Abstract:
A decorative article is produced by creating a preform comprised of a solidified puddled mass of resin from a molten stream of resin discharged down onto a collecting surface. The preform is trimmed, reheated to be smoothed and selectively reshaped, and providing with a mounting to create a decorative article. The purge discharged from an injection molding machine is utilized to create a preform to recover the cost of the purged resin otherwise discarded or recycled.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Ser. No. 60/218,885, filed on Jul. 18, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention concerns decorative articles comprised of three dimensional abstract shapes or fanciful figures to be displayed.  
           [0003]    Decorative articles of this type are typically sculpted from such materials as wood, stone, plaster, cast metal, or welded together pieces of metal, etc. Blown glass is also used to form such decorative articles.  
           [0004]    Such articles require considerable effort to produce. Further, the resultant articles have an undesirable similarity to each other.  
           [0005]    It is the object of the present invention to provide an abstract or fanciful figure shaped decorative article and a process for producing the same which provides a unique look of each individual pieces, and involves the use of a preform which allows a quicker and easier completion of such decorative articles even through having a largely unique appearance.  
           [0006]    There has been a longstanding effort to utilize a high strength resin such as polycarbonate for automotive glazing panels, which appears close to becoming a commercial reality. The huge production volumes in involved in the automotive industry would create a considerable volume of purged resin.  
           [0007]    It is a further object of the present invention to create a use for such purge resin so as to reduce the amount of material waste and the recycling efforts required.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The above recited object, as well as other objects which will become apparent upon a reading of the following specification and claims are achieved by injecting plastic resin from a port from some distance above a surface to allow a randomly shaped mass of plastic to form when the resin hardens.  
           [0009]    The resinous mass is then cleaned, and sharp appendages removed as by cutting them away.  
           [0010]    The resinous mass may be reheated for reshaping to modify the appearance as desired.  
           [0011]    The finished article may be mounted on a base and/or hook for wall mounting. The preforms can be combined using pin connections to create a composite article.  
           [0012]    So called “purge regrind” may be salvaged to enhance the value of the resin normally simply sold at low prices for recycling. That is, the hardened masses of purged resin cleaned, suitably reworked, and adapted for table top or wall mounting. This provides a use for purge material which creates economic return recycling and obviate the need for recycling.  
           [0013]    This has particular application to injection molding of clear or tinted polycarbonate of the type used for automotive glazing, as polycarbonate is strong and durable to allow the creation of decorative articles able to withstand incidental handling despite having thin portions which are not unduly fragile. The transparency of this material also results in particularly attractive decorative articles, and the varying thicknesses of portions of the articles creates a varying transparency trending to opaqueness, adding to the visual appeal of the articles. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a diagram of the process of creating a preform according to the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first decorative article crafted using the preform and process according to the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second decorative article crafted using the preform and process according to the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a third decorative article crafted using the preform and process according to the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a fourth decorative article crafted using the preform and process according to the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fifth decorative article crafted using the preform and process according to the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a sixth decorative article crafted using the preform and process according to the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a seventh decorative article crafted using the preform and process according to the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a eighth decorative article crafted using the preform and process according to the present invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a ninth decorative article crafted using the preform and process according to the present invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a tenth decorative article crafted using the preform and process according to the present invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a eleventh decorative article crafted using the preform and process according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0026]    In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims.  
         [0027]    Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts diagrammatically a source  10  of molten resin under pressure, such as a standard commercial injection molding machine, from which a stream  12  of molten resin such as polycarbonate is issuing, collecting on a surface  14  disposed beneath the source  12 .  
         [0028]    An injection machine normally has a purge port from which there is a discharge of plastic during a purge cycle required to clear the internal chambers when shutting down or changing over resins. According to one aspect of the invention, such purged resin is utilized as a preform for constructing a decorative article to gain value from the material and avoid the need to regrinding to recycle the material or to dispose of the same in a landfill.  
         [0029]    Alternatively, a preform can also be made by injecting resin from the injection port of the machine rather than reclaiming purged material. Similarly, a heated reservoir which has an injection port from which molten resin is controllably discharged by the pressure of compressed air (not shown) as a low cost alternative to a commercial injection machine.  
         [0030]    The resin stream issues for a distance of several feet about the surface such that long appendages may form on the mass of resin after cooling. The main quantity of resin collects in a puddle, with randomly generated contours which will typically be unique for each injection cycle.  
         [0031]    Preferably, a polycarbonate resin is used, clear or tinted as this has been found to be sufficiently hard when cooled to be durable and yields visually interesting masses of cooled resin suitable preforms for forming a decorative article. However, other resins such as acrylics, etc. maybe used.  
         [0032]    The volume of the resin charge ejected may also be varied to produce an article of a certain size range of article. The resin may be clear, tinted, colored, or contains visually appealing granules.  
         [0033]    In many instances, the thin streams often fold back and forth and sink into the collecting mass, creating a whorled surface texture.  
         [0034]    After cooling, the hardened resinous mass  16  is collected and cleaned of any adhering impurities.  
         [0035]    The appearance of the resinous mass  16  is appraised for potential decorative looks.  
         [0036]    Unwanted appendages formed by hardened resin streams may be pruned with a suitable tool. The mass  16  can also be carved using a portable grinding/cutting tool such as a Dremel® tool.  
         [0037]    A heat gun may be used to heat certain areas to smooth the same, as by rubbing with gloves.  
         [0038]    Appendages can be heated in this way to be bent, reshaped, etc.  
         [0039]    Reheating the whole resinous mass  16  allows bending of the main parts of the resinous mass  16  as desired to create a desired appearance.  
         [0040]    The collection surface  14  can be flat (or contoured) and at ambient temperatures, and textured, heated or cooled to produce a variety of characteristic shaping of the result preform.  
         [0041]    The finished article can be mounted on a base or support for a table top display or provided with a hook for a wall display. If the article is stable in the displayed position, the base may be dispensed with.  
         [0042]    FIGS.  2 - 12  depict variously shaped decorative articles which are representative of the diverse appearance that the articles may take.  
         [0043]    In FIG. 2, a puddled shaped article  18  is shown having a broad “tail”  20  which has been bent upwardly. The article  18  is adapted to be displayed by being rested on a horizontal surface  19 .  
         [0044]    In FIG. 3, an article  22  has a forward portion  24  bent up and a rear “feathered” portion  26  bent down, again this article  22  able to rest stably on a horizontal surface  23 .  
         [0045]    In FIG. 4, the article  28  suggesting a bird-like shape is supported on edge in an upright portion by a base  30  gripping a lower portion.  
         [0046]    An appendage  32  has been bent over the main mass. The surface  34  is textured by whorls of the stream sinking into the main mass, which is translucent.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 5 shows an article  38  formed from a hardened narrow stream  40  and an appendage  47 .  
         [0048]    The puddle stream portion  40  has been bent to form a curved step and the appendage angled up sharply. A base  44  provides a support.  
         [0049]    In FIG. 6, an article  46  is formed from a more rounded puddle portion  48  has thin vertical appendages  50  projecting therefrom.  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 7 shows a composite article  52  formed by a lower mass  54  having an upper piece  56  connected thereto by pins  58 .  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 8 shows an article  60  support upright on a base leg  62 ., with wing-like appendages  64  and head-like appendage  66 .  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 9 shows a swan-like article  68  having a curved upright appendage  70 .  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 10 shows an article  72  having downwardly extending appendages  74 , suggesting a legged animal.  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 11 shows a more massive article  76  suggesting a wave shape.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 12 shows a smaller sized article  78  with a dished shape.  
         [0056]    The discharge of purged charges of resin onto a surface where a resin stream collects in a puddle mass has been found to be useful for providing preforms to be reworked into decorative articles, which use solves the problem associated with recycling or discarding of this material as has been done in the past.  
         [0057]    This reworking has been found to create highly aesthetic decorative articles which may be sold at attractive prices, creating a market value to obviate the need for recycling or discard of waste material in landfills.