Nestable molded articles, and related assemblies and methods
View Patent ↗A man-made, molded article is provided. The article includes a profile including a planar wall, and an adjacent integral molded depression having a contoured wall extending downwardly from the planar wall. The contoured wall includes a bead portion, a cove portion, and a ledge between the bead and cove portions. The articles are stackable, one above another for transport, in a nestable relationship in which multiple contact zones are present between the contoured walls of an adjacently stacked pair of the molded articles. The contact zones include an arcuately extending contact interface zone between the bead exterior and interior surfaces. The depression has a substantially uniform thickness varying by no more than about +1 percent to about −11 percent in relation to a thickness of the planar wall. Related methods and assemblies are also provided.
1. Stacked man-made, molded articles comprising:
a man-made, first molded article having a first exterior surface and a first interior surface, the first molded article comprising a first profile including a first planar wall and an adjacent integral molded first depression, the first planar wall having a first exterior surface region, the first depression comprising a first contoured wall extending downwardly from the first planar wall toward a first bottom of the first depression, the first contoured wall comprising a first bead portion having opposite first bead exterior and interior surface regions, a first cove portion having opposite first cove exterior and interior surface regions, and a first ledge between the first bead portion and the first cove portion; and
a man-made, second molded article stacked on the first molded article, the second molded article having a second exterior surface and a second interior surface and comprising a second profile including a second planar wall and an adjacent integral molded second depression, the second planar wall having a second exterior surface region, the second depression comprising a second contoured wall extending downwardly from the second planar wall toward a second bottom of the second depression, the second contoured wall comprising a second bead portion having opposite second bead exterior and interior surface regions, a second cove portion having opposite second cove exterior and interior surface regions, and a second ledge between the second bead portion and the second cove portion,
wherein the first and second profiles are identical, and wherein the first exterior surface and the second interior surface share multiple contact zones between the first and second contoured walls, the contact zones including an arcuately extending contact zone between the first bead exterior surface region and the second bead interior surface region.
2. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 1 , wherein the first molded article comprises a first composite layer comprising at least about 80 percent by weight first cellulosic material and sufficient first binder to adhere the first cellulosic material together into a first structurally sound article, and wherein the second molded article comprises a second composite layer comprising at least about 80 percent by weight second cellulosic material and sufficient second binder to adhere the second cellulosic material together into a second structurally sound article.
3. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 1 , wherein:
the first molded article further comprises a first panel surrounded by the first depression, and a first slanted wall constituting part of the first depression, the first slanted wall interconnecting and integrally molded with the first bottom of the first contoured wall and the first panel; and
the second molded article further comprises a second panel surrounded by the second depression, and a second slanted wall constituting part of the second depression, the second slanted wall interconnecting and integrally molded with the second bottom of the second contoured wall and the second panel.
4. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 3 , wherein:
the first depression is configured as a first rectangle having top and bottom first depression legs and right and left first depression sides; and
the second depression is configured as a second rectangle having top and bottom second depression legs and right and left second depression sides.
5. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 1 , wherein the first molded article is a first door skin and the second molded articles is a second door skin.
6. Stacked man-made, molded articles comprising:
a man-made, first molded door skin article having a first exterior surface and a first interior surface, the first molded door skin article comprising a first door body portion, a first door panel portion, and a first molded depression disposed between the first door body portion and the first door panel portion, the first molded depression comprising a first contoured wall extending downwardly from the first door body portion toward a first bottom of the first molded depression and a first slanted wall extending upwardly from the first bottom of the first molded depression to the first door panel portion, the first contoured wall comprising a first bead portion, a first cove portion, and a first ledge between the first bead portion and the first cove portion; and
a man-made, second molded door skin article stacked on the first molded door skin article, the second molded door skin article having a second exterior surface and a second interior surface, the second molded door skin article comprising a second door body portion, a second door panel portion, and a second molded depression disposed between the second door body portion and the second door panel portion, the second molded depression comprising a second contoured wall extending downwardly from the second door body portion toward a second bottom of the second molded depression and a second slanted wall extending upwardly from the second bottom of the second molded depression to the second door panel portion, the second contoured wall comprising a second bead portion, a second cove portion, and a second ledge between the second bead portion and the second cove portion,
wherein the first exterior surface and the second interior surface share multiple contact zones between the first and second contoured walls, the contact zones including an arcuately extending contact zone between the first exterior surface of the first bead region and the second interior surface of the second bead region.
7. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 6 , wherein:
the first contoured wall extends downwardly from the first door body portion toward the first bottom of the first molded depression at a first angle of inclination in a range of about 20° to about 34° ; and
the second contoured wall extends downwardly from the second door body portion toward the second bottom of the second molded depression at a second angle of inclination in a range of about 20° to about 34° .
8. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 6 , wherein the first molded depression comprises a first profile thickness in a range of 0.3125 inch to 0.875 inch, and wherein the second molded depression comprises a second profile thickness in a range of 0.3125 inch to 0.875 inch.
9. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 6 , wherein the first slanted wall comprises a first linear contact zone and wherein the second slanted wall comprises a second linear contact zone contacting the first linear contact zone.
10. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 6 , wherein the first and second molded depressions each have a thickness varying by no more than +1 percent to −11 percent in relation to thicknesses of the first and second door body portions, respectively.
11. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 6 , wherein the first and second door skin articles comprise cellulosic material.
12. Stacked man-made, molded articles comprising:
a man-made, first molded door skin article having a first exterior surface and a first interior surface, the first molded door skin article comprising a first door body portion, a first door panel portion, and a first molded depression disposed between the first door body portion and the first door panel portion, the first molded depression comprising a first contoured wall extending downwardly from the first door body portion toward a first bottom of the first molded depression and a first slanted wall extending upwardly from the first bottom of the first molded depression to the first door panel portion, the first contoured wall comprising a first bead portion having a first non-variable convex curvature, a first cove portion, a first ledge between the first bead portion and the first cove portion, and a first angle subtending the first bead portion in a range of about 39 degrees to about 59 degrees; and
a man-made, second molded door skin article stacked on the first molded door skin article, the second molded door skin article having a second exterior surface and a second interior surface, the second molded door skin article comprising a second door body portion, a second door panel portion, and a second molded depression disposed between the second door body portion and the second door panel portion, the second molded depression comprising a second contoured wall extending downwardly from the second door body portion toward a second bottom of the second molded depression and a second slanted wall extending upwardly from the second bottom of the second molded depression to the second door panel portion, the second contoured wall comprising a second bead portion having a second non-variable convex curvature, a second cove portion, a second ledge between the second bead portion and the second cove portion, and a second angle subtending the second bead portion in the range of about 39 degrees to about 59 degrees,
wherein the first exterior surface and the second interior surface share multiple contact zones between the first and second contoured walls, the contact zones including an arcuately extending contact zone between the first exterior surface of the first bead region and the second interior surface of the second bead region.
13. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 12 , wherein:
the first contoured wall extends downwardly from the first door body portion toward the first bottom of the first molded depression at a first angle of inclination in a range of about 20° to about 34° ; and
the second contoured wall extends downwardly from the second door body portion toward the second bottom of the second molded depression at a second angle of inclination in a range of about 20° to about 34° .
14. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 12 , wherein the first molded depression comprises a first profile thickness in a range of 0.3125 inch to 0.875 inch, and wherein the second molded depression comprises a second profile thickness in a range of 0.3125 inch to 0.875 inch.
15. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 12 , wherein the first slanted wall comprises a first linear contact zone and wherein the second slanted wall comprises a second linear contact zone contacting the first linear contact zone.
16. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 12 , wherein the first and second molded depressions each have a thickness varying by no more than +1 percent to −11 percent in relation to thicknesses of the first and second door body portions, respectively.
17. The stacked man-made, molded articles of claim 12 , wherein the first and second door skin articles comprise cellulosic material.