Reinforced composite decking and related method of manufacture
AssigneeNational Nail Corp.
InventorRoger C. Bruins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite decking board constructed from a thermoplastic polymer material including one or more reinforcing filaments located within and embedded in at least a lower portion of the board to impart and enhance structural stiffness and rigidity. A method is provided in which the board is formed by extruding molten material through a die and continuously feeding reinforcement filament in the molten thermoplastic feed material simultaneously. The reinforcement filament is disposed substantially within the cross section of the extruded board and can generally be disposed in the lower portion of the board.
Claims20
A method for extruding a composite decking board comprising:
- providing an extrusion die having a longitudinal axis and an interior, the interior having an opening disposed adjacent thereto, an upper surface, a lower surface and opposing sidewalls;
- providing a feeder adjacent the opening to the interior of the die, the feeder adapted to feed a supply of continuous filaments;
- feeding thermoplastic polymer feed material into the die continuously so that the thermoplastic polymer feed material becomes molten;
- extruding the molten thermoplastic polymer feed material under pressure through the die, so that the molten thermoplastic polymer feed material attains a shape of an extruded board corresponding to the upper surface, lower surface and opposing sidewalls of the die, the board having a cross section, with a centerline that is located midway between an upper surface of the board and a lower surface of the board, the centerline dividing the cross section into an upper portion and a lower portion;
- continuously placing a reinforcement filament within the molten thermoplastic polymer feed material as the thermoplastic polymer feed material is extruded through the die to form the extruded board, the reinforcement filament being placed only in the lower portion of the extruded board simultaneously while the board is being extruded.
The method for 1 comprising winding the reinforcement filament with another filament and continuously placing the reinforcement filament and other filament in a wound form in the molten thermoplastic feed material.
A method for extruding a composite decking board comprising:
- extruding a molten thermoplastic polymer feed material under pressure through an extrusion die so that the molten thermoplastic polymer feed material forms an extruded board having a rectangular cross section;
- continuously placing a reinforcement filament within the molten thermoplastic feed material as the feed material is extruded through the die to form the extruded board, so that the reinforcement filament is disposed substantially entirely within the rectangular cross section of the extruded board.
A composite decking board comprising:
- an upper surface;
- a first side surface that is substantially orthogonal to the upper surface;
- a second side surface that is substantially orthogonal to the upper surface and that is oppositely disposed from the first side surface;
- a lower surface that is located between the first and second side surfaces and that is oppositely disposed from the upper surface, the lower surface, the upper surface and first and second side surfaces collectively forming a rectangular shaped cross section, the first and second side surfaces transitioning to the upper surface and to the lower surface at respective upper corners and respective lower corners, the upper and lower corners each being rounded and having a respective radius,
- a centerline located midway between the upper surface and the lower surface, the centerline dividing the cross section into an upper portion and a lower portion;
- and
- a reinforcement filament embedded and encapsulated within a thermoplastic polymer material forming the board, the reinforcement filament being located only in the lower portion of the board.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.