Taxidermy Mannequin Surface Adhesion and Foam Blowing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional taxidermy mannequins have a slick or waxy external surface that prevents adequate adhesion of animal hides, requiring time-consuming roughening processes, and existing blowing agents for urethane foam are expensive, environmentally unfriendly, or flammable.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a mold with a mold release material, powder, and glue mixture is used to create a taxidermy mannequin with an external surface that includes a granular or fibrous material embedded in the glue mixture, allowing for improved adhesion without additional surface treatment, and using water as a blowing agent for environmental benefits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional urethane foam is used to make the taxidermy mannequin, then the mannequin has a hard external surface, but the surface is slick or waxy which prevents adequate adhesion of animal hides
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a mold release material to the internal surface of the mold before pouring the urethane foam. This creates a localized modification on the external surface of the mannequin that provides adhesion promotion without changing the overall hardness or structural properties of the foam itself. The mold release material forms a distinct layer with different surface characteristics than the foam bulk.
Solution Approach 2:
The external surface of the mannequin becomes a composite structure consisting of the urethane foam base material combined with a mold release material layer. This composite approach allows the foam to maintain its hard, lightweight structural properties while the mold release material provides the necessary adhesion characteristics for securing animal hides.
2Reliability
If the external surface is roughened to improve adhesion, then the animal hide can adhere better, but the process becomes time-consuming and adds complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The mold release material is applied to the mold internal surface before the urethane foam is poured in. This preliminary action ensures that the adhesion-promoting surface characteristics are already in place on the mannequin external surface before the animal hide needs to be attached, eliminating the need for subsequent roughening or surface preparation steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process itself creates the adhesion-ready surface through the mold release material application. The mannequin is produced with the proper surface characteristics as an inherent part of the manufacturing process, rather than requiring separate post-processing steps to prepare the surface for adhesion.
3Device complexity
If conventional blowing agents are used for urethane foam, then the foam expands properly, but the agents are expensive, environmentally unfriendly, or flammable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameter of the blowing agent from conventional options (such as CFCs, HCFCs, or flammable hydrocarbons) to water. This parameter change maintains the foam expansion function while eliminating the environmental and safety hazards associated with traditional blowing agents. Water provides a safe, non-flammable, and environmentally benign alternative that still achieves the necessary foaming action.
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 method produces a taxidermy mannequin with a hardened external surface that allows for direct adhesion of animal hides without additional surface preparation and uses an environmentally friendly, cost-effective blowing agent, enhancing the efficiency and quality of taxidermy mounts.
Implementation Method 1
filling at least a portion of the internal cavity of the mold with a liquid slurry containing an expanding urethane foam; allowing the expanding urethane foam to expand and harden within the internal cavity of the mold
Implementation Method 2
applying a layer of a glue mixture including at least one water-soluble glue on an exposed surface of the powder material and the mold release material layer; allowing the glue mixture to at least partially dry, such that the granular or fibrous material becomes adhered to the glue mixture
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a taxidermy mannequin includes providing a mold having an open end, a wall having an internal surface and an opposing external surface, and an internal cavity surrounded by the internal surface of the wall. The method further includes applying a layer of a mold release material to a portion of the internal surface, applying a powder material on an exposed surface of the mold release material, applying a layer of a glue mixture on an exposed surface of the powder material and the mold release material layer, applying a granular or fibrous material on an exposed surface of the glue mixture layer, allowing the glue mixture to at least partially dry, filling at least a portion of the internal cavity of the mold with a liquid expandable urethane foam, allowing the expandable urethane foam to expand and harden, and removing the taxidermy mannequin from the mold.