Apparatus and method of making a reinforced plastic laminate structure and products resulting therefrom

• US 4,788,088 A
• Filed: 10/02/1986
• Issued: 11/29/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John O. Kohl
• Original Assignee: John O. Kohl
• Inventors: Kohl, John O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lesmes, George F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seidleck, James J.
• Application Number:
  US06/914,503
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 428/34, 428/35, 428/36, 428/247, 428/192, 269/173, 425/114
• US Class Current: 428/34.5
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/001 Combinations of extrusion moulding with other shaping operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0019 combined with shaping by flattening, folding or bending
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0021 combined with joining, lining or laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0022 combined with cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/07 Flat, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/09 Articles with cross-sections having partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. pipes or channels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/154 Coating solid articles, i.e. non-hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/21 the layers being joined at their surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/48 for articles of indefinite length, i.e. bending a strip progressively
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/0044 for shaping edges or extremities B29C57/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/687 the inserts being oriented, e.g. nets or meshes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/887 locally reinforced, e.g. by fillers filler concentrated near the surface B29C70/64
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/08 Tubular products
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/18 comprising iron or steel B32B15/011, B32B15/012 and B32B15/013 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/20 comprising aluminium or copper B32B15/016 and B32B15/017 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/101 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/08 Reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/38 Meshes, lattices or nets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2311/24 : Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2311/30 : Iron, e.g. steel
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2439/40 : Closed containers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/06 : for securing layers together; for attaching the product to another member, e.g. to a support , or to another product, e.g. groove/tongue, interlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/28 : involving assembly of non-flat intermediate products which are flattened at a later step, e.g. tubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1303 : Paper containing [e.g., paperboard, cardboard, fiberboard, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1314 : Contains fabric, fiber particle, or filament made of glass, ceramic, or sintered, fused, fired, or calcined metal oxide, or metal carbide or other inorganic compound [e.g., fiber glass, mineral fiber, sand, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1348 : Cellular material derived from plant or animal source [e.g., wood, cotton, wool, leather, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1359 : Three or more layers [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1366 : Textile, fabric, cloth, or pile is sandwiched between two distinct layers of material unlike the textile, fabric, cloth, or pile layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 : Edge feature

Abstract

The present invention provides a reinforced plastic laminate structure comprising an elongated reinforcing material that is encapsulated by an extruded plastic material that forms a continuous structure around the reinforcing material. The present invention contemplates methods of extruding a tube of plastic material while simultaneously introducing a reinforcing material within the interior of the tube. Thereafter, the tube is flattened so that the interior wall of the tube comes in contact with the reinforcing material to encapsulate the reinforcing material in a continuous structure. The reinforced plastic laminate sheet is made from an apparatus an extruding machine for extruding plastic with an annular die and opening for the extruding tubing. Attached to the extruding machine is a mandrel which feeds a reinforcing material into the center of the annular opening. Pressure rollers flatten the tubing after it exits from the annular die. The reinforcing plastic material may be formed into a variety of useful products where increased strength is required. The ease of manufacture provides a cost advantage over conventional construction materials.

Claims

1. A reinforced plastic laminate structure comprising:

an elongated reinforcing material; and

an extruded flattened solid wall plastic tube having its interior wall flattened and in physical contact with and forming a continuous structure around said reinforcing material and forming a substantially flat laminate structure, said flattened tube including extruded fastening means along at least a portion of an edge of said structure.

2. The reinforced structure of claim 1 wherein said fastening means is integral with said flattened plastic tube.

3. The reinforced structure of claim 2 wherein said fastening means are located along opposed exterior edges of said laminate structure.

4. A reinforced plastic laminate structure comprising:

an elongated reinforcing material; and

an extruded flattened solid wall plastic tube having its interior wall flatened and in physical contact with and forming a continuous structure around said reinforcing material and forming a substantially flat laminate structure, said flattened tube including two opposed edges, said edges having fastening means capable of complementarily engaging and interlocking each other to form a reinforced conduit.

5. The reinforced structure of claim 4 fastened at the edges to form a tube.

6. The reinforced structure of claim 4 fastened at the edges to form a container.

7. A reinforced plastic spacer bar comprising:

a laminate structure comprising an elongated reinforcing material and an extruded flattened solid wall plastic tube having its interior wall flattened and in physical contact with and forming a continuous structure around said reinforcing material forming a laminate structure;

said laminate structure having two opposed ends aligned in close proximity and defining the shape of said spacer bar.

8. The reinforced spacer bar of claim 7, wherein said reinforcing material is a plurality of strands arranged in an open mesh network, said plastic material bonded through said mesh.

9. The reinforced spacer bar of claim 7, wherein said reinforcing material is fiberglass.

10. The reinforced spacer bar of claim 7, further comprising a metal foil applied over said plastic tube, said metal foil selected from the group consisting of aluminum and galvanized steel.

11. The reinforced spacer bar of claim 7, wherein said reinforcing material is a plurality of discontinuous segments sized and spaced to allow folding of said laminate structure at points where said reinforcing material is omitted.

12. The reinforced spacer bar of claim 7 further comprises dessicant material within said spacer bar.

13. The reinforced spacer bar of claim 7 further comprising metal foil bonded to said laminated structure.