EP1447337B1

EP1447337B1 - Bendable board material

Info

Publication number: EP1447337B1
Application number: EP20030000275
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wen-Tsan Wang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-01-08
Filing date: 2003-01-08
Publication date: 2009-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 2023-01-08
Also published as: EP1447337A1; DE60329972D1

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention:

The present invention relates to board materials and, more particularly, to a bendable board material that can be bent into any of a variety or shapes for making any of a variety of containers.

2. Description of the Related Art:

Conventional baskets may be made of different materials including ceramics, glass, wood, plastics, stainless steel, etc. In addition to the function of holding things, attractive baskets can also be used as ornaments. A basket made of wood shows a graceful ancient style that greatly attracts consumers' attention. Baskets made of ceramics, glass, wood, plastics, stainless steel, or other metallic materials show a rigid style. Cloths may be used for making baskets. However, when a piece of cloth is selected for making a basket, hard support means must used to support the cloth in shape.
US Patent application No. 09/835,545 teaches the use of weaving wooden strips into panels for making containers. A container made according to this method is complicated and expensive.
US 414 585 discloses a folding lunch box with a binder constructed of a series of strips each consisting of a plano-convex portion and a triangular portion. The strips are secured on a sheet of flexible material which is secured between the plano-convex portion and the triangular portion, the plano-convex portions all showing in the one direction and triangular portions all showing in the other. All strips are placed directly next to each other

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is main object of the present invention to provide a bendable board material that can be bent into any of a variety of shapes for making any of a variety of products such as baskets, containers, and ornamental partitions. To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the bendable board material comprises a flexible base sheet, and two sets of hard slats respectively symmetrically bonded to two opposite sides of the flexible base sheet and arranged in parallel. The hard slats of the same set are arranged in parallel and spaced from one another at a pitch so that the finished board material can be bent along the gap between each two adjacent hard slats.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a bendable board material according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an assembly view of the bendable board material according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an elevational view of an alternate form of the bendable board material which does not form part of the present invention.
FIG. 4 shows one application example of the present invention.
FIG. 5 shows another application example using the board material of FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 shows still another application example of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a bendable board material is shown comprised of a flexible base sheet 2, and hard slats 1 and 1A symmetrically fastened to the two opposite sides of the base sheet 2 and arranged in parallel. The base sheet 2 can be made of cloth or resilient material. The hard slats 1 and 1A are long, thin, narrow pieces of wood or metal. Preferably, the hard slats 1 and 1A are made of wood. The hard slats 1 and 1A have a trapezoidal cross section; the hard slats shown in FIG. 3 which do not form part of the invention, have a semi-circular cross section.
The hard slats 1 and 1A each have a bottom surface coated with a layer of bonding agent, and then bonded to the top or bottom surface of the base sheet 2 by means of the application of a heat press. When assembled, the hard slats 1 at the top surface of the base sheet 2 match the hard slats 1A at the bottom surface of the base sheet 2.
Referring to FIG. 4, because the hard slats 1 at the top surface of the base sheet 2 match the hard slats 1A at the bottom surface of the base sheet 2 respectively and because the hard slats 1 or 1A at one side of the base sheet 2 are arranged in parallel and spaced from one another at an equal pitch, the board material can rolled into a roll and then mounted with a bottom plate and a top hoop, forming a cylindrical basket.
Referring to FIG. 5. the board material can be cut into desired shapes and sizes for making a rectangular basket.
Referring to FIG. 6. the board material can be bent into a wave-like shape. serving as an ornamental partition.
A prototype of bendable board material has been constructed with the features of the annexed drawings of FIGS. 1 and 2. The bendable board material functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

Bendable board material comprising a flexible base sheet (2) and two sets of hard slats (1, 1A) respectively symmetrically fastened to two opposite sides of said flexible base sheet (2) and arranged in parallel, the slats (1, 1A) each having a bottom surface facing the flexible base sheet (2) and an outer surface tapering in a direction away from the base sheet (2), the slats (1, 1A) being spaced from one another at a pitch so that the board material can be bent along the gap between each two adjacent slats (1, 1A); characterized in that the outer surface of the slats (1, 1A) has such a shape that the slats (1, 1A) have a trapezoidal cross section.
The bendable board material according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the slats (1, 1A) is coated with a layer of bonding agent and then bonded to the top or bottom surface of the base sheet (2) by means of the application of a heat press to fixedly secure the slats (1, 1A) to the base sheet (2).