IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
UP-0586207
(2006-10-25)
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등록번호 |
US-7779595
(2010-09-13)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
- LRM Industries International, Inc.
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
8 인용 특허 :
34 |
초록
▼
A molded plastic panel and a molded plastic panel assembly including at least two molded panels are described. Each panel includes a center portion (14) that is positioned between and which is continuous with a first external portion (17) and a second external portion (20). The center portion (14) h
A molded plastic panel and a molded plastic panel assembly including at least two molded panels are described. Each panel includes a center portion (14) that is positioned between and which is continuous with a first external portion (17) and a second external portion (20). The center portion (14) has a plurality of plastic center reinforcing structures (31) that define a plurality of center portion apertures (34). Each of the first and second external portions include reinforcing structures (49, 79) having sidewalls (52, 82) having interior surfaces (55, 85) that define a plurality of external portion apertures (61, 94). The exterior surfaces (58, 88) of sidewalls of neighboring reinforcing structures together define a plurality of external portion recesses (64, 98) that are dimensioned to receive extensions from a separate article, thereby forming interlocks there-between. With the panel assembly (3) of the present invention, at least two molded panels (e.g., 1, 1a) are positioned such that one external portion (e.g., 17) of each panel overlaps with a portion of the center portion (14) of the other panel, and some of the center reinforcing structures (31) are received within at least some of the external portion recesses (e.g., 64) aligned therewith, and together form a plurality of interlocks (e.g., 101a, 101b) that together attach the panels together.
대표청구항
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What is claimed is: 1. A molded panel assembly comprising: (a) a plurality of panels comprising at least a first panel and a second panel, wherein each panel comprises, (i) a center portion of plastic material having a first side and a second side, said second side of said center portion comprising
What is claimed is: 1. A molded panel assembly comprising: (a) a plurality of panels comprising at least a first panel and a second panel, wherein each panel comprises, (i) a center portion of plastic material having a first side and a second side, said second side of said center portion comprising a plurality of plastic center reinforcing structures defining a plurality of center portion apertures, (ii) a first external portion of plastic material having a first side having a first surface and a second side having a second surface, said second side of said first external portion comprising a plurality of plastic first reinforcing structures having sidewalls having interior surfaces and exterior surfaces, the interior surfaces of at least some of said sidewalls defining a plurality of first external portion apertures, the exterior surfaces of the sidewalls of each first reinforcing structure together with the exterior surfaces of the sidewalls of at least one neighboring first reinforcing structure defining a plurality of first external portion recesses, and (iii) a second external portion of plastic material having a first side having a first surface and a second side having a second surface, said second side of said second external portion comprising a plurality of plastic second reinforcing structures having sidewalls having interior and exterior surfaces, the interior surfaces of at least some of said sidewalls defining a plurality of second external portion apertures, the exterior surfaces of the sidewalls of each second reinforcing structure together with the exterior surfaces of at least one neighboring second reinforcing structure defining a plurality of second external portion recesses, wherein, said center portion residing between and being continuous with each of said first external portion and said second external portion, and said center portion, said first external portion and said second external portion together defining a continuous unitary structure, said first side of said center portion, said first side of said first external portion and said first side of said second external portion together defining a first side of said panel, said first side of said panel being a substantially even surface, said second side of said center portion extends beyond each of the second side of said first external portion and the second side of said second external portion, said second side of said center portion, said second side of said first external portion and said second side of said second external portion together defining a second side of said panel, said second side of said panel being an uneven surface, further wherein, the second side of the first external portion of said first panel abuts a portion of said second side of said center portion of said second panel, some of said center plastic reinforcing structures of said second panel being fittingly received within at least some of said first external portion recesses of said first panel, and together forming a first set of interlocks, said first set of interlocks attaching said first panel and said second panel together, the second side of the first external portion of said second panel abuts a portion of said second side of said center portion of said first panel, some of said center plastic reinforcing structures of said first panel being fittingly received within at least some of said first external portion recesses of said second panel, and together forming a second set of interlocks, said second set of interlocks further attaching said first panel and said second panel together, the first side of said first panel being substantially even with the second side of the center portion of said second panel, and together defining at least a portion of a first side of said molded panel assembly, and the first side of said second panel being substantially even with the second side of the center portion of said first panel, and together defining at least a portion of a second side of said molded panel assembly, and further comprising at least one of, a first sheet fixedly attached to at least a portion of said first side of said molded panel assembly, and a second sheet fixedly attached to at least a portion of said second side of said molded panel assembly. 2. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said center portion, said first external portion and said second external portion each reside substantially within a common plane. 3. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein, for each panel, said center portion further comprises a first exterior edge and a second exterior edge, for each panel, said first external portion further comprises an internal edge which is opposed to the first exterior edge of said center portion, said first exterior edge of said center portion and said internal edge of said first external portion together defining a first elongated open channel having an elongated open end on said second side of said panel, for each panel, said second external portion further comprises an internal edge which is opposed to the second exterior edge of said center portion, said second exterior edge of said center portion and said internal edge of said second external portion together defining a second elongated open channel having an elongated open end on said second side of said panel, and said first open channel of said first panel and the first open channel of said second panel being aligned and together defining a first enclosed channel. 4. The molded panel assembly of claim 3 wherein said first elongated open channel and said second elongated open channel of each panel has a cross-sectional shape selected independently from the group consisting of arcuate shapes, polygonal shapes, irregular shapes and combinations thereof. 5. The molded panel assembly of claim 3 wherein said first exterior edge of said center portion and said internal edge of said first external portion, which together define said first elongated open channel, each independently have a surface selected from the group consisting of a substantially closed and continuous surface, a surface having a plurality of apertures and combinations thereof, and said second exterior edge of said center portion and said internal edge of said second external portion, which together define said second elongated open channel, each independently have a surface selected from the group consisting of a substantially closed and continuous surface, a surface having a plurality of apertures and combinations thereof. 6. The molded panel assembly of claim 3 further comprising an elongated support residing within said first enclosed channel. 7. The molded panel assembly of claim 6 wherein said elongated support is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of thermoset plastic materials, thermoplastic materials, metals and combinations thereof. 8. The molded panel assembly of claim 6 wherein said elongated support has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of circles, ovals, polygonal shapes, irregular shapes and combinations thereof. 9. The molded panel assembly of claim 6 wherein said elongated support is an elongated recta-tubular support. 10. The molded panel assembly of claim 6 wherein said first panel and said second panel are further attached together by at least one of, at least one fastener extending through said first panel, said elongated support and said second panel, and an adhesive interposed between an external surface of said elongated support and an internal surface of said first enclosed channel. 11. The molded panel assembly of claim 3 further comprising a further elongated support residing in at least one of said second elongated open channel of said first panel and said second elongated open channel of said second panel. 12. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of, said first set of interlocks further comprises an adhesive residing within said first external portion recesses of said first panel, and said second set of interlocks further comprises an adhesive residing within said first external portion recesses of said second panel. 13. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said plurality of panels further comprises a third panel, the second side of the second external portion of said first panel abuts a portion of said second side of said center portion of said third panel, some of said center plastic reinforcing structures of said third panel being fittingly received within at least some of said second external portion recesses of said first panel, and together forming a third set of interlocks, said third set of interlocks attaching said first panel and said third panel together, the second side of the second external portion of said third panel abuts a portion of said second side of said center portion of said first panel, some of said center plastic reinforcing structures of said first panel being fittingly received within at least some of said second extension portion recesses of said third panel, and together forming a fourth set of interlocks, said fourth set of interlocks further attaching said first panel and said third panel together, the first side of said first panel being substantially even with the second side of the center portion of said third panel, and together further defining at least a portion of said first side of said molded panel assembly, and the first side of said third panel being substantially even with the second side of said center portion of said first panel, and together further defining at least a portion of said second side of said molded panel assembly. 14. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein for each panel, said center portion has a thickness, said first external portion has a thickness, and said second external portion has a thickness, further wherein the thickness of said center portion is twice the thickness of said first external portion, and twice the thickness of said second external portion, and the thickness of said first external portion and the thickness of said second external portion are substantially equivalent. 15. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein, for each panel, said plurality of center apertures each extend from said first side to said second side of said center section, said first surface of said first external portion is a substantially closed surface, and said first surface of said second external portion is a substantially closed surface. 16. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein for each panel, said plurality of center apertures, said plurality of first external portion apertures, and said plurality of second external portion apertures each independently have shapes selected from the group consisting of circles, ovals, polygons, irregular shapes and combinations thereof. 17. The molded panel assembly of claim 16 wherein for each panel, said plurality of center apertures, said plurality of first external portion apertures, and said plurality of second external portion apertures each independently have hexagonal shapes. 18. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein for each panel, the plastic material of said center portion, said first external portion and said second external portion are each independently selected from thermoset plastic materials, thermoplastic materials and combinations thereof. 19. The molded panel assembly of claim 18 wherein for each panel, the plastic material of each of said center portion, said first external portion and said second external portion is a thermoplastic material selected independently from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurea, thermoplastic polyimide, thermoplastic polyamide, thermoplastic polyamideimide, thermoplastic polyester, thermoplastic polycarbonate, thermoplastic polysulfone, thermoplastic polyketone, thermoplastic polyolefins, thermoplastic (meth)acrylates, thermoplastic acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, thermoplastic styrene-acrylonitrile, thermoplastic acrylonitrile-stryrene-acrylate and combinations thereof. 20. The molded panel assembly of claim 18 wherein for each panel, the plastic material of at least one of said center portion, said first external portion and said second external portion is reinforced with a material selected independently from the group consisting of glass fibers, glass beads, carbon fibers, metal flakes, metal fibers, polyamide fibers, cellulosic fibers, nanoparticulate clays, talc and mixtures thereof. 21. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein each panel is formed from a molten composition comprising fibers, said molten composition being formed from plastic material and feed fibers having a length of 1.27 cm to 10.16 cm, the fibers are present in each panel in an amount of from 5 percent by weight to 70 percent by weight, based on the total weight of each panel, the fibers of each panel have lengths that are at least 60% of the lengths of said feed fibers, and less than 20% of the fibers of each panel are oriented in the same direction. 22. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein, said center portion of each panel comprises a core center section positioned between and continuous with a first center section and a second center section, said first center section being positioned between said first external portion and said core center section, said second center section being positioned between said second external portion and said core center section, said core center section having a thickness and a second side, said first center section having a thickness and a second side, and said second center section having a thickness and a second side, the thickness of said core center section being greater than each of the thickness of said first center section and the thickness of said second center section, further wherein, the second side of the first external portion of said first panel abuts a portion of said second side of said first center section of said second panel, some of said center plastic reinforcing structures of said second panel being fittingly received within at least some of said first external portion recesses of said first panel, and together forming said first set of interlocks, said first set of interlocks attaching said first panel and said second panel together, the second side of the first external portion of said second panel abuts a portion of said second side of said first center section of said first panel, some of said center plastic reinforcing structures of said first panel being fittingly received within at least some of said first external portion recesses of said second panel, and together forming said second set of interlocks, said second set of interlocks further attaching said first panel and said second panel together, the first side of said first panel being substantially even with the second side of said core center section of said second panel, and together defining at least a portion of said first side of said molded panel assembly, and the first side of said second panel being substantially even with the second side of said core center section of said first panel, and together defining at least a portion of said second side of said molded panel assembly. 23. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein said first sheet and said second sheet are each independently fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of wood, metal, thermoset plastic material, thermoplastic material and combinations thereof. 24. The molded panel assembly of claim 1 wherein for each panel, at least one, said plurality of center apertures, said plurality of first external portion apertures, and said plurality of second external portion apertures are at least partially filled with a polymeric foam material.
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