Waved Wood Assembly with Segmented Layers and Adhesive

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing waved wood assemblies lack versatility due to limitations in elasticity and height of waves, restricting their applications and performance.

Innovation Solution

A waved wood assembly is created by adhering wood sheet layers to a flexible support layer, which is then flexed and shaped using a reactivatable adhesive to achieve significant elasticity and maintain a pronounced waved shape, allowing the product to be used in various applications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If traditional waved wood assemblies are constructed with rigid wood layers, then structural strength is maintained, but elasticity and wave height are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidelasticity and wave height
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The wood assembly is segmented into multiple thin wood layers (e.g., three layers) separated by adhesive layers. This segmentation allows each layer to contribute to both structural integrity and flexibility, enabling the assembly to achieve both strength and elasticity simultaneously. The thin layers can bend more easily while maintaining overall structural coherence through the adhesive bonds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite structure by combining multiple wood layers with adhesive layers in an alternating pattern. This composite construction integrates the strength of wood with the flexibility provided by the adhesive layers, resulting in an assembly that exhibits both high structural strength and significant elasticity, resolving the contradiction between these two properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If wood layers are adhered rigidly without flexing, then shape stability is achieved, but transverse elasticity is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshape stabilityVSAvoidtransverse elasticity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The adhesive layers are designed to exhibit dynamic properties - remaining flexible during the forming process to allow the assembly to be bent and shaped, then providing stable bonding once the desired shape is achieved. This dynamic behavior enables the assembly to transition from a flexible state during manufacturing to a stable state in final application, resolving the contradiction between shape stability and transverse elasticity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Shape

If wave height is increased for greater accentuation, then visual impact is improved, but structural integrity may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewave accentuationVSAvoidstructural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The invention addresses wave accentuation by controlling the geometry and dimensions of multiple thin layers rather than relying on thick material. By stacking several thin wood layers with adhesive in between, the assembly achieves pronounced wave shapes through cumulative layer displacement, maintaining structural integrity distributed across multiple layers rather than requiring excessive thickness in a single layer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 resulting waved wood product exhibits substantial transverse elasticity, enabling it to maintain its shape and be used in diverse applications, including structural panels and flexible configurations, with enhanced structural resistance and versatility.

Implementation Method 1

assembling a flexible support sheet and a first wood sheet with an adhesive therebetween into a flat, stacked assembly

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesive bonding: Adhesive

Implementation Method 2

shaping the stacked assembly into a waved shape in the direction transverse to the wood grain orientation... The wood sheet and support layer assembly is then flexed, such as with a machine called a flexer, to stretch the wood fibres apart from each other, transversely to the wood grain orientation, thereby rendering the assembly flexible transversally to the wood grain orientation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 3

The elasticity of the structure from a given, 'memorized' waved shape, can result from the fabrication process in which the wood sheet layer or layers can first be adhered to the flexible support layer with an adhesive which can be later reactivated, such as by heat application of a heat-activated adhesive, for instance

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal activation: Heating

Data Source

PatentEP2370253B1Waved wood assembly and method of making same
Publication Date: 2020.10.14 CORRUVEN CANADA
  • EP2370253B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2370253B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2370253B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The waved wood assembly can have a flexible support layer onto the face(s) of which one or more wood sheet layer(s) are adhered by an adhesive. The waved wood product can maintain its waved shape when freestanding. It can exhibit significant elasticity characteristics. It can have very accentuated waves, i.e. waves that span a greater thickness for a given number of waves per unit of dimension.