High tensile strength fabric seams, weldable fabric tabs and the preparation of reduced weight inflatables

A reinforced curved seam joining two flexible composite laminates (FCLs) comprising:

• three continuous welds between a first FCL (860), a second FCL (870), and a reinforcement FCL (840), and arranged to form an intraseam space (815) comprising
• a continuous first weld (831) comprising a homogeneous, fused monolayer (806) formed from a meltable layer (814) of the reinforcement FCL (840) and a meltable layer (804) of the first FCL (860),
• a continuous second weld (833) comprising a homogeneous, fused monolayer (807) formed from the meltable layer (814) of the reinforcement FCL (840), a meltable layer (813) of the reinforcement FCL (840), and a meltable layer (805) of the second FCL (870), and
• a continuous third weld (835) arranged equidistant or nearly equidistant from the continuous first weld (831) and the continuous second weld (833) comprising a homogeneous, fused monolayer (806) formed from the meltable layers (804 and 805),
• the continuous first weld (831), the continuous second weld (833), the continuous third weld (835), the first FCL (860), the second FCL (870), and the reinforcement FCL (840) arranged to form the intraseam space (815),
• wherein
• the first FCL (860) has a curved edge (861) and the meltable layer (804) on its inner face;
• the second FCL (870) has a curved edge (871) and the meltable layer (805) on its inner face;
• the reinforcement FCL (840) comprises
• a folded third FCL (810) comprising a curved edge (809) and three or more folded tabs (808), the folded tabs (808) being formed from two or more cuts (832) oriented perpendicular to the curved edge (809) and extending to a midline (811), the tabs (808) being folded along the midline (811) to provide an exposed face (817) having the meltable layer (813), and
• a folded fourth FCL (820) comprising a curved edge (819) and three or more folded tabs (818), the folded tabs (818) being formed from two or more cuts (842) oriented perpendicular to the curved edge (819) and extending to a midline (821) to provide an exposed face (827) having the meltable layer (814), and an inner face (826) having the meltable layer (813),
• wherein the meltable layer (813) of the folded third FCL (810) is joined to the meltable layer (813) of the folded fourth FCL (820) by providing a heat means to a surface;
• each of the third folded FCL (810), the fourth folded FCL (820), the first FCL (860), and the second FCL (870) comprises a plurality of stacked, unidirectionally oriented medium or high density polyethylene fibers arranged in cross-plied monolayers (201 and 202) and embedded in a plastic matrix (103);
• the curved edges (861, 871, 809, and 819) are aligned and juxtaposed;
• and
• the number of cuts (832 and 842) are configured so that each inner edge of the folded tabs (808 and 818) is oriented within 88 and 90 degrees relative to the curved edges (861 and 871) so as to maintain no more than a 6 millimeter (mm) distance between the mid-point of the section of the midline (811 and 821) comprising the fold of each of the folded tabs (808 and 818) and a corresponding arc representing a true curvature (873 and 883) of the midline (811 and 821).

A reinforced curved seam joining two flexible composite laminates (FCLs) comprising:

• three continuous welds between a first FCL (960), a second FCL (970), and a reinforcement FCL (940), and arranged to form an intraseam space (915) comprising
• a continuous first weld (931) comprising a homogeneous, fused monolayer (906) formed from a meltable layer (914) of the reinforcement FCL (940) and a meltable layer (904) of the first FCL (960),
• a continuous second weld (933) comprising a homogeneous, fused monolayer (907) formed from the meltable layer (914) of the reinforcement FCL (940), a meltable layer (913) of the reinforcement FCL (940), and a meltable layer (905) of the second FCL (970), and
• a continuous third weld (935) arranged equidistant or nearly equidistant from the continuous first weld (931) and the continuous second weld (933) comprising a homogeneous, fused monolayer (906) formed from the meltable layers (904 and 905),
• the continuous first weld (931), the continuous second weld (933), the continuous third weld (935), the first FCL (960), the second FCL (970), and the reinforcement FCL (940) arranged to form the intraseam space (915),
• wherein
• the first FCL (960) has a curved edge (961) and the meltable layer (904) on its inner face;
• the second FCL (970) has a curved edge (971) and the meltable layer (905) on its inner face;
• the reinforcement FCL (940) comprises
• a folded third FCL (910) comprising two or more notched gaps (978) oriented perpendicular to a curved edge (909) and extending from the curved edge (909) to a midline (911) to form three or more tabs (908), the folded third FCL (910) being folded along the midline (911) to provide an exposed face (917) having the meltable layer (913), and
• a folded fourth FCL (920) comprising two or more notched gaps (979) oriented perpendicular to a curved edge (919) and extending from the curved edge (919) to a midline (921) to form three or more tabs (918), the folded fourth FCL (920) being folded along the midline (921) to provide an exposed face (927) having the meltable layer (914), and an inner face (926) having the meltable layer (913),
• wherein the meltable layer (913) of the folded third FCL (910) is joined to the meltable layer (913) of the folded fourth FCL (920) by providing a heat means to a surface;
• each of the folded third FCL (910), the folded fourth FCL (920), the first FCL (960), and the second FCL (970) comprises a plurality of stacked, unidirectionally oriented medium or high density polyethylene fibers arranged in cross-plied monolayers (201 and 202) and embedded in a plastic matrix (103);
• the curved edges (961, 971, 909, and 919) are aligned and juxtaposed;
• and
• the notched gaps (978 and 979) are configured so that each inner edge of the folded tabs (908 and 918) is oriented within 88 and 90 degrees relative to the curved edges (961 and 971) so as to maintain no more than a 6 millimeter (mm) distance between the mid-point of the section of the midline (911 and 921) comprising the fold of each of the folded tabs (908 and 918) and a corresponding arc representing a true curvature (973 and 983) of the midline (911 and 921).