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US 5,288,538 AGranted
Expandable honeycomb core structural member
AssigneeReynolds Metals Company
InventorRobert P. Spears
Life of this patent
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AssigneeReynolds Metals Company
InventorRobert P. Spears
Estimating the term…
An expandable structural member comprises two outer skin members, a plastically deformable reinforcing layer arranged between the two outer skin members, and a foamable polymer composition coated on at least one of each adjacent surface of the reinforcing layer and the respective outer skin member. Each adjacent surface of the reinforcing layer and the respective outer skin member contact one another and are intermittently bonded to one another, with the intermittent bonds on one surface of the reinforcing layer being non-aligned with the intermittent bonds on the other surface of the reinforcing layer. Additionally, the foamable polymer composition is foamable by application of heat to the structural member, whereby the foamed polymer resulting from application of heat to the structural member expands the outer skin members from contact with the reinforcing layer at non-bonded areas and plastically deforms the reinforcing layer into a three-dimensional reinforcing configuration.
An expandable structural member, comprising (a) two outer skin members, (b) a plastically deformable reinforcing layer arranged between the two outer skin members, each adjacent surface of the reinforcing layer and the respective outer skin member contacting one another and being intermittently bonded to one another, the intermittent bonds on one surface of the reinforcing layer being nonaligned with the intermittent bonds on the other surface of the reinforcing layer, and (c) a foamable polymer composition coated on at least one of each adjacent surface of the reinforcing layer and the respective outer skin member, the foamable polymer composition being foamable by application of heat to the structural member, and the foamed polymer resulting from application of heat to the structural member expanding the outer skin members from contact with the reinforcing layer at nonbonded areas and plastically deforming the reinforcing layer into a three dimensional reinforcing configuration.
A method of forming a honeycomb-reinforced structural member, comprising (a) providing an expandable member comprising (i) two outer skin members, (ii) a plastically deformable reinforcing layer arranged between the two outer skin members, each adjacent surface of the reinforcing layer and the respective outer skin member contacting one another and being intermittently bonded to one another, the intermittent bonds on one surface of the reinforcing layer being nonaligned with the intermittent bonds on the other surface of the reinforcing layer, and (iii) a foamable polymer composition coated on at least one of each adjacent surface of the reinforcing layer and the respective outer skin member, the foamable polymer composition being foamable by application of heat to the expandable member, and (b) applying heat to the expandable member to foam the foamable polymer composition, expand the outer skin members from contact with the reinforcing layer at nonbonded areas and plastically deform the reinforcing layer into a three dimensional honeycomb reinforcing configuration.
A method of forming a honeycomb-reinforced structural member, comprising (a) providing two outer skin members and a plastically deformable reinforcing layer arranged between the two outer skin members, each adjacent surface of the reinforcing layer and the respective outer skin member contacting one another;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.