WO2023147611A1

WO2023147611A1 - Extendible functional panel made of plastic

Info

Publication number: WO2023147611A1
Application number: PCT/AT2023/060022
Authority: WO
Inventors: Franz Riener
Original assignee: Agentur Riener Gmbh
Priority date: 2022-02-07
Filing date: 2023-01-31
Publication date: 2023-08-10
Also published as: AT525270A4; AT525270B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a table top, comprising the following steps: providing an injection moulding tool (1) having a hollow space with a shape corresponding to the functional panel (2) to be produced, wherein the injection moulding tool (1) has at least two space separators (7', 7") for producing at least two recesses (7) in the functional panel (2), which are next to one another in the extension direction (RI) and are spaced apart by empty spaces (6') in the hollow space to produce strips (6) of the functional panel (2), and at least two space separators (7', 7") are positioned next to one another and perpendicular to the extension direction (RI), and wherein at least two consecutive space separators (7', 7") in the extension direction (RI) are each offset perpendicular to the extension direction (RI), wherein the space separators (7', 7") have a size of at least 2 mm in the extension direction (RI); and introducing a plastic into the hollow space to produce the functional panel (2). The invention also relates to a functional panel (2) produced according to this method.

Description

Pull-out function plate made of plastic

The invention relates to a method for producing an extendable functional panel, in particular an extendable furniture panel or an extendable table top. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a functional panel that is manufactured in one piece and has elongated recesses running through the functional panel that run normal to the pull-out direction, between which webs are formed to produce a length-variable section of the functional panel, with at least two recesses lying next to one another in the pull-out direction, which are spaced apart by webs, and at least two recesses lie next to one another normal to the pull-out direction, which are spaced apart by connecting sections.

Pull-out furniture panels made of wood are known from the prior art, for example from AT 503 246. According to this publication, several thin strips are glued together at nodes in order to produce an extendable furniture panel. In order to increase the stability of this furniture panel, a stabilization device is provided which limits the mutual spacing of the individual strips.

A further development of pull-out furniture panels made of wood disclosed in EP 2 764 797 B1 provides that the pull-out furniture panel is produced from a single base panel by using a cutting process to make cuts with the smallest possible gap width in the base panel. In particular, the gap width should not exceed 1 mm. With this cutting process, a table top can be simulated when closed, which visually resembles a conventional table top. In addition, particularly thick webs can be created due to the small gap widths, so that this table top can subsequently be stretched particularly far. According to the document mentioned, this makes it possible for the connection at the connecting sections of the webs to remain in place even up to a factor of approximately 3 when the extension of the furniture part changes.

However, the last-mentioned furniture panel, in which the thinnest possible gap width is produced by means of a cutting process, also has disadvantages. In particular, it has been found in practice that a visually unappealing rear side of the furniture panel is achieved by cutting processes such as laser cutting or water-jet cutting, so that the furniture panel has to be reworked in a complex manner. Furthermore, it has been shown that furniture panels of this type can only be cleaned with great effort. In particular, it happens that particles such as leftover food, small stones or grains of dust get stuck in the narrow Jam the recesses between the webs. These cannot simply be wiped out of the gaps with a cloth, because the small gap widths trap the particles too much in the tapering connection areas. If this furniture board is used as a dining table top or placed outdoors, it will always give an unclean impression and will in fact also be unhygienic.

It is therefore the object of the invention to create a functional panel and a method for producing such a functional panel which does not have the aforementioned disadvantages.

This object is achieved in a first aspect of the invention by a method for producing a functional panel that can be pulled out in a pull-out direction, preferably a functional panel that can be pulled out or a table top that can be pulled out, comprising the steps:

- Providing an injection mold with a cavity, the shape of which corresponds to the furniture panel to be produced, wherein the injection mold has at least two space dividers for producing at least two recesses in the functional panel, which are next to one another in the extraction direction, which are spaced apart by empty spaces for producing webs of the functional panel, and at least two room dividers are located next to each other normal to the pull-out direction, which are spaced apart from one another to produce connecting sections of the functional panel, and wherein at least two room dividers that follow one another in the pull-out direction are each offset normal to the pull-out direction, the space dividers having a size of at least 2 mm in the pull-out direction, and

- Introducing a plastic into the cavity to produce the function board.

Surprisingly, it has been found that table tops as known from EP 2 764 797 B1 do not necessarily have to be made of wood if the basic shape of the functional top is modified. Originally, it was not possible to produce an extendable functional panel from plastic because a cutting process as disclosed in EP 2 764 797 B1 cannot be directly transferred to plastic panels. A cutting process with a gap width of less than 1 mm is only possible with plastic panels if the furniture panel is subjected to intensive post-processing, which should be avoided for cost reasons.

The idea according to the invention is thus based on the knowledge that an extendable functional panel does not necessarily have to be produced in two phases (provision of the panel and subsequent cutting of the panel), but rather the extractable one in one step Function plate can be cast. In this case, the basic shape of the functional board to be produced is also modified in order to provide the space dividers of the injection molding tool, which according to the invention have a width of at least 2 mm.

According to the invention, the recesses made in the functional panel with a size of at least 2 mm in the pull-out direction allow the functional panel to be cleaned more easily. The specified minimum size of the longitudinal extent of the recesses in particular prevents particles from accumulating in the recesses, as a result of which the functional panel can be cleaned by simply wiping indoors or by spraying with a garden hose outdoors, making the functional panel particularly suitable as an outdoor table top is suitable. In addition, the larger recesses result in a lower weight of the function plate or the function plate can also be compressed due to the size of the recesses, which means that the function plate is easier to transport than is known from the prior art, which in turn is particularly suitable for outdoor use. area is advantageous. It goes without saying that the size of the recess described here is measured when the functional panel is not extended, i.e. when the functional panel is in the relaxed state or in the state during production, and that this size can increase when the functional panel is pulled out. In other words, the recesses have a size of at least 2 mm in the pull-out direction when the functional panel is not in the pulled-out state.

However, it should be emphasized in particular that no further special requirements are placed on the recesses and webs of the functional panel produced by the injection molding process. In particular, the length of the recesses and webs normal to the pull-out direction and the number of recesses and webs both in the pull-out direction and normal to the pull-out direction can be selected as desired. The recesses and ridges are also not tied to a specific shape, so that, for example, the size of the recesses and ridges in the pull-out direction could also vary within a single recess or ridge, as long as the size of the recesses in the pull-out direction is at least 2 mm. Also, not all recesses and webs have to be designed the same, but the lengths, sizes and shapes of the recesses and webs could vary within a functional panel. The shape and proportions of the recesses and webs can be made dependent on a desired design or a material of the functional plate, for example. All that is required is that the recesses and webs allow the function panel to be pulled out, with the function panel being able to be pulled out, for example, by a factor of 1.5 to 2.5, measured starting from the relaxed state of the function board or starting from the state of manufacture of the function board.

The plastic polyoxymethylene is particularly suitable for producing the functional plate, i.e. the functional plate is made from this plastic or includes it, e.g. the plastic includes more than 90% by weight (percentage by weight) polyoxymethylene. Due to the advantageous material properties, this plastic is particularly suitable for using the functional panel as a tabletop.

Alternatively, the plastic introduced into the injection mold can also be polyamide or thermoplastic polyurethane, particularly if these are glass fiber reinforced. Alternatively, the plastics polyvinylidene fluoride or polyethylene terephthalate glycol are also suitable for the functional plate. In all of the cases mentioned, it is preferred if the material introduced into the injection mold to produce the functional plate comprises more than 90% by weight of the plastics mentioned or more than 90% by weight of a mixture of these plastics.

Furthermore, the plastic introduced into the injection molding tool can preferably be fiber-reinforced in order to increase the stability of the functional plate.

As explained at the outset, the space dividers and thus also the recesses in the functional panel have a minimum extension of 2 mm in the pull-out direction. In general, it is preferred if the webs and the recesses are approximately the same size in the pull-out direction. This is achieved when the space dividers have a first extension in the extension direction and the empty spaces have a second extension in the extension direction, with the first and second extensions differing by a maximum of 10% relative to the first extension. This results in particularly advantageous design variants, since there is a balanced relationship between the webs and the recesses in the functional plate. On the one hand, the webs are still thick enough so that there is sufficient stability for pulling out the functional panel, and on the other hand, sufficiently large recesses are achieved, which justify the inventive effects described above.

The size of the recesses of at least 2 mm already results in the effect of easier cleaning, since it is less likely that particles along the recesses will get stuck in them. This effect can be further increased if the space dividers and thus the recesses are at their normal to the pull-out direction lying ends are rounded, for example with a rounding diameter which corresponds to the width of the recess in the pull-out direction. This allows the functional plate to be cleaned even more easily, since particles cannot get stuck in the end regions of the recess either.

In a second aspect of the invention, a pull-out functional panel is created, preferably an extendable furniture panel or table top, which is manufactured in one piece and has elongated recesses running through the functional panel that run normal to a pull-out direction, between which webs are formed to produce a length-variable section of the functional panel are, with at least two recesses lying next to one another in the pull-out direction, which are spaced apart by the webs, and at least two recesses lying next to one another normal to the pull-out direction, which are spaced apart by connecting sections, and with at least two recesses following one another in the pull-out direction being each offset normal to the pull-out direction, the functional plate consists of plastic and the recesses have a size of at least 2 mm in the pull-out direction.

The same design variants can be used for this function panel as were mentioned for the manufacturing process.

Advantageous and non-limiting embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the pull-out functional panel according to the invention in an intermediate state during production in a plan view.

FIG. 2 shows a sequence of the production of the functional board according to the invention.

Figure 3 shows detail A of Figure 1.

FIG. 4 shows an image of a prototype of the pull-out functional panel according to the invention in a first state.

FIG. 5 shows an image of the pull-out functional panel from FIG. 4 in a second state.

FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of the function board according to the invention. FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the pull-out function panel with rigid panel parts.

FIG. 1 shows an injection molding tool 1 which is used according to the invention to produce an extendable functional panel 2 made of plastic. For this purpose, the Injection mold 1 has a cavity that corresponds in shape to the functional plate 2 to be produced.

The pull-out functional panel 2 is designed as a table top, but could also be used for other purposes, in particular for pieces of furniture, in which case the functional panel 2 is generally referred to as a furniture panel, if necessary by adapting the dimensions and/or materials.

The injection molding tool 1 has, for example, a housing in which said cavity is incorporated. The housing of the injection mold 1 can, for example, have an external length L1 and an external width B1, which are each greater than a length L2 and a width B2 of the functional board 2 to be produced. As a result, the functional panel 2 can be produced inside the injection mold 1, i.e. the functional panel 2 does not lie directly against one of the long sides or broad sides of the housing. The cavity is, for example, completely enclosed by the housing. In the plan view shown in FIG. 1, the housing forms a continuous, peripheral frame 5 . It is not apparent that the housing is also covered at the top and bottom with respect to the selected view, for example with a flat top panel and a flat bottom panel.

Also not shown are one or more inlet openings through which plastic can be introduced into the cavity of the injection mold 1 . The position of the entrance openings can be chosen accordingly by a person skilled in the art.

The plastic that is introduced into the cavity to produce the functional plate 2 is or includes, for example, polyoxymethylene, polyamide, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyvinylidene fluoride or polyethylene terephthalate glycol. The plastic introduced into the cavity can include fibers, e.g. glass fibers, so that the functional panel 2 can be made of fiber-reinforced plastic. The functional plate 2 preferably consists exclusively of one of the above-mentioned plastics or a mixture thereof, which may have fibers added to it.

So that the functional panel 2 to be produced can be pulled out, it should have a large number of elongated, parallel webs 6 . The webs 6 are formed by voids 6' in the cavity. If plastic is introduced into the cavity or the empty spaces 6', this will form the webs 6 after it has solidified. In the finished state of the functional plate 2, the webs 6 are integrally connected, but are spaced apart from recesses 7 in the pull-out direction RI in such a way that the functional plate 2 can be pulled out in the pull-out direction RI. The pull-out direction RI is parallel to the long sides 9 of the functional panel 2. In order to produce the recesses 7 in the functional panel 2, the injection molding tool 1 comprises space dividers 7', 7'' which protrude into the cavity. Some of the space dividers 7' can protrude directly from the frame 5 of the housing of the injection mold 1 shown in FIG. These space dividers 7 ′ will form elongate recesses 7 in the functional panel 2 that are produced, which are present directly on the longitudinal sides 9 of the functional panel 2 . Others of the space dividers 7" are detached from the frame of the housing of the injection mold 1 shown in Figure 1 and are therefore located inside the injection mold 1. These space dividers 7" can be held, for example, by the upper and lower plates of the housing of the injection mold 1, which are not shown in Figure 1 become. The recesses formed by the space dividers 7" will be present inside the functional panel 2, i.e. not in contact with the longitudinal sides 9.

In order to achieve the ability to be pulled out, the recesses 7 are elongated, i.e. have a greater length in a normal direction R2 normal to the direction of extension RI than in the direction of extension RI, and several recesses 7, i.e. at least two recesses 7, are provided in the normal direction R2. which are separated from each other in the normal direction R2 by connecting portions 8, which are also part of the cavity. Furthermore, a plurality of recesses 7 spaced apart from one another in the pull-out direction RI are provided, so that the webs 6 mentioned subsequently result. The connecting sections 8 thus connect adjacent webs 6 in the pull-out direction RI or normal direction R2, as a result of which the functional panel 2 continues to remain in one piece.

The recesses 7 are not aligned in the pull-out direction RI, but are arranged, for example, in opposite directions, as can be seen from FIG. 1, as a result of which the connecting sections 8 are also mutually offset in the pull-out direction RI. In other words, at least two consecutive recesses 7 in the pull-out direction RI are offset in each case normal to the pull-out direction RI. The result of this is that the functional plate 2 is not manufactured continuously at any imaginary cut in the pull-out direction RI, which enables the functional plate 2 to be variable in length. Such an arrangement of recesses 7 is known per se from the prior art, but the recesses 7 shown here differ in this respect from the known designs differ in that they have an extent of at least 2 mm, preferably at least 3 mm or at least 4 mm, in the pull-out direction RI.

The ability of the function board 2 to be pulled out also requires, in particular, that some of the recesses 7 pass through the longitudinal sides 9 of the function board 2 to be manufactured, so that the longitudinal sides 9 of the function board 2 are also not manufactured continuously. As a result, there are several webs 6 next to one another, but separate from one another, on the longitudinal sides 9 after the function panel 2 has been removed from the injection mold 1 .

Overall, the above-mentioned recesses 7 result in a functional panel 2 with a longitudinal side 9 variable in length and a broad side 10 with a constant length. The long side 9 of the function board 2 can be dimensioned, for example, in the de-energized state, i.e. in the state in which the function board 2 is being produced in the injection molding tool 1.

If the recesses 7 were cut thinly, as in the prior art, thicker webs 6 would result. However, these cutting methods cannot be readily transferred to plastic plates, so that the recesses 7, as proposed according to the invention, are also produced during an injection molding process and preferably have a size of at least 2 mm at least 3 mm or at least 4 mm, in the pull-out direction RI, as a result of which the webs 6 also become correspondingly thinner.

1 also shows that the functional board 2 has a connecting strip 11 on the broad sides 10, i.e. an optional reinforced section, on which mounting holes 12 can be provided, for example in the form of bores or oblong holes. The mounting holes 12 can be produced afterwards, e.g. by drilling, or they can be produced directly by means of a further space divider during injection molding. The function board 2 is usually continuous on the broad sides 10, i.e. on the connecting strips 11. For example, rigid, non-extendable function board parts can be mounted on the mounting holes 12 .

In the following, the manufacturing method of the functional board 2 is explained with reference to FIG. In a first step, the injection mold 1 is provided, in which the cavity corresponding to the functional board 2 to be produced is already present. Thereafter, plastic is introduced into the cavity in order to form the functional board 2 . The plastic can, for example, be introduced into the cavity in liquid or viscous form, for example by heating the plastic. After that you leave solidify the plastic in the cavity, for example by allowing it to cool, for example. In this state, the functional plate 2 can be removed from the injection molding tool 1 and, if necessary, subjected to post-processing such as polishing, although this is not mandatory. Alternative injection molding methods are also possible, as known to those skilled in the art.

As an optional post-processing, bevels can be produced, for example, on all edges of the recesses 7, which, for example, have a size of 0.1 mm to 1 mm, preferably 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm, particularly preferably 0.5 mm.

In a further optional step, the side surfaces of the recesses 7 can be provided with a surface quality by means of a circular milling process (synchronous milling) or a pendulum milling process that makes further mechanical processing before a final surface treatment unnecessary.

FIG. 3 shows part of the functional board 2, which is produced in detail A of FIG. From this it can be clearly seen that the webs 6 and the recesses 7 have essentially the same width in the pull-out direction RI. Specifically, it is shown that the webs 6 have a width of 4.10 mm and the recesses 7 have a width of 4.00 mm, each in the pull-out direction RI. In general, it can be provided that the width of the webs 6 and the width of the recesses differ by a maximum of 5%, a maximum of 10% or a maximum of 20%, each based on the width of the webs 6, regardless of whether the webs 6 or the Recesses 7 have a greater width. All webs 6 or all recesses 7 are preferably of the same size in the pull-out direction RI, but provision could also be made for webs 6 of different widths or recesses 7 of different widths to be provided. In general, the webs in the pull-out direction RI can have a size of at least 2 mm, at least 4 mm or at least 6 mm, for example, although there is a great deal of design freedom for this.

In the figures 4 and 5, the functional plate 2 is shown after it has been removed from the injection mold 1. In FIG. 4, the functional panel 2 is shown in the state in which it is present immediately after manufacture, ie in the non-extended, stress-free state. Because of the large recesses 7, the functional plate 2 could even be compressed in order to make it even more compact. In FIG. 5, the functional panel 2 is shown in an extended state, for example in that it was pulled apart manually. Due to the extension movement, the webs 6 assume a greater distance from one another and the size of the recesses 7 increases in the extension direction RI. Due to the recesses 7, which are essentially the same size as the webs 6 themselves in the pull-out direction RI, the functional panel 2 can be pulled out by a factor of 2-2.5 before the webs 6 usually overstretch at the connecting sections 8.

FIG. 6 shows a preferred embodiment of the function board 2, the outer housing of the injection molding tool 1 being shown only schematically. In particular, it can be seen that the number of webs 6 and recesses 7 is not limited to a specific number, but can be selected as desired.

It goes without saying that the function panel 2 described above, which, as shown, can be pulled out parallel to the long side 9 in the direction RI and has a greater width B2 than length L2, could alternatively also be pulled out parallel to the long side 9 in the direction RI and had a smaller width B2 could have as length L2. In addition, the terms “long side”, “broad side”, “length”, “width” etc. used herein are only used to define the functional panel 2 and in particular do not relate to a specific intended use. In particular, the function panel 2 described above can, for example, also be used as a table top with a constant length, for example 200 cm, which is extended in width over the entire length, seen in use by an end user.

The function panel 2 explained above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 has a rectangular shape, but could just as well be oval, circular or otherwise. In this case, too, two longitudinal sides and two broad sides can be defined, which are curved but can still lie essentially parallel or normal to the extension direction RI.

As an alternative to the embodiment of FIG. 1, where rigid, non-extendable function board parts are mounted on the connection lines 11 by means of the mounting holes 12, these can also be formed in one piece on the function board 1. Figure 7 shows that it is also possible to produce at least one, preferably both, of the rigid, non-extendable functional panel parts 13 directly during the injection molding process, so that the functional panel 2 includes one or two rigid, non-extendable functional panel parts 13 and an extendable functional panel part 14. Such a function plate 2 would have thus a wide side 10 of the same size as the aforementioned functional panel 2, but for example a three times larger long side 9, the recesses 7 being provided only over a third of the length of the long side 9, for example in the middle third of the long side. However, the invention is in no way limited to specific ratios of length Ln of the non-extendable function board parts 13 to length La of the extendable function board parts. For example, length ratios of Ln:La:Ln of 1:1:1, 1:2:1, 2:1:2 or 2:1:1 could be chosen when an extendable functional panel part is placed between two non-extendable functional panel parts. If only one pull-out function board part is arranged next to a non-extendable function board part, the length ratios La:Ln can be chosen to be 1:1, 2:1 or 1:2, for example. Mounting holes 12 could optionally also be provided in such functional panels, in particular along the broad sides, in order to mount the functional panel as a table top, for example on a wall.

The functional panel 2 described herein has a length L2 (La+Ln) of between 0.3 m and 3 m, preferably between 0.5 m and 1.5 m, for example in the extension direction RI in the relaxed state, with the non-extendable functional panel part 13 being particularly preferred between 0.5 and 1.5 m long, preferably substantially 0.7 m long. Irrespective of this, the functional panel 2 preferably has a width B2 of between 0.5 m and 2 m, preferably between 0.7 m and 1.5 m, in the normal direction R2 normal to the extension direction RI 20 mm, preferably essentially 12 mm.

Claims

Expectations:

1. A method for producing a functional panel (2) that can be pulled out in a pull-out direction (RI), preferably an extendable furniture panel or an extendable table top, characterized by the steps:

- Providing an injection mold (1) with a cavity, the shape of which corresponds to the functional panel (2) to be produced, the injection mold (1) for producing at least two recesses (7) in the functional panel (2) having at least two space dividers (7', 7''). ) which lie side by side in the direction of extraction (RI) and are spaced apart by voids (6') in the cavity to produce webs (6) of the functional panel (2), and at least two space dividers (7', 7") normal to the direction of extraction (RI ) lie next to each other and are spaced apart from one another to produce connecting sections (8) of the functional panel (2), and wherein at least two space dividers (7', 7") that follow one another in the extension direction (RI) are each offset perpendicularly to the extension direction (RI), the space dividers (7', 7") have a size of at least 2 mm in the pull-out direction (RI), and

- Introducing a plastic into the cavity to produce the functional plate (2).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plastic is or comprises polyoxymethylene.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plastic is or comprises polyamide or thermoplastic polyurethane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic is or comprises polyvinylidene fluoride or polyethylene terephthalate glycol.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plastic is fiber-reinforced.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the space dividers (7 ') in the pull-out direction (RI) have a first size and the empty spaces (6') in the pull-out direction (RI) have a second size, the first and the second variable differ by a maximum of 10% in relation to the first variable.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the space dividers (7 ') are rounded at their normal to the pull-out direction (RI) lying ends.

8. Pull-out functional panel (2), preferably pull-out furniture panel or table top, which is manufactured in one piece and has elongated recesses (7) running normal to a pull-out direction (RI) and penetrating the functional panel (2), between which webs (6) A length-variable section of the functional board (2) is formed, with at least two recesses (7) lying next to one another in the pull-out direction (RI), which are spaced apart by the webs (6), and at least two recesses (7) lying next to one another normal to the pull-out direction (RI). , which are spaced apart by connecting sections (8), and wherein at least two in the pull-out direction (RI) consecutive recesses (7) are each offset perpendicular to the pull-out direction (RI), characterized in that the functional plate (2) consists of plastic and the recesses ( 7) have a size of at least 2 mm in the pull-out direction (RI).

9. Pull-out functional plate (2) according to claim 8, wherein the functional plate (2) consists at least partially, preferably at least 90% by weight, of polyoxymethylene, polyamide, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyvinylidene fluoride or polyethylene terephthalate glycol and is preferably fiber-reinforced.

10. Pull-out function panel (2) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the recesses (7) in the pull-out direction (RI) have a first size and the webs (6) in the pull-out direction (RI) have a second size, the first and the second size differ by a maximum of 10%, based on the first size, and wherein the recesses (7) are preferably rounded off at their normal to the pull-out direction (RI).