Low Melt Plastic Fastener for Plywood Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plastic fasteners made from materials like nylon, polypropylene, or polyurethane do not melt until exposed to temperatures greater than 210°C, limiting their application in processes requiring lower temperature melting, and they are complex and costly to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A plastic fastener comprising a flexible filament with a first enlargement at one end, made from a low melt polyurethane and styrene acrylonitrile blend that melts at temperatures between 130°C to 180°C for approximately 10 minutes, allowing for easy severing and use in various applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional plastic fasteners are made from materials like nylon, polypropylene, or polyurethane, then they maintain structural integrity and durability, but they do not melt until exposed to temperatures greater than 210°C, limiting their application in processes requiring lower temperature melting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the melting temperature parameter of the plastic fastener material from conventional >210°C to a lower range of 130°C to 180°C. This parameter modification enables the fastener to melt at lower temperatures, making it adaptable to processes that previously required higher temperature conditions, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining structural integrity and expanding application range.
2Strength
If conventional plastic fasteners are manufactured using traditional methods, then they achieve required structural strength, but the manufacturing process is complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fastener into distinct functional components: a body portion and a separate filament portion. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using simpler processes, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining the required structural strength through the interlocking design of the segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining a plastic body portion with a filament portion made from melted plastic material. This composite construction enables the fastener to achieve required structural strength while allowing for simplified manufacturing processes, as the filament can be easily attached to the body through melting and bonding rather than complex assembly operations.
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 low melt fastener stock can be easily separated and reused in applications like plywood manufacturing, reducing labor and time in wood layer separation and handling, while maintaining structural integrity and reducing sticking and jamming issues in manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
the flexible filament melts when heated to a temperature of about 130° C. to 180° C. for approximately 10 minutes
Data Source
AI summary
A low-melt plastic fastener. According to one embodiment, the low-melt plastic fastener is shaped to include a flexible filament having a first cross-bar at a first end, and a second cross-bar at a second end. The filament, the first cross-bar, and the second cross-bar may be formed from the same material and may be molded as a unitary structure. Preferably, the fastener is molded as part of a length of continuously connected ladder stock. The plastic fastener is preferably made from a formulation consisting of about 60-99%, by weight, of a low-melt polyurethane and 1-40%, by weight, of a styrene acrylonitrile. The formulation is selected so that the filament melts when heated for about 10 minutes at 130-180° C.