Patent Application
20180319140
The present invention is directed to a novel acrylic sheet, a novel formation process for the acrylic sheet, as well as a novel formation process for marine enclosures.
The present invention relates to marine enclosures made of acrylic panels including at least one semi-rigid, transparent, acrylic sheet with a flexible frame surrounding the panel. The present invention also relates to marine enclosure fabrication processes and, more particularly, to an ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) blocking, transparent, acrylic formation process resulting in a suitable form of acrylic for marine enclosure fabrication, including with respect to size and flexibility to form and fit the curves and shapes required by boats and yachts of present day.
Given that boating is an outdoor recreation that is predominantly conducted on hot or sunny days, the amount of ultraviolet and infrared radiation transmitted through an enclosure on a vessel is likely to create uncomfortable conditions for the occupants, such as increased temperature within the enclosure and increased exposure to harmful radiation. Traditional acrylics have been utilized in marine enclosures, but expose occupants to harmful UV-A rays that are a known factor in melanoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, and adversely affect medicines used for many ailments, because such traditional acrylics were not developed for use as a marine enclosure. These UV rays can also damage objects within the interior of the enclosure, including damaging fabrics, chart books, and the like. Traditional acrylics also allow transmission of infrared radiation which can increase the air temperature within the enclosure, making it uncomfortable to stay within the enclosure. At best, traditional acrylics that have heretofore been available for fabrication of marine enclosures only block about 70% of the incident ultraviolet rays and do not block infrared heat energy.
These traditional acrylics which are generally used to fabricate marine enclosures that are of suitable size and thickness tend to be adapted from large sheets of generic acrylic stock, such as is intended to be used in flat, glazing applications or to be heat molded into rigid structures, but are not necessarily intended to create shelters for the occupants of a vessel. Even where some advances have been made in this field, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,703, these materials tend to be overly rigid and do not allow for curved surfaces as are popular on modern boats and yachts. Previous attempts at blocking UV and IR have been attempted with films or laminates, such as those to Friedman in U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,400 and to Numrich U.S. Pat. Pub. 2010/0189983, but these have proven unsuitable for the curves and flexing dictated by the marine environment and the basic shapes of current boats. Such films and laminates, when stretched on outside perimeters and compressed on inside perimeters, tend to peel or delaminate over time. As such, there is a need in the art which addresses these and other problems.
In one aspect of the present invention, a transparent, acrylic panel is formed of at least one 60-inch by 120-inch by 0.080-inch thick acrylic sheet. The acrylic panels are particularly suited for forming an enclosure of one or more acrylic sheets. The acrylic sheets may be formed by extruding a mix of acrylic pellets having ultraviolet blocking elements and infrared blocking elements. In a preferred embodiment, the ultraviolet blocking elements are sufficient to block 98% of ultraviolet radiation from passing through the acrylic sheet. In this embodiment, an acrylic sheet with novel characteristics is formed, the result of which is particularly suitable for creating enclosures to shelter occupants of a vessel.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method for making an enclosure comprises extruding acrylic pellets having ultraviolet blocking elements and infrared blocking elements into one or more acrylic sheets; forming the enclosure with at least one of the one or more acrylic sheets; and preventing at least 90% of ultraviolet radiation from passing through the acrylic pellets with the ultraviolet blocking elements molded into the one or more acrylic sheets.
An acrylic panel of the present invention may be formed of one or more acrylic sheets which have been shaped and/or cut to the desired size and shape. The acrylic panel may also include border fabric around one or more free edges to facilitate the attachment of fasteners, such as zippers, buttons, snaps, or welts. An enclosure according to the present invention may be formed of one or more acrylic panels configured and disposed to at least partially shield the occupants of the vessel on which the enclosure is formed.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer when the drawings as well as the detailed description are taken into consideration.
For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
The following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a transparent acrylic material that can block up to about 98% of ultraviolet wavelength radiation from passing through and may also block a substantial amount of infrared energy, resulting in a material that can be used to fabricate an enclosure that can keep occupants cool and safe from harmful ultraviolet radiation. The acrylic can be manufactured from an acrylic mix containing elements of ultraviolet blocking and infrared blocking technology. The acrylic mix can be extruded in various dimensions and thicknesses, depending on application. For marine enclosure applications, the sheets can be formed in 60-inch by 120-inch by 0.080 inch thick sheets.
The acrylic of the present invention can produce an enclosure, for example, a marine enclosure, with ultraviolet and infrared blocking technology that can keep occupants nearly 10 degrees cooler than conventional enclosures.
Referring now to
The continuously extruded acrylic sheet may be passed through a set of cooling rollers 20 and can be cut or trimmed to a final size with a cutter 24. Typically, this final size can be a sheet that is 60-inch by 120-inch, although other sizes can be chosen within the scope of the present invention.
The resulting acrylic sheets 22 can be masked on each side and wrapped, typically five acrylic sheets 22 together, in plastic to prevent humidity intrusion. The wrapped acrylic sheets 22 can be wrapped and packaged in a cardboard box 26 as a case product that can be effectively handled and shipped to fabricators.
In some embodiments, the acrylic sheets 20 may be extruded in 10-foot widths and cut down to 5-foot widths, or variations thereof, to produce sheets usable in different applications. As shown in
The resulting acrylic sheet 22 can be cut according to shapes dictated by patterns taken from the vessel on which the enclosure is to be disposed. Border fabrics may be bonded to all edges of the acrylic sheet 22, enabling zippers, welt, snaps and other fasteners to be attached to the fabric. The finished enclosure is then able to be installed on the vessel, utilizing the zipper, welt, snaps, or the like. The installed enclosure protects occupants from harmful ultraviolet radiation and comforts them by blocking substantial infrared heat.
The finished acrylic panels can be installed in various applications, such as an awning application that can provide occupants the same protection afforded that of vessels. The same finished acrylic panels may be installed on a variety of vehicles, such as tractors. The acrylic panels may also be utilized in a fence application, providing ultraviolet protection and cool comfort to those in pool settings and the like. The acrylic panels may also also be used to enclose porches and other similar areas, allowing light to brighten the interior while minimizing harmful ultraviolet or temperature raising infrared radiation from passing through. The acrylic panels of the present invention could be useful in applications where persons need sunlight for psychological stability, while needing protection from ultraviolet radiation for physical wellness.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiment of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Now that the invention has been described,
The present application is a continuation-in-part application of previously filed, now pending application having Ser. No. 13/707,567, filed on Dec. 6, 2012, which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/567,546, filed Dec. 6, 2011, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13707567 | Dec 2012 | US |
| Child | 15972825 | US |
