Foam welding and profile manufacturing system

Abstract

By providing a high speed welding system for fusing adjacent foam profiles in a continuous manufacturing operation, a unique, integrated, foam welding and profile manufacturing system is attained which is capable of producing virtually any desired foam product from foam extrusions without requiring the use of expensive molds or forming components, and which significantly reduces expensive scrap found in prior art construction systems. In accordance with the teaching of the present invention, any desired cross-sectional shape or configuration is capable of being manufactured in fully automated, high-volume, rapid production conditions, with virtual ease and simplicity. Furthermore, by employing the present invention, foam profiles which previously were unattainable due to their structural configurations, are quickly and easily constructed in a mass production operation.

1 . A process for manufacturing panels of foam thermoplastic material in a fully automated and high-volume production operation, said process comprising the steps of: 
 A. establishing a supply of elongated sections of foam thermoplastic profiles or members each having a desired cross-sectional shape and a longitudinally extending, substantially continuous length;    B. selecting a first section and a second section from the supply of foam thermoplastic profiles or members;    C. positioning the first section of the foam thermoplastic member into juxtaposed, parallel, adjacent, side to side relationship with the second section of the foam thermoplastic member; and    D. advancing a welding member between adjacent sections of the foam thermoplastic members for causing the sections to be securely bonded to each other, thereby forming a fully integrated, continuous panel comprising a plurality of sections of the foam thermoplastic members securely bonded to each other:    
     
     
         2 . The process defined in  claim 1 , wherein the welding step is further defined as comprising the steps of: 
 a) positioning the welding member in cooperating relationship with the first two adjacent edges of the two adjacent sections of foam thermoplastic members, and    b) advancing the welding member from a first end of the first two adjacent edges to the opposed second end of the adjacent edges of the foam thermoplastic members at a rate of speed and temperature for causing the edges of the two adjacent sections to be melted.    
     
     
         3 . The process defined in  claim 2 , wherein the welding step comprises the further step of 
 c) applying a force to the free edges of both sections of the foam thermoplastic members for compressing the melted edges of the sections into secure interengagement with each other.    
     
     
         4 . The process defined in  claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises the steps of: 
 E. selecting a third section from the supply of foam thermoplastic members and positioning the third section into juxtaposed, parallel, adjacent, side to side relationship with the second section; and    F. advancing the welding member between the third section and the second section of foam thermoplastic members for causing the sections to be securely bonded to each other, thereby forming an enlarged fully integrated continuous panel.    
     
     
         5 . The process defined in  claim 4 , wherein the process further comprises the steps of: 
 G. repeatedly selecting additional sections from the supply of foam thermoplastic members and positioning each additional section into juxtaposed, parallel, adjacent, side to side relationship with the previous section; and    H. advancing the welding member between the most recently selected adjacent sections of foam thermoplastic members for causing the sections to be securely bonded to each other, thereby further enlarging the fully integrated, continuous panel.    
     
     
         6 . The process defined in  claim 5 , wherein the section selecting step and the welding step are repeated until a fully integrated, continuous panel having a desired overall length has been achieved.  
     
     
         7 . The process defined in  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of sections of foam thermoplastic members are simultaneously selected and placed in juxtaposed, parallel, adjacent, side to side relationship and the welding member is further defined as simultaneously advancing through the plurality of sections of thermoplastic members for forming an enlarged panel in a single welding operation.  
     
     
         8 . The process defined in  claim 1 , wherein each section of foam thermoplastic member is further defined as comprising a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of rectangles, squares, parallelograms, polygons, ellipses, circles, ovals, combinations thereof, and portions thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The process defined in  claim 8 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the foam thermoplastic member is further defined as comprising a combination of separate and distinct cross-sectional shapes integrally formed as a single component.  
     
     
         10 . The process defined in  claim 9 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the foam thermoplastic members is further defined as comprising one selected from the group consisting of configurations having a T-shape, an H-shape, a W-shape, an E-shape, a Y-shape, a D-shape, an F-shape, a V-shape, a B-shape, a Z-shape, and the like.  
     
     
         11 . The process defined in  claim 10 , wherein the cross-section of each section of foam thermoplastic members is further defined as being solid.  
     
     
         12 . The process defined in  claim 8 , wherein the cross-section of each section of foam thermoplastic members is further defined as comprising at least one aperture longitudinally extending through substantially the entire length thereof.  
     
     
         13 . The process is defined in  claim 1 , when the welding member is further defined as comprising one selected from the group consisting of heated wires, hot metal surfaces, and nozzles providing hot air.  
     
     
         14 . The process defined in  claim 1 , comprising the additional step of: 
 E. forming elongated strips of foam thermoplastic material having a unique configuration by longitudinally cutting a plurality of strips from the formed panel member with each of said strips having a desired size and shape.    
     
     
         15 . The process defined in  claim 14 , wherein each of the elongated strips is further defined as being formed by cutting the formed panel member along a cut line which extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis formed by the bonding of adjacent sections of foam thermoplastic members.  
     
     
         16 . The process of defined in  claim 1 , comprising the additional step of: 
 E. cutting portions of the foamed panel member in a plurality of desired positions for producing a panel member having a unique configuration incapable of being produced by direct extrusion.    
     
     
         17 . A process for manufacturing panels of foam thermoplastic material in a fully automated and high-volume production operation, said process comprising the steps of: 
 A. continuously extruding a foam thermoplastic member in an elongated, longitudinally extending, substantially continuous length having a desired cross-sectional shape;    B. cutting the elongated foam thermoplastic member into sections having a desired overall length;    C. positioning a first section of the foam thermoplastic member into juxtaposed, parallel, side to side, adjacent relationship with a second section of the foam thermoplastic member;    D. advancing a welding member between adjacent sections of the foam thermoplastic member for causing the sections to be securely bonded to each other, thereby forming a fully integrated, continuous panel consisting of a plurality of sections of the foam thermoplastic member securely bonded to each other.    
     
     
         18 . The process defined in  claim 17 , wherein a plurality of sections of foam thermoplastic members are placed in juxtaposed, parallel, adjacent, side to side relationship and the welding member is further defined as simultaneously advancing through the plurality of sections of thermoplastic members for forming an enlarged panel in a single welding operation.  
     
     
         19 . The process defined in  claim 17 , wherein the welding member is further defined as being repeatedly advanced through two adjacent sections of the thermoplastic member, thereby forming the enlarged panel by repeatedly bonding a single section of the foam thermoplastic member to the previously formed assembly of bonded foam thermoplastic sections.  
     
     
         20 . The process defined in  claim 19 , wherein a panel having any desired size and shape is formed by cutting each section of the foam thermoplastic member into the precisely desired length segments and advancing additional segments into bonding engagement with the previously formed and bonded sections until a panel having the overall desired dimensions has been realized.  
     
     
         21 . The process defined in  claim 17 , wherein the foam thermoplastic member is continuously formed using an extruder constructed for producing the foam thermoplastic member in any desired cross-sectional configuration.  
     
     
         22 . The process defined in  claim 21 , wherein said process comprises the additional step of: 
 E. advancing the elongated, longitudinally extending foam thermoplastic member exiting the extruder into association with a puller member constructed for continuously drawing the foam thermoplastic member from the extruder and feeding the foam thermoplastic member to a support plate constructed for retaining the foam thermoplastic member and cooperating with the cutting member for enabling the foam thermoplastic member to be cut in the desired segment lengths.    
     
     
         23 . The process defined in  claim 22 , wherein the welding member is further defined as being repeatedly advanced through two adjacent sections of the thermoplastic member, thereby forming an enlarged panel by repeatedly bonding a single section of the foam thermoplastic member to the previously formed assembly of bonded foam thermoplastic sections.  
     
     
         24 . The process defined in  claim 23 , wherein a panel of infinite length is continuously formed by repeatedly bonding additional sections of the foam thermoplastic member to the previously formed assembly of bonded foam thermoplastic sections, with panels of any desired size being constructed by cutting panel sections of a desired dimension from the continuously formed panel member.  
     
     
         25 . The process defined in  claim 1 , wherein the continuously extruded foam thermoplastic member is further defined as comprising a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of rectangles, squares, parallelograms, polygons, ellipses, circles, ovals, and portions thereof.  
     
     
         26 . The process defined in  claim 25 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the foam thermoplastic member is further defined as comprising a combination of separate and distinct cross-sectional shapes integrally formed as a single component.  
     
     
         27 . The process defined in  claim 26 , wherein the cross-sectional shape comprises one selected from the group consisting of configurations having a T-shape, an H-shape, a W-shape, an E-shape, a Y-shape, a D-shape, an F-shape, a V-shape, a B-shape, a Z-shape, and the like.  
     
     
         28 . The process defined in  claim 25 , wherein the cross-section of the foam thermoplastic member is further defined as being solid.  
     
     
         29 . The process defined in  claim 25 , wherein the cross-section of the foam thermoplastic member is further defined as comprising at least one aperture longitudinally extending through substantially the entire length thereof.  
     
     
         30 . The process defined in  claim 1 , comprising the additional step of; 
 E. forming elongated strips of foam thermoplastic material having a unique configuration by longitudinally cutting the strip from the formed panel member with the desired size and shape, whereby the elongated strips produced represents a configuration which is incapable of being produced by direct extrusion.    
     
     
         31 . The process defined in  claim 30 , wherein the elongated strip is further defined as being formed by cutting the formed panel member along a cut line which extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis formed by the bonding of adjacent sections of foam thermoplastic.  
     
     
         32 . The process defined in  claim 1 , comprising the additional step of 
 E. cutting the portions of the formed panel member in a plurality of desired positions for producing a panel member having any unique configuration incapable of being produced by direct extrusion.    
     
     
         33 . A process for manufacturing enlarged panels of foam thermoplastic in a fully automated and high-volume production operation, said process comprising the steps of: 
 A. continuously extruding a foam thermoplastic member in an elongated, longitudinally extending, substantially continuous length having a desired cross-sectional shape;    B. cutting the elongated foam thermoplastic member into sections having a desired overall length;    C. positioning each section of the foam thermoplastic member into juxtaposed, parallel, side to side relationship with each adjacent section of the foam thermoplastic member;    D. advancing a welding member between adjacent sections of the foam thermoplastic member for causing the sections to be securely bonded to each other, thereby forming a fully integrated, continuous panel consisting of a plurality of sections of the foam thermoplastic member securely bonded to each other; and    E. forming elongated strips of foam thermoplastic material having a unique configuration by longitudinally cutting the strip from the formed panel member with the desired size and shape, whereby the elongated strips produced represents a configuration which is incapable of being produced by direct extrusion.    
     
     
         34 . The process defined in  claim 33 , wherein the elongated strip is further defined as being formed by cutting the formed panel member along a cut line which extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis formed by the bonding of adjacent sections of foam thermoplastic.