Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article – To produce composite – plural part or multilayered article
Patent
1998-10-29
2000-05-09
Vincent, Sean
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article
To produce composite, plural part or multilayered article
65 48, 65 49, 65DIG11, 2642711, 2642791, B29C 7070
Patent
active
06060011&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for enclosing an object with a transparent encapsulation.
Such a method is known from e.g. FR-A-1 178 558.
It is a purpose of the invention to provide a method, in which the product eventually obtained and consisting of an object enclosed with a transparent encapsulating, has a spherical shape. It is furthermore an object of the invention to provide a method, carrying out which a high degree of positioning accuracy of the object relative to the spherical encapsulating is ensured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above objectives the invention provides a method for wholly enclosing an object (20) with a spherical, transparent encapsulation (23), comprising the following steps of: instance the temperature at which at least a part of the object (20) substantially softens, melts or otherwise degenerates in possibly reversible manner; of which corresponds with the desired spherical shape of the encapsulation (23); melting temperature lower than said degradation temperature; thereof into the mould cavity (19); temperature; moulded article (22); consisting of a transparent material which melts at a melting temperature lower than said degeneration temperature and which can fuse substantially homogeneously with the encapsulating material (17) during step (d).
For a method, in which the encapsulating material (17) is glass, it is noted that the melting temperature of glass is in the order of a magnitude of 600-800.degree. C. Glass is normally processed in plastic state at a temperature of 1200.degree. C. The object enclosed by the glass mass must have a higher degradation temperature.
This latter can be achieved easily with an embodiment wherein step (a) is performed with an object of ceramic material, which can optionally be at least partly covered with an optionally coloured coating, for instance of enamel or glazing.
An alternative has the special feature that step (a) is performed with an object of metal which can optionally be at least partly covered with an optionally coloured coating, for instance of enamel or glazing.
Very inexpensive, simple and practical to perform on a large scale is the method wherein step (a) is performed with an object of aluminium which is optionally anodized in one or more colours.
The obtained products are transparent spheres which have at least a glass jacket. These spheres can particularly have dimensions such that they are suitable as children's toys, particularly for use as marbles.
As already noted above, the use of glass for instance for marbles is per se known. Glass has the great advantage of being a hard and therefore scratch-resistant material, whereby the spherical moulded articles are mechanically not very vulnerable.
Another method as described above for wholly enclosing an object with a spherical, glass, transparant encapsulation comprises the following steps: the temperature at which at least a part of the object substantially softens, melts or otherwise degenerates in possibly reversible manner; corresponds with the desired spherical shape of the encapsulation; temperature lower than said degradation temperature; thereof into the mould cavity; temperature; and article.
A specific embodiment has the special feature that prior to step (i) the object is carried by a support consisting of a transparent material which melts at a melting temperature lower than said degeneration temperature and which can fuse substantially homogeneously with the encapsulating material during step (i).
This method can be carried out in particular such that the support consists of glass.
Finally, the invention relates to a spherical product obtained with a method according to the invention. This product consists of an object enclosed with a glass encapsulation.
The encapsulation itself can be without colour or coloured. In this respect the term "transparent" must therefore not be specifically understood to mean a non-coloured mass.
An object can for instance comprise a three-dimensional representation of one or more comi
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Malherbe de Juvigny Rene Cornelis
Zandvliet Johannes Maria
Standard Group Holding B.V.
Vincent Sean
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