Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080272132 | COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER - A collapsible container for containing goods, including a liquid and/or solid/liquid mixture, configured to be assembled and disassembled manually without the use of tools. The container includes a plurality of upright panels coupled to a base by their bottom portions. The bottom portion of each panel has a relieved portion that extends into a corresponding groove formed in the base. The panels include panels of a first type and panels of a second type, with the relieved portion of the panels of the first type differing from the relieved portion of the panels of the second type. Each panel of the first type is flanked along its opposing upright edges by a pair of adjacent panels of the second type. Each of the edges of each of the panels is coupled by an edge joining assembly to one of the edges of one of the flanking panels. | 11-06-2008 |
20080274346 | SOLID-STATE CELLULAR AND NONCELLULAR THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS: PROCESSING, PROPERTIES, AND APPLICATIONS - Methods for reducing the density of thermoplastic materials and the articles made therefrom having similar or improved mechanical properties to the solid or noncellular material. Also disclosed are improvements to foaming methods and the cellular structures of the foams made therefrom, and methods for altering the impact strength of solid or noncellular thermoplastic materials and the shaping of the materials into useful articles. | 11-06-2008 |
20080277817 | METHODS FOR ALTERING THE IMPACT STRENGTH OF NONCELLULAR THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS - Methods for reducing the density of thermoplastic materials and the articles made therefrom having similar or improved mechanical properties to the solid or noncellular material. Also disclosed are improvements to foaming methods and the cellular structures of the foams made therefrom, and methods for altering the impact strength of solid or noncellular thermoplastic materials and the shaping of the materials into useful articles. | 11-13-2008 |
20080280123 | BIMODAL CELLULAR THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS - Methods for reducing the density of thermoplastic materials and the articles made therefrom having similar or improved mechanical properties to the solid or noncellular material. Also disclosed are improvements to foaming methods and the cellular structures of the foams made therefrom, and methods for altering the impact strength of solid or noncellular thermoplastic materials and the shaping of the materials into useful articles. | 11-13-2008 |
20090065136 | FOAMING METHODS FOR MAKING CELLULAR THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS - Methods for reducing the density of thermoplastic materials and the articles made therefrom having similar or improved mechanical properties to the solid or noncellular material. Also disclosed are improvements to foaming methods and the cellular structures of the foams made therefrom, and methods for altering the impact strength of solid or noncellular thermoplastic materials and the shaping of the materials into useful articles. | 03-12-2009 |
20090104420 | MULTI-LAYERED FOAMED POLYMERIC OBJECTS AND RELATED METHODS - The invention disclosed herein relates to relates to foamed thermoplastic material objects and articles of manufacture having an internal layered cellular structure, as well as to methods of making the same. In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a multi-layer foamed polymeric article of manufacture, comprising: a non-laminated multi-layer thermoplastic material sheet, wherein the multi-layer thermoplastic material sheet has first and second discrete outer layers sandwiching a plurality of discrete inner foamed layers, and wherein the two outer layers and plurality discrete inner foamed layers are integral with one another. The thermoplastic material may be a semi-crystalline polymer such as, for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEEK (polyetheretherketone), PEN (polyethylene napthalate), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PLA (polylactide), polyhydroxy acid (PHA), thermoplastic urethane (TPU), or blends thereof. The two outer layers may be unfoamed skin layers having smooth outer surfaces, and the discrete inner foamed layers may be microcellular. | 04-23-2009 |
20090266813 | COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER - A collapsible container for containing goods, including a liquid and/or solid/liquid mixture, configured to be assembled and disassembled manually without the use of tools. The container includes a plurality of upright panels coupled to a base by their bottom portions. Each panel of a first type is flanked along its opposing upright edges by a pair of adjacent panels of a second type. Each of the edges of each of the panels is coupled by an edge joining assembly to one of the edges of one of the flanking panels. The assembly comprises a first elongated edge joining member having a longitudinal channel with alternating partially enclosed portions and substantially unenclosed portions and a second elongated edge joining member having longitudinally extending spaced apart locking members. Each unenclosed portion is configured to receive a locking member, which are slid longitudinally within the channel into an adjacent partially enclosed portion. | 10-29-2009 |
20100297416 | MICROCELLULAR THERMOPLASTIC THIN FILMS FORMED BY A SOLID-STATE FOAMING PROCESS - Cellular thin films include a first side separated from a second side, the separation of which defines the thickness of the thin film; at least one layer of a polymeric material arranged along the thickness of the thin film, wherein the polymeric material includes cells and the first and second sides of the thin film have exterior surfaces that have substantially the same thickness as the interior walls forming the cells. The surfaces of the thin films have bumps caused by the cells. The thin exterior surfaces of the thin films is advantageous to allow the films to be flexible. | 11-25-2010 |
20110001256 | METHODS FOR BLOW MOLDING SOLID-STATE CELLULAR THERMOPLASTIC ARTICLES - A process for producing cellular thermoplastic articles. The process comprises the steps of treating a solid parison made from a thermoplastic material with a saturating gas at an elevated pressure for a period of time to provide a gas-saturated parison; heating the gas-saturated parison to prepare a cellular parison; placing the cellular parison in a mold; and blowing a molding gas into the cellular parison to expand the cellular parison into the shape of the mold to provide a shaped cellular article. | 01-06-2011 |
20110003133 | METHOD FOR MAKING SHAPEABLE MICROCELLULAR POLY LACTIC ACID ARTICLES - A method for making a shapeable article from poly(lactic acid) includes treating solid poly(lactic acid) that results in the solid poly(lactic acid) having a crystallinity of at least 20% by weight based on the weight of the solid poly(lactic acid) and a gas concentration of 6% to 16% by weight based on the weight of the solid poly(lactic acid); and heating the solid poly(lactic acid) having said minimum crystallinity and gas concentration to produce a cellular poly(lactic acid) article that is shapeable. The shapeable cellular poly(lactic acid) article is advantageous in that the article can be further shaped by heat and/or pressure (or vacuum), such as via thermoforming, into a variety of useful products. | 01-06-2011 |
20110081524 | MULTI-LAYERED FOAMED POLYMERIC OBJECTS AND RELATED METHODS - The invention disclosed herein relates to relates to foamed thermoplastic material objects and articles of manufacture having an internal layered cellular structure, as well as to methods of making the same. In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a multi-layer foamed polymeric article of manufacture, comprising: a non-laminated multi-layer thermoplastic material sheet, wherein the multi-layer thermoplastic material sheet has first and second discrete outer layers sandwiching a plurality of discrete inner foamed layers, and wherein the two outer layers and plurality discrete inner foamed layers are integral with one another. The thermoplastic material may be a semi-crystalline polymer such as, for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEEK (polyetheretherketone), PEN (polyethylene napthalate), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PLA (polyactide), polyhydroxy acid (PHA), thermoplastic urethane (TPU), or blends thereof. The two outer layers may be unfoamed skin layers having smooth outer surfaces, and the discrete inner foamed layers may be microcellular. | 04-07-2011 |
20110171457 | BIMODAL CELLULAR THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS - Improvements to foaming methods and the interbimodal cellular structures of the foams made therefrom are disclosed, | 07-14-2011 |
20120090764 | FOAMING METHODS FOR MAKING CELLULAR THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS - Methods for reducing the density of thermoplastic materials and the articles made therefrom having similar or improved mechanical properties to the solid or noncellular material. Also disclosed are improvements to foaming methods and the cellular structures of the foams made therefrom, and methods for altering the impact strength of solid or noncellular thermoplastic materials and the shaping of the materials into useful articles. | 04-19-2012 |
20120091632 | METHOD OF SELECTIVE FOAMING FOR POROUS POLYMERIC MATERIAL - A selective high intensity ultrasonic foaming technique is described to fabricate porous polymers for biomedical applications. Process variables, including ultrasound power, scanning speed, and gas concentration have an affect on pore size. Pore size can be controlled with the scanning speed of the ultrasound insonation and interconnected porous structures could be obtained using a partially saturated polymers. A gas concentration range of 3-5% by weight creates interconnected open-celled porous structures. The selective high intensity ultrasonic foaming method can be used on biocompatible polymers so as not to introduce any organic solvents. The method has use in cell related biomedical applications such as studying cell growth behaviors by providing a porous environment with varying topological features. | 04-19-2012 |
20120183710 | METHODS FOR BLOW MOLDING SOLID-STATE CELLULAR THERMOPLASTIC ARTICLES - A process for producing cellular thermoplastic articles. The process comprises the steps of treating a solid parison made from a thermoplastic material with a saturating gas at an elevated pressure for a period of time to provide a gas-saturated parison; heating the gas-saturated parison to prepare a cellular parison; placing the cellular parison in a mold; and blowing a molding gas into the cellular parison to expand the cellular parison into the shape of the mold to provide a shaped cellular article. | 07-19-2012 |
20130032289 | METHOD FOR JOINING THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER MATERIAL - A method for joining two components includes positioning a thermoplastic polymer portion of a first component adjacent a thermoplastic polymer portion of a second component such that the first and second portions form an interface. At least one of the portions includes a microstructure having a plurality of closed cells, each cell containing a void and each cell having a maximum dimension extending across the void. The method also includes exerting pressure on the thermoplastic polymer portions to form a bond at the interface that holds the portions together. The plurality of closed cells, and especially those adjacent the surface of the thermoplastic polymer portion that form the interface, help isolate thermally and/or chemically the surface from the remainder of the portion. | 02-07-2013 |
20130065981 | Multi-layered Foamed Polymeric Objects and Related Methods - The invention disclosed herein relates to relates to foamed thermoplastic material objects and articles of manufacture having an internal layered cellular structure, as well as to methods of making the same. In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a multi-layer foamed polymeric article of manufacture, comprising: a non-laminated multi-layer thermoplastic material sheet, wherein the multi-layer thermoplastic material sheet has first and second discrete outer layers sandwiching a plurality of discrete inner foamed layers, and wherein the two outer layers and plurality discrete inner foamed layers are integral with one another. The thermoplastic material may be a semi-crystalline polymer such as, for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEEK (polyetheretherketone), PEN (polyethylene napthalate), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PLA (polyactide), polyhydroxy acid (PHA), thermoplastic urethane (TPU), or blends thereof. The two outer layers may be unfoamed skin layers having smooth outer surfaces, and the discrete inner foamed layers may be microcellular. | 03-14-2013 |
20130302547 | MICROSTRUCTURE FOR FUSION BONDED THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER MATERIAL, AND RELATED METHODS - A material comprises a first layer that includes a thermoplastic polymer having a microstructure that includes a plurality of closed cells, each cell containing a void and each cell having a maximum dimension extending across the void within the cell that ranges between 1 micrometer and 200 micrometers long. The material also includes a second layer including a thermoplastic polymer having a microstructure that includes a plurality of closed cells, each cell containing a void and each cell having a maximum dimension extending across the void within the cell that ranges between 1 micrometer and 200 micrometers long. The material also includes an interface layer formed by fusion bonding the first layer to the second layer, the interface layer having a microstructure that includes a plurality of closed cells, each cell containing a void and each cell having a maximum dimension extending across the void within the cell that is at least 100 micrometers long. | 11-14-2013 |
20140264993 | METHODS FOR BLOW MOLDING SOLID-STATE CELLULAR THERMOPLASTIC ARTICLES - Methods for saturating a plurality of parisons simultaneously with a saturating gas are disclosed. The parisons may be saturated using a sealed elongated tube through which the parisons are transferred. Parisons may be stacked vertically or horizontally using modular trays, and then loaded into pressure vessels. Parisons may be saturated in individual pressure vessels which are re-pressurized at various intervals. The gas-saturated parisons can be re-heated and blow molded to provide cellular blow-molded articles. | 09-18-2014 |
20140287321 | METHOD TO PRODUCE NANOPOROUS POLYMERIC MEMBRANES - A method for making a flat polymer foam having a core layer of nano-sized open, interconnected cells that includes saturating a solid-state polymer with a supercritical fluid, allowing the gas to desorb for at least 35 minutes, and then heating the gas-saturated solid polymer for at least 3 minutes while constraining the foam in the thickness dimension. Any skin layer formed on the exterior may be removed via polishing, thus creating a foam with an open structure from side to side. The foam can be used as a battery separator. | 09-25-2014 |