HK1255048A1 - A geocell and the manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a geogrid room. This geogrid room is including many muscle areas, and these many muscle areas are connected each other and are formed a plurality of unit check in a plurality of contacts departments, and wherein, in every contact department, in many muscle areas two or more adjacent muscle band -passes are crossed plug -in components and are pegged graft together eachother to every contact is covered by the colloid. According to the utility model discloses a geogrid room can be at the construction field (site) stretch -draw to predetermined state easily to can also prevent tearing of joint -cutting, prevent the soil body from joint -cutting leakage, and prevent that plug -in components from rustting and corroding. Because colloid, muscle area, plug -in components bond mutually together, it lands to show has improved the peel strength of contact department. Preferably, the tip of plug -in components is covered completely by the colloid and forms the end cover, and the colloid bonds each other with muscle area, plug -in components and forms the cylinder together, has further strengthened the structural stability of contact to make overall structure morepleasing to the eye.

Description

Geocell and manufacturing method thereof

Technical Field

The invention relates to a geocell and a method for producing a geocell.

Background

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

The geocell is widely applied to the geotechnical fields of roadbed construction, slope greening and the like. The geocell is a honeycomb or latticed three-dimensional structure formed by connecting a plurality of ribs according to different modes. Currently, geocells on the market are mainly formed by welding, riveting or plug-in connection of reinforcing strips.

For geocells formed by butt-spot welding or riveting, there is the problem that the tensile strength of the tendons is not significantly different from the tensile strength of the joints, which are significantly lower than the tensile strength of the tendons.

In order to solve the problem that the strength of the rib belt is inconsistent with that of the joint, a technical scheme that the rib belt is spliced by U-shaped steel nails to form the geocell is provided. In this solution, a plurality of slits are formed in two webs adjacent to each other, the slits extending in the longitudinal direction of the webs, being parallel to each other and being spaced apart from each other in the height direction of the webs. And two vertical parts of the U-shaped steel nail respectively pass through the cutting seams on the rib belts in a staggered mode, so that the two rib belts are spliced together to form the geocell. In a geocell formed by inserting a tendon with a U-shaped nail, the tensile strength of the tendon is substantially the same as the tensile strength of the joint.

However, such a geocell formed by plugging still has the following problems. Firstly, due to the fact that the slits exist in the rib belt, on one hand, the slits are easy to tear, and particularly easy to tear transversely; on the other hand, after the U-shaped steel nails are inserted into the slits, the slits are stretched to a certain extent, so that soil can leak through the slits, and the binding force of each unit cell of the geocell to the soil is reduced. In addition, at present, the earthwork standard room is laid on a construction site through manual tension. The angle between the adjacent ribs of each cell changes due to the difference of the size and the direction of manual tension, so that the cells of the geocell are different in shape and elasticity, the stretched cells can be still in a loose state, each cell is difficult to stretch to a preset state, and the effect of the applied geocell is influenced.

In addition, due to the specific application environment of the geocell, the U-shaped steel nails are usually exposed to moist soil, and the U-shaped steel nails are easy to rust and corrode, so that the connection strength of the contact points is affected. At present, the U-shaped steel nails are generally galvanized to improve the corrosion resistance. However, the galvanizing process causes great pollution to the surrounding environment, often fails to meet the environmental protection requirement and is resisted. In addition, if the U-shaped steel nail has an exposed part due to incomplete galvanizing in the galvanizing process or due to coating falling off, rusting occurs and the anticorrosion effect is lost.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention aims to address one or more of the above problems.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide a geocell that includes a plurality of tendons connected to one another at a plurality of joints to form a plurality of cells, wherein at each joint two or more adjacent tendons of the plurality of tendons are plugged to one another with an insert, and each joint is covered with glue.

At each junction, two or more adjacent ones of the plurality of strips are aligned and formed with slits therethrough extending in a longitudinal direction of the two or more adjacent strips, and inserts are inserted through the slits in sequence in a staggered manner to splice the two or more adjacent strips together.

In one embodiment, the slits are a plurality of slits equally spaced along the height of the two or more adjacent ribs.

In one embodiment, glue covers each side of the two or more adjacent ribs to completely cover the slit, and the glue covers at least a portion of the insert.

The cutting seams are completely covered by the colloid, so that on one hand, the cutting seams can be prevented from being torn; on the other hand, the leakage of the soil body through the cutting seams can be avoided, and the constraint force of each unit cell of the geocell to the soil body is improved.

Preferably, the insert at each junction is completely covered by the gel. At each junction, the insert is integrally bonded with the two or more adjacent ribs and glue, and the ends of the insert are completely covered with glue to form the end cap. The end cap may be in any one of the following shapes: hemispherical, cuboid, pyramidal. On one hand, the plug-in unit can be prevented from rusting and corroding, and the end part of the plug-in unit can be better protected from being corroded by soil. On the other hand, the colloid, the rib belt and the plug-in are bonded into a whole, so that the peeling strength of the joint is obviously improved, and the structural stability of the joint is enhanced. In addition, the integral structure of the geocell is more attractive when the geocell is laid on a construction site.

In one embodiment, the gel covers the contacts by injection molding.

Each joint is in a pre-set state such that two or more adjacent tendons are at a predetermined angle to each other. This enables the geocell to be easily tensioned to a preset state at the construction site.

The gel is molded at the joints at an injection molding temperature that is below the melting temperature of the ribs.

In one embodiment, the tendons are made of PP or PET material.

In one embodiment, the tendon is made of PP or PET material by stretching.

The colloid is made of one or more materials of TPE, TPR, TPU, SBS, EVA, silica gel, PVC, PP, PE, HDPE, TPEE, EBA, EEA and EMA.

The cross section of the unit cell along the height direction of the rib belt is in any one of the following shapes: triangular, square, rectangular or diamond shaped.

In one embodiment, the insert is a U-shaped piece and the two uprights of the U-shaped piece are interleaved in sequence through the slit.

In one embodiment, a clevis lug is provided at the end of both uprights of the clevis.

In one embodiment, the adhesive on each side of the two or more adjacent ribs has a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the corresponding one of the two or more adjacent ribs.

Another aspect of the invention is to provide a geocell that includes a plurality of tendons connected to one another at a plurality of joints to form a plurality of cells, wherein at each joint two or more adjacent tendons of the plurality of tendons are plugged to one another with an insert, and wherein each joint is covered with glue and the insert is completely covered with glue.

At each junction, two or more adjacent ones of the plurality of strips are aligned and formed with slits therethrough extending in a longitudinal direction of the two or more adjacent strips, and inserts are inserted through the slits in sequence in a staggered manner to splice the two or more adjacent strips together.

In one embodiment, the slits are a plurality of slits equally spaced along the height direction of two or more adjacent ribs.

The glue covers each side of two or more adjacent tendons to completely cover the cut seam.

In one embodiment, at each junction, the insert is integrally bonded with two or more adjacent ribs and glue, and the ends of the insert are completely covered by glue to form the end cap.

The end cap is in any one of the following shapes: hemispherical, cuboid, pyramidal.

In one embodiment, the gel covers the contacts and the insert by injection molding.

In one embodiment, each joint is pre-shaped such that two or more adjacent ribs are at a predetermined angle to each other.

The gel is molded at the joints at an injection molding temperature that is below the melting temperature of the ribs.

In one embodiment, the tendons are made of PP or PET material.

In one embodiment, the tendon is made of PP or PET material by stretching.

The colloid is made of one or more materials of TPE, TPR, TPU, SBS, EVA, silica gel, PVC, PP, PE, HDPE, TPEE, EBA, EEA and EMA.

The cross section of the unit cell along the height direction of the rib belt is in any one of the following shapes: triangular, square, rectangular or diamond shaped.

In one embodiment, the insert is a U-shaped piece and the two uprights of the U-shaped piece are interleaved in sequence through the slit.

In one embodiment, a clevis lug is provided at the end of both uprights of the clevis.

The thickness of the colloid covered on each side surface of the two or more adjacent ribs is more than or equal to the thickness of the corresponding rib in the two or more adjacent ribs.

Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a geocell, the method comprising the steps of: arranging a plurality of rib belts; aligning two or more adjacent ribs of the plurality of ribs at a junction and forming a slit through the two or more adjacent ribs; at the junction, passing the inserts sequentially and alternately through the slits to splice the two or more adjacent ribs together; the joints are encapsulated to form a gel.

In one embodiment, the slits are a plurality of slits equally spaced along the height direction of two or more adjacent ribs.

In one embodiment, the glue covers each side of two or more adjacent ribs to completely cover the slit, and the glue covers at least a portion of the insert.

The glue body completely covers the cutting seams, so that on one hand, the cutting seams can be prevented from being torn; on the other hand, the leakage of the soil body through the cutting seams can be avoided, and the constraint force of each unit cell of the geocell to the soil body is improved.

Preferably, the insert at each junction is completely covered by the gel. At each junction, the insert is integrally bonded with two or more adjacent ribs and glue, and the ends of the insert are completely covered with glue to form an end cap. The end cap may be in any one of the following shapes: hemispherical, cuboid, pyramidal. On one hand, the plug-in unit can be prevented from rusting and corroding, and the end part of the plug-in unit can be better protected from being corroded by soil. On the other hand, the colloid, the rib belt and the plug-in are bonded into a whole, so that the peeling strength of the joint is obviously improved, and the structural stability of the joint is enhanced. In addition, the integral structure of the geocell is more attractive when the geocell is laid on a construction site.

In one embodiment, the step of encapsulating is performed by injection molding.

The two or more adjacent tendons are subjected to a predetermined tension prior to or during the step of performing encapsulation.

The two or more adjacent tendons are tensioned at a predetermined angle to each other before or during the step of performing encapsulation. This enables the geocell to be easily tensioned to a preset state at the construction site.

In one embodiment, the colloid is subjected to vulcanization after or during the step of performing encapsulation.

The gel is molded at the joints at an injection molding temperature that is below the melting temperature of the ribs.

In one embodiment, the tendons are made of PP or PET material.

In one embodiment, the tendon is made of PP or PET material by stretching.

The colloid is made of one or more materials of TPE, TPR, TPU, SBS, EVA, silica gel, PVC, PP, PE, HDPE, TPEE, EBA, EEA and EMA.

The plurality of ribs are connected to each other at a plurality of joints to form a plurality of cells, and the cross section of each cell in the height direction of the rib is any one of the following shapes: triangular, square, rectangular or diamond shaped.

In one embodiment, the insert is a U-shaped piece and the two uprights of the U-shaped piece are interleaved in sequence through the slit.

In one embodiment, a clevis lug is provided at the end of both uprights of the clevis.

In one embodiment, the adhesive on each side of the two or more adjacent ribs has a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the corresponding one of the two or more adjacent ribs.

A further aspect of the invention provides a method for manufacturing a geocell, the method comprising the steps of: arranging a plurality of rib belts; aligning two or more adjacent ribs of the plurality of ribs at a junction and forming a slit through the two or more adjacent ribs; at the junction, passing the inserts sequentially and alternately through the slits to splice the two or more adjacent ribs together; the contacts are encapsulated to form a gel that completely covers the insert.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a geocell manufactured by the method for manufacturing a geocell of the present invention.

By providing a gel at each junction of the geocell, a beneficial technical effect can be achieved. On one hand, the colloid arranged at each joint makes the adjacent reinforcing strips at each joint form an included angle of a preset angle, so that the geocell can be easily tensioned to a preset state on the construction site of the geocell. On the other hand, the colloid arranged at each joint covers the cutting seams and the plug-in units at each joint, so that the cutting seams can be prevented from being torn, soil body can be prevented from leaking from the cutting seams, and the plug-in units can be prevented from rusting and corroding due to the influence of moist soil body. In addition, the end part of the plug-in unit is preferably completely covered by the colloid to form the end cover, and the colloid, the rib belts and the plug-in unit are bonded with each other to form a column body, so that the peeling strength of the joint is obviously improved, the structural stability of the joint is enhanced, and the integral structure is more attractive.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which like features or components are designated by like reference numerals, and which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

fig. 1 is a top view of a geocell according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a junction within circle I of FIG. 1;

fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the contact within circle I of fig. 1 prior to encapsulation;

fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a junction of a geocell according to another embodiment of the invention;

fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the contact shown in fig. 4 prior to encapsulation;

fig. 6 is an enlarged front view of a contact according to a preferred example of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the contact shown in FIG. 6;

fig. 8 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a geocell according to an embodiment of the invention;

figures 9 to 10 show schematic views of an encapsulation die for encapsulating contacts of a geocell;

fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of encapsulating a joint of a geocell; and

fig. 12-13 illustrate geocells according to other embodiments of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, like reference numerals indicate like or similar parts and features. The drawings are only schematic representations, not intended to portray specific dimensions and proportions of the various embodiments of the invention, but are intended to depict in detail the relative details or structures of the various embodiments of the invention, particularly in the specific drawings or specific parts thereof.

Fig. 1-3 illustrate a geocell 100 according to one embodiment of the invention. Geocell 100 is formed from a plurality of tendons, namely, a first tendon 111, a second tendon 112, a third tendon 113, a fourth tendon 114, a fifth tendon 115, a sixth tendon 116, a seventh tendon 117, and an eighth tendon 118, two adjacent tendons of the plurality of tendons being connected to one another at various joints to form a network having a plurality of cells 101. For example, two adjacent first and second tendons 111, 112 of the plurality of tendons are connected to each other at connections 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, respectively. Two further adjacent second and third webs 112, 113 of the plurality of webs are connected to each other at connections 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307 and 308, respectively. The connection mode of other bands is similar to that, and is not described in detail herein. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the number of tendons and the number and spacing of joints of adjacent tendons is not limited thereto, but may vary depending on the particular application.

The rib is preferably made of PP (polypropylene) material by stretching, but the material and the method of manufacture are not limited thereto. The ribs may also be made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) material or other high molecular polymer sheet. In addition to stretching, the tendon may also be formed by molding.

At each junction of the geocell, the two tendons are connected to each other by plugging of the U-shaped pieces. Specifically, the U-shaped member is passed through slits formed in the rib band in a staggered manner, so that the rib band at the slits and two uprights of the U-shaped member form a woven configuration with each other in the transverse direction and the vertical direction. To prevent the U-shaped part from falling off the tendon, U-shaped part webs 4 may be provided at the ends of the two uprights of the U-shaped part. Here, the U-shaped member is a steel member. Alternatively, the U-shaped members may be made of other materials as long as the required tensile strength at the joints is met.

Since the configuration of each of the joints of the geocell 100 is substantially the same, the detailed construction of one of the joints 207 of the geocell 100 is described in detail below with reference to fig. 2-3.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of the contact 207. As shown in fig. 2, the glue 5 covers each side of the first and second beads 111, 112 at the junction 207 between the adjacent first and second beads 111, 112.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of the contacts before encapsulation. As shown in fig. 3, at a joint 207 between adjacent first and second beads 111, 112, a plurality of, for example, three slits, i.e., first slit 21, second slit 22, third slit 23, extending in the longitudinal direction of first and second beads 111, 112 and cutting through first and second beads 111, 112 are formed. The three slits are parallel to each other and equally spaced in the height direction of the first and second ribs 111 and 112. The two uprights of the U-shaped member 3 pass through these three slits in succession in a staggered manner. Specifically, as shown in fig. 3, the first upright portion 31 of the U-shaped member 3 passes through the first slit 21 from the second fillet 112 side, and the second upright portion 32 of the U-shaped member 3 passes through the first slit 21 from the first fillet 111 side. Then, the first upright portion 31 of the U-shaped member 3 passes through the second slit 22 from the first bead 111 side, and the second upright portion 32 of the U-shaped member 3 passes through the second slit 22 from the second bead 112 side. The first upright 31 and the second upright 32 of the U-shaped member are passed through the other slits in a similar manner in sequence. Thus, the portions of the first 111 and second 112 beads above the first slit 21 are located behind the first upright portion 31 of the U-shaped member 3 and in front of the second upright portion 32; the portions of the first and second strips 111, 112 between the first and second slits 21, 22 are located in front of the first upright portion 31 of the U-shaped member 3 and behind the second upright portion 32; the portions of the first and second strips 111 and 112 between the second and third slits 22 and 23 are located behind the first upright portion 31 of the U-shaped member 3 and in front of the second upright portion 32; the parts of the first 111 and second 112 webs under the third slit are located in front of the first upright part 31 and behind the second upright part 32 of the U-shaped member 3.

At the plug contact shown in fig. 3, a gel 5 is also formed around the contact to form the contact structure shown in fig. 2. The glue 5 is formed by injection moulding on each side of the strip at the plug-in connection and covers the slits and the U-shaped pieces. Here, the gel 5 is made of a soft TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) material, but is not limited thereto. The gel 5 can also be made of other soft materials, such as TPR (thermoplastic rubber), TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), SBS (styrene), EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer), silicone, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), TPEE (thermoplastic polyester elastomer), EBA (ethylene butyl acrylate copolymer), EEA (ethylene ethyl acrylate), EMA (ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer), etc., to make the encapsulated band more flexible for folding transportation. In addition, the colloid 5 can also be made of a series of plastic high polymer materials such as PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), HDPE (high density polyethylene) and the like, so that the rigidity and the strength of the encapsulated rib belt are better. Compared with the colloid made of soft materials, the colloid made of the plastic polymer materials has slightly poor flexibility after the tendon is encapsulated. When the strap is made of PP material, the gel 5 can be made of a softer material, for example, TPE material, so that the gel 5 is better compatible with the strap. When the tendon is made of PET material, for example, TPEE material can be selected as the colloid 5 to make the colloid 5 and the tendon dissolve better, and the material of the colloid 5 can be selected by comprehensively considering the compatibility of the tendon and the colloid and the requirements on the flexibility and strength of the encapsulated tendon.

As shown in fig. 2, at the joints shown, the length of the glue 5 is greater than the length of each slit in the longitudinal direction of the first and second webs 111, 112, so that the glue 5 completely covers the first, second and third slits 21, 22, 23 penetrating the first and second webs 111, 112 on each side (i.e. at the corners of each cell) and at least partially covers the U-shaped piece. The thickness of the glue on each side of the first 111 and second 112 ribs may be greater than or equal to the thickness of each rib. In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 1-3, the thickness of the first and second tendons 111 and 112 is between 0.8mm and 1mm, while the thickness of the glue formed on the surface of each side of the first and second tendons 111 and 112 is about 1 mm. It is noted that the above dimensions are only exemplary and that the thickness of the tendons and the thickness of the glue may be chosen according to the specific application requirements and transport conditions.

In the above embodiment, three slits are provided in the rib at the joints shown. However, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the number of slits is not limited thereto, and may be increased or decreased as necessary; the length of the slit is not particularly limited as long as the insertion of the U-shaped member is facilitated. Fig. 4 and 5 show enlarged views of a joint of a geocell according to another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of the contact, and fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the contact before encapsulation. The joint shown in fig. 4 and 5 is substantially the same as the joint shown in fig. 2 and 3, except for the number of slits provided in the rib. At the joints shown in fig. 4 and 5, four slits, i.e., first slit 21, second slit 22, third slit 23, and fourth slit 24, extending in the longitudinal direction of first and second webs 111 and 112 and cutting through first and second webs 111 and 112 are formed. Similarly to the above, the first upright portion 31 and the second upright portion 32 of the U-shaped member pass through the four slits in sequence.

In both of the above embodiments shown, the presence of the gel 5 at each node places the two tendons of each cell in a pre-shaped state with an included angle of approximately 90 degrees. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that each cell may be pre-shaped into other configurations, such as square, rectangular, diamond, etc. This results in: although the geocell is compressed or folded to a configuration convenient for transportation during transportation of the geocell, the geocell can be easily restored to a predetermined state in which each unit cell has a substantially square or rectangular or rhombic shape at the construction site of the geocell, for optimal soil retention.

Set up colloid 5 through wrapping up every contact, make colloid 5 cover each joint-cutting completely and at least partially cover the U-shaped piece, on the one hand, can prevent that the joint-cutting from tearing, strengthen the intensity of joint department, on the other hand, can avoid the soil body to leak from the joint-cutting to can protect U-shaped piece 3 to avoid the influence of moist soil body, prevent to rust, corrode.

Preferably, the glue 5 also completely covers the U-shaped piece. Fig. 6 shows an enlarged front view of the contact of the preferred example, and fig. 7 shows a top view of the contact of the preferred example. The contact shown in fig. 6 and 7 is identical to the contact shown in fig. 4 and 5 in its configuration before encapsulation (as shown in fig. 5), except that the U-shaped member 3 is completely covered with the gel after encapsulation of the contact.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the U-shaped member 3 interposed between the slits is also completely covered with the gel 5. The ends of the U-shaped member 3 are each covered by glue 5 to form end caps 51, 52 respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the end caps 51, 52 are hemispherical in shape. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the shape of the end caps 51, 52 is not limited to a hemispherical shape, but may be other suitable shapes, such as a rectangular parallelepiped, a cone, etc. The part of the U-shaped part 3 between the first 111 and the second 112 bead is covered with glue in such a way that the glue adheres integrally to the bead and to this part of the U-shaped part 3. In the embodiment shown, the glue and the ribs and the part of the U-shaped member 3 form a cylinder with a substantially rectangular cross-section. However, the cross-sectional shape of the glue and the rib and the column formed by the part of the U-shaped member 3 may have other shapes depending on the amount of glue injected and the pretensioning to which the rib is subjected during the injection of the glue, for example, the cross-sectional shape of the column may be approximately square, circular, etc. The glue at the ends of the U-shaped member 3 has a thickness which is greater than the glue at the portions of the U-shaped member 3 between the first and second ribs 111, 112, i.e. the glue on each side of the first and second ribs 111, 112. When the geocell thus formed is laid on the construction site, the column formed by covering the U-shaped member 3 with the colloid 5 can enhance the structural stability of the joint, improve the corrosion resistance, and also make the overall structure more beautiful.

Fig. 8 shows a flow diagram of a method for manufacturing a geocell according to an embodiment of the invention. The method will now be described by way of example with a geocell having joints as shown in figures 6-7.

First, in step 402, a plurality of tendons is provided and disposed. Then, at each of the joints, two or more adjacent ones of the plurality of strips are aligned and a slit is formed through the strips in step 404. In the exemplary embodiment of a geocell with joints shown in fig. 6-7, two adjacent strips are aligned at each joint and four slits are formed at equal intervals along the height of the strips. For example, at each of the joints 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, the first and second webs 111, 112 are aligned and the first, second, third and fourth slits 21, 22, 23, 24 are formed at equal intervals in the web height direction. Similarly, at each of the joints 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307 and 308, the second rib 112 and the third rib 113 are aligned and four slits are formed at equal intervals in the height direction of the ribs.

Here, it is noted that the number of slits, the length of the slits, and the interval between the slits shown above are merely examples, and should not be construed as limitations. The number of slits, the length of the slits and the interval between the slits may be set according to the height of the rib band, the size of each cell, and the like. The height of the tendon may be, for example, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, 150mm, 200mm, 250mm, 300mm, but is not limited thereto. The above dimensions are exemplary only and the dimensions of the geocell tendon may be selected and the number of slits, the length of the slits, and the spacing between the slits may be set accordingly depending on the particular application requirements and transport conditions.

In addition, it was shown above that at each joint, two adjacent beads were aligned and slit, but the present invention is not limited thereto. At each junction, a desired number of tendons can be aligned and slit according to the shape of each cell of the geocell. For example, at each junction, three adjacent tendons may be aligned and slit to form a geocell as shown in fig. 12 and 13.

In step 406, at each joint, the two uprights of the U-shaped element 3 are inserted in turn staggered into the respective slits. After the two uprights of the U-shaped member have passed through the last slit (in the exemplary embodiment of fig. 6-7, the last slit is the fourth slit 24), the U-shaped member webs 4 are attached to the ends of the first and second uprights 31, 32 of the U-shaped member to prevent the U-shaped member from falling out of the tendon. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the clevis joint 4 is not essential and may be omitted depending on the particular application.

In step 408, each contact is encapsulated. Step 408 includes first placing the joints of the tendons that are spliced together by the U-shaped members into the encapsulation mold in step 409. Fig. 9 and 10 show simplified schematic diagrams of an encapsulation die for encapsulating joints of a tendon belt. As shown in fig. 9 and 10, the encapsulating mold mainly includes a first mold a1, a second mold a2, a third mold A3, a fourth mold a4, an upper base B1, and a lower base B2. The bottom surfaces of the first, second, third, and fourth molds a1, a2, A3, and a4 are respectively provided with T-shaped protrusions to respectively cooperate with T-shaped grooves provided on the lower base B2, so that the first, second, third, and fourth molds a1, a2, A3, and a4 are respectively movable relative to the lower base B2 to approach or move away from each other. For example, a T-shaped projection T3 on the bottom surface of the third mold A3 is fitted in a T-shaped groove C3 of the lower base B2 to move closer to or farther from the lower mold a6 along the T-shaped groove C3. The lower mold a6 is disposed at an intermediate position on the lower base B2. In the present exemplary embodiment, the lower mold a6 is substantially rectangular parallelepiped. An elastic member, such as a spring S, is provided on each side of the lower mold a 6. The center of the lower die a6 is also provided with a cavity V. Similarly, an upper die with a cavity provided in the center is provided on the upper base B1.

In step 409, the ends of the U-shaped element 3 are first aligned with the cavities of the upper and lower dies, and one end of the U-shaped element 3 (e.g. the ends of the two uprights of the U-shaped element 3, or the arched end of the U-shaped element 3) is placed in a cavity V of the lower die a6, which cavity V forms the cavity of the end cap at that end of the U-shaped element 3. Then, both ends of first bead 111 are disposed between first mold a1 and third mold A3 and between first mold a1 and fourth mold a4, respectively, and both ends of second bead 112 are disposed between second mold a2 and third mold A3 and between second mold a2 and fourth mold a4, respectively. After the U-shaped piece 3 and the first and second beads 111 and 112 are arranged as described above, the upper base B1 is moved downward, and the first, second, third and fourth molds a1, a2, A3, a4 and the upper base B1 are moved integrally along the corresponding T-shaped grooves on the lower base B2 to approach each other by the wedge structure (not shown) between the upper base B1 and the first, second, third and fourth molds a1, a2, A3, a4, respectively, abutting against the first and second beads 111 and 112, respectively, and compressing the springs S on the corresponding side surfaces of the lower mold a6, respectively. During the downward movement of the upper base B1, the cavity (not shown) of the upper die provided on the upper base B1 moves toward the other end of the U-shaped member 3 (e.g., the arched end of the U-shaped member 3, or the ends of the two uprights of the U-shaped member 3). After the upper base B1 is moved into position, the other end of the U-shaped element 3 is received in the cavity of the upper die on the upper base B1, which forms the cavity of the end cap at the other end of the U-shaped element 3. Preferably, during this process, the first and second tendons 111 and 112 may be in a suitably pre-tensioned state. Therefore, molten glue can enter the space between the ribs at the joint in the later injection molding process, a preset angle is formed between the two ribs of the unit cell, and the cross section of a cylinder formed by the glue, the ribs and the part, located between the ribs, of the U-shaped part is approximately square or circular, so that the structural stability of the joint is enhanced.

First mold a1, second mold a2, third mold A3, and fourth mold a4 are each approximately trapezoidal in shape, the top sides (short sides) of the trapezoid are opposite to each other, and the top sides (short sides) of the trapezoid are closer to cavity V of lower mold a6 than the bottom sides (long sides) of the trapezoid, and the two oblique sides of the trapezoid may be at a 90-degree included angle.

Figure 11 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the molds after they have been moved into position. As shown in fig. 9, the first die a1 abuts against the first bead 111 from the first bead 111 side, and the second die a2 abuts against the second bead 112 from the second bead 112 side. The top edges (short sides of the trapezoid) of the first and second dies a1 and a2 are opposite to the U-shaped member 3, and preferably the length of the top edges is equal to or greater than the distance between the two uprights of the U-shaped member. The third die A3 and the fourth die a4 abut against the first rib 111 and the second rib 112 between the first rib 111 and the second rib 112 from the left and right sides, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the top edges of first mold A1 and second mold A2 are opposite the U-shaped member 3, while the top edges of third mold A3 and fourth mold A4 are opposite the left and right sides of the U-shaped member 3. The length of the top edge of first mold A1 and second mold A2 was greater than the length of the top edge of third mold A3 and fourth mold A4. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In other possible embodiments of the present invention, first mold A1, second mold A2, third mold A3, and fourth mold A4 may have substantially the same shape, with the top edges of each mold being the same length. Thus, when the tendon is positioned in the encapsulation die, the U-shaped element 3 can be angled instead of facing the first die a1 and the second die a 2.

The outer end portions of both oblique sides of the trapezoid of the first mold a1 may be formed with end walls 61, 62 projecting from the oblique sides. When first mold a1 abuts against first rib 111 from the side of first rib 111, raised end walls 61, 62 abut against first rib 111, respectively, while the other portions of the two oblique sides and the top edge of the trapezoid of first mold a1 are spaced from first rib 111, not in contact with first rib 111, so as to enclose, with rib 111, a mold cavity for injecting material. Similarly, the outer end portions of the two oblique sides of the trapezoid of the second mold a2, the third mold A3, and the fourth mold a4 are also formed with end walls 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 protruding from the oblique sides, respectively. These end walls of the mold, together with the respective bevel portions, top edge and ribs 111, 112, enclose a mold cavity for injecting material. Specifically, when first mold a1 is pressed against first rib 111 from the side of first rib 111, end walls 61, 62 of first mold a1 abut against first rib 111, whereby the portions of the two oblique sides of first mold a1 that are not in contact with rib 111 and the top edge, together with first rib 111, end walls 61, and end walls 62, enclose mold cavity M1. When the second mold a2 is pressed against the second rib 112 from the second rib 112 side, the end walls 63, 64 of the second mold a2 abut against the second rib 112, whereby the portions of the two oblique sides of the second mold a2 that are not in contact with the rib 112 and the top edge together with the second rib 112, the end walls 63, 64 enclose a cavity M2.

Similarly, when third mold A3, fourth mold a4 are moved into position, end wall 65 of third mold A3 opposes end wall 61 and sandwiches first bead 111, end wall 66 of third mold A3 opposes end wall 63 and sandwiches second bead 112, end wall 67 of fourth mold a4 opposes end wall 64 and sandwiches second bead 112, and end wall 68 of fourth mold a4 opposes end wall 62 and sandwiches first bead 111. Thus, the portions of the two oblique sides of the third mold A3 that are not in contact with the rib 111 and the rib 112, and the top side of the third mold A3 together with the first rib 111, the second rib 112, the end wall 65, and the end wall 66 define the cavity M3, and the portions of the two oblique sides of the fourth mold a4 that are not in contact with the rib 111 and the rib 112, and the top side of the fourth mold a4 together with the first rib 111, the second rib 112, the end wall 67, and the end wall 68 define the cavity M4.

After the first mold a1, the second mold a2, the third mold A3, the fourth mold a4, and the upper base B1 (upper mold) are set in place, molten gel is injected into the cavities (cavity M1, cavity M2, cavity M3, cavity M4, cavity V of the lower mold a6, and cavity of the upper mold) in step 410. The size of the cavity is matched with the size of the colloid to be formed. In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 4, the thickness of each of the first and second beads 111, 112 is between 0.8mm and 1mm, and the thickness of the glue formed on each side surface of the first and second beads 111, 112 at each joint is about 1mm, so the thickness of the end walls 61, 62 of the first mold a1 may be about 1 mm. The structure and operation of second mold a2, third mold A3, and fourth mold a4 are similar to first mold a 1. In addition, the molten gel injected into the cavity V of the lower die a6 and the cavity of the upper die completely covers both ends of the U-shaped member 3, thereby forming hemispherical end caps 51, 52, respectively, as shown in fig. 6. The size of the end caps 51, 52 may be set by sizing the cavities of the upper and lower dies as desired. Generally, the thickness of the glue forming the end caps 51, 52 is significantly greater than the thickness of the glue formed on the side surfaces of the first and second ribs 111, 112.

In the present exemplary embodiment, cavity V of lower die a6 and the cavity of the upper die are each hemispherical. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the shape and size of the cavities of the lower and upper dies may be set according to the requirements of the end caps 51, 52 being formed. For example, the end caps 51, 52 may be formed in other shapes, such as rectangular parallelepiped, pyramidal, etc.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the ribs are made of PP material, and molten TPE material is injected into each cavity to form the gel 5. Since the PP material and the TPE material have good compatibility, the molten TPE material adheres to the rib made of the PP material to form the gel 5, and is not easily peeled off. The injection molding temperature of the colloid 5 is lower than the melting temperature of the rib belt, so that the rib belt is prevented from being damaged when the molten material injected into each cavity is contacted with the rib belt. The melting temperature of the PP material is typically 165-170 degrees celsius, while the processing temperature of the TPE material is typically 150-200 degrees celsius, depending on the hardness of the TPE material. In an embodiment where the ribs are made of PP material and the gel 5 is made of soft TPE material, the melting temperature of the ribs is higher than 150 degrees celsius, whereas the injection temperature of the gel 5 is about 130 degrees celsius.

It is noted that the injection temperature of the gel 5 is set according to the material used. As mentioned above, other soft materials besides the soft TPE material may be used to form the gel 5.

After the molten TPE material injected into the mold cavity adheres to the tendons and U-shaped members and cools, the tendons are removed from the encapsulation mold in step 412, thereby obtaining a geocell in accordance with the present invention. Specifically, the upper base B1 is moved upward, and at the same time, by the wedge structures (not shown) between the upper base B1 and the first mold a1, the second mold a2, the third mold A3 and the fourth mold a4 and the action of the spring S, the first mold a1, the second mold a2, the third mold A3 and the fourth mold a4 respectively move in the corresponding T-shaped grooves to be away from each other to release the interposed tendons, thereby taking the tendons after the contacts are encapsulated out of the encapsulation mold. Depending on the material chosen, the glue 5 can be vulcanised before or after the mould is removed.

The method for manufacturing a geocell according to the present invention and the illustrated embodiment of a geocell manufactured according to the method are illustrated above, however, the present invention is not limited thereto.

In the above exemplary embodiment, each unit cell of the geocell 100 has a square cross-section perpendicular to the height direction, and both side edges of the first mold a1, the second mold a2, the third mold A3, and the fourth mold a4 form an included angle of 90 degrees. The method for manufacturing a geocell according to the present invention can also be applied to manufacturing geocells having unit cells of other shapes. For example, each unit cell of the geocell may have a cross-section perpendicular to the height direction that is rectangular, diamond-shaped, other parallelogram, triangular, etc. To this end, the angle between the two side edges of the mold used can be modified accordingly.

Fig. 12-13 show other embodiments of geocells. Fig. 12 shows a top view of a geocell 200 manufactured by the method for manufacturing a geocell according to the present invention, and fig. 13 shows a top view of a geocell 300 manufactured by the method for manufacturing a geocell according to the present invention. The geocell 200, 300 is substantially similar in structure, except that the angle between the ribs of the geocell that enclose each cell, and thus the angle between the two side edges of the mold used in the manufacturing process, is different. The construction of the geocell 200, 300 is substantially similar to that of the geocell 100, with a U-shaped member inserted into a slit in the tendon at each joint and the surrounding joints formed with glue, except that the cross-section of each unit cell perpendicular to the height direction is shaped differently, whereby the number of tendons aligned at each joint and inserted together by the U-shaped member is different, and the number of molds used to encapsulate the joints and the included angle between the two side edges of the molds are different during the geocell manufacturing process.

In addition, in the above-described exemplary embodiment, the adjacent bands are inserted together by the U-shaped member at each of the joint points, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and other forms of inserts may be used to insert the adjacent bands together.

In the above exemplary embodiment, the U-shaped member link is provided at the end portions of the two upright portions of the U-shaped member. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In a geocell according to the concepts of the present invention, at each junction, the ends of the two uprights of the U-shaped member are encapsulated to form end caps that prevent the two uprights of the U-shaped member from falling off the tendon. Thus, in possible other embodiments of the invention, no clevis joint may be provided.

Herein, exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, but it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated in detail above. Various modifications and alterations of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. Moreover, all the components described herein may be replaced by other technically equivalent components.

Claims (53)

1. A geocell comprising a plurality of tendons connected to one another at a plurality of junctions to form a plurality of cells,

wherein at each junction point two or more adjacent ones of the plurality of straps are plugged into each other by an insert, and

each contact is covered with a gel.

2. The geocell of claim 1, wherein at each junction, two or more adjacent ones of the plurality of strips are aligned and formed with a slit therethrough extending in a longitudinal direction of the two or more adjacent strips, and the inserts are staggered sequentially through the slits to splice the two or more adjacent strips together.

3. The geocell of claim 2, wherein the slits are a plurality of slits equally spaced along the height of the two or more adjacent strips.

4. The geocell of claim 2, wherein the glue covers each side of the two or more adjacent tendons to completely cover the cut, and the glue covers at least a portion of the insert.

5. The geocell of claim 4, wherein the insert at each junction is completely covered by the gel.

6. The geocell of claim 5, wherein at each junction, the insert is integrally bonded to the two or more adjacent tendons and the glue, and an end of the insert is completely covered by the glue to form an end cap.

7. The geocell of claim 6, wherein the end cap is in any one of the following shapes: hemispherical, cuboid, pyramidal.

8. The geocell of claim 1, wherein the gel covers the contacts by injection molding.

9. The geocell of claim 1, wherein each of the joints is pre-shaped such that the two or more adjacent tendons are at a predetermined angle to one another.

10. The geocell of any of claims 1-9, wherein the gel is molded at the junction at an injection temperature that is less than the melting temperature of the tendon.

11. The geocell of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the tendon is made of a PP material or a PET material.

12. The geocell of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the tendon is made from PP or PET material by stretching.

13. The geocell of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the gel is made from one or more materials selected from the group consisting of TPE, TPR, TPU, SBS, EVA, silicone, PVC, PP, PE, HDPE, TPEE, EBA, EEA, EMA.

14. The geocell of any one of claims 1-9, wherein a cross-section of the cell along the height of the tendon is any one of the following shapes: triangular, square, rectangular or diamond shaped.

15. The geocell of any of claims 2-7, wherein the insert is a U-shaped piece and the two uprights of the U-shaped piece are interleaved sequentially through the slit.

16. The geocell of claim 15, wherein a U-shaped link is provided at the ends of the two uprights of the U-shaped member.

17. The geocell of any of claims 4-7, wherein the glue covered on each side of the two or more adjacent tendons has a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the respective tendon of the two or more adjacent tendons.

18. A geocell comprising a plurality of tendons connected to one another at a plurality of junctions to form a plurality of cells,

wherein at each junction point two or more adjacent ones of the plurality of straps are plugged into each other by an insert, and

each contact is covered by glue and the insert at each contact is completely covered by glue.

19. The geocell of claim 18, wherein at each juncture, two or more adjacent ones of the plurality of strips are aligned and formed with a slit therethrough extending in a longitudinal direction of the two or more adjacent strips, and the inserts are staggered sequentially through the slits to splice the two or more adjacent strips together.

20. The geocell of claim 19, wherein the slits are a plurality of slits equally spaced along the height of the two or more adjacent strips.

21. The geocell of claim 19, wherein the glue covers each side of the two or more adjacent tendons to completely cover the cut seam.

22. The geocell of claim 18, wherein at each junction, the insert is integrally bonded to the two or more adjacent tendons and the glue, and an end of the insert is completely covered by the glue to form an end cap.

23. The geocell of claim 22, wherein the end cap is in any one of the following shapes: hemispherical, cuboid, pyramidal.

24. The geocell of claim 18, wherein the gel covers the contacts and the insert by injection molding.

25. The geocell of claim 18, wherein each of the joints is pre-shaped such that the two or more adjacent tendons are at a predetermined angle to one another.

26. The geocell of any of claims 18-25, wherein the gel is molded at the junction at an injection temperature that is less than the melting temperature of the tendon.

27. The geocell of any one of claims 18-25, wherein the tendon is made from a PP material or a PET material.

28. The geocell of any one of claims 18-25, wherein the tendon is made from PP or PET material by stretching.

29. The geocell of any one of claims 18-25, wherein the gel is made from one or more materials selected from the group consisting of TPE, TPR, TPU, SBS, EVA, silicone, PVC, PP, PE, HDPE, TPEE, EBA, EEA, EMA.

30. The geocell of any one of claims 18-25, wherein the cross-section of the cell along the height of the tendon is in the shape of any one of: triangular, square, rectangular or diamond shaped.

31. The geocell of any of claims 19-21, wherein the insert is a U-shaped member and the two upright portions of the U-shaped member pass through the slits in a staggered sequence.

32. The geocell of claim 31, wherein a U-shaped link is provided at the ends of the two uprights of the U-shaped member.

33. The geocell of claim 21, wherein the glue covered on each side of the two or more adjacent tendons has a thickness greater than or equal to the thickness of the respective tendon of the two or more adjacent tendons.

34. A method for manufacturing a geocell, comprising the steps of:

arranging a plurality of rib belts;

aligning two or more adjacent ones of the plurality of tendons at a junction and forming a slit through the two or more adjacent tendons;

at the joint, inserting an insert sequentially and alternately through the slits to insert the two or more adjacent ribs together;

encapsulating the contacts to form a gel.

35. The method for manufacturing a geocell of claim 34, wherein the slits are a plurality of slits equally spaced along the height of the two or more adjacent tendons.

36. The method for manufacturing a geocell of claim 34, wherein,

the glue covers each side of the two or more adjacent tendons to completely cover the cut seam, and the glue covers at least a portion of the insert.

37. The method for manufacturing a geocell of claim 36, wherein the insert at each junction is completely covered by the gel.

38. The method for manufacturing a geocell of claim 37, wherein at the junction, the insert is integrally bonded to the two or more adjacent tendons and the glue, and an end of the insert is completely covered by the glue to form an end cap.

39. The method for manufacturing a geocell of claim 38, wherein the end cap is in any one of the following shapes: hemispherical, cuboid, pyramidal.

40. The method for manufacturing a geocell of claim 34, wherein the step of encapsulating is performed by injection molding.

41. The method for manufacturing a geocell of claim 34, wherein the two or more adjacent tendons are subjected to a predetermined tension prior to or during the step of performing encapsulation.

42. The method for manufacturing a geocell of claim 34, wherein the two or more adjacent tendons are tensioned at a predetermined angle to each other prior to or during the step of performing encapsulation.

43. The method for manufacturing a geocell of claim 34, wherein the colloid undergoes vulcanization after or during the step of performing encapsulation.

44. The method for manufacturing a geocell of any one of claims 34-43, wherein the gel is molded at the junction at an injection temperature that is less than the melting temperature of the tendon.

45. The method for manufacturing a geocell of any one of claims 34-43, wherein the tendon is made of PP material or PET material.

46. The method for manufacturing a geocell of any one of claims 34-43, wherein the tendon is made from PP or PET material by stretching.

47. The method for manufacturing a geocell of any one of claims 34-43, wherein the gel is made from one or more of TPE, TPR, TPU, SBS, EVA, silica gel, PVC, PP, PE, HDPE, TPEE, EBA, EEA, EMA.

48. The method for manufacturing a geocell of any one of claims 34-43, wherein the plurality of tendons are connected to one another at a plurality of the junctions to form a plurality of cells, the cells having a cross-section along the height of the tendons that is any one of the following shapes: triangular, square, rectangular or diamond shaped.

49. The method for manufacturing a geocell of any one of claims 34-43, wherein the insert is a U-shaped member, and the two uprights of the U-shaped member are sequentially staggered through the cut-outs.

50. The method for manufacturing a geocell of claim 49, wherein a U-shaped link is provided at the ends of the two uprights of the U-shaped member.

51. The method for manufacturing a geocell of any one of claims 36-39, wherein the glue covered on each side of the two or more adjacent tendons has a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the respective tendon of the two or more adjacent tendons.

52. A method for manufacturing a geocell, comprising the steps of:

arranging a plurality of rib belts;

aligning two or more adjacent ones of the plurality of tendons at a junction and forming a slit through the two or more adjacent tendons;

at the joint, inserting an insert sequentially and alternately through the slits to insert the two or more adjacent ribs together;

encapsulating the contacts to form a gel that completely covers the interposer.

53. A geocell made by the method for manufacturing a geocell of any one of claims 34-53.