Industrial Origami, Inc.

Philip M Arnold

Max W Durney

Rick A Holman

A sheet of material () formed for control bending along a bend line () while maintaining a continuous web of material () across the bend line (). The sheet has at least one groove () formed therein with a central groove portion () extending in the direction of and positioned proximate to a desired bend line (). The groove is formed with a continuous web of material () at a bottom of the groove () and has a configuration defining at least one bending strap () extending across the bending line () at the end of the groove with a centerline () of the bending strap () oriented obliquely across the bend line () so that a balancing of the forces during bending of the web along the central portion () of the grooves and bending of the oblique bending strap occur and control the location of bending of the sheet. A method of preparing a sheet of material () for bending while maintaining a continuous membrane () across the bend line () is also disclosed.

Sheet material with bend controlling grooves defining a continuous web across a bend line and method for forming the same

Method for forming sheet material with bend controlling grooves defining a continuous web across a bend line

A process of forming bend-controlling structures, such as slits, grooves or displacements (), in a sheet of material (). The bend-controlling structures () have central portions () extending substantially parallel to a desired bend line () on the sheet and end portions () which diverge away from the bend line (). In one embodiment the process includes the step of forming the bending straps () between pairs of slit end portions () at a desired spaced apart distances along the bend line () with the straps () having a desired configuration, and the step of forming central portions () which connect the end portions () to complete the slits () using a separate die set. A plurality of end portion dies () can be used to produce end portions () of various shapes and straps () of various widths, and a single set of central portion forming dies () are used to connect the end portions (). In other embodiments die sets producing a single end portion () or mirror image impressions (A,B) are used and preferably overlapped to produce the complete bend-controlling structure (). A modular die assembly () also is disclosed in which the bend-controlling structures can be produced by modular die inserts (--). Finally, a selection of die sets () of differing length from a group of die sets can be made to position the bending straps () at desired locations along the bend line.

Process of forming bend-controlling structures in a sheet of material, the resulting sheet and die sets therefor

A method of preparing a sheet of material for bending along a bend line comprising the step of forming of at least one displacement in the thickness direction of the sheet of material with a portion of the periphery of the displacement closest to the bend line providing an edge and opposed face configured in position to produce edge-to-face engagement of the sheet on opposite sides of the periphery during bending. The forming step is preferably accomplished using one of a stamping process, a punching process, a roll-forming process and an embossing process. A sheet of material suitable for bending using the process also is disclosed, as are the use of coatings, shin guards and displacing the area of the sheet between bending inducing slits.

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Philip M Arnold