Material for the fabrication of sails
US5333568A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 17, 1992 |
| Grant date | Aug 2, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 17, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/31663
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
An improved reinforced laminate for use in sails or other flexible sheet or membrane applications utilizes a pull-truded thin lightweight reinforcing sheet of unidirectional extruded monofilaments in which the reinforcing sheet or sheets form one or more uni-tapes laminated to a polymer film such as Mylar, or other extended sheet of material. The monofilaments are uniformly embedded in the uni-tape via an elastomeric polymer matrix, with the reinforcing sheet, when incorporated into sails via lamination resulting in sails with reinforcing monofilaments having diameters 5 times less than conventional strands or threads. The use of small diameter monofilaments greatly increases the monofilament-over-monofilament crossover density, resulting in a dramatic increase in shear strength, and Youngs' Modulus, with an accompanying dramatic decrease in weight. In one embodiment the improvement in specific modulus over conventional sail laminates is about six-fold. For example, at only one-third the weight, stretch resistance is two times better. In a preferred embodiment, autoclaving is used in the lamination process to rid the laminate of voids which dramatically reduce shear strength by as …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.