The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 05, 1996
Filed:
Jan. 21, 1994
Curtis L Landi, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Susan L Wilson, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Supracor Systems, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A moldable panel having a predetermined shape for cushioning and protecting protrusions and areas including a flexible elastomeric thermoplastic honeycomb panel and a rigid thermoplastic plate. The honeycomb panel has a honeycomb core formed of undulated strips of resilient thermoplastic material, thermal compression bonded together to form cell walls defining a plurality of contiguous regularly shaped cells. The core has a first face formed by a first extremity of the cell walls and a second face formed by a second extremity of the cell walls. The core is maintained in its expanded configuration so that it can be used to anisotropically flex to stabilize and spread the load experienced by a user of the moldable panel. The core is bonded to a first surface of the rigid thermoplastic plate. The plate is heated to a first temperature which is sufficient to mold or form the plate into the desired shape, but insufficient to melt the bonds formed between the honeycomb panel and the plate, and the bonds between the strips of the honeycomb panel. The second face of the honeycomb panel is heated to a second temperature, lower than said first temperature, to relieve stresses built up in the panel as the plate is being molded.