Composite article
OwnerJohn R. Newtoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A composite cover having high load-bearing capacity comprising an upper and a lower skin of fiber-reinforced plastic material, the upper and lower skins being integral with one another around the edges of the cover and spaced apart from one another therebetween, the space so formed containing reinforcing walls of fiber-reinforced plastic material extending between the upper and lower skins, the reinforcing walls being integral with the upper and lower skins where they contact the same, the voids between the reinforcing walls being filled with lightweight infills, and the skins and reinforcing walls being resin impregnated so as to form one solid integral unit substantially free of joints or seams.
Claims11
A composite cover having high load-bearing capacity, comprising an upper and a lower skin of fiber-reinforced plastic material comprising glass fibers, the upper and lower skins being integral with one another around the edges of the cover and spaced apart from one another therebetween, the space so formed containing reinforcing walls of fiber-reinforced plastic material extending between the upper and lower skins, the reinforcing walls being integral with the upper and lower skins where they contact the same, the voids between the reinforcing walls being filled with lightweight infills, and the skins and reinforcing walls being resin impregnated so as to form one solid integral unit substantially free of joints or seams, said cover having a glass fiber content in the range of from approximately 40% to approximately 62%.
A method of forming a composite cover having load-bearing capacity, comprising the steps of:
- laying a bottom skin of fiber reinforcing material;
- placing walls and infills on the bottom skin;
- covering the walls and infills with a top skin of fiber-reinforcing material;
- and
- placing the resulting assembly into a mold and injecting resin into the mold so as to impregnate the fiber-reinforcing material and form a solid integral unit substantially free of joints or seams having a fiber content in the range of from approximately 40% to approximately 62%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.