Packaging Industries Group, Inc.

Jack P Erceg

John D Bambara

Tzong I Yeh

A hinge for joining surfaces of sheet material comprises a strip of film/foam laminate positioned with a foam layer across the surfaces to be joined. The foam layer is tackified by heating and pressure is applied to the strip, thus heat sealing the strip to the surfaces. The hinge strip is preferably polyethylene film laminated to polyethylene foam and the surfaces to be joined may be polyethylene foam or a film/foam laminate. The joined surfaces are not damaged or destroyed by the heat lamination. The foam layer of the hinge sealing strip is partially or substantially melted and the film upper layer of the heat sealing strip forms a permanent waterproof bond with the surfaces which it joins.

Plastic hinge, hinged material, and method for hinging

A tubing plank is fabricated from foamed tubular members positioned parallel to and adjacent each other, the members having substantially coplanar longitudinal axes, and each member secured to each adjacent member along adjacent sidewalls to form a planar member. A sheet member may be applied to at least one face of the tubing plank, each sheet member forming a contact area. In another embodiment, tubular members are positioned parallel to and spaced apart from each other, adhered to at least one sheet member. A second sheet member may be adhered to the opposite face of the tubes from first sheet.

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Marstons Mills, MA, United States of America

Jack P Erceg