Patent · US Expired

Method of dispensing chopped reinforcement strand using a vortex nozzle

US6029897A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
26References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 19, 1998
Grant dateFeb 29, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 19, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S239/08
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A method of dispensing a reinforcement strand includes the steps of chopping the reinforcement strand into discrete reinforcement fibers, directing the discrete reinforcement fibers into a dispensing nozzle so that the discrete reinforcement fibers travel along a path extending generally along a longitudinal axis of the nozzle, introducing a fluid into the nozzle in a circumferential direction with respect to the longitudinal axis, thereby creating a vortex of the fluid surrounding the discrete reinforcement fibers in the nozzle, dispensing the discrete length reinforcement fibers from the nozzle as a flow, and controlling the flow of fibers dispensed from the nozzle by controlling the fluid introduced into the nozzle.

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