This invention relates to dead-folded plastic articles, more particularly to dead-folded articles of a fiber-reinforced plastic.
Paper and cardboard are currently used as containers for liquid and solvent materials, as light weight carriers such as for soft drink bottles and for many other similar articles.
Cardboard and cardboard materials have several disadvantages when used in such applications. For example, when wetted, paper and cardboard rapidly lose their strength. Even when not wetted, paper and cardboard materials are readily susceptible to tears and general wear and, therefore, do not have a useful life which is as long as desired.
It has therefore been attempted to substitute plastic materials for paper and cardboard in such applications.
However, plastic materials have not been found to be entirely satisfactory. Generally, plastic materials which are thin enough to substitute for paper or cardboard are not strong enough for the intended use. This is particularly true when the article is required to be load bearing as in a soft drink bottle carrier. Another problem is that plastic materials heretofore have not possessed the ability to be dead-folded, that is to remain in a folded position after folding and creasing.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a plastic article having improved physical physical properties and the ability to be dead-folded.