Method of making load-bearing structures
First Claim
1. A method of making a load-bearing structure having a cellular core, said method comprising disposing in a lower mold member a layer of reinforcing fiber and another layer of reinforcing fiber with a layer of a thermoplastic matrix resin therebetween, and then a layer of a first thermoplastic resin compatible with said matrix resin, thereafter combining said lower mold member with an upper mold member having wall-forming portions under suitable molding conditions for flow of said first thermoplastic resin into said wall-forming portions, and thereafter cooling and then demolding a first plurality of generally vertical walls comprising said first thermoplastic resin and integral with a first skin structure comprising said reinforcing fiber and covering a face of said generally vertical walls to define a first plurality of shaped hollows having an uncovered opposite face, said generally vertical walls being vertically tapered for assisting said demolding;
- additionally molding a second skin structure integral with, and covering a face of, a second plurality of generally vertical walls to form a second plurality of shaped hollows having an uncovered opposite face; and
thereafter with the uncovered faces in face-to-face contact and said first plurality of shaped hollows in alignment with said second plurality of shaped hollows, joining said uncovered faces whereby a load-bearing structure is made which has a cellular core derived from the aligned shaped hollows.
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Abstract
In one aspect, the present invention provides a load-bearing structure with a novel interlocking edge. Also provided is a method of making a load-bearing structure having an overlapping edge, in which structural members are combined so that a stepped-down lip of one structural member covers a peripheral edge of another member. Also provided is a load-bearing structure having cellular structure and which is useful with or without an overlapping edge. In addition, there is provided a molding method for making cellular, load-bearing structures.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of making a load-bearing structure having a cellular core, said method comprising disposing in a lower mold member a layer of reinforcing fiber and another layer of reinforcing fiber with a layer of a thermoplastic matrix resin therebetween, and then a layer of a first thermoplastic resin compatible with said matrix resin, thereafter combining said lower mold member with an upper mold member having wall-forming portions under suitable molding conditions for flow of said first thermoplastic resin into said wall-forming portions, and thereafter cooling and then demolding a first plurality of generally vertical walls comprising said first thermoplastic resin and integral with a first skin structure comprising said reinforcing fiber and covering a face of said generally vertical walls to define a first plurality of shaped hollows having an uncovered opposite face, said generally vertical walls being vertically tapered for assisting said demolding;
- additionally molding a second skin structure integral with, and covering a face of, a second plurality of generally vertical walls to form a second plurality of shaped hollows having an uncovered opposite face; and
thereafter with the uncovered faces in face-to-face contact and said first plurality of shaped hollows in alignment with said second plurality of shaped hollows, joining said uncovered faces whereby a load-bearing structure is made which has a cellular core derived from the aligned shaped hollows. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- additionally molding a second skin structure integral with, and covering a face of, a second plurality of generally vertical walls to form a second plurality of shaped hollows having an uncovered opposite face; and
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9. A method of making a load-bearing structure comprising a lower stratum and an upper stratum each of which extends beyond the other, said method comprising molding a first structural member comprising a first portion for forming an offset of said lower stratum and comprising a second portion for forming an offset of said upper stratum, and molding a second structural member comprising a portion disposed for cooperating with said second portion to form said offset of said upper stratum and another portion disposed to be covered by said first portion to form said offset of said lower stratum;
- and thereafter joining the first molded structural member to the second molded structural member to make said load-bearing structure.
- View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
Specification