ES2258367A1 - Environmentally-friendly method of reducing the volume of blocks of porous elastic material, and packer for the storage and transport thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an environmentally-friendly method of reducing the volume of blocks of porous elastic material, and to a packer for the storage and transport thereof. According to the invention, the side faces of each block are pierced with spike rollers. Subsequently, the block is introduced into a low-air-permeable sheath of flexible material and is repeatedly compressed and decompressed in order to extract the toxic gases resulting from the production process. Finally, the sheath is sealed such that the block remains compressed. Gases other than air can be used during the toxic gas elimination process, such as inert gases with fire-retardant properties or other gases with other properties. The invention also relates to the combined packaging of groups of blocks. The block-compression and -decompression device is provided with a parallelepiped configuration and is moved by a push element. Moreover, said device is equipped with dispensing nozzles on the side faces thereof, a flat base and a sealing assembly comprising four opposing sliding straight elements which are disposed parallel to the side faces of the block.

Description

Ecological procedure for the reduction of volume of blocks of porous elastic material and joint packing for storage and transport.

Object of the invention

The present specification refers to a application for an Invention Patent, corresponding to a ecological procedure for the reduction of the volume of blocks of porous elastic material and joint packing for storage and transport, whose obvious purpose is to be configured as a packing procedure with reduction of the volume of said materials once manufactured, allowing to reduce shape substantial final storage and transportation costs and at the same time  eliminate all the remains of harmful gases that during the Manufacturing process of such materials are generated.

At the same time, the invention presents the characteristic arising from the decrease in fire risk, due to the expulsion of air and production vapors not desired, contained in the silk wrapper and in particular in the pores of the material used.

The invention contemplates two important facts arising from the fact that a break occurs in compression of the closed cells that contain part of the harmful gases created during the production process. On the one hand, this breakage of the closed cells cause the enclosed gases to be free and on the other, that said gases, not only contained in the cells closed by the compression process to which the block of Porous material, be expelled outside.

Once the compression has occurred and the gases are expelled, while the block is subjected to a decompression, the vacuum produced can be partially replaced or filled with fluids of specific effects or properties, such and as it can be of simple ecological cleaning to be filled with air  clean, or improved fire resistance properties, or filled with some bactericidal agent, or simply filled with odorous gases or other applications.

Field of the Invention

This invention has its application within the industry dedicated to the manufacture of blocks of elastic material porous, where they are stored and from where they are transported to distribution centers or end users.

It can also have application within the auxiliary machinery manufacturing industry for the sector manufacture of porous materials.

Background of the invention

The existence and industrial use of porous elastic materials, such as foam of polyurethane, usually of high air permeability by have a high percentage of open pores, presents a series of important limitations during storage processes and their subsequent transport

Due to the low relationship between the mass and volume of these materials, which can be calculated as it has a density of the order of 20 Kg / m 3 and even lower, an obvious problem appears due to the large amount of space that is required for transport and storage.

In relation to transport, it should be indicated that a relatively small amount by weight, means a large volume, substantially increasing transport and by consequently the final cost of the product.

As an example, it can be indicated that the transport at a distance of 100 km for a material of characteristics similar to that described, may mean an increase of the final cost of approximately 10%.

This means that possibly profitability of the product approaches zero when the distance to be covered from the manufacturing point to the destination is more than 200 km.

Regarding storage, it should be noted that for the same reason cited above, the need for large ships to store a material reduced in weight and yet with a large volume, also increases the final product, at the same time that it creates inside the There is a real risk of fire, which is difficult to control precisely because of the volumes involved and because they are usually high-level products and fuel risks.
tion

The invention we recommend resolves these very important problems, since it achieves reductions of 80% on the initial volume, as we will see later.

Another of the big problems that arise from these products is the one related to the harmful gases that are generated during their manufacture and they are locked in the cells Product closed. This problem is generated especially in polyurethane foams where harmful gases are retained inside the cells (both open and closed) of the material freshly made

There are many studies that affect the negative effects on human health that result from the release of gases resulting from manufacturing processes of this type of materials, especially isocyanates.

Of all these studies we can highlight the following:

\ vardiamondsuit

Those made by Hakan Tinnerberg for the LUND UNIVERSITY. "Isocyanates-assessment of human exposure ".

\ vardiamondsuit

Likewise those of Kennedy TO THE. and Brown W.E. "Isocyanates and lung disease "(1992); those of Warwick C.J. (1981) or the old ones of Andersen K. and Gudehn A., who in their comparative study in the MDI generation in polyurethane production in 1983 since warned of the very negative effects caused by these gases enclosed in closed polyurethane cells generated during its production.

They all agree that a high concentration of these gases are generally associated with respiratory problems, and let's also consider for quantify the magnitude of the problem, which currently the PUR'S manufacturing (mainly polyurethane foam, although also to a lesser extent TDI.) is 2 million tons / year

Well, the invention also advocated solve this important problem, without solving until the day of today, by almost completely reducing user exposure to these vapors, since due to the compression to which the block, the closed cells are broken first, proceeding then by effect of the same compression upon expulsion at outside of all these harmful gases.

This process, from the ecological point of view It is of great importance, both for the end user and for all the chain of manipulation, storage and transport.

But the procedure can be even more beneficial for both human health and the environment, since once these vapors have been removed from the block, you can not only introduce clean air in a double process of compression-decompression, but you can also introduce any other type of light gas properties specific, such as a bactericidal compound, a compound flavoring, etc., or even a gas with inert elements in suspension that may have flame retardant effects.

As it is an important problem for the sector, it has been tried for many years to solve it.

There are many treaties and patents that they have tried to solve the problem, without any of them achieved significant or complete results and spectacular as those recommended in the present patent of  invention.

The same inventor has already filed a patent in the 2000, WO 02/26562 entitled "Volumetric reduction method of porous materials "which was a first approach to problem and is the closest history to the present invention.

And as a more remote background one can Refer to the following patents.

\ vardiamondsuit

European Patent, EP 275 473, relating to "Method and apparatus for packaging a number of packages consisting of a within certain limits elastic insulation material ", with priority DK 1986.0006216, dated 22.12.1986.

\ vardiamondsuit

US Patent US 4016707 concerning "Method of vacuum packaging compressible materials and apparatus. "

\ vardiamondsuit

Japanese Patent, JP 19910101331U dated 14.11.1991, relating to "Self-sealing compression packaging bag and compression packaging bag kit ".

\ vardiamondsuit

Patent in Taiwan, TW 19980207118U dated 08.05.1998, relating to "Sealing clip for vacuum compression storage bag ".

\ vardiamondsuit

Japanese Patent, JP 20010055050 dated 28.02.2000, relating to "Vacuum-compression-packaging method for compressible object ".

\ vardiamondsuit

Japanese Patent, JP 20000391127 dated 22.12.2000, relating to "Compression storage bag ".

\ vardiamondsuit

Chinese patent, CN 20020113901 dated 01.01.2002, relating to "Method for packaging sponge cushions with vacuum compression package ".

We are therefore faced with a very important invention which solves all the problems raised and not resolved until now.

Description of the invention

The ecological procedure for the reduction of volume of blocks of porous elastic material and joint packing for storage and transport that the invention proposes, contemplates in context the volume reduction, the elimination of gases Noxious manufacturing, obtaining an ecologically more block clean and the possibilities of storage and transport more economic, which translates not only into purely savings economic, but also in lower material consumption pollutants generated during transport.

To this we can add that the blocks of reference can also by this procedure result with some specific new features, such as a coefficient of very high fire resistance, which results in safety in the handling and transportation.

The invention is also capable of increase the scope of commercial exploitation of the product transported, since the reduction in volume implies a lower cost per kilometer traveled.

More specifically, the procedure ecological for the reduction of the volume of blocks of material porous elastic and joint packing for storage and transport object of the invention, is constituted from a wrap made of plastic film or film flexible and low air permeability than at the beginning of the process Compression fully adapts to the block by means of pressure of compressed air and allows once all gases have gone out harmful and / or introduced new gases, proceed to its closure airtight, so that the low volume is maintained.

At the same time, the invention is capable of eliminating the harmful gases stored during manufacturing, by means of compression until the rupture of the closed cells, as well as the air contained in the wrap made of film or film of flexible plastic material, allowing the incorporation, in substitution thereof, of fluids having particular properties on the open cells of the subsequent decompressed product-
mind.

The compression of the blocks is done by pasting totally the plastic film to the walls by means of air uniformly projected tablet to all lateral faces of the block.

Under these conditions, the final packaging of several blocks previously compressed and individually packed in a final wrap of resistant material, avoid the risk of an eventual loss of the vacuum generated by perforation of the film or flexible plastic film that covers and acts on a block, getting the final packaging to keep all blocks in their original parallelepiped shape and that is not cause distortions that may damage the material.

Description of the drawings

In order to allow a better understanding of object of the invention, a set of planes is accompanied in which identical numbers indicate identical element and in which distinguish the following.

-one-

Block of porous elastic material, object of treatment (270 270 cm. x 130 cm. x 120 cm.)

-one'-

Compressed block

-2-

Plastic wrap (polyethylene and Similary).

-3-

Top compression element, which is constituted by 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; eleven; 11.1; 11.2; 11.3; 11.4.

-4-

Hole made in the wrapper (2).

-5-

Element pusher (3).

-6-

Compressed air supply tube.

-7-

Compressed air inlet to (3).

-8-

Rectangle-shaped nozzles, air outlet compressed.

-9-

Compressed air flow

-10-

Energy input or sealing material for the sealer

-11.1-; -11.2-; -11.3-; -11.4-. Sliding elements of sealed.

-12-

Element support base compression.

-13-

Bag closure patch (2).

-14-

Plastic film film, for example polyethylene.

-fifteen-

Plastic film reels (14).

-16-

Gas of special characteristics.

-17-

Gas tank.

-18-

Gas pipe.

-19-

Gas pipe nozzle that adapts to (4).

-twenty-

Outer wrap.

-twenty-one-

Puncture rollers.

And as for the figures, they represent the next:

Figure 1.- Perspective view of the block of porous elastic material before undergoing any treatment.

Figure 2.- Perspective view of the block through the pinching rollers (21).

Figure 3.- Perspective view of the block of porous elastic material coated with plastic wrap.

Figure 4.- Perspective view of the block of porous elastic material located on top of a plastic film and completely covered by another piece of said film.

Figure 5.- This figure represents the complete preparation procedure (A); compression, expulsion of harmful gases and introduction of new gases (B); sealed off set for subsequent packing (C), and block definitely reduced and ready for final packing (D).

Figure 6.- This figure represents the Simple ecological procedure, identical to the previous one, but in instead of introducing special gases, it is simply done with clean atmospheric air. Where the following are distinguished Steps:

-E-: The block of porous elastic material is placed on a film and covered with another piece of identical material.

-F-: Initial preparation procedure.

-G-: Compression and sealing procedure.

-H-: The block definitely reduced and ready For your final packing.

Figure 7.- Sectional view of a set of blocks of porous elastic material properly compressed and perfectly packaged for storage and / or transport inside a sturdy gasket and open on both sides opposite children.

Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

In view of figures numbers 1, 2 and 3 you can observe how the ecological procedure for the reduction of volume of blocks of porous elastic material and packing joint for storage and transport, is constituted from of a body (1), made of a porous elastic material, such and such as a body or block of polyurethane, foam rubber or similar material, which, as can be seen in the figure number 2, first passes through pinching rollers (21) that they pierce the two side faces of the block (1) that in the process of manufacture they are covered with a non-porous sheet; subsequently, the block (1) is coated externally by a bag (2) obtained in flexible and low perspiration material, when air, for example a poly bag, with a hole (4) in preferably located in the lower part of one of the side faces; the set formed by the object represented in Figure number 1, configured as a body of elastic material porous (1), lined by the bag (2) carrying the hole or drilling (4), is incorporated into the central area of a set compression mechanic, consisting essentially of an element of support or base (12) and an upper element (3) that involves the most functions:

The upper compression element (3) is constituted by a rectangular straight prism of considerable dimensions in which the following elements are appreciated:

-5- Pusher which transmits the compression power to the assembly (3).

-6- and -7- Tube and compressed air inlet This compressed air is obtained from a external compressor and is distributed by nozzles (8) that located  at the bottom of the set (3), they create an important flow of air (9) that pushes the plastic wrap (2), or the film (14) against the walls of the porous elastic plastic material (one). These nozzles (8) have a rectangular shape, of dimension slightly larger than the dimensions of the block (1) in order to that its compressed air flow (9) acts on the entire surface lateral throughout the procedure.

-10- Entry of energy or sealing material for sealing elements.

-11- Set sealant consisting of four straight elements (11.1); (11.2); (11.3) and (11.4) and opposite each other, parallel to the faces side of the element (3); being sliders and sausages inside of the same; being positioned obliquely with respect to the vertical and with an inward inclination; and that act sliding alternately and consecutively from two to two opposite, sealing the film perfectly (14).

In this case, it has been cleaned Ecological block (1) as follows:

When block (1) is compressed by the element (3) the closed cells that exist in its inside and all the harmful gases that were inside the block go outside.

If we decompress in an atmosphere of air clean all cells, already open due to compression effect above, they are filled with clean air. This operation can be done. repeat several times, and when we will definitely compress again and tightly close the block assembly (1) and film (14), we will have an ecologically clean block (H).

When the block reaches its destination and is definitely decompressed, it will be filled with atmospheric air clean, thus eliminating the harmful isocyanates of those we talked about in the preamble.

In the case that interests not only a cleaning ecological, but also a treatment that can modify the essential characteristics of the block (1), proceed accordingly with figure 4.

In this case, we also proceed to the compression of the block assembly (1) properly wrapped in the wrapper (2).

We have already seen in the previous paragraphs that the compression leads to breakage of closed cells that contain harmful gases. Well, during compression all these gases they will go out through the hole (4). Once the block is compressed and harmful gases have come out, we can, through the set formed by the gas container (17), the tube (18) and the nozzle (19) introduce a gas (16), with the characteristics that interest us. This way if we want the block to have high fire resistance we can introduce an inert gas with mineral particles of these characteristics in suspension. Of the same form we can confer to the block (1 ') characteristics bactericidal, odorous, antiseptic or any other that we interest

The block (1 ') thus obtained has some special features and especially a thickness that can reach to be between 10% and 15% of the original.

But to prevent a possible oversight from perforate the wrapper (2) or (14) of the block (1 ') and this means a major accident (let's think of a truck fully loaded in which a breakage of this type occurs and therefore one or several blocks recover their original size) provided that every five or six blocks (1 ') are packed within a resistant wrap (20), for example polypropylene. This set, of similar volume, to that of a single block, in conditions normal (1) is perfectly safe both in storage and in transport.

This wrapper (20) may be constituted by a band of suitable resistant material, for example a band of Polypropylene, which wraps nine or ten blocks. This band it would free two lateral faces of each block (1 '); but would totally prevent the recovery of the primitive dimension of block (1 ') in case of breakage of the wrapper (2) or of the film (14).

Claims (6)

1. Ecological procedure for reducing the volume of blocks of porous elastic material and joint packing for storage and transport, characterized by being constituted from a block made of porous elastic material (1), such as polyurethane, foam rubber or similar, that previously drilled its opposite side faces by means of pinching rollers (21), is introduced inside a wrapper (2) of flexible material made of plastic material of low air permeability, providing this wrapping (2) of a hole (4), which will be where the harmful manufacturing vapors contained within the closed cells that make up the block (1) escape and that have been broken by a compression process by means of a compression element ( 3) and by a rigid and flat base (12), and the compression element (3) being constituted by a rectangular rectangular parallelepiped of considerable height, acci Onado by a pusher element (5) and housing inside it nozzles (8) of rectangular compressed air along its entire lower perimeter and a sealing assembly (11) consisting of four straight elements (11.1); (11.2); (11.3) and (11.4) and opposite each other, parallel to the side faces of the element (3); being sliders and sausages inside it; being positioned obliquely with respect to the vertical and with inclination towards the interior; and that act by sliding alternately and consecutively from two to two opposites, perfectly sealing the film (14). 2. Ecological procedure for reducing the volume of blocks of porous elastic material and joint packing for storage and transport, characterized by the first claim and also because if a simple ecological treatment is desired the block (1), after conveniently drilling its lateral faces by means of the pinching rollers (21), rests on a plastic film (14) of low air permeability and is covered with a piece of material of identical characteristics (14) subjecting the assembly to a compression process and Repeated decompression in order to expel all harmful manufacturing gases so that, in compression, the closed cells containing part of isocyanates or other harmful manufacturing gases are broken and during decompression performed in a clean air atmosphere, it penetrates in the newly opened pores and cells and I just cleaned them and characterized equally because during the last compression, the sealing device (11.1; 11.2; 11.3; 11.4) seal the four free edges of film (14) so that the block assembly (1) and film (14) will form a new hermetically sealed block (1 '), 90% thicker than the primitive and totally free of harmful gases. 3. Ecological procedure for reducing the volume of blocks of porous elastic material and joint packing for storage and transport, characterized by claims 1 and 2 and also because the flow of compressed air (9) affects all the side faces of the block (1) and directly on the side walls of the wrapper (2) or on the walls of the film (14) so that these side walls are perfectly adhered to the block (1). 4. Ecological procedure for reducing the volume of blocks of porous elastic material and joint packing for storage and transport, characterized by claims 1 and 2 and also because the gases expelled by the orifice (4) during compression can be replaced by another type of beneficial gases or transformers of the essential characteristics of the block, simply by introducing said gases (16), contained in the container (17) by means of the hose (18) and the nozzle (19) by the said orifice (4) ) so that immediately afterwards it can be closed by means of the patch (13), thus leaving the compressed block provided with new ecological characteristics. 5. Ecological procedure for reducing the volume of blocks of porous elastic material and joint packing for storage and transport, characterized by the first, second and fourth claims, and also because if the gas (16) that we introduced through the hole (4 ) is an inert gas with particles of an also inert mineral, a block (1 ') of great fire resistance is obtained. 6. Ecological process for reducing the volume of blocks of porous elastic material and joint packing for storage and transport, characterized by the first and second claims and also because a set of nine to ten blocks (1 ') already reduced in volume and conveniently treated they can be packed by means of a strong wrapper (20) preferably open on two sides, in a single package, so that their total volume can be equivalent to that of a single block (1) without compressing, and also in a way that in the event of loss of vacuum in any of the blocks (1 ') it is retained in the compressed dimension.