LOAD-BEARING PLATE WITH CELLULAR STRUCTURE AND ITS MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Abstract

The subject of the invention is a support panel with cellular core structure and the manufacturing process for the support panel with cellular core structure which solve the technical problems of: facilitating the manufacture of the product, ensuring compactness of individual panels and manufacturing support panels with cellular structure (1) in a single step. The support plate with cellular structure (1) comprises at least the upper solid surface (2), the lower solid surface (3) and the cellular structure (4), whereby all of these components are made of any thermoplastic material; however, all of the components are made of the same material. The cellular structure (4) is constructed with energy directors (5) to prevent spacing between the cellular structure (4), the upper solid surface (2) and the lower solid surface (3). The pre-formed cellular core (4) is placed on the levelled thermoplastic material used to form the lower solid surface, after which the material is applied over the cellular core (4) up to the depth required to form the lateral surfaces and the upper solid surface (2). After heating and pressing the material, the support panel with cellular structure (1) is cooled under pressure, and then it is removed from the press mould.

Claims

1. The support plate with cellular core structure characterised in that it is made of thermoplastic material and comprises the upper solid surface (2), lower solid surface (3) and cellular core structure (4) constructed with energy directors (5), whereby the surfaces of the components are inseparably bonded together under controlled temperature and pressure with the melted thermoplastic material and all the components of the load-bearing plate with cellular structure (1) are made of the same material.

2. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that all of the components of the load-bearing plate with cellular structure (1) are made of polyethylene.

3. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that all of the components of the load-bearing plate with cellular structure (1) are made of polypropylene.

4. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that the cellular structure (4) is constructed with directional hollow cells in such a way that the axis of the hollow cells is perpendicular to the planes of the upper solid surface (2) and lower solid surface (3).

5. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that the cellular structure (4) is constructed with directional hollow cells in such a way that the axis of the hollow cells is parallel to the planes of the upper solid surface (2) and lower solid surface (3).

6. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that the cellular structure (4) is constructed with directional hollow cells in such a way that the axes of the hollow cells are perpendicular to the planes of the upper solid surface (2) and lower solid surface (3) in certain parts and parallel in other parts.

7. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that the density of the thermoplastic material ranges between 900 and 1100 kg/m3.

8. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that the thermoplastic material for the lower solid surface (3) and upper solid surface (2) is in powder form.

9. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that the upper solid surface (2) is constructed with structural designs on the external surface.

10. The invention according to claim 1, characterised in that the lower solid surface (3) is constructed with structural designs on the external surface.

11. The manufacturing process for load-bearing plate with cellular structure characterised in that the thermoplastic material is evenly spread over the bottom of the press mould up to the height that is appropriate to form the lower solid surface (3), after which the pre-formed cellular core (4) is placed on the heated thermoplastic material and the thermoplastic material is applied inside the mould on and along the pre-formed cellular core (4) up to the depth required to form the lateral surfaces and upper solid surface (2); the thermoplastic material is then evenly levelled on the upper surface and the press tool presses the introduced components at a set temperature and forms the load-bearing plate with cellular structure (1).

12. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that before introducing the thermoplastic material into the tools, the tools are pre-heated to a temperature ranging between 80° C. and 110° C.

13. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that the lower and upper tool are pre-heated.

14. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that the lateral frames are not pre-heated.

15. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that the cellular structure (4) is made by extrusion.

16. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that the cellular structure (4) is made by machining from full material.

17. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that the cellular structure (4) is made by injection moulding.

18. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that the elements of the cellular core are positioned at a predefined distance from the lateral edge of the tool.

19. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that a thermoplastic film is placed on the cellular cores to prevent the thermoplastic material intended for shaping the upper solid surface (2) from filling the cells of the cellular core.

20. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that the upper and lower tool are heated to a set temperature ranging between 150° C. and 200° C.

21. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that the heating of the lateral frames of the tool is subsequently undertaken, with the temperature being set independently, and they are heated until the end of the heating cycle.

22. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that during the manufacture of load-bearing plates with cellular structure (1), the surface of the heated tool presses on the material with an appropriate minimum pressure so as to soften or melt only the material surrounding the pre-formed cellular structure (4) in order to bond this molten material with the pre-formed cellular structure (4).

23. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that heat melts material of the upper solid surface (2), lower solid surface (3) and the material along the lateral surfaces of the cellular structure (4) to bond with the cellular structure (4) and energy directors on the cellular structures (5).

24. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that the load-bearing plate with cellular structure (1) is cooled for an appropriate time under a set pressure after the heating process.

25. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that during the manufacture of the load-bearing plate with cellular structure (1), the temperature during the cooling of the product drops to a specified value, the pressing force or pressure increases and the surface applies pressure on the load-bearing plate with cellular structure (1) for a pre-set time, after which the pressure decreases again and the load-bearing plates with cellular structure (1) is further cooled at a minimum pressure.

26. The process according to claim 11, characterised in that the elements of the cellular core are positioned at a predefined distance from the lateral edge of the tool.

Description

[0035] The essence of the invention is further explained below with the description of the embodiment and attached figures, whereby the figures are part of this patent application and show the following:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a load-bearing plate with cellular structure 1, an upper solid surface 2, a lower solid surface 3 and a cellular structure 4.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a cellular structure 4.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows an upper solid surface 2, a lower solid surface 3, a cellular structure 5 and energy directors 5.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a load-bearing plate with cellular structure 1, an upper solid surface 2, a lower solid surface 3, a cellular structure 4 and energy directors 5.

[0040] FIG. 5 shows a load-bearing plate with cellular structure 1, an upper solid surface 2, a lower solid surface 3 and a cellular structure 4.

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0041] The load-bearing plate with cellular structure 1 is constructed without overlaps and measures 4000×2000×60 mm.

[0042] The upper solid surface 2, the lower solid surface 3 and the cellular structure 4 are made of polyethylene. The cellular structure 4 is made by extrusion and is constructed with energy directors 5 to improve bonding to the material used to form the upper and lower surface as well as preventing spacing between the cellular structure 4, upper solid surface 2 and lower solid surface 3. The cellular structure 4 is constructed with directional hollow cells in such a way that the axis of the hollow cells is perpendicular to the planes of the upper solid surface 2 and lower solid surface 3.

[0043] Before filling the polyethylene into the tools, the tools are pre-heated to 100° C. The lower and upper tool are pre-heated, while the lateral frames remain cold.

[0044] 8 kg/m.sup.2 polyethylene in powder form with a density of 960 kg/m.sup.3 is spread over the bottom of the pre-heated tool and is levelled to an even height.

[0045] The lower solid surface 3 and the upper solid surface 2 are constructed with structural designs or grips on external surfaces to provide better traction of wheels on transport vehicles.

[0046] A pre-formed cellular structure 4 with the profile height of 55 mm is placed on a heated levelled polyethylene material. The elements of the cellular core are positioned 10 cm from each lateral edge of the tool.

[0047] When the cellular structure 4 is positioned, 8 kg/m.sup.2 of polyethylene with a density of 960 kg/m.sup.3 is applied inside the tool mould on and along the pre-formed cellular core to form the lateral surfaces and the upper solid surface 2. Polyethylene is evenly spread over the upper surface.

[0048] The upper surface is heated to 180° C., and the lower surface is heated to 160° C. Lateral heating frames are not heated at the beginning of the process. Initial pressures are set to a minimum pressure of 20 bar to close the press. The heating cycle time for pressing is 50 minutes. After 30 minutes of heating, lateral frames are heated with a temperature of 170° C. until the end of the heating cycle. The pressure remains at the minimum level during heating. After 48 minutes of heating, the lower plate of the tool is switched off and after 50 minutes the upper plate of the tool is switched off, after which the heating cycle comes to an end. The load-bearing plate with cellular structure 1 is then cooled for 15 minutes under at minimum pressure.

[0049] When the temperature of the product drops below 90° C., the pressure increases to 90 bars for 10 minutes, after which the pressure decreases again to a minimum pressure of the tool and the load-bearing plate with cellular structure 1 is further cooled for 30 minutes.

[0050] After cooling, the load-bearing plate with cellular structure is removed from the press mould.

[0051] It is self-evident that the above-described invention can be also used in other particular form without changing the substance of the invention.