Shaped three-dimensional engineered fiber preforms with insertion holes and rigid composite structures incorporating same, and method therefor
Assignee3Tex, Inc.
InventorsPu Gu, Mansour Hussein Mohamed
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Abstract
A shaped three-dimensional engineered fiber preform construction having at least one insertion hole therein and rigid composite structure formed therefrom having a singular, unitary component construction, thereby providing improved and uniform finished product characteristics and performance for structural applications, particularly for use as a connector, coupling, and the like. The shaped 3-D engineered fiber preform construction of the present invention is fabricated on a 3-D weaving machine designed and configured to produce a variety of cross-sectional shapes and sizes as well as to produce a plurality of structures in series for subsequent separation and processing.
Claims8
A shaped three-dimensional fiber structure for use as a connector comprising:
- a three-dimensional engineered fiber structure constructed to form a predetermined shape having at least one insertion hole therein, the three-dimensional engineered fiber structure having a singular, unitary component construction for providing substantially uniform structure and characteristics, wherein the structure comprises at least three yarn systems, one each in an X, Y, and Z direction, thereby forming a substantially orthogonal 3-D woven structure.
A method for forming a composite multilayer shaped three-dimensional preform structure comprising at least three yearn systems, one each in an X, Y, and Z direction, thereby forming a substantially orthogonal 3-D woven structure, for use infrastructure applications comprising the steps of:
- providing a 3-D engineered fiber structure having a predetermined cross-sectional shape with at least one insertion hole therein;
- and
- stabilizing the structure in the predetermined shape using a shaped, closed molding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.