truncated trajectory forming collectively trajectory 12, a shaped profile portion 104 follows a fully circular trajectory 14. The truncated portion of trajectory 12 corresponds to a virtual retracted zone created between two sensors 300 that are positioned around hub 50. In other words, any drive means 800 of any linear guide 210 that enters that virtual retracted zone by crossing sensors 300 will be prompted to retract its shaper 200 and move closer to hub axle 450 and then that shaper 200 is moved to reposition itself in a position defined by controller 980 so as to be ready for the next shaping operation.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the trajectory of a concave shaper 320 is configured to be different than trajectory of a convex shaper 200. For a concave shaper 320, two optional trajectories 16 and 18 may be provided. In the preferred trajectory 16, concave roller 320 is driven to move in and out linearly along a radially-oriented linear guide 310 vis-a-vis hub axle 450. In this arrangement, linear guide 310 is provided with an angularly fixed position in relation to the bending apparatus frame 600.

Optionally, concave roller 320 may also follow an oval-shape trajectory 18. In both cases, linear guide 310 is provided with a linear drive means 800 to move it radially vis-a-vis hub axle 450 and optionally an angular drive means 900 to move it angularly vis-a-vis hub axle 450.

As shown in FIG. 2, while linear guide 310 of a concave shaper and linear guides 210 of convex shapers are located in different planes, their respective shapers 320 and 200 move in a same plane. This implies that the arm that holds concave shaper 320 must avoid interference between movements of shapers 200 and 320 and between linear guides 210 and 310, therefore an arrangement such as such an external U-shape arm 350 is provided.

All embodiments of the bending apparatus 10 are provided with a profile carrier 500 such as shown in FIG. 1. Profile carrier 500 is provided with multiple radially-oriented carrier arms 510, each attached directly to a linear guide 210 via a carrier bottom support 520. While a carrier bottom support 520 is attached at a position lower than the retracted position of its associated shaper 200, its carrier arm 510 is located to receive a freshly hardened profile portion 104 at its highest point before being released.

In all embodiments of the invention, a carrier arm 510 is positioned next to a convex shaper 200 so that as soon as a shaped profile portion 104 is formed and released from a shaper 200 it may be freely shifted sideways to slide over carrier arm 510 and be carried away by it. As hub 50 continues to rotate, profile 100 continues to be drawn around deformable mold 110 and the process continues to deliver over carrier arms 510, portion-after-portion, continuous strands of coil-shaped profile.

Carrier 500 may also be provided with a slightly different mounting arrangement (not shown). In such an arrangement, all carrier arm supports 520 are supported directly by hub axle 450 and perform the same function as in the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1. However, this arrangement works well when linear guides 210 do not move angularly in relation to each other and require that arm supports 520 be readjusted angularly. This limits the creation of three-dimensional bodies that have twisted portions such as body 120 shown in FIG. 8.

In another embodiment of the bending apparatus 10 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 an endless flexible shaper 1000 is provided. FIG. 10 shows more closely how the endless shaper 1000 is provided with two types of plates, some external plates 1010 and some internal plates 1500 and filler means 1600.
Endless shaper 1000 is comprised of a series of sequential adjacent calibrated plates 1010 configured as an endless conveyor-like flexible mold 1000, with adjacent plates 1010 collectively forming an endless flexible conduit 1000;
calibrated plates 1010 are flexibly attached on said plates' same edges with each plate 1010 calibrated so that each plate has a cavity with similar cross-sectional outer dimensions as said profile 100 but configured so that fully shaped profile portion 104 may be released from deformable mold 1000 once a profile portion 104 is fully shaped. However, contrary to conveyors that move longitudinally, endless shaper 1000 is stationary in relation to roller-like supports 250 or in relation to triangular-like supports 270 shown respectively in FIGS. 4 and 5.

As shown in FIG. 14, preferably all calibrated plates are embossed whether they are internal plates (not shown) similar to plates 1500 or similar to external plates 1010 to reduce friction and improve flow of profile 100, namely when internal plates (not shown) slide inside the profile hollow space.

As shown again in FIGS. 4 and 5, endless shaper 1000 while supporting and shaping longitudinally profile 100 in the confine of its cavity imparts to profile 100 a generally convex shape and optionally a concave shape.
However, the radiuses of the curves imparted by roller-like supports 250 and triangular-like supports 270 are slightly bigger than their own, this being caused by the added height of the base of calibrated plates 1010 of endless shaper 1000.

To enable a not-yet-hardened extruded hollow profile 100 to withstand external bending forces without having its walls to collapse or its cross-sectional dimensions to substantially vary, the bending apparatus 10 is further provided with a profile filler means 1500 or 1600. Filler means 1500 is comprised of a tethered series of sequential plates 1500 or a tethered long continuous flexible filler 1600 having similar cross-sectional dimensions as that of said profile internal dimensions. The number of tethered filler means 1500 or 1600 required for shaping a hollow profile 100 depends on the number of cores that a hollow profile 100 has. All tethered filler means 1500 or 1600 one end being attached to die 3000.

As taught earlier, filler means 1500 and 1600 play an essential role in the shaping of hollow and semi-hollow profiles 100. FIG. 10 shows how an internal shaper 1500 and/or 1600 may fill the empty space inside a hollow or a semi-hollow profile 100 during shaping. Internal shaper 1500 or 1600 is selected from the group of tethered fillers having one end attached to a profile extruder die face 3000 and other end attached to floating mandrels 1500 flexibly held together at a fixed distance from said extruder die 3000. Such floating mandrels or plates 1500 or 1600 are configured to maintain constant internal cross-sectional dimensions of profile 100 during shaping but allow only longitudinal variations to take place.

Shapers 200 and 320 are configured to be removably attachable to sliders positionable on respective linear guides 210 and 310 of deformable mold 110. Shapers 200 and 320 are optionally lathed, machine cut, molded or stamped so as to replicate the desired deformable mold shape around which a final product will be shaped.

Generally, shapers 200 and 320 are divided into two groups of shapers: external shapers 200 that come externally in contact with a profile contour and internal shapers 1500 or 1600.

External shapers 200 also referred as convex shapers 200 are again sub-divided into two sub-groups of shapers. In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the bending apparatus 10 is provided with roller-like convex shapers 200 and triangular-like convex shapers 260 (FIG.
11) that come in direct contact with profile 100 and shape it longitudinally by pressing on profile 100 outwardly away from hub axle 450.

As shown in FIG. 4, triangular-like shaper supports 270 attached to linear guides 210 are connected to each other via spring means 850 or flexibly attached via a rubber silicon band (not shown). Similarly calibrated plates forming collectively endless shaper 1000 are connected by spring means such as interior springs 920 as shown in FIG. 10 or flexibly held together by a silicon rubber band stretched over its periphery (not shown).

In another embodiment of the invention, the bending apparatus 10 is provided with convex shapers that are configured as shaped supports for convex shapers such as roller-like convex supports 250 as shown in FIG. 5, and triangular-like convex supports 270 as shown in FIG. 4.

Alternatively, ss shown in FIG. 13, a roller-like convex shaper supports 250 or a triangular-like convex shaper supports 270 is configured to support an extruded endless shaper 1300 made of a rubber profile stretched around the periphery of a deformable mold 110; said endless shaper 1300 having similar external cross-sectional dimensions as said profile 100 but configured for longitudinal shaping a profile portion 100 and for releasing a shaped and hardened profile 104.

In all embodiments of the invention, shapers may also provide concave shapes to profile 100 such as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 which illustrate a roller-like concave shaper 320 that moves along a radially-oriented concave linear guide 310 that is, preferably, angularly fixed vis-a-vis hub axle 450. A concave shaper may also take a triangular-like or an oval-like shape such as triangular concave shaper 350 shown in FIG. 5 that presses on a partially-shaped profile portion 102 towards hub axle 450 to impart its shape.

FIG. 10 shows in more detail how three types of shapers such as endless shapers 1000, roller-like supports 250 and internal tethered shapers 1500 and 1600 cooperate together to keep profile 100 cross-sectional dimensions constant while allowing only for longitudinal dimensions to vary.

FIG. 9 shows a prior art from my US Patent Application 20090102090 wherein the bending apparatus 10' has a rotating mold that deforms only radially a profile 100' into a shaped profile 104'. In this prior art, deformable mold does deform both radially, angularly or asymmetrically as taught in the present invention.

FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of my prior art from US Patent Application 20090102090 wherein mold 200' supporting a short-length series of external calibrated plates 1010' for maintaining constant the outside cross-sectional dimensions of a incoming profile 100'. A profile 100' must slide over said plates 1010' and overcome resistance during shaping whereas in the present invention plates 1010 accompany a profile 100 during shaping without resisting flow.

By repositioning a shaper 200, 250, 260 or 270 to a new designated position slightly different than positioned in the previous cycle, the bending apparatus 10 is able to generate at every rotation of hub 50 coils of shaped profile portion 104 that vary slightly in size. When these coils are interlocked and bonded together, three-dimensional objects are created with a surface or skin made of profile shaped portions 104.

This coiling process may be compared to a layering or laminating process wherein adjacent strands are bonded next to each other to collectively form a three-dimensional body. Inversely, slicing a hollow three-dimensional object into layers one-profile-width apart provides the necessary data to replicate the shape of a product 120. Applying this principle to the present invention, the bending apparatus 10 is provided with a computer program that first takes a desired CAD model of an object, slice it into an array of 2D contour plots, analyzes each 2D contour plots to derive radius curves, distances to the center of these curves from a central point such the center of a hub, and angles between said curves relative to said center point. Then a database of said curves, said distances and said angles is communicated to drives 800 and 900 for positioning shapers 200 around hub 50, on layer at a time. Said center point may be preferably be, but not limited to, the center gravity of said profile contour.

FIG. 6 shows an arrangement of different drive means for operating the bending apparatus 10 of the present invention. Hub 50 is driven by a hub drive means 400 such as a constant torque motor 400. Radial positioning of convex shapers 200, 250, 260 and 270 along a linear guide 210 or positioning of a concave shapers 320 and 350 along a linear guide 310 is provided by linear drive means 800. Angular movement of linear guides 210 and 310 is provided by angular drive means 900. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 each angular drive means 900 is associated to a pinion 970 that either locks into large gears 650 fastened to each linear guide 210 to rotate said linear guides 210 around hub or meshes together with said large gears 650 to rotate and move angularly linear guides 210 around hub 50.

FIG. 6 shows a similar relative movement being achieved among linear guides 210 using actuators 990 positioned on a turntable rotating with hub 50. Angular drive means 900 may be selected from the group consisting of stepper motors, servomotors, pneumatic drive, hydraulic drive, belt-driven actuators, linear stepper drives, pneumatic actuators, linear actuators, linear motors and a combination thereof.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a drive means 980 such as an elevator drive means for moving hub 50 up and down to reduce angular deviations between a freshly not-yet-hardened profile 100 exiting from an extrusion die 3000 and the periphery of a deformable mold 110; up-and-down movement of the elevator drive means 980 is activated by control signals generated by an upper optical sensor 992 and a lower optical sensor 994 both positionable on the bending apparatus frame 600 in close position to extruder die 3000. For a deformable mold 110 provided with a vertical hub axle 450, drive means 980 moves hub 50 sideways.

In operation, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, hub 50 is rotated by drive means 400 which entrains a cylindrical support 52 that in turn supports angular drive means 900 and associated pinions 970.

As shown in FIG. 3, a not-yet-hardened profile 100 travels through four cooperating shaping zones 22, 24, 26 and 28 before being carried away.
For sake of illustration, only a convex shaper 200 is represented in this drawing.
Trajectory of shaper 200 represents the same trajectory as all other shapers 250, 260, 270 and 1000.

In a first reception zone 22, the not-yet-hardened profile 100 drawn tangentially around periphery of the rotating deformable mold 110 is compelled to accompany the first convex shaper 200 it encounters at that time, closest to extruder die 3000. As this first shaper 200 continues to rotate around hub 50 and draws more profile portion 100 over a second shaper 200, profile portion 100 starts to adopt the longitudinal shape of the two shapers and some of their curves. While profile 100 is being partially shaped, it is also submitted to a gradual hardening process.

As deformable mold 110 continues to rotate around hub 50, the partially-shaped and partially-hardened profile portion 102 is drawn into a second shaping and hardening zone 24 wherein both the shaping process and the hardening process are finalized. The newly and fully shaped profile portion 104 is hardened to reach a non-changeable solid state. Depending on the profile material, hardening is achieved by either cooling or chilling, by heating including but not limited to induction or laser, or by optical beams such as UV light or by chemical treatment such as exposure to chemical hardeners.

As the shaped and hardened profile portion 104 is further rotated around hub 50, it enters a third zone referred to as virtual retraction zone wherein shaper-after-shaper, each shaper 200 of deformable mold 110 is prompted first to retract and disengage from a newly shaped and hardened profile portion 104 and second to reposition again itself around hub 50.
Retraction and repositioning is activated by sensors 300 at any time a linear guide enters the retraction zone 26, which in turn activate drive means 800 to first move inwardly and then outwardly shaper 200 along linear guide 210 towards hub axle 450; each linear guide 210 is driven by their own drive means 800. This retrieval and repositioning is comparable to the movement of a cam follower that moves inwardly and outwardly when entering a truncated section of the cam.

Finally, as deformable mold 110 continues to rotate around hub 50, the released shaped and hardened profile portion 104 enters a fourth transition zone 28 wherein the released profile portion 104 is shifted slightly sideways so as to exit deformable mold 110 by taking on a helical trajectory that lands a hardened profile portion 104 over a profile carrier arm 510. Loading portion-after-portion of hardened profile portion 104 accumulates into finished products that are carried away.

The effect of a slight deviation introduced for allowing shaped profile portions 104 to exit helically is virtually negligible when the ratio of a shaped profile length to its width is large enough as is often the case for most elongate profiles extruded because of the importance of this length-to-width ratio.
This value of this deviation is in the order of one-profile-width to a profile one-loop length.

The method and apparatus has been described with reference to several preferred embodiments. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the present application of the method and apparatus be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An apparatus for variably shaping a hardenable hollow extruded profile inline with an extrusion process, said apparatus comprising:

a rotating hub securing multiple radially and angularly positionable shapers, said shapers collectively defining a deformable mold;
a profile hardening means,

2 a profile carrier and sensor means; wherein a not-yet-hardened profile portion drawn by and wrapped around said rotating mold is longitudinally shaped and hardened; shapers in contact with said hardened profile portion first moving inwardly towards said hub for releasing said hardened profile portion so as to be carried away by said profile carrier and second moving outwardly to a desired position for shaping a next profile portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said shapers are selected from the group consisting of roller-like shapers, triangular-like shapers, roller-like supports cooperating with other shapers, triangular-like supports cooperating with other shapers, extruded stretchable rubber molds having rigid braces, stand-alone forms, forms for supporting other shapers, dies, mandrels, shaped bodies extending between multiple shapers such as, but not limited to, flexible stretchable rubber molds, and a combination thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said shapers further comprising a conveyor-like flexible conduit, said conduit created by a series of plates attached flexibly on said plates' same edges, said edges resting on said rotating deformable mold's outer contour; each of said plates having a cavity provided with similar cross-sectional dimensions as said profile but dimensions allowing for said profile to be releasable from said deformable mold.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein all shapers are configured to match the cross-sectional dimensions of said profile that allow longitudinal shaping of said profile and an ability to release from said deformable mold.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bending apparatus generates shapes selected from the group consisting of convex shapes, concave shapes, twisted shapes and a combination thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hardening means is selected from the group consisting of cooling, heating, UV curing, microwave curing, laser sintering, laser beaming, chemical treatment and a combination thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus further includes at least one tethered internal shaper having elements of substantially similar dimensions than said hollow profile internal cross-sectional dimensions; said elements configured to slide inside said profile hollow space; said tethered internal shaper comprising first an elongate flexible element such as but not limited to a cable having proximal end anchored to an extruder die for shaping said profile and distal end to a series of filler means; said filler means selected from the group consisting of rigid or semi-rigid elements such as but not limited to plug mandrels, floating mandrels, chains, rollers and sequential calibrated plates, said plates selected from the group consisting of flat plates and embossed plates; said plates attached flexibly together on same'edges forming collectively a chain of floating mandrels tethered by said elongate element.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said tethered internal shaper further including filler means selected from the group consisting of multiple elongate flexible wires, cables, bands, tapes and belts which collectively fill the internal space of said hollow profile to maintain said internal cross-sectional dimensions constant while allowing only for longitudinal dimensions to vary.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotation of said hub is provided by a constant torque drive means.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hub is rotatable around an axis selected from the group consisting of horizontal, oblique and vertical axis.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a drive means for moving said hub to a position that reduces angular deviations between a not-yet-hardened extrudate exiting from an extrusion die and said deformable mold periphery;
said drive means activated by control signals generated by a pair of optical sensors both positionable on said bending apparatus frame closest to said extruder die.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein rotation of said hub, angular variations between linear guides relative to each other, radial positioning of said shapers along said linear guides and hub positioning to reduce said profile angle deviations are provided by drive means selected from the group consisting of stepper motors, servomotors, pneumatic drive, hydraulic drive, belt-driven actuators, rotating worm gears, linear stepper drives, pneumatic actuators, linear actuators, linear motors and a combination thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a three-dimensional (3D) product is generated by bonding side-by-side a coil-shaped profile strand just previously made by a deformable mold with newly shaped and hardened profile portions being drawn by said deformable mold.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein deformation of said deformable mold is controlled by a computer program comprising:
a CAD program to create a 3D model from a 3D product;
a slicing program to slice said 3D product into an array of 2D contour plots that are spaced apart by a-profile-width;
an analyzing program to measure curve radiuses present in said 2D plots, to measure distances from center of said curves to a central point, such as a hub center, and finally to measure angles in-between said centers in relation to said central point;
a controller for driving linearly shapers of same radiuses as desired in 2D
contour to move along corresponding mold linear guides and for driving angularly said linear guides as per said angles; said controller repeating the positioning of shapers, rotation after rotation, as per said array of 2D
contour plots.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further including a feedback system provided by a profile contour reading system and an encoder on said mold hub for deriving data relating to the acquired 2D contour dimensions of a product being freshly shaped by said apparatus; said reading data being compared to the corresponding and desired 2D contour plot from said 3D model; differences in measurements of said acquired 2D contour and data from said desired 2D
contour are transformed into signals that move shapers drive means closer to desired 2D contour plots.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a combination of a laser line projector and a digital protractor located on said hub axle for calibrating the angular position of said linear guides.

17. A method for variably shaping an extruded profile inline with an extrusion process, said method comprising:
rotating multiple linear guides angularly-oriented towards a central hub, positioning shapers along said linear guides; shapers collectively defining a deformable mold; providing a profile hardening means and a profile carrier;
drawing by and wrapping around said deformable mold a profile portion to longitudinally and variably shape and harden said profile portion; move first inwardly and then outwardly each shaper in contact with said hardened profile portion to first release the hardened profile portion from said mold, second for carrying it away over said profile carrier and third for positioning it to shape next profile portion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said shapers further comprising an endless conveyor-like flexible conduit supported by said shapers, said conduit defining a deformable mold created by a series of plates attached flexibly on said plates' same edges, said edges resting over said rotating deformable mold's outer contour; each of said plates having a cavity provided with selected cross-sectional dimensions as said profile, said conduit first maintaining constant said profile cross-sectional dimensions, second shaping longitudinally said profile and third releasing a shaped and hardened profile portion from said conduit.

19. The method of claim 17, further including at least one tethered internal shaper having elements of substantially similar dimensions than said profile hollow internal cross-sectional dimensions; said elements configured to slide freely inside said profile internal hollow space; said tethered internal shaper comprising first an elongate flexible element such as but not limited to a cable having proximal end anchored to said profile extruder die and distal end to a series of filler means; said filler means selected from the group consisting of rigid or semi-rigid elements such as but not limited to plug mandrels, floating mandrels, chains, rollers and sequential calibrator plates, said plates selected from the group consisting of flat plates and of embossed plates, said plates flexibly attached together on same'edges forming collectively a chain of floating mandrels tethered by said elongate element.