Pressure-Formed Foil Coating for Open Cell Product Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Products with a partly open cell structure are prone to water contamination, difficult to clean, and vulnerable to damage due to their porous and relatively soft surfaces, and existing coating methods do not provide sufficient resistance to external influences.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus involving a suspension of starch that is gelatinized and baked to form a network with cross-linked natural polymers, where a foil or laminate is pressure-formed over the product's wall part with a partly open cell structure, preferably pressed into intercellular spaces for enhanced adhesion and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a liquid coating is applied to the surface of products with open cell structure, then the coating process is simple, but the coating is relatively thin and not sufficiently resistant to external influences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a foil or laminate (flexible shell/film) over the product surface, which is then pressure-formed to conform to the contours. This provides a more substantial protective layer compared to liquid coatings, while maintaining flexibility to accommodate the product's shape and open cell structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution combines the product's open cell structure with a foil or laminate material to create a composite construction. This composite approach leverages the benefits of both materials: the product's inherent properties and the foil's protective characteristics, achieving enhanced resistance while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the surface of products with open cell structure is left uncoated, then the structure remains porous and breathable, but the surface is susceptible to water contamination and difficult to clean
Solution Approach 1:
A foil or laminate is applied as a protective shell over the porous surface. This film acts as a barrier to water and contaminants while being applied in a way that preserves the underlying structure's integrity, potentially maintaining breathability where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The foil or laminate serves as an intermediary layer between the porous product surface and the external environment. This intermediate layer protects the surface from direct contact with water and contaminants, making cleaning easier while allowing the product to retain its porous characteristics.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the surface of products with open cell structure is left uncoated, then the material remains soft and flexible, but the surface is vulnerable to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure where the flexible product core is combined with a more damage-resistant foil or laminate layer. This composite construction maintains the overall flexibility of the product while providing enhanced surface protection against damage.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible foil or laminate is applied as a protective shell that conforms to the product's shape. This shell provides enhanced durability and damage resistance while maintaining the flexibility needed for the product's function, creating a balanced protective system.
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 provides a durable, fluid-tight, and flexible coating that is resistant to scratches and suitable for food-grade applications, while being biodegradable and compostable, effectively addressing the vulnerabilities of products with open cell structures.
Implementation Method 1
a suspension of at least a natural polymer such as starch in a fluid, such as water, is gelatinized and then baked in a mould at a temperature sufficient to form a network of said natural polymers
Implementation Method 2
heated such that the starch is at least gelatinized such that cross linking of at least natural polymers in the material is obtained
Implementation Method 3
a blowing agent is used for forming a partly open celled structure by said network
Implementation Method 4
The blowing agent can for example be water in which the natural polymer is suspended
Implementation Method 5
A foil or foil laminate is pressure formed over at least a part of at least one side of said wall
Implementation Method 6
The pressure forming unit comprises a suction device for sucking air through and/or along said part of the wall having said cell structure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~3
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AI summary
Method for coating a product (1) having a wall (2) formed by at least a portion having at least partly a cell structure, preferably at least partly an open cell structure (5), wherein a foil or foil laminate is pressure formed over at least a part of at least one side of said wall, said foil or at least one layer of said laminate forming a coating (3) of said part of the wall