US 12,447,656 B2
Materials and methods
Christopher Douglas James Spooner, Bracknell (GB); Lyn David Jones, Fleet (GB); and Lloyd Morris Wye, Farnborough (GB)
Assigned to QINETIQ LIMITED, Hampshire (GB)
Appl. No. 18/274,171
Filed by QinetiQ Limited, Farnborough (GB)
PCT Filed Jan. 20, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/051168
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 25, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/161835, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 4, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2101160 (GB), filed on Jan. 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0424720 A1, Dec. 26, 2024
Int. Cl. B29C 44/42 (2006.01); B29C 44/34 (2006.01); B29L 31/34 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 44/428 (2013.01) [B29C 44/3415 (2013.01); B29L 2031/34 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming a shaped foamed polymer article in a mould tool system from a polymer composition, wherein:
said polymer composition comprises a polymer and a foaming agent;
said mould tool system comprises a core part and a cavity part;
said core part and cavity part are engaged with one another to form a mould cavity;
a polymer insert is located in the mould cavity;
further wherein said method comprises:
heating the polymer composition to a temperature at or above the melting temperature of the polymer composition to form a foamed polymer composition;
heating the mould cavity to a temperature at or above the melting temperature of the foamed polymer composition;
heating a surface layer of the polymer insert to a temperature which is at or greater than a melting temperature of the polymer insert;
feeding the heated foamed polymer composition into the mould cavity such that the heated foamed polymer composition is overmoulded on to the polymer insert while the surface layer of the polymer insert is at or above the melting temperature;
cooling the mould cavity to a temperature below the melting temperature of the foamed polymer composition.