The present invention relates to structural elements, in particular elongated load-bearing elements, comprising cardboard.
WO11067742 discloses a human-powered land vehicle sufficiently rigid so as to transport a human rider. The vehicle is constructed from pulpably recyclable and shreddably recyclable materials.
The present invention is based on the realization that appropriately formed cardboard may be shaped into elongated (e.g. rod-like or beam-like) structural elements that may be used in frames, such as, but not limited to, bicycle frames. In accordance with the invention, the cardboard so formed may be a cardboard sheet of the kind used in packaging or shipping, such as a cardboard sheet having an internal layer of a compressible cellular structure (e.g. formed to have a plurality of cells, for example, prismatic cells formed by intersecting cardboard strips, honeycombed-shaped cells, corrugated cardboard, corrugated fiberboard etc.) with an overall relatively low density that is sandwiched between two substantially planar layers. The sheet may be single-walled or multi-walled cardboard sheet and may be of the kind known in the art.
The term “corrugated cardboard” refers herein to a heavy-duty paper of various strengths, ranging from a simple arrangement of a single thick sheet of paper to complex configurations featuring multiple corrugated and uncorrugated layers.
The term “corrugated fiberboard” refers herein generally to a paper-based material consisting of a fluted corrugated sheet and one or two flat linerboards. Such material is widely used in the manufacture of corrugated boxes and shipping containers.
The invention provides, by a first of its aspects, a structural element comprising an elongated internal member and an elongated external member enclosing said internal member. The internal member has an external surface with a rounded circumference, e.g., circular circumference. The external member is made of cardboard and is shaped to have a mid-portion with rounded internal surface enveloping at least a portion of the internal member and in tight association (e.g. glued to) with the external surface of the internal member, defining, jointly with said internal member, a first, core-envelope sub-structure. The external surface of said core-envelope sub-structure may be rounded or may have other contours, particularly where the tight association of its internal surface to the external surface of said internal member is carried out in a mold where the outer contours will be shaped by the mold. The external member further has two flanking portions extending from and integral with the mid-portion facing and contacting one another to jointly define a second, layered sub-structure. These two integral sub-structures jointly impart a load-bearing or bend-resistance property to the structural element that is significantly larger than that of the internal member, e.g. is at least 2, 5, or even at least 10 folds larger than that of said internal member. In addition, due to non-uniformity of density or fine structure of the two-member structural element, the latter has significantly increased load-bearing or bend-resistance property as compared to a reference structural element having the same length and weight but having single-body configuration with uniformity of density and fine structure.
By some embodiments the external member is configured from a single sheet of cardboard, or from two or more, e.g. stacked cardboard sheets. The cardboard sheet may, by way of non-limited example, be single-walled or multi-walled corrugated cardboard sheet. The configuration may be such that the external member is a single cardboard sheet having portions that are deformed to closely follow the external surface contours of the internal member and are attached thereto and closely follow the external surface contours of the internal member, such portions with said internal member defining said first sub-structure that is integral with the second substructure that is defined by the two opposite flanking portions. Alternatively, the external member may be configured from two cardboards sheets deformed to jointly define opposite (e.g. symmetrical) parts of the external member; e.g. the two parts are mirror images of one another about a longitudinal plane of symmetry, each one defining half of said mid-portion and one, respective, flanking portion.
By a second of its aspects, the invention provides a method for manufacturing a structural element comprising (in the given sequence or in any other): providing (i) an elongated member having a rounded circumference, and (ii) a single- or multi-sheet generally planar cardboard structure having first and second opposite surfaces; forming the cardboard structure to have a mid-portion (namely a portion located somewhere between opposite edges of the structure) wrapped tightly around said elongated member and bringing the first surface of said portion to be in close association with external surface of the elongated member to thereby define a first, core-envelope sub-structure. The flanking portions, namely the portions flanking the mid portion and extend from it towards said opposite edges, define a second, layered sub-structure integral therewith. Typically, the opposite faces of the flanking portions are fixed one to the other. At times also the mid-portion may be fixed to the external surface of the elongated member. The elongated member defines an internal member in the finished element.
By some embodiments, the structural element is configured to have a longitudinal plane of symmetry passing between the two flanking portions. The flanking portions in such embodiments may be fixed to one another at their first faces. By some embodiments the structural element has a different thickness at different portions thereof. Typically where said external member is made of a deformed single-piece cardboard sheet, the sheet has in its original, non-deformed state a given thickness T and after deforming, said rounded portion has at its apex thickness T′, smaller than T, and gradually increasing towards said flanking portions that typically have a thickness T.
In particular, during the folding of the cardboard sheet about the elongated member, the cardboard sheet becomes mechanically pressed against the elongated member, thereby partially compressing the internal layer and providing the cardboard sheet with a smaller thickness T′ at the rounded portion. This compression of the internal layer likely serves to facilitate a more mechanically robust structure of the structural element.
By some embodiments, the thickness of the layered sub-structure (e.g. a thickness of 2×T) is about the same as the diameter of the core-envelope sub-structure.
By other embodiments, the specific weight of the cardboard structure per unit of surface area within its rounded portion of the core-envelope sub-structure is greater than that of said flanking portions. This may typically be the result of a deformation-induced strain or compression (that may lead to compacting) of the cardboard sheet's interior within the central portion.
By some embodiments, the internal member is made of wood or cardboard.
The structural element may be capable of supporting a load in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis which is at least 10 times the weight of said element.
The structural element defines a body of a given geometry and dimension and may be capable of supporting a load that is at least 10 times greater than the maximum load that can be supported by a reference element being a single part body made of the same material as that of said internal member and having said given geometry and dimension.
By some embodiments the external member at its rounded portion comprises a single layer of cardboard; although by other embodiments the rounded portion may comprise two or more layers of cardboard.
By some embodiments the structural element may comprise one or more reinforcing pins fitted through one or both of the first and second sub-structures. Typically, the one or more pins are fitted through and across the second sub-structure.
By some embodiments the structural element comprises external coating(s), e.g. one or more of fire-resistant coating, liquid-resistant coating, scratch-resistant coating and other environmentally resistant coating(s).
The invention also provides, by another of its aspects, a device comprising one or more of the above structural elements. The device may be a frame for use, for example, in a wheeled vehicle, e.g. a bicycle.
In order to better understand the subject matter that is disclosed herein and to exemplify how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference is made to
Cross-sections of the structural element in accordance with two examples of the invention are shown schematically in
The external member 32 is made of cardboard, which may be single-, double-, or multi-walled corrugated cardboard/fiberboard structure. As can be seen, the external member 32 has in this exemplary embodiment a rounded mid-portion enveloping the internal member 30 and being in tight association with the external surface thereof, and defining, jointly with the internal member 30, the first, core-envelope sub-structure 22. The two flanking portions 34 extend from and are integral with the rounded portion. The flanking portions face and contact one another to jointly define a second, layered sub-structure 26.
In the example of
As further exemplified by the configuration of
As can be seen, the flanking portions are symmetrical to one another with respect to a longitudinal plane of symmetry which passes between opposite faces 36A and 36B of the flanking portions 34. The opposite faces 36A and 36B are typically fixed to one another, e.g. by gluing. Also, the opposite surfaces of the rounded portion 22 and the external surface of the member 30 may be appropriately fixed to one another, e.g. by gluing.
Reference is now being made to
Alternative configurations of the external member 32 are illustrated schematically in
In the configurations shown in
Reference is made now to
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/632,978 filed on Feb. 26, 2015, which is a continuation of PCT Patent Application No. PCT/IL2013/050821, filed on Oct. 13, 2013 which claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/787,229 filed Mar. 15, 2013 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/715,359 filed Oct. 18, 2012, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entireties by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2284333 | McGirl et al. | May 1942 | A |
2393776 | Horr | Jan 1946 | A |
2997266 | Munroe | Aug 1961 | A |
3492016 | O'Connor et al. | Jan 1970 | A |
3708101 | McDanield | Jan 1973 | A |
3734389 | Brown | May 1973 | A |
4003155 | Raskin | Jan 1977 | A |
4303020 | Houle | Dec 1981 | A |
4399915 | Sorenson | Aug 1983 | A |
4657795 | Foret | Apr 1987 | A |
4771893 | Liebel | Sep 1988 | A |
4790546 | Mendenhall | Dec 1988 | A |
5240267 | Owsen | Aug 1993 | A |
5318742 | You | Jun 1994 | A |
5397146 | Fischer | Mar 1995 | A |
5540485 | Enders | Jul 1996 | A |
5996510 | Harpman et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
6109638 | Colegrove | Aug 2000 | A |
6817621 | Varan | Nov 2004 | B2 |
7014046 | Niu et al. | Mar 2006 | B2 |
7137517 | Lowry et al. | Nov 2006 | B2 |
D537758 | Grepper | Mar 2007 | S |
D561649 | Latham | Feb 2008 | S |
D567149 | Grepper | Apr 2008 | S |
8191931 | Mulder | Jun 2012 | B1 |
8286974 | Chen et al. | Oct 2012 | B2 |
D671173 | Tompkin | Nov 2012 | S |
20030111383 | Qiu et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
20030197346 | Singenberger et al. | Oct 2003 | A1 |
20040119330 | Chuang | Jun 2004 | A1 |
20050008817 | Rodriguez et al. | Jan 2005 | A1 |
20060207481 | McCarthy | Sep 2006 | A1 |
20070262558 | Segato | Nov 2007 | A1 |
20090123770 | Melville | May 2009 | A1 |
20100148460 | Nelson et al. | Jun 2010 | A1 |
20110133427 | Bashan | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20120187650 | Chen et al. | Jul 2012 | A1 |
20130277934 | De Roeck | Oct 2013 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2541301 | Mar 2003 | CN |
1950247 | Apr 2007 | CN |
201080232 | Jul 2008 | CN |
103144828 | Jun 2013 | CN |
203739534 | Jul 2014 | CN |
202013000837 | Feb 2013 | DE |
1074812 | Jun 2011 | ES |
2080767 | Feb 1982 | GB |
S1316852 | Nov 1938 | JP |
60195769 | Dec 1985 | JP |
H05170264 | Jul 1993 | JP |
H8-91046 | Apr 1996 | JP |
H8-133340 | May 1996 | JP |
H10119965 | May 1998 | JP |
3058543 | Jun 1999 | JP |
H11210130 | Aug 1999 | JP |
H11-240533 | Sep 1999 | JP |
2000129599 | May 2000 | JP |
2001030377 | Feb 2001 | JP |
3102634 | Jul 2004 | JP |
2005512900 | May 2005 | JP |
3696756 | Sep 2005 | JP |
2009061603 | Mar 2009 | JP |
2013527066 | Jun 2013 | JP |
2011067742 | Jun 2011 | WO |
Entry |
---|
Viva Sarah Press; “Nimrod Elmish Interview—Cardboard wheelchair to roll out from Israel”; Israel 21c; Published: Oct. 28, 2012 (http://www.israel21c.org/cardboard-wheelchair-to-roll-out-from-israel/). |
(Video, two Internet addresses are provided) Design Hobby: “Ridable Cardboard Bicycle” (Izhar Gafni), 2012 (accessible at ‘http://www.shejipi.com/9665.html’, or ‘http://v.youku.com/v—show/id—XNDM2MzE0Mzlw.html’. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20150328856 A1 | Nov 2015 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61715359 | Oct 2012 | US | |
61787229 | Mar 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 14632978 | Feb 2015 | US |
Child | 14806429 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | PCT/IL2013/050821 | Oct 2013 | US |
Child | 14632978 | US |