High strength paperboard panel
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Paperboard panel assemblies currently in use are formed of a multi-layered solid laminated chipboard as shown in the prior art drawing of FIG. 1B. 
     The laminated solid chipboard structures of the prior art typically comprise five or more layers, three of which are shown at 31, 32 and 33 of FIG. 1B. each layer must be fully joined to an adjacent layer by adhesives 35 as is known in the art. 
     Chipboard is a term known to those of skill in the art to signify paper products processed from, for example, waste paper materials and thus having relatively short fiber lengths contained therein as shown at numerals 40 in the prior art showing at FIG. 1B. 
     Because chipboard is, by definition, formed of short fiber length materials, it inherently has low original position memory. That is, once bent, chipboard is unable to successfully return to its original desired flat position. Because of such low memory by chipboard products, it has been required to typically utilize five or more chipboard layers in the formation of paperboard panels. The required usage of such a high number of chipboard layers has increased adhesives costs and manufacturing time and materials costs generally. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a panel structure which is less costly to manufacture and ship than the conventionally used laminated solid chipboard design. 
     It is a further object to reduce manufacturing costs by effectively using air cells within the panel assembly to reduce overall materials costs. 
     It is a still further object of the invention to significantly reduce the cost of adhesives used in the production of panels. 
     It is a further object to demonstrate a panel construction which can be bent without the cracking inherent in prior art designs. 
     It is a still further object to provide a panel construction which has a higher original position memory than has been heretofore known in the art. 
     It is a further significant object of the present invention to produce a paperboard panel having the same or increased thickness as prior art designs while decreasing panel weight and improving panel durability. 
     It is also an object of the invention to demonstrate an advantageous paperboard panel construction which utilizes an undulated midstratum layer having significantly longer average fiber lengths relative to an overlayer and underlayer which are formed of chipboard materials having significantly shorter average fiber lengths therein. 
     It is a further highly significant object of the present invention to produce a paperboard panel having a higher degree of bending resistance in all direction as compared to prior art systems heretofore known. Such is accomplished by means of a particular grain alignment pattern. 
     Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, and the features of novelty characterizing the invention will be pointed outwith particularity. 
     PRIOR ART PATENTS 
     The most closely related prior art patents presently known to the inventor herein are listed as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 2,064,122 issued to Krannert on Dec. 15, 1936; U.S. Pat. No. 2,064,327 issued to Upson on Dec. 15, 1936; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,384 issued to Adelman et al on April 25, 1978. 
     As illustrated by the above patents, the use of a sinuous internal layer in metal or paperboard constructions has been heretofore known in the art. However, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the use of outer shorter fiber-length chipboard layers in conjunction with a longer fiber-length central undulating layer of paperboard has not been utilized in the prior art in the manner of the specifically claimed invention described herein. 
     As will be fully described, the particular grain alignment pattern utilized by the inventor to achieve a high degree of bending resistance is not shown in the prior art especially in the specific combination set forth herein. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1A is a side sectional view illustrating the construction details of the present invention. 
     FIG. 1B is a view. similar to FIG. 1A which illustrates the prior art solid laminated chipboard construction currently used for paperboard panels. 
     FIG. 2 is an overall view of a panel utilizing the principles of the present invention which illustrates, in schematic form, the important arrangement of the chipboard grain lines in relation to the channels formed in a midstratum layer. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in FIG. 1A, the panel construction of the present invention comprises an overlayer 51 of chipboard having relatively shorter fiber lengths 60 contained therein. Underlayer 52 also comprises chipboard material with corresponding shorter fiber lengths 60. 
     FIG. 1A further illustrates an undulated midstratum layer 53 wherein the upper undulation portions are bonded by adhesive 58 to overlayer 51. Similarly, the lower undulation portions are bonded by adhesive shown at 59. 
     In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1A, the undulated midstratum layer 53 is further shown as being comprised of a paperboard material having relatively longer fiber lengths 70 as compared to the shorter fiber lengths 60 shown in the overlayer 51 and the underlayer 52. 
     By reason of the construction of FIG. 1A, it is seen that air cells or spaces 55 are formed internally of the panel structure thus reducing the materials cost in the overall manufacture of the present design. In effect, air spaces are used in place of the chipboard product. It is also apparent that the amount of adhesives 58, 59 required by the inventor&#39;s design is greatly reduced as compared to the adhesive requirements shown at 35 of prior art FIG. 1B. 
     While very significantly reducing manufacturing costs, the inventor herein has also discovered that a superior end product is produced. The longer fiber length 70 materials used in the undulating midstratum layer result in a greater original position memory for the overall structure--i.e. it tends to spring back to its original desired flat position if bent as contrasted to the low memory solid chipboard (FIG. 1B) which tends to crack if bent from its desired flat position. 
     The undulated shape of the midstratum layer also produces a spring-like effect for the overall panel 50 so that it is more resilient when subject to bending or other potentially destructive usages. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates another highly significant aspect of the present invention. As before, layers 51 and 52 comprise the chipboard overlayer and underlayer respectively. As shown, the chipboard layers 51 and 52 have grain lines G which run from right to left in FIG. 2. As is known generally in the papermaking arts, the grain line refers to the arrangement or direction of fibers forming the paper. 
     As is further illustrated in FIG. 2, the channels formed by way of the undulations in the midstratum layer 53 are shown by arrows C as being at right angles to the grain lines G. 
     The significance of the constructional arrangement shown in FIG. 2 is that a very high degree of bending resistance is achieved. If, for example, the panel of FIG. 2 is grasped at edges Y and a bending force is applied, such force is strongly resisted by reason of the longitudinal strength of the undulating midstratum layer 53. If the panel of FIG. 2 is grasped at edges X and a bending force is applied, such force is strongly resisted by reason of the grain lines G in the chipboard layers 51 and 52; in effect, the force is being applied against the grain and thus the panel has a high degree of bending resistance in this direction also. 
     The importance of the above feature, i.e. chipboard grain lines of panels 51 and 52 being aligned at right angles to the midstratum layer channels, lies in the fact that a much more durable and long lasting panel is produced as compared to structures heretofore known in the art. Thus, the paperboard panel of the present invention may be utilized in many high stress area in which prior art weaker paperboard structures would not be suitable. The paperboard panel of the present invention is virtually unbendable in normal contemplated usages. 
     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the present invention greatly reduces materials costs and product production time. The weight of the end product panel is significantly reduced thus reducing shipping costs. A thick and durable panel structure is achieved by substituting air spaces and an undulated midstratum layer for the more costly chipboard. 
     It is further highly significant that, relative to the prior art, the caliper or thickness of a panel may be increased without adding weight to the unit by reason of the air cell structure of the present invention. 
     As will be appreciated, a 1/2-inch thick panel formed utilizing the principles of the invention herein weighs significantly less than a solid 1/2-inch chipboard panel, thus reducing shipping weight and cost while increasing product durability. 
     Finally, the product is more resilient and less susceptible to the cracking problems inherent in the prior art solid laminated chipboard designs. 
     It is contemplated that adhesives cost savings on the order of 75 percent may be realized by use of the present invention. Further, the use of a product having less internal adhesives results in lower product warpage as compared to chipboard panel system heretofore known in the art. 
     It is anticipated that the novel panel construction of the present invention will find widespread use in all systems which currently utilize the solid laminated chipboard design. 
     In practice of the invention, it is contemplated that the fibers 60 shown in the over and under chipboard layers 51 and 52 would have an average fiber length of 2 mm or less. It is further contemplated that the fibers 70 in the undulating midstratum layer 53 would have an average fiber length of at least 5 mm or more with the possibility of ranging up to 25 mm or more if a higher quality kraft process paper is utilized as the midstratum layer 53. 
     It is again emphasized that overall product weight and cost are reduced by reason of the air cells 55 which reduce the number of chipboard layers required in a paperboard panel construction. Simultaneously, the durability of the overall paperboard panel 50 is dramatically increased by reason of the undulating midstratum layer 53 and the relatively longer fiber lengths 70 contained therein which, as has been noted, improve the original position memory of the overall panel 50. 
     Overall panel strength and durability are also dramatically increased by reason of the chipboard grain line orientation previously described with reference to FIG. 2. 
     While there has been illustrated and described what is at present considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated that numerous changes and modifications are likely to occur to those of skill in the art, and it is intended herein to cover all those changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.