WO2011078666A1

WO2011078666A1 - Manufacturing method for producing a three-dimensional object, as well as an object resulting from this manufacturing method

Info

Publication number: WO2011078666A1
Application number: PCT/NL2010/050874
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hans Herman Doude Van Troostwijk
Original assignee: Haf-Holland B.V.
Priority date: 2009-12-22
Filing date: 2010-12-20
Publication date: 2011-06-30
Also published as: NL2004517C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a manufacturing method for the manufacturing of a three-dimensional object with an external main form and at least one indentation. The manufacturing method comprises the steps of: (a) Providing a sheet of material that is flexible in at least one direction; (b) Providing a rotating, drivable mandrel, the exterior form of which is identical in shape to the main exterior form of the object to be manufactured; (c) Winding a number of layers of the material onto the winding mandrel; (d) Connecting at least the outer edge of the last wound layer to the layer underneath; and (e) The forming of at least one indentation.

Description

Manufacturing method for producing a three-dimensional object, as well as an object resulting from this

manufacturing method The invention relates to a manufacturing method for producing a three-dimensional object consisting of an external main form and at least one indentation. An example of such an object is an interior element for a mainly rigid packaging, for instance a cardboard box, which interior element comprises a certain elastic plasticity and comprises a body with at least one indentation, in which fits a corner, an edge or a protruding part of the object to be packaged, in such a manner that the object may be included in the packaging, by means of a number of fittingly modelled interior elements, fittingly and shock absorbing or

anchored.

Such a manufacturing method, and the resulting interior element for accommodating an object in packaging in a supporting, spaced and potentially shock absorbing manner, is known. For instance, it is common practice to produce an interior element out of expanded foam, such as expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), in a cubical main shape, for

instance, from which the corner has been cut out, for instance in a general cubical shape as well. Such an element is placed on the bottom, for instance in the four corners of the bottom surface of the packaging, for instance a wooden chest, a cardboard box, an aluminium box or similar, in such a manner that an object, for instance a consumer product, such as a refrigerator, a television-set, a loudspeaker, an industrial article, such as a gear-box for a car, an

electromotor, may be carried by it. After placing the object thus in the packaging such elements may also be placed at the upper side, after which the packaging is closed by a lid.

The dimensions of the packaging and the interior elements have been chosen in such a manner that an article to be packaged is received in the packaging mainly without any margin and by insertion of the interior elements.

Due to the elastic characteristics of the foam material is not only a rattling-free packaging ensured but the article is also - within certain limits - safeguarded against stresses due to shocks, for instance when the packaging falls to the ground from a certain height.

The known method for manufacturing an interior element based on forming the interior elements of expanded artificial foam, by expanding it in a mould, is very well- suited for large series.

The costs for moulding are relatively high for smaller series and under certain conditions prohibitively so, rendering it desirable to look for alternatives.

In this regard the invention provides a

manufacturing method that is particularly suited for fast adjustments at relatively low costs.

This manufacturing method according to the invention, for manufacturing a three-dimensional object with an external main form and at least one indentation, is characterised by the following steps to be executed in due order:

(a) Providing a sheet of material that is flexible in at least one direction;

(b) Providing a rotating, drivable winding mandrel, the external form of which is at least more or less identical in shape to the main external form of an object to be manufactured; (c) Taking into account the potential unidirectional flexibility of the material, the winding of a number of layers of the material onto the winding mandrel;

(d) Connecting at least the outer edge of the last layer wound to the layer underneath; and

<e) Forming of at least one indentation. It is noted that a more or less identical external form of the winding mandrel to the main external form of the object to be manufactured is understood to mean that the external form of the winding mandrel, for instance in case of an interior element with a triangular cross section to be manufactured according to the manufacturing method, is in cross section mainly triangular as well.

Furthermore, it is noted that it shall be most practical in most circumstances that the mandrel is of prismatic shape. 'Prismatic' means a shape that at every axial position - meaning every position in relation to the winding or rotation axis - consists of the same shape in cross section. Thus, a cylinder, for instance, qualifies under this definition as well.

Given certain circumstances it may be practical to connect all stacked layers to each other. To achieve this, adhesives may be used between all layers. A cheaper,

nonetheless effective method is the connecting of the outer edge of the last layer wound with the layer underneath it. This connection may be achieved by means of glue or other adhesives, for instance one or more staples.

Preferably, the manufacturing method contains step (fl) in selecting the fibre material.

Even more preferably, the fibre material is anisotropic, and the manufacturing method comprises the further step (gl) of orienting the fibres of the fibre material in relation to the winding axis of the mandrel in such a manner, that in the ultimate direction of the load of the three-dimensional object the fibres are oriented such that a desired cushioning behaviour is obtained. The

ultimate direction of the load refers to the main direction in which the product to be packaged will pressure the three- dimensional object.

Attention is drawn to the fact that many materials across the main surface possess a high degree of elastic plasticity, and that after winding the elastic plasticity in the direction of the surfaces of the layers will be very limited. Preferably, this is taken into account in the design of objects according to the invention.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the manufacturing method comprises step (fl) of selecting corrugated cardboard as the material. Corrugated cardboard has the advantage that it is cheap and recyclable.

According to another preferred embodiment step {gl} comprises orienting the longitudinal direction of the waves of the corrugated cardboard in relation to the winding axis of the mandrel in such a manner that in the ultimate

direction of the load of the three-dimensional object, the waves of the corrugated cardboard are oriented in such a manner that a desired cushioning behaviour is obtained.

Attention is drawn to the fact that corrugated cardboard is a material that across the main surface of the cardboard possesses a high degree of elastic plasticity, and that after winding the elastic plasticity in the direction of the surfaces of the layers will be very limited. Preferably, this is taken into account when designing object according to the invention. Therefore, it is conceivable that the fluting direction of the corrugated cardboard is diagonal in order to modify the cushioning characteristics. According to a further preferred embodiment, the manufacturing method comprises step (fl) in selecting cellulose or softboard as the material. The advantage of these materials is that they display a far more constant cushioning compared to, for example, corrugated cardboard, thus making the desired protection for the product to be packaged predictable.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the manufacturing method comprises step (f2) in selecting plastic as the material. Plastics, too, display a far more constant cushioning compared to, for example, corrugated cardboard, thus making the desired protection for the product to be packaged predictable in the case of plastics as well.

According to a very important aspect of the invention, the manufacturing method comprises the step:

(h) applying to the sheet - prior to step (c) - a number of perforations modelled in such a way that after winding the sheet onto the mandrel the perforations are situated in a mutually registered relation in subsequent layers, and together make up the one indentation at least.

Such perforations may be calculated easily by computer, taking into consideration the shape of the winding mandrel, the thickness of the sheet material, and the desired shape of the indentation or indentations. The perforations may be applied in any suitable manner, for instance using laser cutting, which enables in a very easy way the swift resetting of one production series to another, or using a widely used, common punching process.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the manufacturing method comprises the steps: (i) Executing step (f) in such a manner that the material is corrugated cardboard of the type consisting of at least two skin films;

(j) executing step (b) in such a manner that the winding mandrel displays at least two corner zones; and

(k) forming - prior to step (c) - rectangular weakening zones along the entire width of the sheet, whereby the weakening zones are positioned in such a manner that they correspond to the corner zones of the winding mandrel.

Step (k) simplifies the winding of the sheet.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the manufacturing method comprises step (1) of gluing together of one or more stacked layers, depending on the desired stiffness of the three-dimensional object to be manufactured. An object according to the invention, with the stacked layers glued together, will possess more stiffness than a similar object in which the outer final edge has been connected to the bottom layer alone.

Depending on the desired mechanical stiffness compared to the desired elastic plasticity, a desired local amount of glue may be applied.

Finally, the invention relates to a three- dimensional object, that has been obtained by executing one of the abovementioned, specified manufacturing methods as well .

The invention shall now be illustrated using the drawings attached. The drawings show:

Figure 1: a perspective view of a packaging with the interior placed at a distance, with interior elements according to the invention;

Figure 2: detail II of figure 1 at a larger scale; Figure 3: a perspective view of an installation for executing the manufacturing method according to the

invention;

Figure 4: a schematic, perspective view of a perforated sheet, ready to be wound onto a rotating, drivable winding mandrel;

Figure 5: a perspective view of a finalised interior element at that stage where it may be removed from the winding mandrel;

Figure 6A: a frontal view and a side view of a finalised interior element, obtained through winding, in sheet form;

Figure 6B: the interior element according to figure 6A, after its has been folded twice at 90D along the folding zones;

Figure 6C: a view from above of a sheet with perforations that has been wound according to the folding zones indicated in the drawing, to obtain the preliminary interior element according to figure 6A;

Figure 7A: a view from above of an expanded mandrel onto which a preliminary interior element has been wound;

Figure 7B: the side view of figure 7A;

Figure 8A: a view - corresponding to figure 7A - of the situation, whereby the mandrel has been contracted and the preliminary interior element may be removed from the mandrel;

Figure 8B: a view - corresponding to figure 7B - of the situation according to figure 8B;

Figure 9: schematically, a cross section of a winding mandrel with a number of openings that serve the purpose of holding the frontal edge zone of a sheet to be wound by means of underpressure; Figure 10: a cross section, corresponding to figure 9, of a mandrel with retractable barbs for holding the frontal edge zone of a sheet to be wound;

Figure 11: complete, final packaging, produced according to the manufacturing method of the invention;

Figure 12: a support system of interior elements, produced according to the manufacturing method of the invention, applied in a transporting crate; and

Figure 13: a pallet-like carrier, produced according to the manufacturing method of the invention;

Figure 1 shows packaging 1 and an interior 3 to be placed according to arrow 2. The interior 3 is entirely made out of corrugated cardboard. It comprises eight interior corner elements, each indicated by 4. The interior elements 4 are mutually connected using rods 5 and thus together form interior 3.

Figure 2 shows interior element A on a larger scale, to which is connected a rod 5. This figure makes clear that the interior element is composed of a number of layers of corrugated cardboard and displays a corner indentation 6, in which fits the corner zone of an object to be packaged. Rod 5 is connected to interior element 4. This connection may be achieved by adhesion, for instance using glue, but the rod may also be placed on top of the object after it has been placed on bottom interior element 4. After positioning the 4 rods shown in figure 1, the four upper interior elements may be placed, after which the contents of the packaging is ready and packaging 1 may be closed using a lid (not shown) .

The rods are formed by winding the corrugated cardboard and by attaching at least the lower layer to the outer edge zone. Figure 3 shows an installation 7 for the purpose of manufacturing an interior element 8 according to figure 6B. The installation 7 comprises a system 9, carrying a supply roll 10 with corrugated cardboard, which may be fed

according to arrow 11 to a pinching and scoring station 12. For the sake of clarity, the means of transport,

transporting corrugated cardboard on the sheet conveyer according to arrow 11, are not drawn. A die 14 may be moved up and down according to arrow 15 and displays a profile that ensures the cutting out of perforations determined in advance (see figure 6C for this example) and the forming of scores or folding lines, as drawn in figure 6C as well. The resulting sheet 16 with perforations 17, 18 is connected by its frontal edge to a mandrel 20, driven by a rotating motor 19, with suction openings for fixing with force and in relation to mandrel 20 the frontal edge zone of sheet 16, using underpressure. The length of the sheet 16 is determined by the profiling of die 14 or a separate cutting installation (not shown) , as is the shape and location on perforation 17 and the folding lines 22 (see figure 6C) .

The up and down movement 15 of die 14 is driven by hydraulic cylinder 23. The entire installation 7, and particularly the synchronisation of the various parts, takes place out of a central control unit which is not drawn.

Figure 4 displays a fed sheet 24 with a series of perforations that each differ from the others, but for the sake of clarity have all been indicated by 25, as well as a number of folding lines 22. The mandrel 20 grabs the frontal edge zone 26 of sheet 24; subsequently, mandrel 20 is driven by motor 19 in a rotating fashion according to arrow 27 and thus winds sheet 24, ultimately resulting in interior element 4. The final edge zone is adhered to the underlying layer of corrugated cardboard, using glue disseminated from a glue nozzle 28. This completes interior element 4 and it may now be released from mandrel 20 in accordance with figure 5 following arrow 29.

Figure 6A shows a preliminary interior element 30 in frontal and side view.

Figure 6B shows that the preliminary interior element 30 in frontal and side view may be modelled into interior element 8 by hinging down the side zones 32 according to arrows 31.

Figure 6C shows sheet 16, obtained through punching and scoring by station 12 as in figure 3. The outer edge 33, drawn at the top in figure 6C, corresponds to the inner side of the interior element, while the outer edge 34 drawn at the bottom, corresponds to the exterior of the interior element .

Figure 7A shows an expandable and contractible mandrel 35. The mandrel has been drawn in figures 7A and 7B in its expanded position. By driving in a rotating manner a gear, and rack and pinion propulsion 36 between both parts of mandrel 35, the mandrel may be repositioned between its expanded situation, as drawn in figures 7A and 7B, and its contracted situation, as drawn in figures 8A and 8B. In the expanded situation the corrugated cardboard is wound into an interior element. After winding, the interior element 37 thus produced is removed from the contracted mandrel according to arrow 38 as depicted in figure 8A and figure 8B.

Figure 9 shows a hollow mandrel 39 which can be connected to a source for underpressure and suction

openings 21, shows holding the frontal edge zone of a sheet to be wound by using underpressure. Perhaps unnecessarily, it is noted that the professional instead of - or in addition to, if so desired - the suction openings 21 displayed for inducing a vacuum, may also be equipped with alternative (not displayed) holding implements, such as hooks, claws, or a clamping bar .

Figure 10 shows a mandrel 40 that shows, as an alternative for the suction openings 21, a number of barbs 41, that may be expanded or retracted and in expanded condition may grab the frontal edge zone of a sheet and - after the winding of a sheet - may be retracted in such a manner that the finished interior element may be removed from the mandrel .

Figure 11 shows packaging 42 manufactured according to the winding method, with indentations both in the top 43 and in the bottom 44 for the purpose of fixing a product to be packaged in packaging 42. Closing packaging 42 may occur by gluing the surfaces A, B, C, and D onto the surfaces Α' , B' , C , and D' respectively. It is noted that packaging 42 is a complete final packaging, in which the product to be packaged may be included without any interference of additional adhesive or fixing materials. Thus, according to the invention a three-dimensional object is packaging 42 itself, and due to its form and specifically modelled indentation (s) , particularly well-suited for the storage and/or transport of specific objects, such as consumer goods, and/or industrial products such as car or machine parts .

Figure 12 shows a transporting crate 45 containing a number of wound interior elements 46, 47 for supporting and fixing of products, for instance heavy machine parts. The interior elements 46 and 47 are equipped with such cooperating indentations that they fit together and thus form a stable support-system of interior elements in transporting crate 45.

Figure 13 shows pallet 48, composed of several interior elements 49, 50, and 51, produced according to the winding method of the invention, onto which a product may be placed. Because the interior elements 49, 50 have been manufactured in somewhat variant forms, product 52 fits perfectly and the pallet provides thus very stable support for product 52. In this way a three-dimensional object, manufactured according to the winding method of the invention, serves as a pallet-like carrier 48 with at least one indentation for fittingly accommodating the object 52 to be carried.

The invention is not limited to embodiments as described above. Corrugated cardboard with more than one skin film - for instance two, three or even four - may be put to use advantageously. Fabric-like materials, fibre materials, corrugated material out of plastics, or other such materials are suitable choices as well. The advantage of corrugated cardboard is that it is recyclable.

By using a mandrel with suction openings, the suction openings may - when removing a finished interior element from the mandrel in the direction of the axis - temporarily allow the blowing out of air under a certain amount of pressure, rendering the removal easier.

The embodiments described above are solely meant - although they show the preferred embodiments of the invention - to illustrate the invention at hand and not in any way to limit the description of the invention. It is noted in particular that the professional may combine technical measures of the various embodiments. The size and scope of the invention is thus exclusively determined by the following claims.

Claims

1. Manufacturing method for the manufacturing of a three-dimensional object with an external main form and at least one indentation, including the following steps to be executed in due order:

(a) Providing a sheet of material that is flexible in at least one direction;

(b) Providing a rotating, drivable winding mandrel, of which the exterior form is at least more or less identical in shape as the main exterior form of an object to be manufactured;

(c) Taking into account the potentially unidirectional flexibility of the material, the winding onto the winding mandrel of a number4 of layers of the material;

(d) Connecting of at least the outer edge of the layer that was wound last, to the layer underneath; and

(e) Creating at least one indentation.

2. Manufacturing method according to claim 1, including the step:

(fl) selecting a fibre material.

3. Manufacturing method according to claim 2 whereby the fibre material is anisotropic and the

manufacturing method further comprises step:

(gl) orienting the fibres of the fibre material in relation to the winding axis of the mandrel in such a manner that in the ultimate direction of the load of the three- dimensional object the fibres are oriented in such a manner that a desired cushioning behaviour is obtained.

4. Manufacturing method according to one of the abovementioned claims, whereby step {fl) comprises the selection of corrugated cardboard as the material.

5. Manufacturing method according to claim 4, whereby step (gl) comprises the orienting of the

longitudinal direction of the waves of the corrugated cardboard in relation to the winding axis of the mandrel.

6. Manufacturing method according to one of the abovementioned claims, whereby step (fl) comprises the selection of cellulose or softboard as the material.

7. Manufacturing method according to claim 1, including the step:

(f2) selecting plastics as the material.

8. Manufacturing method according to one of the abovementioned claims, including step:

(h) applying, prior to step (c) , a number of perforations to the sheet modelled in such a manner that after winding the sheet onto the mandrel the perforations are located in a mutually registered relation in subsequent layers and together form at least one indentation.

9. Manufacturing method according to one of the abovementioned claims, including steps:

(i) executing step (fl) in such a manner that the material is a corrugated cardboard of the type with at least two skin films;

(j) executing step (b) in such a manner that the mandrel displays at least two corner zones; and (k) forming, prior to step (c) , a rectangular weakening zone along the entire width of the sheet, and which weakening zones are positioned in such a manner that they correspond to the corner zones of the mandrel.

10. Manufacturing method according to one of the abovementioned claims, further including the step:

(1) gluing together of one or more stacked layers, depending on the desired stiffness of the three-dimensional object to be manufactured.

11. Three-dimensional object, obtained by executing a manufacturing method according to one of the

abovementioned claims.