B29C44/187

Method and apparatus for manufacturing building panels
09732525 · 2017-08-15 ·

A method of manufacturing building panels includes assembling a frame of a building panel. The frame defines at least one cavity and at least one injection aperture in fluid communication with the at least one cavity. The method also includes positioning the frame on one of a base and a shelf of a multi-panel consolidation device having a plurality of shelves, with the shelves being in an expanded configuration, and at least substantially enclosing the at least one cavity. The method also includes forcing the shelves of the multi-panel consolidation device into a collapsed configuration, and injecting an expandable polymer through the at least one injection aperture into the at least one cavity. The method further includes forcing the shelves into an expanded configuration after a predetermined period of time selected to permit the expandable polymer to form a foam bonded to the frame.

Body member

A body member (1; 41) has at least one outer sheet (2), an inner sheet (3) and a reinforcing structure (10) in a cavity (6) bounded by the inner sheet (3) and the outer sheet (2). The reinforcing structure (10) has at least three ribs (11-15) that extend from the outer sheet (2) toward the inner sheet (3). An expanded structural foam connects at least one of the two outer ribs (11, 15) to the inner sheet (3).

Expanded foam-filled building panel
10500772 · 2019-12-10 ·

A manufactured building panel having a building panel frame that defines a cavity and having an injection aperture in fluid communication with the cavity, and an expanded foam disposed within and filling the cavity. A fabric covers and is bonded to a front surface and a rear surface of the frame to enclose the cavity. The expanded foam is formed by injecting an expandable polymer through the injection aperture and into the cavity, which expands to fill the cavity and permeate the fabric, and to cure to form the expanded foam that bonds to the frame and the fabric.

BODY MEMBER
20190118869 · 2019-04-25 ·

A body member (1; 41) has at least one outer sheet (2), an inner sheet (3) and a reinforcing structure (10) in a cavity (6) bounded by the inner sheet (3) and the outer sheet (2). The reinforcing structure (10) has at least three ribs (11-15) that extend from the outer sheet (2) toward the inner sheet (3). An expanded structural foam connects at least one of the two outer ribs (11, 15) to the inner sheet (3).

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BUILDING PANELS
20180058069 · 2018-03-01 ·

A method of manufacturing building panels includes assembling a frame of a building panel. The frame defines at least one cavity and at least one injection aperture in fluid communication with the at least one cavity. The method also includes positioning the frame on one of a base and a shelf of a multi-panel consolidation device having a plurality of shelves, with the shelves being in an expanded configuration, and at least substantially enclosing the at least one cavity. The method also includes forcing the shelves of the multi-panel consolidation device into a collapsed configuration, and injecting an expandable polymer through the at least one injection aperture into the at least one cavity. The method further includes forcing the shelves into an expanded configuration after a predetermined period of time selected to permit the expandable polymer to form a foam bonded to the frame.