CA2612232C

CA2612232C - Hollow wall base

Info

Publication number: CA2612232C
Application number: CA2612232A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Curtis F. Johnston
Original assignee: Johnsonite Inc
Current assignee: Tarkett USA Inc
Priority date: 2005-07-05
Filing date: 2006-06-23
Publication date: 2011-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 2026-06-23
Also published as: MX339893B; US20070006545A1; US20080211144A1; EP1899540A4; EP1899540A2; US7556758B2; CA2612232A1; MX2007016448A; WO2007005342A3; WO2007005342A2

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a flexible, extruded plastic wall base with a hollow core is presented. The method includes using extrusion die for heating and extruding plastics using a multi-functional insert within the die and air pressure to create a hollow core in the wall base. The hollow core allows less material to flow though the die so that the die stays hotter and the flow of the extruded plastic is not impeded. The resulting extruded plastic wall base is comprised of a generally thick portion, a generally thin portion and a profile on the face or front of the wall base.

Description

HOLLOW WALL BASE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention [00011 The present invention relates generally to baseboards or wall bases.
The invention relates more specifically to an extruded plastic wall base with a hollow core, and methods for making such a wall base.
Description of Prior Art [00021 Baseboards and wall bases are known in the art as molding or trim applied at the base of a wall to complete the intersection of the wall and the floor.
These wall bases decorate as well as protect the wall from scuffing and impact from feet, vacuum cleaners, wheelchairs, dollies, wheeled furniture, etc. Furthermore, the wall bases protect the edge of the carpet or flooring adjacent to the wall. In addition, the wall bases can hide unsightly electrical, telephone or other wires, protecting the wires from damage and people from tripping over these wires or inadvertently touching them.
[00031 A variety of wall bases exist, including those made of wood, metal and plastic.
Wood wall bases are generally more expensive than plastic, and wood is considered to be more elegant, elaborate and traditional. However, the look of wood can be successfully emulated or evoked with well-constructed plastic wall bases.
Complex wall base profiles can be extruded from plastic more easily than machined from wood.
However, one disadvantage of using plastic is that solid plastic wall bases can be heavy, especially in contrast to wood wall bases. Extrusion molding of solid wall bases has additional problems. These solid wall bases are often quite thick and inflexible. Further, there may be warping or distortion due to uneven cooling of wall bases with uneven thicknesses and the solid, heavy, inflexible bases can be difficult to install. Moreover, warped or distorted wall bases may be unsightly.
[00041 In contrast to solid wall bases, those comprising one or two parts, with covers, are often used in conditions in which it is desired to install and hide telephone, electrical or other wires. In these situations, the wires are placed under the cover of the wall base. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,598,681 discloses a baseboard made from a resin material. This baseboard has two parts, a backwall which abuts with a room wall and a front cover. A hollow exists between the backwall and the front cover, and wires, such as telephone or electric wires, can be installed in this hollow space. A problem with the prior art is that the baseboard is comprised of more than one part, making manufacturing, shipping and installation difficult and expensive.
[0005] There is a need for a wall base which is lightweight, thinner than wood or solid plastic wall base, contains a minimal number of parts, and is easy and cost effective to manufacture, to ship and to install. The present invention fills the need for such a wall base in a unique manner.
Summary of the Invention [0006] An object of this invention is to provide a wall base which can be manufactured relatively quickly and easily.
[0007] A further object of this invention is to provide a plastic wall base which is lightweight and easy to handle.
[0008] Another object of this invention is to provide a plastic wall base which creates less scrap during its manufacture than prior art.
[0009] Yet another object of this invention is to provide a plastic wall base which is inexpensive to manufacture.
[0010] An additional object is to provide a plastic wall base which cools during manufacture in a uniform manner to avoid warping and distortion of the wall base.
[0011] It is an additional object to provide an integral wall base which can conceal wires.
[0012] A further object is to provide a wall base of complex configuration which can be molded in a fast manner without warping or incurring distortions to its shape.
[0013] Yet another object is the provision of a molded plastic wall base having a flat and curved front surface.
[0014] An additional object is to provide an extruded molded plastic wall base with thin and thick portions.
[0015] These and other objects will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment taken together with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings [0016] The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and wherein:
[0017] FIG. I is a perspective view of one embodiment of the wall base;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wall base during the extrusion process;
[0019] FIG. 3a is a back view of the wall base;
[0020] FIG. 3b is a bottom view of the wall base;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an assembly line for performing a manufacturing process according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
and [0022] FIG. 5 is a detailed view of some of the apparatus of the assembly line shown in FIG. 4.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment [0023] Referring to the drawings, which are used for illustration and not to limit the invention therewith, FIG. I shows a wall base 2 comprised of flexible plastic.
The wall base 2 has a rear wall 4, a front wall or front surface 6, a top 8 and a bottom 10.
The rear wall 4 is placed against a wall or other flat surface while the bottom 10 is placed against the floor or flooring surface. Front wall 6 has a lower flat portion 11 and a curved upper portion 13, although nearly any shape is possible according to the invention. Wall base 2 could be attached to a wall with bottom 10 slightly above the floor for receiving flooring such as tile, carpeting, planks, etc. beneath bottom 10. In a preferred embodiment, the wall base 2 is extruded and contains voids or hollowed out spaces 12 which generally follow the exterior shape of the wall base, having supports 14 between the front wall 6 and rear wall 4 for supporting rear wall 4, front wall 6 being the molding surface while the plastic is hot and thereafter.
However, the wall base appears to be solid when viewed from the front. Wall base is preferably produced by extrusion molding as discussed below. The voids 12 are provided to yield a product having generally uniform thickness throughout for substantially uniform rates of heat flow during the heating and cooling incurred during the extrusion process while having the heated fluid plastic material flow to all parts of the wall base. When the wall base 2 is installed in a room, the cavities created by these voids, chambers or hollowed out spaces 12 can hold various electrical and other wires, which are threaded through a selected space 12. The thickness of the walls must be thick enough to absorb impact after attachment to a wall without breaking, and many moldable materials are resilient enough to achieve this thickness.
Supports 14 extending transversely in the space between rear wall 4 and front wall 6 provide support against prolonged or impact forces on front wall 6 to prevent buckling, indention or piercing of front wall 6.
[0024] As explained above, spaces 12 provide a generally uniform wall thickness for each component of wall base 2 while giving the impression that wall base 2 has parts of varying thickness. Spaces 12 are preferably contoured to have the same configuration as the exterior of the part of wall base 11, 13 in which the space is located, to provide each of the walls with uniform thickness to prevent warping of the walls during their heating and cooling in the extrusion process. Thus, spaces 15 are rectangular, although they are broken up by supports 14. However, space 17 is defined by forward, interior curved wall 19 which generally matches that portion of curved portion 13 behind which space 17 is located. A uniform thickness is not possible if the surfaces do not match up with each other. Likewise, the flat rear part of space 17 is defined by flat wall 21. ' Spaces 12, 15, 17 do not necessarily have to be the same shape as the walls surrounding them. For example, a generally semi-hemispheric top bead 23 described further below, has a cylindrical space 25, but the walls are a generally uniform thickness.
[0024.1] In other words, wall base 2, which is a unitary hollow wall structure, has a rear or back wall 4 with a generally flat rear exterior surface 101 and a rear interior surface 103 which is also preferably generally flat. Rear wall 4 has a generally uniform thickness T. Wall base 2 further has a front wall 6, with a front exterior surface 105 and a front interior surface 107. Front wall 6 has the generally uniform thickness T. Wall base 2 has a vertical cross-section profile as shown in Fig.
1, shown by an imaginary plane defining the edges of rear exterior surface 101 and front exterior surface 105. Spaces 12 and 17 extend along the length of wall base 2 4a between rear wall 4 and front wall 6.
[0024.21 Front wall 6 is spaced by varying distances from back wall 4, as evidenced by curved upper portion 13 and back wall 4. There is no structure extending from back wall 4 in a direction opposite from front wall 6. Therefore, back wall 4 can rest flush against a flat vertical wall.
[0024.31 Front wall 6 has the general uniform surface T. Supports 14 have the general uniform thickness T; the various thicknesses T can vary somewhat, but the thickness T must be such that the walls with thickness T do not warp during the manufacture of wall base 2. An undulating portion 109 includes curved portion 13, another curved portion 111 and an elongated recess 40. Undulating portion 109 has the general uniform thickness T. A support 14 extends between rear interior surface 103 and undulating portion 109.
[0024.41 Front wall 6 has lower curved portion 111 with a lower curved exterior surface 113 and a lower curved interior surface 115. Front wall 6 has upper irregularly curved upper portion 13 having the general thickness T, an upper irregularly shaped exterior surface 117 and an upper irregularly shaped interior surface 119 which corresponds to surface 117. Support 14 extends from back wall 4 to the lower front portion of curved portion 111 and elongated recess 40. Top bead 23 has an exterior bead surface 121 and an interior bead surface 123.
[0024.51 Hollow wall structure 2 can also be considered vertically stacked sections, a first section 125 and a second section 127. Section 125 has back wall 4, with first rear exterior surface 101 and generally flat first rear interior surface 103.
Section 125 has a first front wall or curved upper surface 113 which has first front exterior surface 117 and first front interior surface 119. A first support 129 (one of supports 14) has a first upper connecting surface 131 distal from second section 127, and a first connecting lower surface 133 proximal second section 127. A second support 129 (one of supports 14 and being coincident with first support 129) includes second connecting upper surfaces 131 and second connecting lower surface 133.
[0024.6) Second section 127 includes a second back wall (a part of back wall 4) and has second rear exterior surface 101 and second rear interior surface 103.
Second 4b section 127 further has a second front wall 11 with its second front exterior surface 105 and second front interior surface 107. The second front exterior surface 105 has its exterior contour different from the exterior contour of first front exterior surface 117 of first front wall 13. Second front interior surface 107 has a second front interior contour which is substantially the same as the contour of said front exterior surface 107, and second front wall 11 has the general uniform thickness T. A
third support 135 connects the second back wall which is a portion of back wall 4 and the second front or lower portion 11. Third support 135 has a third connecting upper surface 137 proximal first section 125 and interconnects second rear interior surface (part of interior surface 103) and the second front interior surface 107.
Third support 135 further has a third lower connecting surface 139 distal first section 125 and interconnects surfaces 103 and 107. Third support 135 has the general uniform thickness T.
[0025] The wall base 2 can be manufactured relatively quickly and easily because of its generally hollow core. Wall base 2 is made from a thermoplastic plastic material suitable for extrusion. The materials include those known in the art, such as any of the appropriate types of vinyl, PVC, or rubber (including synthetic rubber).
Referring to FIG. 4, the raw materials are supplied to the extruders from a conventional supply unit 20. The plastic or similar material is preferably extruded from two separate extruders, a main extruder 22, and a side extruder 24 as shown in Fig. 4.
Extruders 22, 24 can be standard extruders known in the art for manufacturing wall bases of similar configuration to that of wall base 2 although generally being of thinner configuration since the prior units were thicker. The main extruder 22 heats the raw material to put it into an extrudable state and extrudes through appropriate dies a back layer material 16 (Fig. 2) which makes up about 90% of the finished wall base 2, including the front wall 6 having the profile of wall base 2. The side extruder 24 likewise heats the raw material to a fluid state and extrudes it through appropriate dies to yield a thin top coat layer 18 shown in Fig. 2, preferably having a thickness of about .040 of very high quality material for a wall base having a height of about 5.5 inches and a maximum thickness of about 0.75 inches. This is referred to as high quality material because it is a highly pigmented, no filler top coat. This very high quality material represents about 10% of the finished wall base material used.
The softened plastic flow during extrusion does not cool sufficiently to impede further flow through the respective dies and along the extrusion production line.
Because there is less plastic flowing through this system than found in the prior art, a multiple piece die 26 shown downstream of extruders 22, 24 stays hotter and thus the plastic flows quickly to reduce production time. The multiple piece die 26 is comprised of multiple machined parts that allow semi molten material to flow from the die.
The extrusion material is forced through the die by the force generated by the extruder. As the material passes through the die 26, it is formed into the shape of the wall base.
[00261 Die 26 establishes the profile of wall base 2 by defining the shape of front wall 6 and rear wall 4, and the cavities 12, 15, 17 and 25. As explained earlier, the cavities or voids 12, 15, 17, 25 make the finished product much lighter and easier to manipulate than a wood or solid plastic wall base. In a preferred embodiment, the wall base 2 is 3/4 inches thick at the widest point and is 5.5 inches tall.
The rear wall 4 can have ribs, grooves, a mixture thereof or other surface roughness on its exterior face to which adhesive could be applied during installation which would impede the flow of adhesive from rear wall 4.
[00271 The generally uniform wall thickness provides a fairly constant thickness for uniform cooling. However, the temperature must be low enough to prevent sagging under its own weight. Uniform cooling is required to obtain a smooth, finished look and profile of the wall base.

[0028] The process used to create the hollow wall base is preferably as follows, with reference to Fig. 4. Thermoplastic materials, such as vinyl, PVC or thermoplastic rubber, in the form of pellets, granules or powder from a supply unit 20 which is advantageously a pellet supplier, flow or are otherwise transported into both the main extruder 22 and the side extruder 24 which both feed into the multiple piece die 26 with a multi-functional insert 27 described below. As described above, the wall base back layer 16 flows from main extruder 22 and top coat layer 18 flows from side extruder 24. An air supply 28 is connected to the face of the die 26 to provide air pressure to assist in forming the spaces or chambers 12, 15, 17 and 25 within the wall base 2. The outer side or profile of the front wall 6 of the wall base 2 is formed by the profile cut into or otherwise provided in the die 26, and the internal chambers are formed by the die insert 27 as described below.
[0029] The insert 27 is attached to the die 26 by screws 34 within mounting holes, one on each side of the insert, as shown in Figure 5. The insert 27 has a hollow back bar (not shown), allowing air to pass through the insert and into the forward facing ends of the die 26. There are two screws 34 that hold the insert 27 in place within the die 26. Each screw 34 is drilled through its length creating air inlets 30, and an air line is connected to one of the screw heads, generally on the right side of the die. The air passes through the screw, into the hollow back bar of the insert, and out through the holes 32 in the front of the insert 27.
[0030] The insert 27 is made up of machined parts, which are positioned to allow the softened fluid plastic material to flow around them to form both the profile and the various internal chambers 12, 15, 17, 25 of the wall base 2, leaving voids in the areas of the machined parts. Turning first to the profile, a gap 31 is provided around insert 27 when it is mounted in die 26. Fluid plastic material, formed from both back layer 16 and top coat 18 fused together, flow through the gap 31 to define the profile. The remainder of the back layer 16 flows around and encapsulates the insert 27.
Second, to facilitate the internal chambers, compressed air is introduced from air supply 28 (Figure 4) into the insert 27 through air inlets 30 and this air escapes through holes or air outlets 32 in the insert 27, into the hollow chambers 12 being formed of the wall base. The addition of air from the air supply 28 helps the wall base form its shape by allowing the base to collapse under its own weight,while the material is still soft and not yet fixed or hardened into its permanent shape. This process is described in more detail below. The material must be cooled quickly in order for the material to retain its shape. Cooling the wall base causes the material to harden and retain its shape.
[0031] Main extruder 22 can be a 6 inch Thermatic Davis Standard. The side extruder 24 can be a 2.5 inch Davis Standard. The die 26 can form wall base 2 with one of various profiles such as a wedge-shaped base with a lip at the bottom, an undulating profile on a flat surface or the like, since insert 27 can be configured to produce numerous shapes which can have flat, regular or irregular curves, various inclines and the like. An embodiment of wall base 2 shown in Fig. I has a flat lower front portion 11 and an undulating upper portion having a generally semi-hemispherical top bead 23, curved portion 13 and an elongated recess 40. A
separate die is used for each style of profile.
[0032] Within the die 26, as shown in FIG. 4, the extruded solid plastic is formed into the desired profile with chambers 12. Material flows through die 26, and it takes from between I and 2 seconds for the material to enter and leave die 26. The temperature in the die is between 300 and 325 degrees F. During this extrusion process, the front wall 6 is separated from the internal supporting members 14 momentarily for about 2 to 3 seconds by the addition of continuous air pressure of about 2 psi through the air inlets 30. Water is applied to cool the front wall 6 by running water over the front wall 6 through a series of water hoses in the cooling tanks 42. Cooling adds stability and flatness to the face. The cooling and loss of air pressure causes the front wall 6 to lower itself to the supporting members 14, resting upon them.
[0033] The wall base back layer material 16 and thin top coat layer 18 are completely fused together in die 26, creating a fluid plastic material, through a combination of pressure created by the movement of material through the extruders and the resistance of that material moving through the restrictive opening in the die and the internal heat at a temperature of about 325 degrees F of the wall base material. This generates a maximum pressure of about 3000 psi within the die.
[0034] The internal heat of the front wall 6 and the supporting members 14 fuses the front wall to the supporting members. The wall base 2 material is pushed through and out of the die 26 under the pressures created by the extruders 22 and 24. As the wall base is extruded, the internal chambers or voids 12 are clearly visible. The open end of the wall base 2 (between the free ends of supporting members 14 and front wall 6), shown in Fig. 2, is closed by hand by pinching this open end between the thumb and fingers, to seal the chambers 12, because the material is still hot enough to stick to itself. Cooling water is thus prevented from entering the chambers when the wall base is placed into the cooling water tanks 42. From the die 26, the wall base 2 is initially manually pulled the length of the two cooling tanks by the extruder operator until the material reaches the mechanical or power puller 50. Each of the tanks 42, which, in a preferred embodiment, can be either a 30 foot (9 meter) or 40 foot (12 meter) trough, has at least one faucet 52; the tank can be on wheels enabling it to move towards and away from the die 26. The bath has chilled water with a temperature range of 50 F to 60 F (10 C to 16 C), to cool the extruded flexible wall base 2 whose temperature upon entering the bath exceeds 300 F (150 C).
[0035] After emerging from the cooling tanks 42, the wall base 2 is engaged by mechanical or powered puller 50. The puller 50, which can be a GoodmanTM, is maintained at a constant speed which can range from 15 to 20 FPM to ensure consistent size of the extruded wall base as it is pulled from the die 26. The extruded wall base 2 then passes into a cutter 54 and is cut to a pre-determined or desired length. The wall base is normally cut at a length of eight feet, but can be cut at any length, and proper packaging should be made available. The temperature of the extruders 22, 24, which can range from 275 to 350 degrees F, the machine speed settings, which range from 20 RPM to 40 RPM on the extruders, and the powered puller's 50 speed settings control the size or thickness of the wall base 2.
These settings must be fixed initially and monitored to assure size consistency.
Once operating speeds and part size are established, the wall base is cut and packaged for shipment.

[0036] Installation of the wall base is straightforward. The wall base 2 is cut to the desired length or removed from its packaging or both at the installation site.
Adhesive is applied to the back of the wall base. The wall base is applied to the wall, using the bottom as a locator and leveler against the floor, assuming the bottom 10 rests on the floor and the floor is sufficiently flat. Otherwise, other leveling and locating means known in the art are used. If desired, wires can be fished through the wall base during the installation process, either prior to the attachment of the wall base to a wall during which time the wall base can be moved, or after installation. An appropriate tool could be used to grasp the wire and pull or push it through a selected opening or hollow chamber 12. In contrast to prior art, the installation of wires into the wall base is straightforward because the wires are supported by the wall base as they are fished through it; in the prior art, the wires must be laid or placed into a baseboard, which is a more cumbersome process.
[0037] The present invention solves a prior problem of wall bases which are expensive, heavy and inflexible. The inventive product has more uniform thickness and can be made with fewer surface and dimensional imperfections and can be extruded faster because of the lower wall thickness. This is so even though the inventive wall base apparently has varying thicknesses which were not previously possible in large scale commercial processes using plastic or rubber materials. The lighter weight wall base is also easier to cut and to install, and less expensive to ship than a heavier, solid wall base. However, after installation, the product appears to be solid, emulating more expensive wall bases.
[0038] The invention has been described with particular emphasis on the preferred embodiments. It should be appreciated that these embodiments are described for purposes of illustration only, and that numerous alterations and modifications may be practiced by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that all such modifications and alterations be included insofar as they come within the scope of the invention or the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure made from thermoplastic heated at least to the flowing point of the thermoplastic, for being applied to a support wall, said wall structure having a top and a bottom when applied to the support wall and being of lower weight than an equally sized wall structure made from wood, said extruded thermoplastic unitary wall structure comprising:
a generally uniform thickness throughout the wall base;
a back wall for attachment to the support wall, said back wall having a generally flat rear exterior surface and a rear interior surface, said back wall having a generally uniform thickness T;
a front wall being spaced by varying distances from said back wall to define a vertical cross-sectional profile viewed through an imaginary plane extending through the top and bottom of the wall structure and perpendicular to the back wall, said front wall including a front interior surface and a front exterior surface, said front wall having the generally uniform thickness T; and spaces running through the wall structure between said back wall and said front wall;
said extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure being devoid of structure extending from said back wall in a direction opposite from the front wall.

2. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claim 1, wherein the configurations of said front interior surface and said front exterior surface correspond to each other, and each includes an undulating portion on at least part of the corresponding front interior and exterior surfaces.

3. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said front wall further has at least one generally flat front wall portion, and said wall structure further comprises supports extending between said at least one generally flat front wall portion and said back wall, said supports having the generally uniform thickness T.

4. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claims 2 or 3, and further comprising at least one support extending from said generally rear interior surface to the interior surface of said undulating portion, said at least one support has the generally uniform thickness T.

5. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claims 3 or 4 wherein said at least one support is at least one support wall.

6. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein top of said front wall and said back wall generally merge together, and said hollow wall structure further comprises a hollow bead extending above the merged tops of said front wall and said back wall, said hollow wall bead having a longitudinal cavity extending therethrough for defining walls having said generally uniform thickness T.

7. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claim wherein said front wall has both a lower front portion having a lower curved exterior surface and a lower curved interior surface parallel to and spaced from said lower curved exterior surface by the general uniform thickness T, and an upper front portion having an upper irregularly shaped exterior surface and an upper irregularly shaped interior surface following the shape of said upper irregularly shaped exterior surface, said upper irregularly shaped exterior surface and said upper irregularly shaped interior surface being spaced apart by the general uniform thickness T;
said extruded, thermoplastic hollow wall structure further comprising:
at least one support extending from said back wall to said lower front portion; and a bead extending along the top of said wall structure and having a cavity extending therethrough to define an exterior bead surface and an interior bead surface, said exterior bead surface being spaced from said interior bead surface by the general uniform thickness T.

8. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claim wherein said wall structure further comprises a first section and a second section, said first and second sections being vertically stacked when in use;
said first section comprising:
a first back wall having both a generally flat first rear exterior surface and a generally flat first rear interior surface, said generally flat first rear exterior surface and said generally flat first rear interior surface being spaced apart by a predetermined distance for defining the generally uniform thickness T;

a first front wall opposite said first back wall, said first front wall including:

a first front exterior surface having a first front exterior contour; and a first front interior surface having a first front interior contour corresponding to and being substantially the same as said first front exterior contour, wherein the distance between said first front exterior surface and said first front interior surface is the general uniform thickness T; and a first support distal said second section connecting said first back wall and said first front wall, said first support including:
a first connecting upper surface distal said second section, said first connecting upper surface interconnecting said first rear interior surface and said first front interior surface;
and a first connecting lower surface proximal said second section, said first connecting lower surface interconnecting said first rear interior surface and said first front interior surface, the distance between said first connecting upper surface and said first connecting lower surface equaling the general uniform thickness T;

a second support proximal said second section connecting said first back wall and said first front wall, said second support including:

a second connecting upper surface distal said second section, said second connecting upper surface interconnecting said first rear interior surface and said first front interior surface; and a second connecting lower surface proximal said second section, said second connecting lower surface interconnecting said first rear interior surface and said first front interior surface, the distance between said second upper connecting surface and said second lower connecting surface equaling the general uniform thickness T;
said second section comprising:
a second back wall having a second rear exterior surface and a second rear interior surface, said second back wall being coplanar with said first back wall, wherein the distance between said second rear exterior surface and said second rear interior surface equals the general uniform thickness T;
a second front wall including:
a second front exterior surface having a second front exterior contour different from the exterior contour of said first front wall; and a second front interior surface with a second front interior contour corresponding to and being substantially the same as said second front exterior contour wherein the distance between said second front exterior surface and said second front interior surface generally equals said general uniform thickness T; and a third support connecting said second back wall and said second front wall, said third support including:
a third connecting upper surface proximal said first section, said third connecting upper surface interconnecting said second rear interior surface and said second front interior surface; and a third connecting lower surface distal said first section, said third connecting lower surface interconnecting said second rear interior surface and said second front interior surface, the distance between said third connecting upper surface and said third connecting lower surface equaling the general uniform thickness T;
said first rear interior surface, said first front interior surface and said second connecting upper surface defining at least part of a first section space;
and said second rear interior surface, said second front interior surface, and said third connecting upper surface defining at least part of a second section space, said second section space having at least one of a different size and shape from the shape of said first section space.

9. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claim 8, wherein said first support is or is proximal the upper wall of said wall structure when said wall structure is in use.

10. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claim 8, wherein said first section is a top section when said wall structure is in use, said wall structure further comprising a hollow bead on top of said first section, said hollow wall bead having a longitudinal cavity extending therethrough for defining walls having said generally uniform thickness T.

11. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claim 8, wherein said third support is a bottom wall of said wall structure when said wall structure is in use, and said third connecting lower surface is an inclined bottom surface wherein said bottom surface is not perpendicular to said first back wall or said second back wall.

12. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claim 1 wherein said wall structure further comprises a first section and a second section;
said first section comprising:
a first back wall including:
a first rear exterior surface having a first rear exterior contour;
a first rear interior surface, the thickness of said first back wall having the general uniform thickness T of said wall structure;
a first front wall including:
a first front exterior surface having a first front exterior contour;
a first front interior surface with a first front interior contour corresponding to and being substantially the same as said first front exterior contour, wherein the distance between said first front exterior surface and said first front interior surface is said general uniform thickness T;
said second section comprising:
a second back wall including:
a second rear exterior surface having a second rear exterior contour substantially the same as said first rear exterior contour;
a second rear interior surface, said second back wall being an extension of said first back wall, wherein the distance between said second rear exterior surface and said second rear interior surface is the general uniform thickness T;
a second front wall including:
a second front exterior surface with a second front exterior contour different from the first front exterior contour of said first front wall;
a second front interior surface with a second front interior contour corresponding to and being substantially the same as said second front exterior contour;
the distance between said second front exterior surface and said second front interior surface is said general uniform thickness T;

at least one second support extending between said second front interior surface and said second rear interior surface;
wherein said first rear exterior contour and said second rear exterior contour are different from at least one of either said first front exterior contour and said second front exterior contour.

13. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claim 1 wherein said back wall has a continuous, flat rear exterior surface and a rear interior surface, said rear exterior surface and said rear interior surface defining the general uniform thickness T;
wherein said front wall has a front exterior surface and a front interior surface having the general uniform thickness T, said front interior surface corresponding to said front exterior surface; and said hollow wall structure further comprising:
at least one support wall extending between and being confined to said rear interior surface and said front interior surface, and not extending beyond either of said front wall and said back wall, said at least one support wall adding structural support to said front wall and having the general uniform thickness T; and wherein said back wall, said front wall and said at least one support wall define at least two defined spaces, said defined spaces being defined at least in part by and terminating at said front interior surface of said front wall, said rear interior surface of said rear wall and said at least one support wall.

14. An extruded, thermoplastic unitary hollow wall structure according to claim 13, wherein at least part of said front wall forms the forward wall of at least one defined space between said at least part of said front wall and said back wall.