Flexible panel with interrupted sheaths for tie rods

• US 8,168,703 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veleria Marco Holm S.r.l.
• Original Assignee: Veleria Marco Holm S.r.l.
• Inventors: Molta, PierCarlo, Grassi, Enrico
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US10/587,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20080302290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,660 Days
• Field of Search: 52 222- 224, 52/63, 52/74, 522/231.4, 525/731, 526/30, 428/105, 428/107, 428/109, 428/110, 428/113, 114/102.31
• US Class Current: 524/63
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/82 Forcing wires, nets or the like partially or completely into the surface of an article, e.g. by cutting and pressing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/08 Reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/34 Inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/14 Corona, ionisation, electrical discharge, plasma treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/08 characterised by added members at particular parts layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B3/14, B32B3/18
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/226 Laminating sheets, panels or inserts between two continuous plastic layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0008 Electrical discharge treatment, e.g. corona, plasma treatment; wave energy or particle radiation heat treatment B32B38/0036
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/04 Interconnection of layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 9/067 Sails characterised by their construction or manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 9/0671 Moulded sails
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 9/0673 Flying sails, e.g. spinnakers or gennakers
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 9/0678 Laminated sails
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24058 including grain, strips, or filamentary elements in respective layers or components in angular relation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24074 Strand or strand-portions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24099 On each side of strands or strand-portions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24124 Fibers

Abstract

Membrane body (1) comprising at least one pair of panels (10, 11) connected together in an adhesive manner and for each pair of said panels (10, 11), at least one flexible sheath (15) arranged stably according to a set pattern to resist membrane stress acting on the panels (10, 11); each sheath (15) housing a respective tie rod (16), connected to the panels (10, 11) in an end position in a set manner in such a way as to be suitable for resisting normal stress to free the panels (10, 11) from the respective membrane stress, thereby maintaining the group of the panels (10, 11) flexible and maintaining the corresponding production method.

Claims

1. Membrane body (1) comprising at least a first panel (10) and a second panel (11) connected together in an adhesive manner by respective facing faces (12, 13), and a plurality of tie rods (16) arranged stably between the panels (10, 11) according to set pattern;

each said tie rod (16) having respective end portions (17, 18);

said body further comprising insulation means (15) arranged between the panels and associated with each said tie rod (16) to leave said tie rod (16) longitudinally free between said panels (10, 11);

said tie rod (16) being suitable for resisting a dual tensile membrane stress acting on each of said pair of panels (10, 11), and keeping said panels (10, 11) substantially free of tension during use;

said second panel (11) covering said face (12) of said first panel (10) in such a way that said second panel (11) adheres integrally to said first panel (10) wherein said insulation means (15) comprises a plurality of flexible sheaths (15) arranged between said respective panels (10, 11) along force lines (F), each sheath housing a corresponding tie rod (16) in a longitudinally free manner, wherein said tie rod (16) comprises a plurality of fibres (24) free of a least a set material, that are arranged inside one said sheath (15) in such a way as to be longitudinally freely slideable, and wherein said sheath (15) has an annular section interrupted at a first panel (10) (11) of the two said panels (10, 11).

2. Body according to claim 1, wherein said sheath (15) is longitudinally delimited by two respective strips (23) that are distinct from one another;

said first panel (10) (11) being suitable, between the two said strips (23), for completing said annular section of said sheath (15), to limit the masses in play and increase their flexibility.

3. Body according to claim 1, wherein said sheath (15) and the respective said tie rod (16) comprise fibres (24) with a homogenous composition.

4. Body according to claim 3, wherein the fibres (24) of said sheath (15) and the fibres of the respective said tie rod (16) have sections with a substantially identical value.

5. Body according to claim 3, wherein the sections of the fibres (24) of said sheath (15) and those of the respective said tie rod (16) differ from one another by a set coefficient.

6. Body according to claim 5, wherein said coefficient falls within a range 0.20-5.

7. Body according to claim 5, wherein said coefficient falls within a range 0.5-2.

8. Body according to claim 5, wherein said coefficient falls within a range 0.75-5.

9. Body according to claim 1, wherein said sheath (15) and the respective said tie rod (16) comprise fibres (24) with a heterogeneous composition.

10. Body according to claim 1, wherein said tie rod (16) has fibres (24) with a homogenous composition.

11. Body according to claim 1, wherein said tie rod (16) has fibres (24) with a heterogeneous composition.

12. Body according to claim 1 wherein said sheath (15) has an annular section interrupted at a second (11) (10) panel of said pair of panels (10, 11);

said second panel (11) (10) being a covering panel of said first panel (10) (11).