IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,485,585
Granted Patent B2
US 12,485,585 · App. 18/533,180 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Methods of forming blocks utilizable for building construction out of non-recyclable plastic waste raw material

Inventors: Heidi Kujawa (Sherman Oaks, CA); Michael Kujawa (Ingleburn, AU)
B29B17/0036B29B17/0412B29B2017/0015
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,485,585
App. No.
18/533,180
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of forming blocks having dimensional uniformity thereacross associated with building construction includes shredding, via a shredder, a non-recyclable plastic waste raw material having a specific dimensional length and a height into a number of strips having a uniform dimensional width of 0.120 inches to 1 inch, and weighing the number of strips at a weigh apparatus. The method also includes isolating and batching the number of strips collected and weighed, and compressing the isolated and batched number of strips in a compression chamber to form a block based on steam-sanitizing the isolated and batched number of strips in the compression chamber with steam having a temperature varying from 220° F. to 850° F. and a pressure of 30-500 Pounds per Square Inch (PSI) and introduced intermittently across regions of the compression chamber to solely activate a base polymer of each of the isolated and batched number of strips.

Claims (49)

1 . A method of forming blocks having dimensional uniformity thereacross associated with building construction, comprising:

shredding, via a shredder, a plastic waste raw material having a dimensional length of 1 inch to 20 feet and a dimensional height of 0.0393 inches to 2 inches into a plurality of strips having a uniform dimensional width of 0.120 inches to 1 inch;

weighing the plurality of strips at a weigh apparatus in accordance with:

triggering agitation of a conveyor belt associated with the weigh apparatus on which the plurality of strips is weighed upon weighing of ˜50% of a desired weight of a block of the blocks to be formed in terms of the plurality of strips;

continuing the shredding of the plastic waste raw material only until the plurality of strips collected and weighed is equal in weight to the desired weight of the block; and

isolating and batching the plurality of strips collected and weighed; and

compressing the isolated and batched plurality of strips in a compression chamber to form the block based on:

steam-sanitizing the isolated and batched plurality of strips in the compression chamber with steam having a temperature varying from 220° F. to 850° F. and a pressure of 30-500 Pounds per Square Inch (PSI) and introduced intermittently across regions of the compression chamber;

solely activating a base polymer of each of the isolated and batched plurality of strips in accordance with the temperature of the intermittently introduced steam directly affecting the isolated and batched plurality of strips while leaving other constituent elements thereof chemically unaffected and the base polymer also unaffected in terms of a phase change thereof; and

forming the block based on, in accordance with the varying temperature of the steam, adherence of the base polymer of the each of the isolated and batched plurality of strips to the base polymer of another strip of the isolated and batched plurality of strips and compression thereof due to the intermittently introduced steam.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising additionally mixing at least one of: the plurality of strips and the isolated and batched plurality of strips into entanglement therebetween based on movement thereof correspondingly at least one of: from the shredder to the weigh apparatus and from the weigh apparatus to the compression chamber.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the triggering agitation of the conveyor belt associated with the weigh apparatus based on programming thereof through a controller to move back and forth in 3-30 second time intervals.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising implementing the conveyor belt associated with the weigh apparatus with a plurality of load cells to ensure uniformity of distribution of the plurality of strips thereon.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the weight of the block formed being between 10-500 lbs.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising delivering an exact aggregate density of the isolated and batched plurality of strips to the compression chamber for the compression therein.

7 . The method of claim 1 , comprising the plastic waste raw material being at least one of: plastic waste material bearing recycling at least one of Code 3, Code 4, Code 5, Code 6 and Code 7 and plastic waste material bearing recycling at least one of Code 1 and Code 2.

8 . The method of claim 1 , comprising processing up to 1 ton of the plastic waste raw material at the shredder per hour of time.

9 . A method of forming blocks having dimensional uniformity thereacross associated with building construction, comprising:

feeding, into a shredder, at least one of: plastic waste material bearing recycling Code 3, Code 4, Code 5, Code 6 and Code 7 and plastic waste material bearing recycling Code Land Code 2 having a dimensional length of 1 inch to 20 feet and a dimensional height of 0.0393 inches to 2 inches;

shredding, via the shredder, the at least one of: the plastic waste material bearing recycling Code 3, Code 4, Code 5, Code 6 and Code 7 and the plastic waste material bearing recycling Code 1 and Code 2 into a plurality of strips having a uniform dimensional width of 0.120 inches to 1 inch;

weighing the plurality of strips at a weigh apparatus in accordance with:

triggering agitation of a conveyor belt associated with the weigh apparatus on which the plurality of strips is weighed upon weighing of ˜50% of a desired weight of a block of the blocks to be formed in terms of the plurality of strips;

the shredding of the at least one of: the plastic waste material bearing recycling Code 3, Code 4, Code 5, Code 6 and Code 7 and the plastic waste material bearing recycling Code 1 and Code 2 only until the plurality of strips collected and weighed is equal in weight to the desired weight of the block; and

isolating and batching the plurality of strips collected and weighed; and

compressing the isolated and batched plurality of strips in a compression chamber to form the block based on:

steam-sanitizing the isolated and batched plurality of strips in the compression chamber with steam having a temperature varying from 220° F. to 850° F. and a pressure of 30-500 PSI and introduced intermittently across regions of the compression chamber;

solely activating a base polymer of each of the isolated and batched plurality of strips in accordance with the temperature of the intermittently introduced steam directly affecting the isolated and batched plurality of strips while leaving other constituent elements thereof chemically unaffected and the base polymer also unaffected in terms of a phase change thereof; and

forming the block based on, in accordance with the varying temperature of the steam, adherence of the base polymer of the each of the isolated and batched plurality of strips to the base polymer of another strip of the isolated and batched plurality of strips and compression thereof due to the intermittently introduced steam.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising additionally mixing at least one of the plurality of strips and the isolated and batched plurality of strips into entanglement therebetween based on movement thereof correspondingly at least one of: from the shredder to the weigh apparatus and from the weigh apparatus to the compression chamber.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein triggering agitation of the conveyor belt associated with the weigh apparatus based on programming thereof through a controller to move back and forth in 3-30 second time intervals.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising implementing the conveyor belt associated with the weigh apparatus with a plurality of load cells to ensure uniformity of distribution of the plurality of strips thereon.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising the weight of the block formed being between 10-500 lbs.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising delivering an exact aggregate density of the isolated and batched plurality of strips to the compression chamber for the compression therein.

15 . The method of claim 9 , comprising processing up to 1 ton of the at least one of plastic waste material bearing recycling Code 3, Code 4, Code 5, Code 6 and Code 7 and the plastic waste material bearing recycling Code 1 and Code 2 at the shredder per hour of time.

16 . A method of forming blocks having dimensional uniformity thereacross associated with building construction, comprising:

shredding, via a shredder, a plastic waste raw material having a dimensional length of 1 inch to 20 feet and a dimensional height of 0.0393 inches to 2 inches into a plurality of strips having a uniform dimensional width of 0.120 inches to 1 inch;

weighing the plurality of strips at a weigh apparatus in accordance with:

triggering agitation of a conveyor belt associated with the weigh apparatus on which the plurality of strips is weighed upon weighing of ˜50% of a desired weight of 10-500 lbs of a block of the blocks to be formed in terms of the plurality of strips;

continuing the shredding of the plastic waste raw material only until the plurality of strips collected and weighed is equal in weight to the desired weight of 10-500 lbs of the block; and

isolating and batching the plurality of strips collected and weighed;

delivering an exact aggregate density of the isolated and batched plurality of strips to a compression chamber; and

compressing the isolated and batched plurality of strips in the compression chamber to form the block based on:

steam-sanitizing the isolated and batched plurality of strips in the compression chamber with steam having a temperature varying from 220° F. to 850° F. and a pressure of 30-500 PSI and introduced intermittently across regions of the compression chamber;

solely activating a base polymer of each of the isolated and batched plurality of strips in accordance with the temperature of the intermittently introduced steam directly affecting the isolated and batched plurality of strips while leaving other constituent elements thereof chemically unaffected and the base polymer also unaffected in terms of a phase change thereof; and

forming the block based on, in accordance with the varying temperature of the steam, adherence of the base polymer of the each of the isolated and batched plurality of strips to the base polymer of another strip of the isolated and batched plurality of strips and compression thereof due to the intermittently introduced steam.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising additionally mixing at least one of: the plurality of strips and the isolated and batched plurality of strips into entanglement therebetween based on movement thereof correspondingly at least one off from the shredder to the weigh apparatus and from the weigh apparatus to the compression chamber.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein triggering agitation of the conveyor belt associated with the weigh apparatus based on programming thereof through a controller to move back and forth in 3-30 second time intervals.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising implementing the conveyor belt associated with the weigh apparatus with a plurality of load cells to ensure uniformity of distribution of the plurality of strips thereon.

20 . The method of claim 16 , comprising the plastic waste raw material being at least one of: plastic waste material bearing recycling Code 3, Code 4, Code 5, Code 6 and Code 7 and plastic waste material bearing recycling Code 1 and Code 2.

Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 17131019 · Dec 22, 2020
Related Publication 20240100741A1 · Mar 28, 2024
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