Extruded Board with Differential Void Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to produce extruded plastic boards that realistically mimic the three-dimensional appearance of natural wood, often resulting in products that look more like plastic and are not easily recyclable.
Innovation Solution
A method involving mixing a resin with a foaming agent, differentially expanding voids through a breaker plate, and forming lightened portions on the board's surface to create a uniformly colored extrudate with varying void spaces, mimicking the appearance of wood grain without the need for streaker pellets, and allowing for easy recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wood is mixed with resin to extrude artificial board, then the board can be manufactured as a non-wood product, but the resulting product looks more like plastic board than wood board
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates voids of varying sizes throughout the extruded board, creating a porous structure that mimics the natural grain patterns and three-dimensional appearance of wood. These voids are distributed non-uniformly to replicate the random nature of wood grain, allowing the plastic board to achieve a realistic wood-like appearance while maintaining ease of manufacture through extrusion processes.
2Ease of operation
If board is embossed with grain-like pattern, then the board gains grain-like feel and superficial three dimensional look, but fails to achieve true three dimensional look of wood grain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates local variations in the board structure by incorporating voids of different sizes at different locations. This local differentiation in void distribution and size replicates the natural variability of wood grain patterns, providing both tactile feedback and authentic three-dimensional visual appearance that embossing alone cannot achieve.
3Shape
If colored streakers are introduced into transparent matrix to provide depth, then streaks provide three dimensional look when viewed from afar, but the process adds complexity by forming streak layer over core material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the creation of depth effects and grain patterns into a single extrusion process. By incorporating voids of varying sizes throughout the board material during extrusion, the invention simultaneously achieves three-dimensional depth appearance and grain pattern formation, eliminating the need for separate streak layer formation over core material and simplifying the manufacturing process.
4Shape
If multiple layers with different grain patterns are extruded to mimic wood appearance, then the board achieves realistic look, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the grain pattern creation into distinct void size categories (first void spaces, second void spaces, third void spaces) that are distributed throughout the board. This segmentation allows different grain pattern characteristics to be created within a single extrusion process, achieving realistic wood appearance without the complexity of multiple layered extrusions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves a realistic, aesthetically pleasing three-dimensional wood-like appearance with enhanced recyclability, as the board exhibits shifting color depths and textures similar to natural wood, while being manufactured with minimal modification to existing devices.
Implementation Method 1
mixing a resin and a foaming agent, melting the mixed resin and foaming agent to form a uniformly colored extrudate, differentially expanding voids formed from the foaming agent
Implementation Method 2
differentially expanding voids formed from the foaming agent within the uniformly colored extrudate by passing the uniformly colored extrudate through a breaker plate
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method of forming an extruded board includes mixing a resin and a foaming agent, melting the mixed resin and foaming agent to form a uniformly colored extrudate, differentially expanding voids formed from the foaming agent within the uniformly colored extrudate by passing the uniformly colored extrudate through a breaker plate, forming a board with the differentially expanded voids and uniformly colored extrudate, and forming lightened portions on an outermost surface of the formed board.