Enhanced thickness fabric and method of making same
First Claim
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1. A reinforcing fabric comprising:
- a plurality of X axis yarns and Y axis yarns comprising reinforcing fibers, wherein the yarns are combined to form a layer of the fabric;
a selected some of the yarns in the layer being subject to tensile force, which applies torque on other yarns in the layer, such that said other yarns become undulated from first orientations to second orientations to increase a thickness of the layer by at least about 50% when viewed in a plane of the fabric; and
a bonding agent on the layer holding said other yarns in said second orientations.
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Abstract
The present invention provides thickened fabrics and reinforcements for use as a spacer or reinforcement for a matrix system. The fabric includes in a first embodiment a woven fabric comprising weft and warp yarns containing glass fibers. A portion of the weft yarns are undulated, resulting in an increased thickness for the fabric. The fabric is coated with a polymeric resin or bonding agent, for substantially binding the weft yarns in the undulated condition. This invention also includes methods for making such fabric by increasing the thickness of a woven or non-woven material by such methods as applying tension during weaving operations, or using unbalanced yarns.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A reinforcing fabric comprising:
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a plurality of X axis yarns and Y axis yarns comprising reinforcing fibers, wherein the yarns are combined to form a layer of the fabric; a selected some of the yarns in the layer being subject to tensile force, which applies torque on other yarns in the layer, such that said other yarns become undulated from first orientations to second orientations to increase a thickness of the layer by at least about 50% when viewed in a plane of the fabric; and a bonding agent on the layer holding said other yarns in said second orientations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification