Claims
- 1. A method of forming a multilayer metal foil structure comprising:at a first location, forming a bead along at least one edge of a stack of at least three metal layers to form a substantially-flat unitary multilayer metal beaded preform; transporting the substantially-flat unitary multilayer metal beaded preform to a second location; and at the second location, forming said substantially-flat unitary multilayer metal beaded preform into a three-dimensional shape over a mold, wherein the first and second forming steps are such that the layers are interlocked together and such that in a portion of the formed three dimensional structure, the metal layers have gaps there between.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least two of the layers are metal foil having a thickness of 0.006 in. or less.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein interlocking the layers is done by forming the layers in folds, rolls, wrinkles, coils, crimps or curls.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the preform is provided as a stack of metal foil layers which are embossed, corrugated or wrinkled to provide gaps between the layers.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the bead is formed by curling, rolling or folding along the at least one edge of the metal layers.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the substantially flat unitary multilayer metal beaded preform is cut to a desired shape.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the substantially flat unitary multilayer metal beaded preform includes interlocking corrugations.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein in a first portion of the preform the layers are placed under tensile stress to stretch and shape that portion of the preform stack to form a corner in the desired three-dimensional shape, and in a second portion of the preform the layers are placed under compression to shape a portion of the preform into the three-dimensional shape to impart structural strength to the metal structure by interlocking the layers together.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the stretching of a portion of the preform to form a corner substantially reduces embossments, corrugations, or wrinkles in that portion of the structure.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the structure comprises at least four layers of metal foil.
Parent Case Info
This application claims priority and a C-I-P under 35 U.S.C. §§119 and/or 365 to Ser. No. 08/871,275 filed in U.S. on Jun. 9, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,603 and 60/069,480 filed in U.S. on Dec. 15, 1997 the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
US Referenced Citations (36)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1972-2049 |
Dec 1971 |
JP |
1973-00209 |
Jun 1973 |
JP |
1981-187651 |
Dec 1981 |
JP |
1987-37518 |
Mar 1987 |
JP |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/069480 |
Dec 1997 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/871275 |
Jun 1997 |
US |
Child |
09/092631 |
|
US |