Method of producing shaped articles from reinforced composites
US4770838A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 12, 1986 |
| Grant date | Sep 13, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 12, 2006 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB29L2009/00
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method of shaping a body of thermoformable material containing continuous filaments comprising selecting a shaping polymer material having a glass transition temperature which is greater than the glass transition temperature of the thermoformable material of the reinforced body, locating the reinforced thermoformable body between a pair of sheets of the selected shaping polymer, heating the assembly of reinforced body and shaping polymer sheets to a temperature at which the reinforced material can be formed and the shaping polymer can be stretched and applying a differential pressure preferably of not greater than 10 atmospheres, between opposite sides of the assembly of shaping polymer sheets and thermoformable body to induce a desired shaping of the reinforced thermoformable body and cause rearrangement of the filaments relative to each other. The method permits shaping of composite materials containing continuous fibres and greatly reduces the tendency of the fibres to buckle when the composite is shaped.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.