Articles of composite construction and methods of manufacture thereof
AssigneeOmni Tanker Technology Pty Ltd (Acn 135 294 772)
InventorWilliam RODGERS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An article manufactured in a mould and which comprises a structural composite of plastics layers, the article having a wall defining an internal space for holding contents therein; wherein, the wall is formed from at least two layers of plastics materials; wherein a first of said layers comprises a thermoplastics material and at least a second layer comprises a thermosetting resin and a fibrous layer.
Claims21
1-105. (canceled)
A storage vessel manufactured in a rotational mould and which comprises a structural composite including a thermoplastics material and a layer of fibrous material in the form of:
- (i) a woven cloth;
- or
- (ii) a mat or felt;
- or
- (iii) a preform of fibres held in shape by a binder
- the vessel when formed having a wall defining an internal space for holding contents therein;
- the wall including said thermoplastics material and the fibrous reinforcing layer at least partially embedded in said thermoplastic material and reinforcing the composite;
- wherein the vessel is manufactured in the rotational mould according to the following method:
- a) placing the layer of fibrous material inside the mould in apposition to an inner surface of the mould;
- b) placing the thermoplastics material inside the mould;
- c) closing the mould and heating the mould to thereby heat the thermoplastics material sufficient to enable the thermoplastics material to morph from a solid state to a flowable state;
- d) during rotation of the mould, allowing the heated thermoplastics material to flow at least part way through the thickness of the layer of fibrous reinforcing material so that at least some fibres of the fibrous layer are embedded in the thermoplastics material thereby forming a layer of reinforced thermoplastics material;
- e) allowing the thermoplastics layer to cool;
- and
- f) removing the composite from the rotational mould.
A method of manufacture of an article using a rotational mould to form a composite hollow vessel, the method comprising:
- a) taking a layer of fibrous material in the form of:
- (i) a woven cloth;
- or
- (ii) a mat or felt;
- or
- (iii) a preform of fibres held in shape by a binder,
- and placing the material against an inner surface of a mould having a predetermined internal shape;
- b) placing the preformed fibrous layer so that it conforms to a shape of an inner surface of the mould;
- c) introducing a thermoplastics material into the mould and heating the material;
- d) allowing the thermoplastics material to at least partially penetrate the preformed fibrous layer;
- e) heating the thermoplastics material sufficient to enable that material to morph from a solid to a flowable state;
- f) allowing the thermoplastics material to flow at least part way through the thickness of the fibrous layer to form a wall of an article to be formed in the mould;
- g) allowing the thermoplastics material to cool so that at least some fibres of the fibrous layer are embedded in the first layer;
- and
- h) removing the article from the mould.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.