Patent · US Expired

Pre-fabricated vacuum bag and vacuum bag process to externally reinforce structural members with advanced composites

US5738741A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
11References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 26, 1996
Grant dateApr 14, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 26, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
  • CPC primaryE04G2023/0251
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A structural member is reinforced by applying an adhesive material between a reinforcement surface of the structural member and an adhesion surface of a support plate, positioning a vacuum assembly adjacent to an exposed surface of said support plate so as to create an inner space between an exterior surface of said vacuum assembly and said reinforcement surface, and creating a partial vacuum in said inner space so as to force said vacuum assembly and said plate towards said reinforcement surface. A prefabricated vacuum assembly is a vacuum assembly comprising a flexible porous film, a flexible non-porous film, and a flexible sheet of breather material positioned between said porous film and said non-porous film.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.