Elastically deformable articles of carbon fibers, and method for producing the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing elastically deformable articles constituted of a textile substrate of carbon fibers which are elastically deformable with respect to an at rest shape, wherein a flexible structure of carbon fibers is used, a predetermined form being set for this textile by means of shaping tools, and said textile being retained in said at rest shape by forming around the said fibers a thin coating of rough laminar pyrolytic carbon deposited by chemical vapor infiltration at high temperature without bonding of the fibers one to another. The textile can be given a flat form by using holding plates. It is possible to start from a braided sleeve which is either compressed or stretched axially around a mandrel. It is also possible to use a woven tape which is wound in a conical pseudo-spiral for use as a cardiac valve.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.