BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a sheet structure made of plastic materials, and more particularly, to a sheet structure made of recycled plastic materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With progress of modern industry, new applications of various products and materials are constantly introduced. It improves people's living standards on one hand, but deteriorates the environment that people live on the other hand. Plastic products have been mass-produced due to their merits of light weight and low cost, leading that an enormous number of the plastic waste results in serious pollution to the environment.
Therefore, the circular economy that allows plastic materials to be continuously reused has become a key development project in many countries all over the world. Through the recycling of plastic products, reproduction of the recycled plastic products to create different commodity values and to rebloom a new commercial market driving the sustainable use of materials has become an important issue for the industry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, the present disclosure provides a sheet structure made of recycled plastic materials for solving above problems.
According to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a sheet structure includes a plurality of first recycled granule portions and a plurality of second recycled granule portions. Each of the first recycled granule portions includes a first surface layer. Each of the second recycled granule portions includes a second surface layer. The first surface layer of one of the first recycled granule portions is fusingly connected to the first surface layer of another one of the first recycled granule portions and/or the second surface layer of one of the second recycled granule portions. The second surface layer of one of the second recycled granule portions is fusingly connected to the second surface layer of another one of the second recycled granule portions and/or the first surface layer of one of the first recycled granule portions.
According to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, the sheet structure further includes a plurality of third recycled granule portions. Each of the third recycled granule portions includes a third surface layer. The third surface layer of one of the third recycled granule portions is fusingly connected to at least one of the third surface layer of another one of the third recycled granule portions, the first surface layer of one of the first recycled granule portions and the second surface layer of one of the second recycled granule portions.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of part of a sheet structure according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method for forming the sheet structure according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram exemplifying a recycling procedure and a reproducing procedure shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram exemplifying a sieving procedure shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 5, FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are schematic sectional diagrams exemplifying a manufacturing procedure according to a process parameter shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 7 is a schematic partial sectional diagram of the sheet structure during the manufacturing procedure according to the process parameter shown in FIG. 6B.
FIG. 8 is a schematic partial sectional diagram of the sheet structure when the manufacturing procedure according to the process parameter shown in FIG. 7 is completed.
FIG. 9 is a schematic partial sectional diagram of a sheet structure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10 is a schematic top view of part of the sheet structure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 11 is a schematic top view of part of a sheet structure according to a yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 12 is a schematic partial sectional diagram of a sheet structure according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 13 is a schematic partial sectional diagram of a sheet structure according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In order to enable the skilled persons in the art to better understand the present disclosure, hereinafter preferred embodiments with drawings are provided for illustrating the present disclosure and the effect to be achieved. It should be noted that the drawings are simplified schematic diagrams. Therefore, only elements related to the present disclosure and combination relationship thereof are shown to provide a clearer description of the basic framework or implementation methods of the present disclosure. The actual elements and configuration may be more complicated. In addition, for the sake of convenience, the number of the components in the drawings could be unequal the actual number thereof, the shape and size of the components may not draw in proportion to the actual shape and size, and the proportion thereof can be adjusted according to design requirements.
The directional terminology in the following embodiments, such as top, bottom, left, right, front or back, is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. As such, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting.
The ordinal number terminology, such as first, second and third, can be used to describe various elements, and the elements are not limited by definition of the ordinal number terminology. The ordinal number terminology is used to distinguish one element from other element(s) in the specification, and the ordinal number terminology of the element in the claims is arranged according to the claimed order and could be different from that in the specification. For example, a first element recited in the following description could be a second element in the claims.
The term “melting temperature (Tm)” mentioned in the following embodiment(s) refers to the temperature that a plastic material melt into a liquid state, including the situations that the temperature of the plastic material is at the melting temperature or the temperature of the plastic material is above the melting temperature.
The term “Vicat softening temperature (VST)” mentioned in the following embodiment(s) refers to the temperature that a standard indenter with a cross-sectional area of 1 mm2 penetrates a specimen of a plastic material to the depth of 1 mm under a certain load condition, while the temperature is raised at a constant rate.
The term “glass transition temperature (Tg)” mentioned in the following embodiment(s) refers to the temperature at which a solid substance reversibly transits between a glass state and an elastic state. When a specific temperature range is reached, the small molecular chains of a plastic material begin to move. This specific temperature range is called the glass transition temperature. If the temperature is lower than the glass transition temperature, the plastic material is in a rigid glass state, due to the molecular chains of the plastic material unable to move.
The term “fusingly connected” mentioned in the following embodiment(s) refers that a plastic material in a softened state, due to being at a temperature which is above the Vicat softening temperature of the plastic material, is connected to another plastic material in a softened state, due to being at the temperature which is above the Vicat softening temperature of the another plastic material; or that a plastic material in a softened state, due to being at a temperature which is above the Vicat softening temperature of the plastic material, is connected to another plastic material in a liquid state, due to being at the temperature which is above the melting temperature of the another plastic material; or that a plastic material in a liquid state, due to being at a temperature which is above the melting temperature of the plastic material, is connected to another plastic material in a liquid state, due to being at the temperature which is above the melting temperature of the another plastic material.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of part of a sheet structure 1000 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet structure 1000 includes a plurality of first recycled granule portions 1 and a plurality of second recycled granule portions 2. Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method for forming the sheet structure 1000 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the method includes the following steps.
S100: Perform a recycling procedure.
S101: Perform a reproducing procedure.
S102: Perform a sieving procedure.
S103: Perform a manufacturing procedure according to a process parameter.
The detailed description of the method for forming the sheet structure 1000 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is provided as follows. Please refer to FIG. 3 to FIG. 8 as well. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram exemplifying the recycling procedure and the reproducing procedure shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram exemplifying the sieving procedure shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5, FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are schematic sectional diagrams exemplifying the manufacturing procedure according to the process parameter shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a schematic partial sectional diagram of the sheet structure 1000 during the manufacturing procedure according to the process parameter shown in FIG. 6B. FIG. 8 is a schematic partial sectional diagram of the sheet structure 1000 when the manufacturing procedure according to the process parameter shown in FIG. 7 is completed.
Step S100—Recycling Procedure
As shown in FIG. 3, in the recycling procedure, waste plastic products, such as a first recycled member 11 and a second recycled member 21, are recycled for reproduction later on. In this embodiment, the first recycled member 11 and the second recycled member 21 can be two different soles of shoes, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the first recycled member 11 and the second recycled member 21 can be two different plastic containers, two different plastic casings and so on. A material of the first recycled member 11 is a first recyclable material, and a material of the second recycled member 21 is a second recyclable material, wherein the first recyclable material and the second recyclable material can be thermoplastic materials, such as PE, PP, PS, PMMA, PVC, Nylon, PC, PTFE, PET, POM, PU, TPU, EVA and so on. The first recyclable material and the second recyclable material can be the same or different materials, depending on practical demands.
Step S101—Reproducing Procedure
As shown in FIG. 3, after the first recycled member 11 and the second recycled member 21 are recycled, the first recycled member 11 and the second recycled member 21 can be reproduced by a shredder 3, thereby generating a plurality of first recycled granules 1′ and a plurality of second recycled granules 2′. Accordingly, a material of the first recycled granules 1′ is the first recyclable material, and a material of the second recycled granules 2′ is the second recyclable material. The first recycled granules 1′ and the second recycled granules 2′ may have different colors, i.e., the first recycled granules 1′ have a first color, and the second recycled granules 2′ have a second color which is different from the first color. It is noted that the colors of the first recycled granules 1′ and the second recycled granules 2′ may originate from the first recycled member 11 and the second recycled member 21. Or alternatively, the color(s) of the first recycled granules 1′ and/or the second recycled granules 2′ can be imposed through dyeing or coloring, depending on practical demands.
Step S102—Sieving Procedure
As shown in FIG. 4, when the first recycled granules 1′ and the second recycled granules 2′ are generated, the first recycled granules 1′ and the second recycled granules 2′ are sieved by a sieve 4, and the sieved first recycled granules 1′ are mixed with the sieved second recycled granules 2′ based on a proportion, so as to generate a plurality of mixed recycled granules 5, wherein the mixed recycled granules 5 includes the first recycled granules 1′ and the second recycled granules 2′. For example, the first recycled granules 1′ and the second recycled granules 2′ are mixed with a weight ratio of 3:7, but the weight ratio of the first recycled granules 1′ and the second recycled granules 2′ is not limited thereto, depending on practical demands. It is noted that, after the first recycled granules 1′ and the second recycled granules 2′ pass meshes of the sieve 4, a size of the first recycled granules 1′ is alike to a size of the second recycled granules 2′ due to each of the meshes of the sieve 4 is substantially equal in size. In this embodiment, the mixed recycled granules 5 formed after passing the sieve 4 have each granule of the first recycled granules 1′ and the second recycled granules 2′ with maximum sizes of 1.2 mm, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, maximum sizes of each granule of the first recycled granules 1′ and the second recycled granules 2′ can be adjusted by selecting the sieve 4 with desired mesh size.
Step S103—Manufacturing Procedure According to Process Parameter
As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, after the plurality of mixed recycled granules 5 are generated, the mixed recycled granules 5 are disposed on an adhesive holding member 6. As shown in FIG. 6A, in this embodiment, the adhesive holding member 6 disposed with the mixed recycled granules 5 are placed in a process apparatus 7, wherein the process apparatus 7 includes a heat pressing module 70 and a vacuum module 71. The heat pressing module 70 is pivoted to the vacuum module 71, such that the heat pressing module 70 can be rotated relative to the vacuum module 71 to an open position as shown in FIG. 6A or to a closed position as shown in FIG. 6B. When the heat pressing module 70 is located in the closed position relative to the vacuum module 71, as shown in FIG. 6B, a chamber is formed between the heat pressing module 70 and the vacuum module 71 of the process apparatus 7 for containing the adhesive holding member 6 disposed with the mixed recycled granules 5. The heat pressing module 70 is a heat source for heating the mixed recycled granules 5 in the process apparatus 7 to meet a requirement of a process parameter. The vacuum module 71 is for vacuumizing the chamber to fix the adhesive holding member 6 and to adjust the air pressure of the chamber to meet the requirement of the process parameter, thereby compressing the mixed recycled granules 5. The process parameter may refer to a highest temperature within the process apparatus 7, a maximum air pressure difference between interior and exterior of the process apparatus 7, an operating duration of the process apparatus 7, or a combination thereof.
The process apparatus 7 being in a situation of environmental temperature 25° C. and atmospheric pressure 1 atm is illustrated as an example. The highest temperature within the process apparatus 7, the maximum air pressure difference between interior and exterior of the process apparatus 7 and the operating duration of the process apparatus 7 are exemplified in the Table I.
TABLE I
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|
Highest
Maximum Air Pressure
Operating
|
Temperature
Difference
Duration
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|
|
Maximum
140° C.
1.5 bar
110 seconds
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Minimum
60° C.
0.5 bar
65 seconds
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|
Furthermore, the first recyclable material has a first melting temperature, a first Vicat softening temperature and a first glass transition temperature, and the second recyclable material has a second melting temperature, a second Vicat softening temperature and a second glass transition temperature. The first recyclable material and the second recyclable material being Thermoplastic Polyurethanes (TPU) and the process apparatus 7 being in a situation of environmental temperature 25° C. and atmospheric pressure 1 atm is illustrated as an example. The first melting temperature, the first Vicat softening temperature, the first glass transition temperature, the second melting temperature, the second Vicat softening temperature and the second glass transition temperature is exemplified in the Table II.
TABLE II
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Frst melting temperature
68° C.~195° C.
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First Vicat softening temperature
63° C.~148° C.
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First glass transition temperature
−45° C.~−15° C.
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Second melting temperature
65° C.~190° C.
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Second Vicat softening temperature
59° C.~142° C.
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Second glass transition temperature
−46° C.~−14° C.
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|
Please refer to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 7, when the first recycled granules 1′ made of the first recyclable material having properties exemplified in Table II, such as a TPU, and the second recycled granules 2′ made of the second recyclable material having properties exemplified in Table II, such as another TPU, are applied by the process parameter exemplified in Table I in the chamber of the process apparatus 7, surfaces of the first recycled granules 1′ start to melt/soften, thereby forming the melted/softened first recycled granules 1′, and surfaces of the second recycled granules 2′ start to melt/soften, thereby forming the melted/softened second recycled granules 2′, as shown on the left of FIG. 7. Each of the melted/softened first recycled granules 1′ starts to have an unmelted/non-softened first core portion 1′″ and a first surface layer 10 covering the unmelted/non-softened first core portion 1′″. Each of the melted/softened second recycled granules 2′ starts to have an unmelted/non-softened second core portion 2′″ and a second surface layer 20 covering the unmelted/non-softened second core portion 2′″. In the meanwhile, the first surface layers 10 of the adjacent first recycled granules 1′ would be fusingly connected to one another, the second surface layers 20 of the adjacent second recycled granules 2′ would be fusingly connected to one another, and the first surface layer 10 of the first recycled granule 1′ would be fusingly connected to the second surface layer 20 of the adjacent second recycled granule 2′, as shown on the right of FIG. 7.
In such a manner, in this embodiment as shown in FIG. 8, when the process parameter is unloaded and the sheet structure 1000 is taken out of the adhesive holding member 6 and the process apparatus 7, each of the first recycled granule portions 1 of the sheet structure 1000 includes the first surface layer 10 and the unmelted/non-softened first core portion 1′″, and each of the second recycled granule portions 2 of the sheet structure 1000 includes the second surface layer 20 and the unmelted/non-softened second core portion 2′″. It is noted that proportions of a surface layer and a core portion of each of granule portions can be varied by adjusting the process parameter. For example, increasing the maximum temperature within the process apparatus 7 to approach or exceed the melting temperature of the recyclable materials would increase the proportion of the surface layers, decrease the proportion of the core portions, and shorten the operating duration of the process apparatus 7.
As described in the aforesaid steps S100, S101, S102 and S103, the first surface layer 10 is formed by the first recyclable material through the process parameter, and the second surface layer 20 is formed by the second recyclable material through the process parameter. Accordingly, a size of each of the first recycled granule portions 1 is substantially identical to a size of each of the second recycled granule portions 2. In this embodiment, the first recycled granule portions 1 have the first color, and the second recycled granule portions 2 have the second color different from the first color. In general, the first surface layer 10 of one of the first recycled granule portions 1 of the sheet structure 1000 is fusingly connected to the first surface layer 10 of another one of the first recycled granule portions 1 and/or the second surface layer 20 of one of the second recycled granule portions 2 of the sheet structure 1000, and the second surface layer 20 of one of the second recycled granule portions 2 of the sheet structure 1000 is fusingly connected to the second surface layer 20 of another one of the second recycled granule portions 2 and/or the first surface layer 10 of one of the first recycled granule portions 1 of the sheet structure 1000.
It is noted that, in steps S100, S101, S102 and S103 of other varied embodiment, the second recyclable material may be a material with a second melting temperature much lower than a first melting temperature of the first recyclable material. For example, the first recyclable material may still be the TPU, while the second recyclable material is an Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA). As such, when step S103 is performed, all of the second recycled granules are completely melted and become a second recycled body portion which covers at least one portion of the first surface layer of each of the first recycled granule portions. On the other hand, in steps S102 and S103 of yet other varied embodiment, the second recycled granules may be replaced by granules of hot melt glue. As such, when step S103 is performed, all of the granules of hot melt glue are completely melted and become an adhesive body portion which covers at least one portion of the first surface layer of each of the first recycled granule portions.
Please refer to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. FIG. 9 is a schematic partial sectional diagram of a sheet structure 1000′ according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a schematic top view of part of the sheet structure 1000′ according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. A major difference between the sheet structure 1000′ and the aforesaid sheet structure 1000 is that the sheet structure 1000′ further includes a panel portion 8. In this embodiment, the panel portion 8 has a pattern layer 80. The sheet structure 1000′ further includes an upper surface S1 and a lower surface S2 opposite to the upper surface S1, wherein the upper surface S1 and the lower surface S2 can be determined by the distance relative to a viewer. The upper surface S1 is closer to the viewer than the lower surface S2. The panel portion 8 is disposed on at least one of the upper surface S1 and the lower surface S2. In this embodiment, the panel portion 8 is disposed on the lower surface S2 and the pattern layer 80 is disposed on a side of the panel portion 8 and faces the lower surface S2. In other varied embodiment, the pattern layer 80 can be disposed on a side of the panel portion 8 and opposite to the lower surface S2.
In addition, at least one of the first recycled granule portions 1 and the second recycled granule portions 2 of the sheet structure 1000′ can be made of transparent material, translucent material or opaque material. In this embodiment, materials of the second recycled granule portions 2 can be transparent thermoplastic polyurethanes, and materials of the first recycled granule portions 1 can be colored opaque thermoplastic polyurethanes. Accordingly, the patterns, the graphics, the colors, etc., of the pattern layer 80 of the panel portion 8 disposed on the lower surface S2 of the sheet structure 1000′ can be exposed to the viewer through the second recycled granule portions 2, so that the special visual design on the pattern layer 80 can be seen by the viewer.
Please refer to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a schematic top view of part of a sheet structure 1000″ according to a yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. The major difference between the sheet structure 1000″ and the aforesaid sheet structure 1000 is that the sheet structure 1000″ further includes a panel portion 8′. The sheet structure 1000″ further includes an upper surface S1 and a lower surface S2 opposite to the upper surface S1, wherein the panel portion 8′ is disposed on at least one of the upper surface S1 and the lower surface S2. In this embodiment, a material of the panel portion 8′ is different from a material of the plurality of first recycled granule portions 1, and the material of the panel portion 8′ is also different from a material of the plurality of second recycled granule portions 2. For example, the material of the panel portion 8′ can be net, woven fabric, non-woven fabric, heat-resistant cloth, animal leather, artificial leather and so on. In this embodiment, the panel portion 8′ is attached to the lower surface S2 of the sheet structure 1000″.
Please refer to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a schematic partial sectional diagram of a sheet structure 2000 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. A major difference between the sheet structure 2000 and the aforesaid sheet structure 1000 is that the sheet structure 2000 further includes a plurality of third recycled granule portions 9. Each of the third recycled granule portions 9 includes a third surface layer 90. The third surface layer 90 of one of the third recycled granule portions 9 is fusingly connected to at least one of the third surface layer 90 of another one of the third recycled granule portions 9, the first surface layer 10 of one of the first recycled granule portions 1 and the second surface layer 20 of one of the second recycled granule portions 2, as shown in FIG. 12. In this embodiment, the third recycled granule portions 9 can originate from a third recycled member, wherein a material of the third recycled member is a third recyclable material. Similarly, the third surface layer 90 is formed by the third recyclable material through another process parameter. In this embodiment, each of the third recycled granule portions 9 has a third color which is different from the first color and the second color.
Please refer to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a schematic partial sectional diagram of a sheet structure 3000 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. A major difference between the sheet structure 3000 and the aforesaid sheet structure 2000 is that the sheet structure 3000 includes two sheet structures which are similar to the sheet structure 2000, and one of these two sheet structures is stacked up with the other one of these two sheet structures. Similarly, the third surface layer 90 of one of the third recycled granule portions 9 is fusingly connected to at least one of the third surface layer 90 of another one of the third recycled granule portions 9, the first surface layer 10 of one of the first recycled granule portions 1 and the second surface layer 20 of one of the second recycled granule portions 2. As a result, a thickness of the sheet structure 3000 is substantially twice a thickness of the sheet structure 2000 for satisfying different demands. It is noted that the sheet structure 3000 may be manufactured through steps S100, S101, S102 and S103, as shown in FIG. 2, with twice amount of the first recycled granules, twice amount of the second recycled granules and twice amount of the third recycled granules. Or, alternatively, the sheet structure 3000 may be manufactured through fusingly connecting two sheet structures which are similar to the sheet structure 2000.
Compared to prior art, the sheet structure of the present disclosure includes at least one kind of recycled granule portions. As illustrated in the first embodiment, the sheet structure includes the first recycled granule portions and the second recycled granule portions. As illustrated in the second embodiment, the sheet structure includes the first recycle granule portions, the second recycled granule portions and the third recycled granule portions. As a result, the recycled granule portions obtained from recycled plastic products could keep the continuous reuse of plastic materials, thereby creating different commodity values and reblooming a new commercial market to drive the sustainable use of materials.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Patent Application
20220118736
