Technical Field

The present invention relates to products made of engineered wood and methods for manufacturing such products.

Background

Engineered wood has been on the market for many years. One example is composite wood, normally manufactured as panels for further forming and use. Composite wood is produced by binding wood particles, fibres, or veneers with adhesives according to standardized process, and the final composite wood product is normally used in construction as a replacement to steel, concrete, or lumber.

Attempts have been made to use composite wood, according to the above definition, for other applications such as consumer product. Especially fibreboard, such as medium-density fibreboard and high-density fibreboard, can be used to produce products like decorative objects, speaker boxes, etc.

Fibreboard is manufactured by combining wood fibres with wax and resins, and then applying high temperature and pressure to form the final fibreboard panel. Although the fibreboard allows great versatility for processing into further products, the substantial amount the additional binders provides a significant drawback with regards to recycling and other environmental aspects.

In view of the above drawbacks of the prior art, there is a need for new products and methods using engineered wood.

Summary

It is an object of the invention to at least partly overcome one or more of the aboveidentified limitations. In particular, it is an object to provide a panel of engineered wood with features for allowing the panel to transform into a three-dimensional product with increased torsional rigidity. Hence, the following specification enables an origami-based approach for folding a hardboard panel into a vast amount of different products.

The term “hardboard” is used in this specification to define a material which is formed by highly compressed wood fibers bonding together by the original lignin in the wood fibers. One example of hardboard within the context of this application is Masonite. Hardboard is distinguished from other fiberboards, such as medium-density fiberboard, in that for such other fiberboards additional binders are added, typically a substantial amount of wax and resin. While resin may be added for manufacturing hardboard, binding of the wood fibers is achieved to a major extent by the original lignin. Typically, hardboard has a density of 500 kg/m3 or above.

According to a first aspect, a wood product is provided. The wood product comprises a panel being folded along at least one folding line being formed by a V-shaped groove having a depth being less than the panel thickness such that the panel material at the V-shaped groove forms a hinge. The panel material is hardboard.

In an embodiment, the fold is glued.

The depth of the V-shaped groove may be at least 50% of the panel thickness.

The V-shaped groove may be arranged on an inner side of the panel, and the inner side may be further provided with a protective layer.

The protective layer may be a reinforcement layer.

The panel may be folded along a plurality of folding lines, each being formed by a V-shaped groove having a depth being less that the panel thickness.

The wood product may comprise at least one hollow portion formed by adjacent panel sections.

The wood product may further comprise a filling material arranged in said hollow portion.

The wood product may be any of a packaging or wrapping support such as an edge protection, a corner protection, a loading pallet, a pallet collar, a pallet case, a pallet case or collar lid, a box, a beam, a mold, a bed frame, a furniture part, a furniture leg, a profile fastening element, a frame for doors or windows, a duct or shaft for ventilation, a channel, a lightning armature, an inspection hatch, a skirting, an embrasure, a part of a shelf, or a shopping basket.

According to a second aspect, a method of manufacturing a hardboard product is provided. The method comprises i) providing a hardboard panel, ii) providing at least one V-shaped groove in said hardboard panel, said V-shaped groove having a depth being less than the panel thickness such that the panel material at the V-shaped groove forms a hinge, iii) adding glue to said V-shaped groove, and iv) folding said hardboard panel at the area of the at least one V-shaped groove.

Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which

Figs, la-d are schematic side views of a panel for forming a wood product according to an embodiment;

Figs. 2a-c are schematic side views of a panel for forming a wood product according to different embodiments;

Fig. 3 a is a top view of a panel for forming a lid for a pallet case;

Fig. 3b is a cross-sectional view of a lid formed from the panel shown in Fig. 3a;

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of three different wood products according to various embodiments;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a pallet collar according to an embodiment;

Fig. 6 is a top view of a panel for forming a bed frame;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a hollow part of a wood product according to an embodiment; and

Fig. 8 is a top view of a panel for forming a wood product according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

Starting in Figs, la-d, a process for forming a wood product 10 is schematically shown. In Fig. la a panel 1 of hardboard is shown. The panel 1 is planar, typically having a thickness of 3-5 mm. As common for hardboard panels, 1, one side may be textured as a result of a wet manufacturing process.

The panel 1 is provided with one or more V-shaped grooves 3, as shown in Fig. lb. The V-shaped groove 3 is linearly extending to form a folding line 5 in the panel 1. The V- shaped groove 3 may be cut or milled into the panel 1. The V-shaped groove 3 has a depth D being less than the total thickness T of the panel 1. Typically, for a 5 mm thick panel 1 the depth D of the V-shaped groove 3 may be 3-4 mm. The inventors have realized that while the panel 1 is rigid in its planar shape, the residual panel thickness at the bottom of the V-shaped groove 3 will allow to fold such that the panel 1 itself forms a hinge.

In a preferred embodiment, before folding the panel 1 the V-shaped groove 3 is provided with glue 7, or any other suitable adhesive such as hot-melt glue, etc. This is shown in Fig. 1c. In Fig. Id the panel 1 is shown in a folded state, i.e. the panel 1 is provided with a corner shape 9 at the area of the previous V-shaped groove 3. The glue 7 ensures a rigid connection of corner shape 9.

Fig Id thus shows a wood product 10 in its simplest form, i.e. the hardboard panel 1 is reshaped, by means of the folding line 5, from the board shape to a three-dimensional wood product 10 with increased torsional rigidity. The shown product 10 may e.g. be an edge protection for packaging applications, wherein the product 10, having a longitudinal extension, can protect packaging edges from damaging.

Now turning to Figs. 2a-c some examples of the V-shaped groove 3 will be described. In Fig. 2a the V-shaped groove 3 is formed by cutting, sawing, or milling material from the panel 1. The V-shaped groove 3 has two perpendicular sides 3a-b, each extending by 45° from the upper side of the panel 1. Hence, the shown V-shaped groove 3 will form a 90° corner 9 when the panel 1 is folded. Each side 3a-b of the V-shaped groove 3 is straight.

In Fig. 2a the panel 1 is further provided with a surface layer 8, arranged on the upper side of the panel 1, i.e. the same side as the V-shaped groove 3. The surface layer 8 may be a protective layer and/or a reinforcement layer. For example, the surface layer 8 is water glass, an adhesive, jute fabric, etc.

In Fig. 2b another embodiment is shown where the sides 3a-b of the V-shaped groove 3 are straight but provided with steps 3c such that one side 3a will mate with the other side 3b.

In Fig. 2c the V-shaped groove 3 is more narrow than what is shown in Figs. 2a-b, i.e. the sides 3a-b are not perpendicular but arranged at a more narrow angle. This means that the resulting corner shape will be less than 90°.

In Figs.3a-b an example of a hardboard panel 1 and a resulting product 10 is shown. The wood product 10 may e.g. be a lid for a box, a pallet case or similar. As can be seen in Fig. 3b the wood product 10 has a planar top 12 and edges 14 formed by multiple folding of the hardboard panel 1 such that the edges 14 form hollow portions 16.

The hardboard panel 1 is shown in further detail in Fig. 3 a. The planar top 12 of the resulting wood product 10 is formed by a rectangular central portion la of the panel 1. Each edge 14 of the wood product 10 is formed by panel sections Ib-d. A rectangular first panel section lb is arranged adjacent to the central portion la, and a folding line 3a extends along the interface between the central portion la and the first panel section lb. A second panel section 1c is arranged adjacent to the first panel section lb, and a folding line 3b extends along the interface between the second panel section 1c and the first panel section lb. The second panel section 1c is tapered by 45° to form a 90° corner shape. A rectangular third panel section Id is arranged adjacent to the second panel section 1c, and a folding line 3 c extends along the interface between the second panel section 1c and the third panel section Id. Each folding line 3a-c allows for a 90° corner.

Now turning to Fig. 4 another examples of wood products 10 are shown. A first wood product 10a is in the form of a pallet. A second wood product 10b is in the form of a pallet case. A third wood product 10c is in the form of a lid for the pallet case 10b.

The pallet 10a is produced by a hardboard panel 1, and three (or more) legs 20 are attached to the hardboard panel 1. Each leg 20 is formed as a wood product within the scope of this application, i.e. it is formed by a hardboard panel 1 being provided with V. shaped grooves 3 for folding the panel 1 along these grooves.

The pallet case 10b is formed by folding a hardboard panel 1 into an open-ended box shape. The pallet case 10b may be closed by joining the opposite edges of the panel 1 to each other by means of brackets, tapes, etc.

The lid 10c is formed e.g. by folding the panel 1 shown in Fig. 3a.

Now turning to Fig. 5 another example of a wood product 10 is shown. The wood product 10, here shown in cross-section, forms one side of a pallet collar. The wood product 10 has a quadrilateral shape (formed by folding a panel 1) with one side extending beyond the opposite side to form a flange 30. The quadrilateral shape is tapered in order to allow stacking of multiple wood products 10 on top of each other; the flange 30 will then be arranged outside the narrow end of the adjacent wood product (indicated by dashed lines). The final pallet collar is then produced by joining four identical sides 10 to each other, and folding these four sides to form a rectangular pallet collar.

In Fig. 6 another example of a hardboard panel 1 is shown. The panel 1 is similar to what has been described with reference to Fig. 3a, however the panel 1 of Fig. 6 is rectangular and provided with a series of cut-outs 40. The edges of the panel 1 are folded to form a bed frame, which bed frame is then formed by folding of a single hardboard panel 1. Optionally the folded edges may be provided with supports for allowing bed legs to be mounted to the bed frame.

In Fig. 7 another example of a wood product 10 is shown. The wood product 10 may e.g. be a hollow beam, or a hollow edge of a bed frame etc. The hollow shape is formed by folding a hardboard panel 1 along folding lines 5 such that a rectangular crosssection is formed. The hollow portion 16 may be filled with a material 18 to add rigidity or otherwise improving one or more properties of the wood product. The filler material 18 may be foam, corrugated cardboard, etc.

A final example of a hardboard panel 1 configured to form a wood product 10 is shown in Fig. 8. The panel 1 comprises a rectangular central portion la and four edge sections lb. Each edge section lb extends along one respective side of the rectangular central portion la. A folding line 3a forms an interface between the rectangular central portion la and an edge section lb.

Each, or at least one, edge section lb is provided with a fastening device 40, in Fig. 8 shown as an adhesive tape. When the edge sections lb are folded along the folding line 3a the tape 40 is used to connect two edge sections lb. In such embodiment the V-shaped groove 3 used to form the folding line 3a may be without any glue, as the fastening device 40 will ensure maintained folded position of the edge sections lb. Other fastening devices 40 for increasing the robustness of the wood product 10 include brackets, etc. The fastening device 40 may be pre-mounted to the hardboard panel 1.

The herein described concept of manufacturing wood products 10 from a hardboard panel 1 can be used for a vast amount of applications. Examples of wood products 10 comprised within this application include, but are not limited to, packaging or wrapping support such as edge protections, corner protections, loading pallets, pallet collars, pallet cases, boxes, beams, molds, bed frames, furniture parts, furniture legs, profile fastening elements, frames for doors or windows, ducts or shafts for ventilation, channels, lightning armatures, inspection hatches, skirting, embrasures, parts of a shelf, and shopping baskets.