US 4,778,717 A · Thermoplastic thermoformable composite material

Abstract

A thermoplastic composite having a plurality of layers of material each having a particular total thickness and a particular total volume, including a first layer of thermoplastic resin materal forming a core. At least two layers of fabric material each disposed on an opposite side of the first layer and impregnated with the core material to define an outer skin on the core. Two layers of thermoplastic resin material each overlaying one of the at least two layers of fabric and each bonded to the thermoplastic material impregnated in the adjacent layer of fabric material to define an outer covering for protecting the layers of fabric and providing a covering for protecting the layers of fabric and providing a smooth exterior. The thickness of the core forming a substantial percentage of the total thickness of the composite and the fiber volume of the at least two layers of fabric material forming less than one third (1/3) of the total volume of the composite.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A thermoplastic thermoformable composite sheet having a particular thickness and a particular volume for shaping into a complex form without rippling or buckling, including,

a core of a thermoplastic material formed as a sheet, and
two layers of a fabric material respectively positioned at opposite sides of the core of the thermoplastic material and impregnated with the thermoplastic material, the impregnated thermoplastic material being bonded to the thermoplastic material in the core,
the fiber volume of the at least two layers of fabric material representing less than one third (1/3) of the particular volume of the composite sheet,
the layers of the fabric material being provided with a thickness sufficient to produce a stiffness and rigidity of the thermoplastic thermoformed composite sheet and the core of the thermoplastic material being provided with a thickness to provide for a movement of the layers of the sheet independently of one another during shaping of the sheet into the complex form without rippling or buckling of the layers.

1 more element

A thermoplastic thermoformable composite for shaping into a complex form without rippling or buckling, including

a first layer of thermoplastic resin material forming a core,
two layers of fabric material each disposed on an opposite side of the first layer and impregnated with the thermoplastic resin material to define an outer skin on the core and bonded to the adjacent surface of the first layer of the thermoplastic plastic material,
two layers of thermoplastic resin material each disposed on one of the two layers of fabric material and bonded to the thermoplastic material impregnating the two layers of fabric material to form an outer covering for protecting the layers of the fabric material and for providing a smooth exterior adhered to the overlayed layer of fabric material, and
the thickness of the core forming a preponderant percentage of the total thickness of the composite and the fiber volume of the two layers of fabric material forming less than one third (1/3) of the total volume of the composite, the two layers of the fabric material being provided with a thickness sufficient to produce a stiffness and rigidity of the thermoplastic thermoformed composite sheet and the first layer of the thermoplastic material being provided with a thickness to provide for a movement of the layers of the sheet independently of one another during shaping of the sheet into the complex form to obtain the desired shaping without rippling or buckling of the layers and the two layers of the thermoplastic resin material being provided with a thickness sufficient to define smooth surfaces over the layers of the fabric material.

1 more element

A method of forming a thermoplastic thermoformable composite sheet having properties of being shaped into a complex form without rippling or buckling, including the following steps,

providing two layers of fabric material, each having a thickness substantially less than the particular thickness of the composite sheet and each impregnated with a thermoplastic material,
providing a core of a thermoplastic resin between the two layers of fabric material in a thickness substantially greater than the thickness of the layers of fabric material, and
simultaneously applying heat and pressure to the layers of the fabric material and the core to form the layers of the fabric material and the core into a composite sheet in which the volume of the two layers of the fabric material represents less than one third (1/3) of the total volume of the composite sheet and in which the layers of the fabric material are provided with a thickness sufficient to produce a stiffness and rigidity of the composite sheet and the core is provided with a thickness to obtain a movement of the layers of the composite sheet independently of one another during shaping of the sheet into the complex form to obtain such shaping without rippling or buckling of the layers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Thermoplastic thermoformable composite material

Life of this patent

Thermoplastic thermoformable composite material

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30