Cohesive finishes for composite materials
DCFirst Claim
1. A composite article comprising:
- underlay containing thermoset resin;
an overlay cohesively bonded by the thermoset resin to the underlay; and
a shell of thermoset resin upon the exterior of the overlay as an article finish layer formed from resin which oozed from the resin-containing underlay and passed through the overlay during a thermal curing of both the underlay and the overlay.
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Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
An overlay of sheet material that is impregnated with thermosetting resin--typically a fabric of a type including metallic, synthetic fiber, natural fiber and ceramic cloths impregnated with epoxy resin--is wrapped about or laid on an underlay of material that is also impregnated with thermosetting resin--typically a resin material reinforced with fibers of the graphite, glass, aramid, or ceramic types. The overlay and underlay are cured under heat and pressure in an oven at the same time, causing cohesive bonding of the resin within each. The resin exudes through the fabric overlay during curing and forms a hard transparent shell of cured resin to the composite article. The embedded sheet material selectively imparts color, pattern, texture, reflectivity, penetration resistance, tensile strength, thermal and electrical conductivity, and other visual and mechanical properties to the composite article as desired. Exemplary configurations include lustrous metallic-coated cloths upon the surfaces of graphite golf club shafts or vaulting poles or sailboat masts, and electrically conductive cloths conducting electricity upon the surfaces of fiber-reinforced aircraft panels.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A composite article comprising:
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underlay containing thermoset resin; an overlay cohesively bonded by the thermoset resin to the underlay; and a shell of thermoset resin upon the exterior of the overlay as an article finish layer formed from resin which oozed from the resin-containing underlay and passed through the overlay during a thermal curing of both the underlay and the overlay. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A composite article comprising:
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a material permeated with resin; a layer of resin-impermeable material having a plurality of passages therethrough; and a shell of resin upon the exterior of the layer of resin-impermeable material formed from resin which oozed from the resin of the material through the passages during a thermal curing of the material permeated with resin and the layer of resin-impermeable material. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A composite material comprising:
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an underlay containing graphite fibers; an overlay of cloth; and a thermoset resin shell on the exterior of the cloth overlay and impregnated through the cloth overlay and graphite fibers to cohesively bond the cloth overlay to the underlay.
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25. A composite shaft comprising:
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a shaft of fiber-reinforced thermosetting resin; a fabric impregnated with a resin compatible to bond with the resin of the shaft surrounding said shaft; and a shell of thermoset resin upon the exterior of said fabric formed from resin which oozed in part from the shaft and passed through the fabric during thermal curing. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification