PRESS PAD

Abstract

A press pad for a hydraulic single or multi-level hot press, the press pad including a flat support structure; and a plurality of metal spring elements connected with the flat support structure and arranged distributed therein or thereon.

Claims

1. A press pad for a hydraulic single or multi-level hot press, the press pad comprising: a flat support structure; and a plurality of metal spring elements connected with the flat support structure and arranged distributed therein or thereon.

2. The press pad according to claim 1, wherein the flat support structure is a metal plate, or press plate or a heating plate of the single level or multi-level hot press, and wherein the metal spring elements are glued or soldered or welded to the metal plate, or the press plate or the heating plate or connected with the metal plate, or the press plate or the heating plate by form locking.

3. The press pad according to claim 1, wherein the flat support structure is a flat contexture, or a knitted material, or a woven material or a fleece material or a fabric, wherein at least a portion of threads that form the flat contexture is made from metal or includes metal, and wherein the metal is brass, or copper, or bronze, steel or stainless steel.

4. The press pad according to claim 1, wherein the flat support structure is formed by a metal plate and a flat contexture, and wherein the metal spring elements are connected with the flat contexture or the metal plate.

5. The press pad according to claim 1, wherein the metal spring elements are disc springs or coil springs or leaf springs or corrugated springs.

6. The press pad according to claim 3, wherein the metal spring elements are connected with threads of the flat contexture by form locking, and wherein the metal spring elements are arranged at intersection points of warp threads and weft threads of the flat contexture.

7. The press pad according to claim 6, wherein the metal spring elements include cut outs, and wherein the threads of the flat contexture are run through the cut outs.

8. The press pad according to claim 7, wherein the metal spring elements respectively include at least four cut outs, and wherein a respective warp thread is run through two cut outs and a respective weft thread is run through another two cut outs of the at least four cut outs.

9. The press pad according to claim 1, wherein the metal spring elements are arranged equidistant from one another, and wherein the metal spring elements are arranged in intersecting rows along the weft threads and warp the threads.

10. The press pad according to claim 1, wherein the metal spring elements are partially embedded in an elastomeric material, or a silicon elastomeric material or a fluor silicon elastomeric material, or a blend polymer or a copolymer of the silicon elastomeric material and the fluor silicon elastomeric material, wherein the metal spring elements respectively form a portion of a surface of the press pad at opposite sides of the press pad.

11. The press pad according to claim 10, wherein particles that increase heat conductivity or particles made from a metal or a mineral are included in the elastomeric material, and wherein the particles are nano particles.

12. A press pad—press plate unit or a press pad—heating pad unit, comprising the press pad according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The invention is now described based on advantageous embodiments with reference to drawing figures, wherein:

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a press pad according to the invention;

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates a vertical sectional view through a spring element according to FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of another press pad according to the invention;

[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates a vertical sectional view through the press pad of FIG. 3;

[0029] FIG. 5 illustrates a vertical sectional view through a single level hot press according to the prior art;

[0030] FIG. 6 illustrates a vertical sectional view through a press pad—heating plate unit according to the invention; and

[0031] FIG. 7 illustrates a vertical sectional view through a press pad—press plate unit according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] An embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a press pad 1′ according to the invention for application in a hydraulic single level or multi-level hot press. elastomeric material it can be useful advantageous. Similar to the prior art, the press pad 1 is arranged between a heating plate and a press plate of a single level or multi-level hot press in order to compensate for thickness tolerances in the press plate or the heating plate and in order to simultaneously facilitate a transfer of heat from the heating plate to the press plate.

[0033] The press pad 1 according to the invention includes a flat support structure 2 and a plurality of spring elements 3. The flat support structure 2 is configured as a fabric that includes two thread systems 4, 5 namely warp threads 6 and weft threads 7. The warp threads 6 as well and the weft threads 7 are configured as brass wire strands and are woven together in a plain weave. Thus, the warp threads 6 run in an alternating pattern above and below the weft threads 7 and vice versa.

[0034] The spring element 3 of the press pad 1 are configured as metal disc springs 8. When used in a single level or multilevel hot press the disc spring 8 in a non-deformed condition only contacts a circular circumferential upper edge 9 at a heating plate of a single level or multi-level hot press and at a circular circumferential lower edge 10 at a press plate of a single or multi-level heating press, wherein the two edges 9, 10 respectively form a circular contact line 11, 12. A reversed orientation of the spring element 3 is also conceivable where the upper edge 9 is in contact with the press plate and the lower edge 10 is in contact with the heating plate.

[0035] Furthermore, the disc springs 8 have beveled conical side sections 15 which cause a reduction of a diameter of the first contact line 11 relative to a diameter of the second contact line 12. A sectional view of the disc spring 8 is shown in FIG. 2 and emphasizes a frustum shape.

[0036] During a pressing process in a single level or multilevel hot press the spring element 3 is deformed so that a flat upper contact surface 13 is formed. Simultaneously a flat lower contact surface 14 is formed. Thus, one of the contact surfaces 13, 14 is in contact with the heating plate when used in a single level or multilevel hot press, whereas the other contact surface 13, 14 is in contact with the press plate. Thus, the disc spring 8 essentially assumes a shape of a hollow cylinder during the pressing process.

[0037] The disc springs 8 include four cut outs 17 in an edge portion 16 wherein the cut outs are respectively arranged at an angle of 90 degrees relative to each other and can be open towards a circular outer edge of the disc spring 8 in order to simplify fabrication in order not to have to thread the weft threads 7 or the warp threads 6 through with a thread end but to be able to laterally thread in the weft threads 7 or warp threads 6. A respective thread 6, 7 of a thread system 4, 5 is run through two opposite cut outs 17 of the spring elements 3 while the remaining two cut outs 17 are provided to receive a thread 6, 7 of the other corresponding thread system 4, 5. An intersection point 18 of a warp thread 6 and a weft thread 7 thus essentially corresponds to a center axis 19 of the spring element 3. The disc springs 8 are arranged in the press pad 1 in an equidistant pattern and form rows in the press pad 1 that intersect at an angle of 90 degrees. Thus, the press pad 1 can be rolled up and transported in a simple manner.

[0038] Due to an unloaded force free length 21 of the disc springs 8 that is increased over a diameter 20 of the warp threads 6 and weft threads 7 an upper contact surface of the press pad 1 is formed by an entirety of the upper contact surfaces 9 of the individual disc spring 8 whereas a lower contact surface of the press pad 1′ is defined by an entirety of the lower contact surfaces 10 of the individual disc springs 8. This assures that different thicknesses in the heating plate and/or the press plate are compensated by the spring effect of the disc springs 8, wherein the spring effect can be adjusted by adjusting an outer diameter 22, an inner diameter 23, a material thickness 24 and an unloaded length 21 of the disc spring 8 in order to meet the particular requirements of the single of multilevel hot press. The warp threads 6 and the weft threads 7, thus do not come in contact with the press plate or the heating plate. Due to the heat conducting properties of the disc springs 8 which extend through the press plat in a very direct and short path good heat transfer is provided from the heating plate to the press plate.

[0039] Another advantageous embodiment of the press pad 1′ according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3. The press pad 1′ also includes a flat support structure 2 configured as a fabric and a plurality of metal spring elements 3. Contrary to the press pad 1′ illustrated in FIG. 1 the press pad 1′ according to FIG. 2 has a coating 25 on both sides that is made from a temperature stable elastomeric material. Thus, the press pad 1′ illustrated in FIG. 1 is essentially embedded in the elastomeric material. In order to assure that the contact of the heating plate or the press plate only occurs with the spring elements 3, the coating 25 is removed in a portion of each of the spring elements as evident from FIG. 4. Thus, an upper surface and a lower surface of the press pad 1′ is partially formed by the spring elements 3.

[0040] A single level hot press 27 according to the prior art is illustrated in FIG. 5. The single level hot press 27 includes two heating plates 28 and two press plates 29. According to the instant invention and according to the prior art a respective press pad 1′, 1 is arranged between a heating plate 28 and a press plate 29 of the single level hot press 27. A wood material sheet 30 that is to be coated is inserted between the two press plates 29 and covered with a decorative paper that is not illustrated in the drawing figure. The decorative paper is connected with the wood material plate 30 by the heat that is imparted by the single level hot press 27 and by the pressure imparted upon the wood material sheet 30.

[0041] An embodiment of a press pad—heating plate unit 31 according to the invention that is illustrated in FIG. 6 includes a press pad 1, 1′ according to the invention and a heating plate 28 of a single level or multilevel hot press. Thus, the press pad 1, 1′ is glued together with the heating plate 28 so that a single component is formed.

[0042] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a press pad heating plate unit 32. Contrary to the press pad-heating plate unit 31 the press pad 1′,1 is not connected with a heating plate 28 but with a press plate 29 of a single or multilevel hot press, e.g. glued together and thus also forms a single component.

REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS

[0043] 1′ Press pad [0044] 1 Press Pad [0045] 2 Support structure [0046] 3 Spring element [0047] 4 Thread system [0048] 5 Thread system [0049] 6 Warp thread [0050] 7 Weft thread [0051] 8 Disc spring [0052] 9 Upper edge [0053] 10 Lower edge [0054] 11 Contact line [0055] 12 Contact line [0056] 13 Upper contact surface [0057] 14 Lower contact surface [0058] 15 Side section [0059] 16 Edge portion [0060] 17 Cut out [0061] 18 Intersection point [0062] 19 Center axis [0063] 20 Diameter [0064] 21 Unloaded length [0065] 22 Outer diameter [0066] 23 Inner diameter [0067] 24 Material thickness [0068] 25 Coating [0069] 26 Surface [0070] 27 Single level hot press [0071] 28 Heating plate [0072] 29 Press plate [0073] 30 Wood material sheet [0074] 31 Press pad—heating plate unit [0075] 32 Press pad—heating plate unit