Granted Patent B2

US 7,201,958 · App. 10/770,958 · Granted Apr 10, 2007

Abstract

Claims (7)

1. A densified skin polyolefinic foam plank comprising an extruded low density polyolefinic foam made of a polymeric melt and having dimensionally stable closed cells, said foam having a top surface, a bottom surface and a core, at least one of said top surface and said bottom surface having a densified skin comprising melted and collapsed foam cells formed by heating said at least one surface, said densified skin having a density at least ten times greater than a density of the core of the polyolefinic foam and a thickness of about 12.5 mils to about 100 mils, wherein the foam plank includes a slit extending from the surface opposite the densified skin through at least part of the core so that the uncut densified skin forms a hinge and wherein one or more portions of the plank rotates around the hinge.

2. The plank of claim 1 , wherein the slit extends through the entire thickness of the core but not into the densified skin.

3. The plank of claim 1 , wherein the slit extends partially through the densified skin.

4. The plank of claim 1 , wherein said plank has a density between about 0.9 lb/ft 3 and 5 lb/ft 3 .

5. The plank of claim 1 , wherein said plank has a thickness greater than 1 inch.

6. The plank of claim 1 , wherein said low density polyolefinic foam is a low density ethylene polymer foam.

7. The plank of claim 1 , wherein said densified skin is provided only on the top surface, the bottom surface, or both the top and bottom surfaces of the foam plank.

Assignments (25)