Processes For Forming Plastic, Apparatuses For Forming Plastic, And Articles Made Therefrom

Abstract

Process and apparatus for forming plastics by heating an open mold and contacting the open mold with plastic particulate material to form a melted skin on the mold, and resulting articles made therefrom. Single skin molded articles may be multi-layered with or without paint on the surface. Multiple skin molded articles may be made by complementary male and female molds, brought together after the skins are made on the individual male and female molds, and may include sandwiched layers of plastic filler or expandable foam filled centers, with or without various inserts or reinforcements. Multi-layer composite articles are to made with inserts and/or reinforcements that may be embedded in and surrounded by expandable foam plastic, if used as a middle layer. Resulting articles include a pick-up truck bed box, an industrial tabletop, a series of modular housing panels, an airplane cockpit door, and material handling pallets, among others.

1 . An apparatus for forming plastic into a predetermined shape from a plastic particulate material having a melting point, said apparatus comprising:
 an open mold made of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys, kirksite, metals, ceramics, cermets, high temperature plastics, formable heat resistant materials and combinations thereof, said mold being formed into a predetermined shape with at least a face portion to impart the desired shape;   said complementary male and female molds being heatable at least on their face portions to a temperature above the melting point of the plastic particulate, for contacting with the plastic particulate while the plastic particulate is at least at room temperature for a dwell time period preselected to melt the plastic particulate into a layer of a desired thickness prior to ceasing contact with the plastic particulate.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for forming plastic into a predetermined shape from a plastic particulate material having a melting point, said apparatus comprising:
 a pair of male and female complementary molds made of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys, kirksite, metals, ceramics, cermets, high temperature plastics, formable heat resistant materials and combinations thereof, said molds being formed into a predetermined shape with at least a face portion on each of said complementary male and female molds to impart a desired shape;   said complementary male and female molds being heatable at least on their face portions to a temperature above the melting point of the plastic particulate, for contacting with the plastic particulate while the plastic particulate is at least at room temperature for a dwell time period preselected to melt the plastic particulate into a layer of a desired thickness prior to ceasing contact with the plastic particulate.   
     
     
         3 . An apparatus for forming a plastic composite into a predetermined shape from a plastic particulate material and a plastic filler material, each having a respective melting point, said apparatus comprising:
 a pair of male and female complementary molds made of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys, kirksite, metals, ceramics, cermets, high temperature plastics, formable heat resistant materials and combinations thereof, said molds being formed into a predetermined shape with at least a face portion on each of said complementary male and female molds to impart a desired shape;   means for heating the male and female complementary molds to an elevated temperature of from about 100° C. to about 865° C. which is above the melting points of the respective plastic particulate material and the plastic filler material, such that contacting the heated complementary molds to the plastic particulate material results in a melted plastic skin layer on the surface contacted;   said complementary male and female molds being heatable at least on their face portions to a temperature above the melting point of the plastic particulate, for contacting with the plastic particulate while the plastic particulate is at least at room temperature for a dwell time period preselected to melt the plastic particulate into a layer of a desired thickness prior to ceasing contact with the plastic particulate; and   a spacer for holding the two complementary male and female molds apart from one another at a predetermined distance such that the plastic filler material may be sandwiched between the male and female molds to a thickness determined by the spacer.   
     
     
         4 . An apparatus for forming a plastic composite into a predetermined shape from a plastic particulate material and an expandable plastic filler material, each having a respective melting point, said apparatus comprising:
 male and female complementary molds made of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys, kirksite, metals, ceramics, cermets, high temperature plastics, formable heat resistant materials and combinations thereof, said molds being formed into a predetermined shape with at least a face portion on each of said complementary male and female molds to impart a desired shape;   means for heating the male and female complementary molds to an elevated temperature of from about 100° C. to about 865° C. which is above the melting points of the respective plastic particulate material and the expandable plastic filler material, such that contacting the complementary molds to the plastic particulate material results in a melted plastic layer on the surface contacted;   said complementary male and female molds being heatable at least on their face portions to a temperature above the melting point of the plastic particulate, for contacting with the plastic particulate while the plastic particulate is at least at room temperature for a dwell time period preselected to melt the plastic particulate into a layer of a desired thickness prior to ceasing contact with the plastic particulate; and   a spacer for holding the two complementary male and female molds apart from one another at a predetermined distance such that the expandable plastic filler material may be sandwiched and expanded between the male and female molds to a thickness determined by the spacer.   
     
     
         5 . A plastic pick-up truck bed box for installing on the chassis of a pick-up truck, comprising:
 spaced apart male and female plastic skins, each being shaped over an open mold and both being adapted to fit onto the chassis of the pick-up truck, said male and female skins being formed of a polyolefinic material, each having a thickness of from about 0.001 cm to about 1.0 cm;   a low density expandable plastic material sandwiched between said male and female skins, having a thickness of from about 1.0 cm to about 5.0 cm;   a steel mesh reinforcement shaped like the molds for the male and female skins, said steel reinforcement being inserted between the male and female molds, embedded into and surrounded by the expandable plastic, such that the pick-up truck box is reinforced by the strength of the steel; and   load rails inserted into the female mold prior to the expandable plastic material, said load rails being located at the bottom of the resulting truck box, being surrounded by the plastic skins and the expandable plastic, such that the plastic pick-up truck bed box is adapted for easy mounting onto a pick-up truck chassis.   
     
     
         6 . A plastic industrial tabletop to be mounted on table legs, comprising:
 spaced apart male and female plastic skins, each being shaped over an open mold and both being adapted to fit onto table legs, said male and female skins being formed of a polyolefinic material, each having a thickness of from about 0.001 cm to about 1.0 cm;   a low density expandable plastic material sandwiched between said male and female skins, having a thickness of from about 1.0 cm to about 5.0 cm; and   a steel mesh reinforcement shaped like the molds for the male and female skins, said steel reinforcement being inserted between the male and female molds, embedded into and surrounded by the expandable plastic, such that the tabletop is reinforced by the strength of the steel.   
     
     
         7 . A plastic airplane cockpit door, comprising:
 spaced apart male and female plastic skins, each being shaped over an open mold and both being adapted to fit into an airplane cockpit, said male and female skins being formed of a polyolefinic material, each having a thickness of from about 0.001 cm to about 1.0 cm;   a low density expandable plastic material sandwiched between said male and female skins, having a thickness of from about 1.0 cm to about 5.0 cm;   a sheet of Kevlar inserted between the male and female plastic skins and being encapsulated and surrounded by the expandable plastic material; and   a steel mesh reinforcement shaped like the molds for the male and female skins, said steel reinforcement being inserted between the male and female molds, embedded into and surrounded by the expandable plastic, such that the airplane cockpit door is reinforced by the strength of the steel and made bullet-proof by the Kevlar sheet inclusion.   
     
     
         8 . A plastic modular housing panel, comprising:
 spaced apart male and female plastic skins, each being shaped over an open mold and both being adapted to fit into together with other modular housing panels, said male and female skins being formed of a polyolefinic material, each having a thickness of from about 0.001 cm to about 1.0 cm;   a low density expandable plastic material sandwiched between said male and female skins, having a thickness of from about 1.0 cm to about 5.0 cm; and   thermally insulating material inserted between the male and female plastic skins and being encapsulated and surrounded by the expandable plastic material.   
     
     
         9 . A lightweight plastic material handling pallet, comprising:
 spaced apart male and female plastic skins, each being shaped over an open mold and both being adapted to support industrial material loads, said male and female skins being formed of a polyolefinic material, each having a thickness of from about 0.001 cm to about 1.0 cm;   a low density expandable plastic material sandwiched between said male and female skins, having a thickness of from about 1.0 cm to about 5.0 cm; and   steel cone reinforcements embedded into and surrounded by the expandable plastic material, said reinforcements located between the male and female molds, thereby lending strength and durability to the pallet.