Filled shell devices and methods of manufacturing

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an apparatus, such as a board, is provided where a shell is formed in a forming mold cavity and the shell is substantially filled with a core in a filling mold cavity that substantially prevents distortion of the shell during filling.

1 . A method of manufacturing a board, the method comprising: 
 providing upper and lower sheets of material;    inserting the upper and lower sheets of material into an interior of a first mold cavity;    forming the upper and lower sheets of material to the interior of the first mold cavity to form a shell;    placing the shell in a second mold cavity;    filling the shell with an expandable material while the shell is positioned in the second mold cavity; and    preventing the shell from substantially deforming during filling with the expandable material using the second mold cavity.    
   
   
       2 . The method of manufacturing a board in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the step of filling the shell with the expandable material comprises the steps of: 
 forming an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture in the shell, the outlet aperture having a predetermined diameter;    inserting a filling device though the aperture; and    passing the expandable material through the filling device and into the shell, the predetermined diameter of the outlet aperture being selected to prevent gas from within the shell from freely escaping during the passing of the expandable material into the shell to increase the pressure adjacent a flow front of the expandable material during filling.    
   
   
       3 . A method of manufacturing an apparatus, the method comprising: 
 means for forming at least two sheets of material to the interior of a mold cavity to form a shell;    means for filling the shell with an expandable material; and    means for preventing the shell from substantially deforming during filling with the expandable material.