U.S. patent application number 11/228237 was filed with the patent office on 2006-01-19 for frangible fiberglass insulation batts.
This patent application is currently assigned to KNAUF FIBER GLASS GMBH. Invention is credited to Ronald A. Houpt, Carl J. Kissell, Jon W. Pereira, Cameron J. Wright.
Application Number | 20060013985 11/228237 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34376223 |
Filed Date | 2006-01-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060013985 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Houpt; Ronald A. ; et
al. |
January 19, 2006 |
Frangible fiberglass insulation batts
Abstract
A frangible fiberglass insulation batt includes a pair of
fiberglass strips arranged to lie in side-by-side relation to one
another and a frangible adhesive bridge spanning a gap between the
fiberglass strips and retaining the fiberglass strips in
side-by-side relation. To produce such a batt, a fiberglass
insulation blanket is cut along its length to form two side-by-side
fiberglass strips and then an adhesive material is applied to form
a frangible adhesive bridge between the strips.
Inventors: |
Houpt; Ronald A.;
(Shelbyville, IN) ; Kissell; Carl J.;
(Shelbyville, IN) ; Wright; Cameron J.;
(Naperville, IL) ; Pereira; Jon W.; (Shelbyville,
IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BARNES & THORNBURG
11 SOUTH MERIDIAN
INDIANAPOLIS
IN
46204
US
|
Assignee: |
KNAUF FIBER GLASS GMBH
|
Family ID: |
34376223 |
Appl. No.: |
11/228237 |
Filed: |
September 19, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10671923 |
Sep 25, 2003 |
6960276 |
|
|
11228237 |
Sep 19, 2005 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
428/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C 66/7212 20130101;
F16L 59/02 20130101; Y10T 156/1087 20150115; Y10T 428/24132
20150115; Y10T 428/15 20150115; Y10T 156/1069 20150115; B29K
2995/0015 20130101; B29D 99/001 20130101; B29K 2105/06 20130101;
B29C 66/43 20130101; Y10T 156/1075 20150115; Y10T 156/1067
20150115; B29C 66/1142 20130101; Y10T 156/1062 20150115; Y10T
156/172 20150115; B29K 2309/08 20130101; B29C 2793/0081 20130101;
B29K 2105/128 20130101; B29C 66/02241 20130101; B29C 66/73756
20130101; Y10T 156/1374 20150115; B29C 66/7212 20130101; B29C 65/76
20130101; B29C 66/83413 20130101; Y10T 156/13 20150115; B29C 65/54
20130101; Y10T 156/1322 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/043 |
International
Class: |
B65D 65/28 20060101
B65D065/28 |
Claims
1-24. (canceled)
25. A frangible fiberglass insulation batt comprising a pair of
fiberglass insulation strips arranged to lie in side-by-side
relation to one another and a frangible adhesive bridge spanning a
gap located between the pair of fiberglass insulation strips to
produce a frangible bond retaining the fiberglass insulation strips
in side-by-side relation.
26. The frangible fiberglass insulation batt of claim 25 comprising
glass fibers bonded together to form a first bond, and wherein the
frangible bond is a second bond different from the first bond.
27. The frangible fiberglass insulation batt of claim 26 wherein
the second bond is formed after the first bond.
28. The frangible fiberglass insulation batt of claim 25 wherein
the frangible adhesive bond is relatively weak in comparison to the
first bond.
29. A frangible fiberglass insulation batt comprising at least two
previously-separated and reattached fiberglass insulation strips
arranged to lie in side-by-side relation to another, and a
frangible adhesive bridge spanning a gap between the
previously-separated and reattached fiberglass insulation strips to
produce a frangible bond.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
[0001] The present disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for
producing fiberglass insulation batts, and in particular, batts of
fiberglass insulation suitable for use in building construction.
More particularly, the present disclosure relates to fiberglass
insulation batts that are configured to be converted into separate
fiberglass insulation strips of various predetermined widths in the
field without the use of cutting tools.
[0002] Fiberglass insulation is made of glass fibers held together
by a binder. Glass fibers are produced by melting sand or recycled
glass products and spinning those materials to produce tiny strands
of fiberglass. Glass fibers will not stick together unless they are
glued or bound together. A binder is an adhesive material that
holds fibers together, allowing them to keep their shape or overall
form. Fiberglass insulation is made, for example, by spraying a
binder on the glass fibers. After being cured in an oven, the
binder holds the fibers together.
[0003] A batt is a blanket of fiberglass insulation used to
insulate residential and commercial buildings. Some batts include a
paper or foil facing material affixed to the fiberglass insulation,
and other batts do not include any facing material.
[0004] According to the present disclosure, a frangible fiberglass
insulation batt includes a pair of fiberglass strips arranged to
lie in side-by-side relation to one another and a frangible
adhesive bridge spanning a gap between the fiberglass strips and
retaining the fiberglass strips in side-by-side relation. In the
field at a construction site, a worker can separate one of the
fiberglass strips from the other of the strips by pulling one strip
laterally away from the other strip using a "peeling away" action
owing to relatively weak internal bonds in the frangible adhesive
bridge. No tools are needed to accomplish such separation of the
two fiberglass strips.
[0005] A method of producing such a frangible fiberglass insulation
batt comprises the steps of passing a stream of cured fiberglass
insulation through a cutter to form two side-by-side fiberglass
strips and then passing the two side-by-side strips through an
adhesive applicator. The adhesive applicator applies an adhesive
material to one or both of the strips and the strips are mated to
establish the frangible adhesive bridge between the strips. This
frangible adhesive bridge spans the gap and retains the two
fiberglass strips in fixed relation to one another until the
frangible adhesive bridge is, for example, torn along its length or
otherwise fractured by a construction worker in the field.
[0006] In an illustrative embodiment, the adhesive applicator
includes a strip separator, an adhesive dispenser, and a strip
joiner. The strip separator intercepts and deflects the moving
fiberglass insulation after it exits the cutter to separate the two
side-by-side strips along a cut line therebetween to expose
opposing side edges of the strips and provide a widened gap between
the strips. The adhesive dispenser is located in or near the
widened gap between the strips and configured to dispense an
adhesive material onto one or both of the opposing side edges of
the strips. The strip joiner is configured to manipulate one or
more of the strips to mate the opposing edges of the strips so that
adhesive material deposited therebetween bonds with the fiberglass
strips to establish the frangible adhesive bridge between the
fiberglass strips. Internal bonds of the frangible adhesive bridge
are relatively weak in comparison to internal bonds of the
fiberglass strips and are broken easily by a worker in the field to
facilitate separation of one strip from the other strip without the
use of tools.
[0007] Additional features of the present disclosure will become
apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the
following detailed description of illustrative embodiments
exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as
presently perceived.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The detailed description particularly refers to the
accompanying figures in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a method in accordance with
the present disclosure for producing a frangible fiberglass
insulation batt (that can be separated by hand into strips having
predetermined widths) by curing uncured fiberglass insulation in a
"curing oven", cutting that fiberglass insulation in a "cutter" to
form separate yet adjacent insulation strips and a gap between the
strips, applying an adhesive material to the separated strips to
cause the strips to bond together to establish a frangible adhesive
bridge spanning the gap between the strips, and then using either a
"strip marker" or "facing apparatus" to indicate the location of
the frangible adhesive bridges in the fiberglass insulation;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a frangible fiberglass
insulation batt formed to include two frangible adhesive bridges
extending along the length of the batt so that the batt can be
"broken" manually along the two frangible adhesive bridges to
produce three separate insulation strips without the use of cutting
tools;
[0011] FIG. 2a shows a fiberglass diagrammatic view of the three
strips shown in FIG. 2 and the gaps between those three strips
after separation of the strips;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a system for producing a
fiberglass insulation batt, which system uses a conveyor to move
cured fiberglass insulation so that the fiberglass insulation is
intercepted by, in sequence, a cutter, a strip separator, an
adhesive dispenser, and a strip joiner and showing a first
embodiment (in solid) wherein the strip joiner comprises a pair of
spaced-apart barriers (each barrier comprising, e.g., a rotating
wheel) and a second embodiment (in phantom) wherein the strip
joiner comprises a "force generator" that functions to apply a
pneumatic or other force (using, e.g., compressed air) to move one
or more insulation strips toward another insulation strip;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the system shown in FIG. 3
showing a first strip separator and first adhesive dispenser in a
widened gap formed between first and second insulation strips and
showing a second strip separator and second adhesive dispenser in a
widened gap formed between second and third insulation strips;
and
[0014] FIG. 5 is a side elevation view taken along line 5-5 of FIG.
4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Apparatus and methods are disclosed herein for producing a
fiberglass insulation batt that is formed to include longitudinally
extending frangible planes therein to enable construction workers
to convert the fiberglass insulation batt into separate fiberglass
insulation strips of various predetermined widths in the field
without the use of cutting tools. A "batt" is a blanket of thermal
insulation usually comprising glass fibers.
[0016] Relatively weak internal bonds are established using an
adhesive material during manufacture of the fiberglass insulation
batt to define the longitudinally extending frangible planes using
apparatus and methods described herein. These internal bonds are
strong enough to hold the fiberglass insulation batt "together in
one piece" during transport from inventory to a construction site
and yet are weak enough to allow a construction worker to separate
one longitudinally extending strip in the batt from an adjacent
longitudinally extending strip in the batt manually and without the
use of cutting tools.
[0017] Various methods are suggested diagrammatically in FIG. 1 for
producing a frangible fiberglass insulation batt 10 shown, for
example, in FIG. 2. Batt 10 is formed using apparatus and methods
disclosed herein to include two longitudinally extending frangible
adhesive bridges 12, 14 which are arranged to lie in spaced-apart
parallel relation to one another to "partition" batt 10 into three
formative longitudinally extending strips 21, 22, and 23.
[0018] In the field at a construction site, a worker can separate
first strip 21 from second strip 22 along first frangible adhesive
bridge 14 by pulling one strip laterally away from the other strip
using a "peeling-away" or other fracturing action owing to
relatively weak internal bonds established along first frangible
adhesive bridge 12 between fiberglass material comprising first and
second strips 21, 22. Likewise, a worker can separate third strip
23 from second strip 22 along second frangible adhesive bridge 14
by pulling one of those strips away from the other of those strips
in a similar manner owing to relatively weak internal bonds
established along second frangible adhesive bridge 14 between
fiberglass material comprising second and third strips 22, 23.
Because, in an illustrative embodiment, each frangible adhesive
bridge 12, 14 contains only an insubstantial amount of glass
fibers, it is readily or easily broken (i.e., frangible) in
response to manual "tearing" or "peeling" forces applied by a
construction worker in the field so that the worker can separate
one strip from its side-by-side companion strip manually without
the use of cutting tools.
[0019] During building construction activities, workers often need
to create insulation strips of non-conventional width and the
ability to create a variety of strip widths without using cutting
tools by use of frangible fiberglass insulation batt 10 would be
welcomed by many workers in the construction trade. As suggested in
FIG. 2, first strip 21 has a width 31, second strip 22 has a width
32, and third strip 23 has a width 33. When bonded together during
manufacture, first and second strips 21, 22 have a combined width
34, second and third strips 22, 23 have a combined width 35, and
first, second, and third strips 21, 22, and 23 have a combined
width 36. By selecting the location of frangible adhesive bridges
12, 14 carefully during manufacture, it is possible to create a
unified but frangible fiberglass insulation batt that can be
separated in the field to produce a wide variety of insulation
strip widths without using cutting tools.
[0020] Using a first method illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 1,
a stream of uncured fiberglass insulation 40 is passed through a
curing oven 44 to cause the binder associated with the fiberglass
to polymerize during exposure to fiberglass curing heat (at a
temperature of about 350.degree. F. to 600.degree. F.) to produce a
fiberglass insulation blanket 11. Uncured fiberglass insulation 40
comprises glass fibers coated with a binder. The binder "sets" when
exposed to high temperature in a curing oven 44 to bind the glass
fibers together. A fiberglass insulation blanket 11 is discharged
from curing oven 44 and transported along a conveyor 50 in a
downstream direction 54 past, in series, a cutter 42 and an
adhesive applicator 43 as suggested, for example, in FIGS. 1 and
3.
[0021] Fiberglass insulation blanket 11 is passed through a cutter
42 to cut the uncured fiberglass insulation 40 into two or more
separate strips. Cutter 42 cuts all the way through uncured
fiberglass insulation 40 along cut lines 53 as the insulation 40
passes through cutter 42 to provide first, second, and third strips
21, 22, and 23 separated by longitudinally extending gaps 56 and
58.
[0022] Next, an adhesive applicator 43 is used to apply an adhesive
material 51 to contact the strips along a cut line 53 therebetween
established by cutter 42 and to join the strips together to cause
the adhesive material to establish a frangible adhesive bridge
spanning a gap between the strips. To "span" gap 56 or 58 is to
extend across the gap and interconnect the strips defining the gap
without necessarily filling or entering the gap. Adhesive material
51 can flow into the gap continuously, periodically, or
intermittently to establish a suitable frangible adhesive bridge
between the strips. Before batt 10 is delivered to inventory 48, it
is passed through a strip marker 46 that operates to apply one or
more "indicator lines" to an exterior surface of batt 10 to mark
the location of each longitudinally extending frangible adhesive
bridge in batt 10.
[0023] Using a method illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 3, cured
fiberglass insulation 39 is passed through a strip press 41 to
compress fiberglass insulation 39 to a compacted thickness before
such fiberglass insulation 39 is passed through cutter 42. In the
illustration embodiment, cutter 42 comprises a pressurized fluid
source 86 for supplying high-pressure fluid through fluid transfer
conduits 87 to fluid-jet nozzles 88 to generate streams of fluid
that pass through fiberglass insulation 39 to create longitudinally
extending gaps (or cut lines) 56, 58. Strip press 41 is positioned
to lie upstream of fluid-jet nozzles 88 to compress fiberglass
insulation 39 to a compacted thickness selected to facilitate
"cutting" fiberglass insulation using fluid-jet nozzles 88. It is
within the scope of this disclosure to use saw blades (not shown)
or other knife means to cut blanket 11 to form gaps 56, 58.
[0024] Using a method illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 1, a
facing apparatus 47 is used to apply a facing material (pre-marked
with indicator lines) to one surface of the cut fiberglass
insulation blanket 11 to align the indicator lines with the
frangible adhesive bridges formed in the fiberglass insulation
blanket 11. Alternatively, adhesive material 51 could have a color
different from the color of strips 21, 22, 23 to provide suitable,
visible indicator lines for gaps 56, 58.
[0025] As suggested in FIG. 1, a batt cutter 45 is provided
downstream of strip marker 46 or facing apparatus 47. Batt cutter
45 is configured to cut periodically the strips 21, 22, 23 and
frangible adhesive bridges 12, 14 laterally to provide a series of
separate elongated frangible fiberglass insulation batts (not
shown) for delivery to inventory 48.
[0026] Adhesive applicator 43 comprises a strip separator 60, an
adhesive dispenser 62, and a strip joiner 64 arranged in series as
suggested, for example, in FIGS. 3-5. In the illustrated
embodiment, adhesive dispenser 62 comprises a source of adhesive
material 51 for supplying adhesive material through transfer
conduits 66 to discharge nozzles 68 to generate streams of adhesive
material 51 that are discharged into the gap formed between a pair
of side-by-side insulation strips.
[0027] As suggested in FIGS. 3-5, fiberglass insulation blanket 11
is passed through cutter 42 to cut blanket 11 along a first cut
line 53 to form two side-by-side separate strips 21, 22 separated
by a gap 56 and along a second cut line 53 to form a third strip 23
separated from second strip 22 by a gap 58. As suggested in FIG.
2a, first strip 21 includes a longitudinally extending side edge 70
that cooperates with an opposing longitudinally extending side edge
72 of second strip 22 to form gap 56 therebetween. Likewise, second
strip 72 includes another longitudinally extending side edge 74
that cooperates with an opposing longitudinally extending side edge
76 of third strip 23 to form gap 58 therebetween. The width of the
gaps 56, 58 shown in FIG. 2a is exaggerated for clarity and it is
within the scope of this disclosure to vary the width of gaps 56,
58 to accommodate a suitable adhesive material to be deposited
therein.
[0028] Adhesive material 51 is applied to one or both of side edges
70, 72 and one or both of side edges 74, 76 by adhesive dispenser
62. In the illustrated embodiment, strip separators 60 are arranged
to lie downstream of cutter 42 and configured to separate first
strip 21 from second strip 22 at cut line 53 and to separate second
strip 22 from third strip 23 at cut line 53 to establish widened
gaps 156, 158. Each strip separator 60 is arranged to intercept
blanket 11 at one of cut lines 53 and is shaped to spread the
strips apart so that they move away from one another as blanket 11
moves on conveyor 50 in downstream direction 54. Although strip
separator 60 is shoe-shaped in the illustrated embodiment, a rod or
other deflector having a lateral dimension wider than gaps 56, 58
could be used to separate adjacent insulation strips.
[0029] In the illustrated embodiment, adhesive material 51 is
dispensed into widened gaps 156, 158 to contact at least one of
side edges 70, 72 and at least one of side edges 74, 76. As
suggested in FIGS. 4 and 5, discharge nozzle 68 is located in
widened gap 156 and operated to discharge adhesive material 51 onto
at least one of side edge 70 of first strip 21 and side edge 72 of
second strip 22. The other discharge nozzle 68 is located in
widened gap 158. It is within the scope of this disclosure to
locate the discharge nozzles 68 near to the widened gaps 156, 158
so that adhesive material 51 can be discharged to contact the
strips in a desired manner.
[0030] In a first embodiment, strip joiner 64 includes two barriers
80 that are spaced apart from one another to define a channel 15
therebetween as suggested in FIGS. 3 and 4. A downstream portion 13
of fiberglass insulation blanket 11 (having a width that is wider
than the width of channel 15) is transported on conveyor 52 through
the channel to compress blanket 11 to cause (1) first and second
strips 21, 22 to move toward one another to trap adhesive material
51 introduced into widened gap 156 to establish frangible adhesive
bridge 12 and (2) second and third strips 22, 23 to move toward one
another to trap adhesive material 51 introduced into widened gap
158 to establish frangible adhesive bridge 14.
[0031] In one embodiment, each barrier 80 includes an upright axle
82 and an edge roller 84 mounted for rotation on upright axle 82 to
engage an exterior edge 86 or 90 of fiberglass insulation blanket
11 as blanket 11 moves along conveyor 50. Illustratively, barriers
80 are anchored in a fixed position relative to one another and to
moving blanket 11 to cause the distance 88 between barriers 80 to
be fixed and less than the width of the portion of blanket 11
entering channel 15 defined by barriers 80.
[0032] In another embodiment, strip joiner 64 is provided by force
generators 91, 92 as suggested in FIGS. 3 and 4. It is within the
scope of this disclosure to use a first force generator 91 to
discharge a first stream (continuous or pulsed flow) of pressurized
gas (e.g. air) to impact first exterior edge 86 of fiberglass
insulation blanket 11 and to use a second force generator 92 to
discharge a second stream of pressurized gas to impact a second
exterior edge 90 of fiberglass insulation blanket 11. It is within
the scope of this disclosure to use one force generator to produce
both of the first and second streams of pressurized gas. The forces
applied to first exterior edge 86 and to second exterior edge 90
cooperate to compress blanket 11 laterally to mate strips 21, 22,
and 23 to trap the adhesive material 51 deposited there between to
form frangible adhesive bridges 56, 58.
* * * * *