Method for manufacturing composite components
AssigneeComposite Solutions, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Chase, Dennis Dame
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A slide-room for installation in a recreational vehicle or other structure is disclosed. The slide-room comprises a shell, which can be constructed from fiberglass. The shell comprises an end wall, a ceiling, a floor, two opposing side walls, and a flange extending from the end wall, wherein the end wall, the ceiling, the floor, the side walls and the flange comprise a one-piece, unitary construction. Also disclosed are methods for molding composite components, such as slide-room. In one specific implementation, the shell for a slide-room is formed from fiberglass using a vacuum assisted resin transfer process.
Claims17
A method for forming a slide-room, comprising:
- providing a mold comprising a plurality of mold walls and a floor defining a mold cavity;
- positioning a plurality of mandrels in the mold cavity, each mandrel having a lower surface spaced above the floor of the mold;
- positioning a fiberglass preform in the mold cavity such that a first section of the preform extends along the mold floor, an edge portion surrounding the first section extends into spaces between the mold floor and the lower surfaces of the mandrels, and second, third, fourth, and fifth sections of the preform are folded upwardly against adjacent surfaces of respective mandrels;
- introducing a resin into the mold so that it flows over and through the preform;
- and
- allowing the resin to cure to form a fiberglass slide-room shell, the slide-room shell having an end wall formed by the first section of the preform, a flange formed by the edge portion of the preform, and a floor, a ceiling, and opposing side walls formed by the second, third, fourth, and fifth sections section of the preform, respectively.
A method for forming a composite component, comprising:
- providing a mold comprising a plurality of mold walls and a floor defining a mold cavity;
- positioning at least one mandrel in the mold cavity, the mandrel having a lower surface spaced above the floor of the mold;
- positioning a preform in the mold cavity such that a first section of the preform extends along the mold floor, an edge portion of the first section extends into space between the mold floor and the lower surface of the mandrel, and a second section of the preform extends along a side surface of the mandrel at angle relative to the first section;
- introducing a resin into the mold so that it flows over and through the preform;
- and
- allowing the resin to cure to form a composite component from the preform and the resin, the composite part having a first wall formed by the first section of the preform, a flange formed by the edge portion, and a second wall formed by the second section of the preform.
A molding apparatus for forming a composite component comprising:
- a mold comprising a plurality of mold walls and a floor defining a mold cavity, the mold having an opening in one side thereof providing access to the mold cavity;
- and
- a preform loader comprising a base positioned adjacent the opening in the mold and a movable preform support that is movable horizontally relative to the base between a retracted position outside the mold cavity and an extended position inside of the mold cavity, the preform support being configured to support a preform and move the preform from a position outside of the mold cavity to a position inside of the mold cavity when the support is moved from the retracted position to the extended position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.