IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
UP-0975883
(2007-10-22)
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등록번호 |
US-7841850
(2011-01-31)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
11 |
초록
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An apparatus and method for producing elongate variably shaped bodies at least partially comprising thermoplastic material a profile is extruded from an extrusion system head and engaged in a flexible conduit created by cavities formed inside a series of calibration plates attached flexibly together
An apparatus and method for producing elongate variably shaped bodies at least partially comprising thermoplastic material a profile is extruded from an extrusion system head and engaged in a flexible conduit created by cavities formed inside a series of calibration plates attached flexibly together. The calibration plates slide freely over a rotating mold to adopt the shape of the mold's outer contour. The profile is driven through the flexible conduit and winded around the rotating mould like coils. In an embodiment of the apparatus and method, the profile is winded around a size-variable mould creating three-dimensional objects in real time.
대표청구항
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The invention claimed is: 1. An apparatus for variably shaping an extruded profile inline with an extrusion process, said apparatus comprising: a mold with an outer contour; said mold is attachable to a rotatable turntable; a series of rectangular-shape calibration plates attached flexibly on said
The invention claimed is: 1. An apparatus for variably shaping an extruded profile inline with an extrusion process, said apparatus comprising: a mold with an outer contour; said mold is attachable to a rotatable turntable; a series of rectangular-shape calibration plates attached flexibly on said plates' same edges; each of said plates having a central cavity of same outer cross-sectional dimensions as said profile; all of said cavities cooperating collectively to form a flexible conduit; a tether holding one end of said series of plates; said edges of said series of plates sliding over said rotating mold's outer contour; and said apparatus is configured, when in operation, such that said profile is first drawn through said flexible conduit and that said profile is second wound around said rotating mold for shaping longitudinally and variably said profile by said conduit. 2. An apparatus for variably shaping an extruded profile inline with an extrusion process, said apparatus comprising: a mold with an outer contour; said mold is attachable to a rotatable turntable; multiple series of partial calibration plates; said partial plates in same series attach flexibly together on said plates same edge; said plates have partial cavities that collectively define a flexible conduit of same cross-sectional dimensions of said profile; multiple tethers respectively holding one end of each said series of partial plates; edges of said series of plates closest to a mold's outer contour slide over the rotating mold; and said apparatus is configured, when in operation, such that said profile is first drawn through said flexible conduit and that said profile is second wound around said rotating mold for shaping longitudinally said profile by said conduit. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a conditioning system; a cutting system; a reception stand; said conditioning system for cooling and heating a shaped profile; said cutting system for cutting said shaped profile into sections for delivery over said reception stand. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mold's outer contour is provided with radial moveable parts activated by a drive means for changing configuration of said mold's outer contour, causing variable longitudinal shaping of elongate profiles. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said variable longitudinal shaping of elongate profiles is managed in real-time. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus configures a profile into forms selected from the group consisting of elbow-shape bodies, U-shape bodies, closed frame-like bodies wherein the two ends of a coiled profile strand are joined together, spiral-shape bodies, three-dimensional bodies wherein adjacent coiled profile strands are bonded or interlocked together to form a tubular surface, size-variable three-dimensional bodies, and any combination thereof. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an axis that said turntable rotates around is selected from the group consisting of horizontal axes, oblique axes and angle-variable axes. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said calibration plates are made of materials selected from the group consisting of semi-rigid materials, polymeric materials, rubber, plastic, silicone, metal, glass, fiber-glass, ceramics, and any combination thereof. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein flexible attachment of calibration plates on one-side of said plates, said plate one-side including said plate same edge, is achieved through a securing means selected from the group consisting of: incorporating a set of holes next to said plate one-side and passing through flexible elongate elements; incorporating an elongate slot next to said plate one-side and passing through a flexible elongate flat element; adhering to said plate same edge a flexible tape made of metal foil, polymer sheets, cloth, fiberglass and tapes of the like; and fusing to said plate same edge a flexible sheet of fusible material. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprising: at least one series of adjacent internal calibration plates having same internal core cross-sectional dimensions of a profile; all of said internal calibration plates in a same series attach flexibly together; an internal tether holding one end of said series of internal calibration plates; and an end of said internal tether attaches respectively to an associated internal head die of an extruder that extruded said profile. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said profile includes at least one inner closed core and said apparatus further comprises: at least one series of adjacent internal calibration plates having the same internal core cross-sectional dimensions as said profile; said internal calibration plates in a same series being attached flexibly together; at least one internal tether holding one end of said series of internal calibration plates and an other end of said tether is attached respectively to an associated internal head die of an extruder that is calibrated to extrude said profile; at least one needle-type elongate rod having respectively a first and a second loop at a front-end and back-end of said rod; said rod configured so that said rod threads said profile's inner core, which is threaded by said tether, which in turn holds said internal calibration plates loosely together and in place; said first and second loop is selected from the group of needle-type elongate holes; at least one first and second group of hooks alternatively latches with said loops when said profile is not standing in-between said respective hook and respective loop; said hooks are selected from the group of finger-type grips; said apparatus is configured so that continuous shaping of said profile is achieved by first moving forward said profile, then heating said profile while it enters said plates and is laced by said rod holding said tether that in turn holds said series of internal calibration plates, so that said profile's sectional dimensions are maintained constant while said profile is longitudinally shaped; and said apparatus is configured so that afterwards a shaped profile is cooled and released from said calibration plates. 12. An apparatus for variably shaping in a post-extrusion process a straight thermoplastic extruded profile of a predefined length, said apparatus comprising: a heating system for heating said profile; a cooling system for cooling said profile after said profile has been shaped; a transport means for moving forward said profile; a mold with an outer contour; said mold attachable to a rotatable turntable; a series of rectangular-shape calibration plates attached flexibly on said plates same edge; each of said plates having a central cavity of same outer cross-sectional dimensions as said profile; all of said cavities cooperating collectively to form a flexible conduit; a tether securing one end of said series of plates; and said series of plates configured for sliding over said rotating mold outer contour and said flexible conduit configured to allow for said profile to be drawn through said flexible conduit before said profile winds around said rotating mold for shaping longitudinally and variably said profile. 13. A method for variably shaping an extruder profile inline with an extrusion process, said method comprising: a mold with an outer contour; said mold attaches to a rotatable turntable; a series of generally rectangular-shaped calibration plates attached flexibly on said plates same edge, each of said plates having a central cavity of same outer cross-sectional dimensions as said profile; said cavities cooperating collectively to form a flexible conduit; a tether holding one end of said series of plates; said edges of said series of plates sliding over said rotating mold outer contour; and said profile first being drawn through said flexible conduit and second being winded around said rotating mold for being longitudinally and variably shaped by said conduit. 14. A method for variably shaping an extrudable profile, inline with an extrusion process, said method comprising: a mold having an outer contour; said mold attaches to a rotatable turntable; multiple series of partial calibration plates; said partial plates of a same series attached flexibly together on a same edge; each of said partial plates having a partial cavity; said partial cavities defining collectively a flexible conduit of the same cross-sectional dimensions as said profile; multiple tethers each respectively holding one end of said series of partial plates; plate edges in said series of partial plates closest to said mold outer contour to slide over said rotating mold, causing said flexible conduit to follow upward and downward movement of said mold outer contour as said mold rotates; said profile slides through said flexible conduit to receive the longitudinal shape of said mold outer contour while maintaining substantially constant said profile's cross-sectional dimensions; cooling said profile after it has been shaped; and cutting said shaped profile into portions for delivery over a reception stand. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said mold's outer contour is provided with radially moveable parts activated by a drive means for changing configuration of said mold outer contour; and whereby creating profile bodies of longitudinally-variable sizes. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said profile includes at least one inner closed core and said method further comprises: at least one series of adjacent, internal calibration plates having the same internal core cross-sectional dimensions as said profile; all of said internal calibration plates in a same series being attached flexibly together; at least one internal tether to hold one end of said series of internal calibration plates and said tethers other end attached respectively to an associated internal head die of the extruder that extruded said profile; at least one needle-type elongate rod each having respectively a first and a second loop means at said rod's front-end and back-end; said rod is configured for said profile's inner core to be threaded by and exited from; said rod holds said internal tethers, which hold said internal calibration plates in place; said first and second loop means selected from the group of needle-type elongate holes; at least one first and second group of hooks alternatively latch with said rod loop means when said profile is not standing in-between said respective hook and respective loop means; said hook means being selected from the group of finger-type grips; continuous shaping is achieved by said profile first moving forward, then heating said profile while it enters external calibration plates and is being laced like a needle by rods holding tethers that in turn hold series of internal calibration plates, so that both internally and externally, the profile sectional dimensions are maintained constant while only longitudinal shaping takes place; and afterwards cooling said shaped profile and releasing said profile from said calibration plates. 17. A post-extrusion method of variably shaping a straight thermoplastic extruded profile, wherein said method comprises: a heating system for heating said profile; a cooling system for cooling said profile after said profile has been shaped; a transport means for moving forward said profile; a mold, with an outer contour, said mold attachable to a rotatable turntable; a series of generally rectangular-shape calibration plates attached flexibly on said plates same edge, each of said plates having a central cavity of same outer cross-sectional dimensions as said profile; said cavities cooperating collectively to form a flexible conduit; a tether securing one end of said series of plates; and said series of plates sliding over said outer contour of said mold, which is rotating and the profile being drawn through said flexible conduit before being winded around said rotating mold for being longitudinally and variably shaped by said conduit.
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