U.S. patent number 3,892,898 [Application Number 05/297,710] was granted by the patent office on 1975-07-01 for panel core.
Invention is credited to Shinjiro Yasui.
United States Patent |
3,892,898 |
Yasui |
July 1, 1975 |
Panel core
Abstract
A panel core for use as the core of a panel in which folded
expandable panel members are provided between partition plates, the
panel members having a shape such that when the partition plates
are moved apart, the panel members interengage to hold the
partition plates in the expanded condition.
Inventors: |
Yasui; Shinjiro (Hokkaido,
JA) |
Family
ID: |
14132949 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/297,710 |
Filed: |
October 16, 1972 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Oct 15, 1971 [JA] |
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46-95266 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
428/116; 156/197;
428/12; 428/119; 52/793.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B32B
29/005 (20130101); B32B 3/12 (20130101); Y10T
428/24174 (20150115); B32B 2607/00 (20130101); B29L
2031/44 (20130101); Y10T 156/1003 (20150115); Y10T
428/24149 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B32B
3/12 (20060101); B32b 003/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;156/197 ;161/68,69,104
;29/455LM ;52/615,618 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Ansher; Harold
Assistant Examiner: Epstein; Henry F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack
Claims
I claim:
1. A panel core comprising at least one row of core members and
partition plates on opposite sides of the core members in the row,
each core member comprising a first panel member having a generally
W-shaped cross section with end panel portions and a folded panel
portion therebetween having a central apex fold and joined to the
end panel portions along folds, and a second panel member having a
generally V-shaped cross section with end panel portions joined at
an apex fold, the free ends of the end panel portions of the second
panel member being attached to the first panel member at the folds
of the first panel member where the end panel portions of the first
panel member join the folded panel portion of the first panel
member, the outside surfaces of the end panel portions of the first
panel member being secured to said partition plates, adjacent core
members, in the folded condition of the panel core when the
partition plates are close to each other, having the flat folded
second panel member of one core member interleaved between one of
the end panel portions and the folded panel portion of the first
panel member of the next adjacent core member and being unsecured
to each other, and in the expanded condition of the panel core when
the partition plates are moved away from each other, the central
apex fold of the folded panel portion of the first panel member of
one core member being opposed to the apex fold of the second panel
member of the next adjacent member, one of the apex folds having an
inverted V-shaped portion interlocking with the other apex fold for
retaining the panel core in the expanded condition.
2. A panel member as claimed in claim 1 in which there are a
plurality of rows of core members, the partition plate on one side
of one row of core members being the partition plate for the other
side of the next adjacent row of core members.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a honeycomb-like panel core, and
more particularly to a panel core so formed that rows of core
members formed by two foldable planar members can be combined in
series with a partition plate therebetween.
Hitherto, in the formation of such a panel core it has been
proposed to provide rows of tubular members having a circular
cross-section or a polygonal cross-section which rows are united
with one another through a partition plate, or to provide foldable
and individual planar members united at alternate locations along
their length in a honeycomb pattern or through a stiff partition
plate. However, with the former type of core, it is difficult to
fold the structure, and accordingly, when a section is sawed off
which determines the thickness of the core for the finished panel
some loss is apt to occur and the thickness itself is also apt to
become uneven, and a large space is required when such a panel core
is housed. With the latter type core it becomes possible to fold
the core as a whole so that the drawbacks mentioned above can be
avoided; however, since a disposition to return to the folded state
exists at all times, the core must be held in the expanded state by
applying some force from the outside at all times when it is used,
for example when stiffening sheets are placed thereon to form a
panel.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a panel
core which folds with ease so it can be stored or sections can be
cut off, and which expands with ease when it is to be used.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a core so
formed that after it has once been expanded it will remain in the
expanded state without the necessity of applying thereto some force
from the outside.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a core member formed by
uniting two planar members, which core member is used for the panel
core in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the state where the core members
shown in FIG. 1 partially overlap one another;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing part of the panel core
according to the present invention fully folded;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the part of the panel core
according to the present invention fully expanded; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a panel for
which the core according to the present invention is used.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to the accompanying drawings an embodiment in
accordance with the present invention will be described
hereinafter.
In FIG. 1, two folded planar panel members 10 and 20 are shown.
Planar members 10 and 20 are made of paper, vinyl, fiber, wood or
cloth. First panel member 10 has end panel portions 11 and 17 and a
folded panel portion 14 therebetween having a central apex fold 14a
and with the end panel portions joined to the folded portion along
folds 13 and 15, and the cross-section thereof is substantially a
W-shape. Second panel member 20 has end panel portions 21 and 27
joined in a cross-section of a V-shape joined at an apex fold
generally indicated at 20a. Preferably there is a small inverted
V-shaped portion 24 joined to the end panel portions at folds 23
and 25. A strip 12 on the outside surface of end panel portion 11
of first panel member 10 along fold 13 and a strip 16 on the
outside surface of end panel portion 17 of first panel member 10
along fold 15 have adhered thereto the inside surfaces at the free
ends 21a and 27a of end panel portions 21 and 27 of second panel
member 20. In this manner a plurality of core members 30 are made.
The size of each panel member can be selected in accordance with
its intended use. However, the distance between folds 13 and 15 of
first panel member 10 and the apex folds 14a of folded panel
portion 14 is preferably slightly larger than that between folds 23
and 25 of second panel member 20 and lines 22 and 26 (which
correspond to the positions of folds 13 and 15 against the inside
surfaces of end panel portions 21 and 27).
As shown in FIG. 2, the folded panel member 20 of core member 30 is
fully inserted into the space on one side of the W-shaped, panel
member 10 of core member 30' which space has the same shape as the
deformed V-shaped panel member with the folds 23 and 25 adjacent to
fold 13 of said W-shaped panel member, namely, between end panel
portion 11' and folded panel portion 14'. Alternatively it can be
inserted between folded panel portion 14' and end panel portion
17'. In the same manner other core members are overlapped in turn
to form a row of core members. Rows of core members thus overlapped
have the outer surfaces thereof bonded to partition plates 40 with
a binding agent as seen clearly in FIG. 3, and thus the panel core
1 is made.
Panel core 1 made in this matter is easy to fold, so that it is
possible to cut off a portion 1 in the direction of the length of
the panels 10 and 20, which cut off portion will have the desired
thickness of the panel core. Panel core 1 can be expanded by
pulling on both ends thereof (not shown in the drawings). Upon
expanding, the portions of the panel members not adhered to the
partition plates expand into the expanded panel core 1 as shown in
FIG. 4. The expanded panel core 1 has a binding agent, for example,
applied to the edges of the panel members and partition plates on
both sides thereof, and stiffening sheets are adhered thereonto
respectively to form the panel as shown in FIG. 5.
Panel core 1 described above can have the strength increased by
including an appropriate synthetic resin in accordance with the
material and use thereof, or by strengthening the partition plate
as the occasion demands.
Moreover, in the present invention the specific portion where
adhesive is applied on the outside surface of panel member 10 is
assumed to be relatively narrow. However, the width of said
specific portion can be optionally selected and the whole outside
surface can be used as such a portion to which to bond panel member
20.
In addition, inverted V-shaped portion 24 can be formed on folded
panel portion 14 of the W-shaped planar member, or it is possible
to overlap core members on which inverted V-shaped portions 24 are
formed on both the W-shaped panel member and the V-shaped panel
member, and it is also possible to provide core members on which no
inverted V-shaped portion 24 is formed, in which case folds 14 and
a corresponding fold which is combined from folds 23 and 25 rest
against each other in the expanded condition.
As described hereinbefore, the web core in accordance with the
present invention is easy to fold and expand and yet when once
expanded, it remains in the expanded state because folded portion
14 is in engagement in inverted V-shaped portion 24 and which
prevents the core from returning to the folded state, so that
storing, carrying, cutting, and so on can be carried out in the
folded state. Therefore, these operations are very easy to carry
out and the size of the core can be kept constant at all times. In
addition, after being expanded it remains in the expanded state so
that the bonding of stiffening sheets is very easy. In addition,
the size of the spaces formed in the core is uniform, so that in
respect of formation and strength the present invention is very
advantageous.
In addition, the panel core in accordance with the present
invention can be put to use as building materials for wall,
ceiling, partition, door, sliding screen, and the like structures
and also as material for furniture such as table top, wardrobe,
screen, and the like structures, and others, for example, survey
board, drawing board, cabinet, ping-pong table, and such
structures, covering a wide field.
The web core in accordance with the present invention can be made
very light in weight according to the material used and has an
appropriate stiffness, and also can be stored and carried in the
folded state and has at the same time the advantage which a tubular
core, which is difficult to fold, has when it is in the expanded
state. Also in this respect the present invention has a good
effect.
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