Apparatus and method for making a corrugated product

Abstract

The invention describes a device and method for making corrugated products. The device can be used with any substrate and includes, at least, first and second drive rollers for driving a middle substrate and a single wall corrugated product. In other embodiments the invention includes upper drive rollers, lower drive rollers and middle drive rollers for driving an upper substrate, a lower substrate and a middle substrate. The middle substrate is driven between the upper and lower substrates at a higher velocity to form flutes that are anchored between the upper an lower substrates thereby forming a corrugated product. The invention also provides for customized corrugated products having multiple fluted substrates in various desirable arrangements. Examples of such products include mattress, partition panels, other furniture and construction products.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A corrugated foam mattress comprising: a first corrugated product, the first corrugated product including:
 an upper substrate, optionally of foam construction;   a middle substrate, optionally of foam construction; and   a lower substrate, optionally of foam construction, wherein the middle substrate is fluted and the flutes are fixed to the upper and lower substrates to form a single wall corrugated foam mattress and wherein at least one of the upper, middle or lower substrates is of foam construction.   
     
     
         2 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 1 , further comprising a next layer of cotton, densified polyester or polypropylene covering the corrugated foam product. 
     
     
         3 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 2 , wherein a flame barrier covers the cotton polyester or polypropylene covering. 
     
     
         4 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 3 , further comprising a surface layer. 
     
     
         5 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 4 , wherein the upper, middle and lower substrates independently comprise:
 polyethylene derivatives, polylactic acid derivatives, cellulose derivatives, silicon and silicon-based polymers and methacrylates.   
     
     
         6 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 5 , wherein the upper, middle and lower substrates independently comprise:
 poly(lactide-co-glycolide), polylactide, polyglycolide, D-lactide, D, L-lactide, L-lactide, D, L-lactide-epsilon-caprolactone, D, L-lactide-glycolide-epsilon-caprolactone, polyepsilon-caprolactone, glycolide-caprolactone or combinations thereof, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyalkyl methyl celluloses, and alkyl celluloses, polydimethylsiloxane, polyethylene-co-(vinyl acetate), poloxamer, polyvinylpyrrolidone, poloxamine, polypropylene, polyamide, polyacetal, polyester, poly ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, styrene butadiene rubber, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyphenylene oxide-polystyrene, poly-alpha-chloro-p-xylene, polymethylpentene, polysulfone, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), delrin, polyurethane, copolymers of silicone and polyurethane, polyolefins, acrylamides, polyacrylic acid, poly(acrylonitrile-acrylic acid)), neoprene, nitrile, polyacrylates, poly(-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate, methacrylates, methyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, copolymers of acrylates with N-vinyl pyrrolidone, N-vinyl lactams, polyacrylonitrile, glucomannan gel, vulcanized rubber, poly(-hydroxybutyrate) and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         7 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 6 , wherein the polyethylene is closed cell low density polyethylene foam. 
     
     
         8 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 7 , wherein the upper, lower and middle substrates are independently selected from: a food grade polymer, food grade polylactic acid, or a food grade low density polyethylene according to FDA guidelines. 
     
     
         9 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 8 , further comprising a second corrugated product adhered to the top or bottom substrate wherein the second corrugated product comprises a second upper substrate, a second lower substrate and a second middle substrate corrugated between the second upper and lower substrates and two side perimeter pieces and two end perimeter pieces. 
     
     
         10 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 9 , wherein the second corrugated product is adhered to the first corrugated product using heat or adhesive. 
     
     
         11 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 10 , wherein the second corrugated product is made from substrates that are thinner and more resilient than the first substrates, providing a more cushion-like feel than the substrates used to make the first foam corrugated product. 
     
     
         12 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 11 , wherein the second upper, second middle and second lower substrates independently comprise:
 polyethylene derivatives, polylactic acid derivatives, cellulose derivatives, silicon and silicon-based polymers and methacrylates.   
     
     
         13 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 12 , wherein the second upper, second middle and second lower substrates independently comprise:
 poly(lactide-co-glycolide), polylactide, polyglycolide, D-lactide, D, L-lactide, L-lactide, D, L-lactide-epsilon-caprolactone, D, L-lactide-glycolide-epsilon-caprolactone, polyepsilon-caprolactone, glycolide-caprolactone or combinations thereof, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyalkyl methyl celluloses, and alkyl celluloses, polydimethylsiloxane, polyethylene-co-(vinyl acetate), poloxamer, polyvinylpyrrolidone, poloxamine, polypropylene, polyamide, polyacetal, polyester, poly ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, styrene butadiene rubber, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyphenylene oxide-polystyrene, poly-alpha-chloro-p-xylene, polymethylpentene, polysulfone, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), delrin, polyurethane, copolymers of silicone and polyurethane, polyolefins, acrylamides, polyacrylic acid, poly(acrylonitrile-acrylic acid)), neoprene, nitrile, polyacrylates, poly(2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate, methacrylates, methyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, copolymers of acrylates with N-vinyl pyrrolidone, N-vinyl lactams, polyacrylonitrile, glucomannan gel, vulcanized rubber, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         14 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 13 , wherein the polyethylene is closed cell low density polyethylene foam. 
     
     
         15 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 14 , wherein the second upper, second lower and second middle substrates are independently selected from:
 a food grade polymer, food grade polylactic acid, or a food grade low density polyethylene according to FDA guidelines.   
     
     
         16 . The corrugated foam mattress of  claim 15  further comprising:
 two side perimeter pieces; and 
 two end perimeter pieces wherein the two side pieces are fixed to the sides of the corrugated foam product and the two end pieces are fixed to the ends of the foam product to enclose the interior of the mattress.