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(11) | EP 1 688 229 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Method of producing panels of wood or similar |
| (57) A method of producing components (2) of wood or similar, whereby each component (2)
is obtained from a panel (25) formed by fixing at least three parallel strips (15a,
15b) to a first sheet (5) of wood; inserting a honeycomb structure (20) inside each
clear portion (18) defined on the first sheet (5) by the three strips (15a, 15b);
and fixing a second sheet (24) of wood to the strips (15a, 15b); the panel (25) being
cut along a longitudinal plane of symmetry of the strip (15a) located at an intermediate
portion (13) of the first sheet (5), to form at least two components (2).
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[0002] In wood component manufacturing, a machine is known comprising a conveying device for feeding along a given path a first sheet of wood or similar, which is substantially rectangular and bounded laterally by a peripheral edge comprising two substantially parallel longitudinal portions, and two substantially parallel transverse portions perpendicular to the longitudinal portions.
[0003] The path extends through a first gluing station for attaching a first pair of strips of wood or similar along the longitudinal portions, and a second pair of strips of wood or similar along the transverse portions; a filling station for inserting a honeycomb structure inside the clear portion defined by the strips on the first sheet; and a second gluing station for attaching to the strips a second sheet of wood or similar, substantially identical to the first sheet, to complete the component.
[0004] Known machines of the above type for producing components of wood or similar have several drawbacks, mainly due to the fairly poor flexibility of the machines, which must be set up each time according to the format of the components for manufacture.
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of producing components of wood or similar, designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks.
[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided a method of producing components of wood or similar, as claimed in the accompanying Claims.
[0007] The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a schematic view in perspective of a non-limiting embodiment.
[0008] Number 1 in the accompanying drawing indicates as a whole a machine for producing components 2 of wood or similar, and comprising a known conveying device 3 extending along a given path P and in a given direction 4.
[0009] Device 3 feeds along path P a substantially flat supporting sheet 5, which, in the example shown, is substantially rectangular and made of materials derived from wood, such as so-called MDF (Medium Density Foam) or HDF (High Density Foam) materials.
[0010] Sheet 5 has a top major face 6 bounded laterally by a peripheral edge 7 comprising two longitudinal portions 8 substantially parallel to direction 4, and two transverse portions 9 parallel to each other and to a direction 10 crosswise to direction 4.
[0011] Device 3 feeds sheet 5 through a first gluing station 11 having a number of nozzles 12 aligned in direction 10 and for applying a given amount of glue firstly to the leading portion 9 in direction 4, then to portions 8 and an intermediate portion 13 of sheet 5 substantially parallel to portions 8, and finally to the trailing portion 9 in direction 4.
[0012] From station 11, sheet 5 is fed through a first feed station 14 where respective longitudinal strips 15 of wood or similar are glued to portions 8 and portion 13; which strips 15 are substantially parallelepiped-shaped with a substantially rectangular cross section, are parallel to one another and to direction 4, and, in the example shown, are of a length, measured parallel to direction 4, substantially equal to the length of sheet 5, also measured parallel to direction 4.
[0013] In this connection, it should be pointed out that the strip 15 (hereinafter indicated 15a) glued to portion 13 is substantially twice the width, measured parallel to direction 10, of each of the strips 15 (hereinafter indicated 15b) glued to portions 8.
[0014] Sheet 5 and strips 15a, 15b are then fed through a second feed station 16 where respective transverse strips 17 of wood or similar are glued to portions 9 and between strips 15a, 15b; which strips 17 are substantially parallelepiped-shaped with a substantially rectangular cross section, and, together with strips 15a, 15b, define two clear portions 18 of sheet 5.
[0015] From station 16, sheet 5 and strips 15a, 15b and 17 are fed through a filling station 19 where a respective honeycomb filling structure 20, made, for example, of cardboard, is inserted inside each clear portion 18.
[0016] At this point, the whole defined by sheet 5, by strips 15a, 15b, 17, and by filling structure 20, is fed along path P through a second gluing station 21 having a number of nozzles 22 aligned in direction 10 and for applying glue to strips 15a, 15b, 17, and then through a finishing station 23 where a supporting sheet 24, of substantially the same shape, size and material as sheet 5, is glued to strips 15a, 15b, 17 to complete a panel 25.
[0017] Finally, the newly formed panel 25 is fed through a cutting station 26 having a cutting blade 27 for cutting panel 25 parallel to direction 4 and along a longitudinal plane of symmetry of strip 15a to form, in the example shown, two components 2 from panel 25.
[0018] Obviously, in variations not shown:
the number of strips 15a is other than one;
panel 25 is formed by gluing further strips 17 to intermediate portions of sheet 5 and between adjacent strips 15, and is therefore also cut in direction 10 and along a longitudinal plane of symmetry of each of strips 17 glued to the intermediate portions of sheet 5;
the shape of sheet 5, and therefore of lateral edge 7, differs from that shown in the accompanying drawing; and
the shape, size, and arrangement of strips 15 and 17 differ from those shown in the accompanying drawing.
fixing a first strip (15b) of wood or similar to each longitudinal portion (8) of said first sheet (5);
and being characterized by also comprising the steps of:
fixing at least one second strip (15a) to said first sheet (5), the second strip (15a) being located between and parallel to said first strips (15b) and at an intermediate portion (13) of said first sheet (5), so as to define at least two clear portions (18) of the first sheet (5);
inserting a honeycomb structure (20) inside each said clear portion (18);
fixing to said first and second strips (15b, 15a) a second sheet (24) of wood or similar, of substantially the same shape as said first sheet (5), to form a panel (25) of wood or similar; and
cutting the panel (25) along a longitudinal plane of symmetry of each said second strip (15a) to obtain at least two said components (2).
fixing at least one third strip (17) to each transverse portion (9) of said first sheet (5), said first, second, and third strips (15b, 15a, 17) combining to define said clear portions (18);
inserting a said honeycomb structure (20) inside each clear portion (18); and
fixing the second sheet (24) to said first, second, and third strips (15b, 15a, 17) to form said panel (25).
fixing at least one fourth strip to said first sheet (5), the fourth strip being located between and parallel to said third strips (17) at a further intermediate portion of said first sheet (5), and said first, second, third, and fourth strips (15b, 15a, 17) combining to define said clear portions (18);
inserting a said honeycomb structure (20) inside each clear portion (18); and
fixing said second sheet (24) to said first, second, third, and fourth strips (15b, 15a, 17) to form said panel (25).
cutting the panel (25) along a longitudinal plane of symmetry of each said fourth strip to obtain a number of said components (2).