Method of manufacturing sailboards and surfboards

• US 4,806,302 A
• Filed: 08/27/1987
• Issued: 02/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Georg Fritzmaier GmbH & Company
• Original Assignee: TAA Technique And Administration AG
• Inventors: Frank, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbaugh, Jan H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kuhns, Allan R.
• Application Number:
  US07/089,770
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 264/45.1, 264/46.4, 264/46.5, 264/46.7, 264/321, 264/46.8, 264/511, 441/68, 441/74
• US Class Current: 264/46.7
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/02 with incorporated heating or cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/0032 the coating being applied upon the mould surface before introducing the moulding compound, e.g. applying a gelcoat B29C44/14 and B29C44/32 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1209 by impregnating a preformed part, e.g. a porous lining
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1266 the preformed part being completely encapsulated, e.g. for packaging purposes or as reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1285 the preformed part being foamed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/569 Shaping and joining components with different densities or hardness
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/10 Forming by pressure difference, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/46 using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/865 completely encapsulated
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/38 Polymers of cycloalkenes, e.g. norbornene or cyclopentene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/06 PS, i.e. polystyrene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/5272 Surf boards
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 32/40 Twintip boards; Wakeboards; Surfboards; Windsurfing boards; Paddle boards, e.g. SUP boards; Accessories specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 32/57 Boards characterised by the material, e.g. laminated materials

Abstract

A method making a sailboard or surfboard is described, in which a prefabricated foam core has fibrous material wound about it and resin specially set with a reaction retarder is poured onto the fibrous material, whereupon the thus treated foam core is inserted in a molding tool and the mold is closed for curing the resin. Desirably, the mold is lined with a surface layer, particularly a deep drawn thermoplastic film, before the treated foam core is inserted. In this way one can make low-weight boards of high strength with relatively low production and material costs.

Claims

1. A method of making a sailboard or surfboard having a laminated shell, in which a foam core is prefabricated and covered with fibrous mats or fabrics, liquid curable synthetic resin is then poured onto the fibrous material on both sides of the foam core to form a saturated fibrous material and the thus formed product is cured on the foam core in a closed matched metal mold already lined with a surface layer, wherein before insertion of the foam core covered with the saturated fibrous material into the mold, a thin thermoplastic film forming the surface layer of the board is heated to its converting temperature and is deep drawn into the mold halves by using vacuum, and in that the film is pressed with the synthetic resin layer reinforced by fibrous mats or fabric on closing the mold after insertion of the foam core resulting in an intimate composite of the synthetic resin layer reinforced by fibrous mats or fabric and the film on the one hand and the foam core on the other hand.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein vacuum is maintained during pressing and curing of the shell laminate in the closed mold.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mold is kept at a temperature of about 80°

C. during curing of the laminated shell.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein ABS, ASA, PC or PMMA are used as thermoplastic material for the film.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the film has a thickness between 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the film is printed before deep drawing.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein polyurethane resin is used as synthetic resin.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the synthetic resin has a low foaming capacity.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the fibrous material consists of glass fibers, aramide fibers, polyamide fibers or carbon fibers.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the foam core consists of a styropor or polyurethane foam.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein two webs of film are taken off a pair of film reels, are cut off and inserted between the mold halves positioned spaced from each other, the longitudinal edges of the two film webs being clamped in a clamping frame.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the board is removed from the mold and the projecting film edges are trimmed and the cut surfaces are sealed.