System for producing pultruded components

• US 8,597,016 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Milgard Manufacturing Incorporated (MI Windows & Doors LLC)
• Original Assignee: Milgard Manufacturing Incorporated (MI Windows & Doors LLC)
• Inventors: Brown, Randall Jay, Kharchenko, Semen, Coffee, Harry D., Huang, Icheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Malekzadeh, Seyed Masoud
• Application Number:
  US11/287,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20070113983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,932 Days
• Field of Search: 156/433, 156/441, 156/180, 156/166, 156/167, 156/275.5, 156/275.7, 156/459, 425/110, 425/111, 425/114, 425/71, 425/112, 425/501, 425/505
• US Class Current: 425/505
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/523 and impregnating the reinforcement in the die
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4804 Two or more polyethers of different physical or chemical nature
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7657 containing two or more aromatic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/013 Fillers, pigments or reinforcing additives

Abstract

A system for producing a pultruded component includes a fixture for providing fibrous reinforcements, a system for providing a polymeric resin, and an impregnation die for coating the fibrous reinforcements with the polymeric resin precursor. The impregnation die includes a first chamber and a second chamber. The fibrous reinforcements include fiber tows made of a plurality of fibers. The system also includes a curing die for forming the pultruded component. The first chamber of the impregnation die is configured for coating exterior surfaces of the fiber tows with the polymeric resin precursor. The second chamber of the impregnation die is configured for coating the plurality of fibers within the fiber tows with the polymeric resin precursor.

Claims

1. A pultrusion system comprising:

a device for wetting yarns of fiber with a polymeric resin precursor when the yarns are pulled through the device, the device comprising a first zone provided as an open bath for coating external surfaces of the yarns and a second zone for coating fibers within the yarns, the second zone being in fluid communication with the first zone and having a cross-sectional area that decreases between an entrance to the second zone and an exit from the second zone;

wherein the first zone includes a top opening through which the polymeric resin precursor may be introduced into the open bath and through which the polymeric resin precursor is exposed to the surrounding atmosphere during the wetting of the yarns of fiber, the open bath being at atmospheric pressure configured to separate the yarns of fiber from each other by an appropriate distance and to cause exterior surfaces of the yarns to be thoroughly wetted by a force of gravity without impediment so that the polymeric resin precursor fills an entire open bath without voids;

a mixing system having a metering device configured to pump the precursor into the open bath, the metering device having an open exit positioned a distance above the top opening configured to permit the precursor to exit therefrom and enter into the first zone prohibiting contact of the open exit with the precursor in the open bath; and

wherein the first zone further includes a plurality of walls for containing the polymeric resin precursor, one of the walls including a plurality of holes configured for spacing the yarns apart prior to entering the first zone through the plurality of holes to allow the polymeric resin precursor to flow around external surfaces of the yarns, the plurality of holes being located below a top level of the polymeric resin.

2. The pultrusion system of claim 1, wherein the wall including a plurality of apertures includes an inner surface provided in contact with the polymeric resin precursor.

3. The pultrusion system of claim 1, wherein the holes are configured to allow passage of spliced yarns of fiber.

4. The pultrusion system of claim 1, wherein the second zone is configured to force the polymeric resin precursor into interstitial spaces between fibers in the yarns.

5. The pultrusion system of claim 1, wherein the first zone is configured to receive the polymeric resin precursor at atmospheric pressure from the mixing system.

6. The pultrusion system of claim 5, wherein the open bath is in contact with the second zone.

7. The pultrusion system of claim 1, further comprising a curing die for curing wetted yarns of fibers after the wetted yarns of fibers exit the second zone, the curing die having a cooling system proximate the entrance of the die between the second bath and the curing die to prevent premature curing of the resin precursor, the curing die having a heating element between the cooling system and an exit of the curing die.

8. A pultrusion system comprising:

a system for providing fiber tows, the fiber tows each comprising a plurality of fibers;

a first chamber provided as an open bath for wetting an external surface of the fiber tows with a polymeric resin precursor when the tows are drawn through the first chamber, the first chamber containing the polymeric resin precursor and including a wall in contact with the polymeric resin precursor that includes apertures provided therein for spacing the fiber tows apart before entering the polymeric resin precursor through the apertures, the apertures being located below a top level of the polymeric resin, the first chamber further comprising an open top end through which the polymeric resin precursor may be introduced and through which the polymeric resin precursor is exposed to the surrounding atmosphere during the wetting of the fiber tows, the open bath being at atmospheric pressure configured to separate the fiber tows from each other by an appropriate distance and to cause exterior surfaces of the tows to be thoroughly wetted by a force of gravity without impediment so that the polymeric resin precursor fills an entire open bath without voids;

a second chamber for wetting the plurality of fibers within each of the fiber tows zone, the second chamber being in fluid communication with the first chamber and;

a metering device configured to pump the precursor into the open bath, the metering device having an open exit positioned a distance above the top opening configured to permit the precursor to exit therefrom and enter into the first chamber prohibiting contact of the open exit with the precursor in the open bath; and

a device for pulling the fiber tows through the first chamber and the second whereby the pultrusion system is configured to wet the fiber tows in a two-step process using the first chamber and the second chamber.

9. The pultrusion system of claim 8, wherein the first chamber is in contact with the second chamber.

10. The pultrusion system of claim 8, wherein the first chamber is in fluid communication with the second chamber.

11. The pultrusion system of claim 8, wherein the polymeric resin precursor is provided in the first chamber at atmospheric pressure.

12. The pultrusion system of claim 8, wherein the wall of the first chamber is configured to separate the fiber tows from each other by a distance selected to allow the polymeric resin precursor to flow around the fiber tows.

13. The pultrusion system of claim 12, wherein the wall of the first chamber comprises a plate.

14. The pultrusion system of claim 8, wherein the second chamber tapers from a first end through which the fiber tows enter then second chamber to a second end through which the fiber tows exit the second chamber.

15. The pultrusion system of claim 8, further comprising a device for curing the polymeric resin precursor.

16. A pultrusion system comprising:

an impregnation die for wetting yarns of fiber with a polymeric resin precursor when the yarns are pulled horizontally through the impregnation die, the impregnation die comprising a first chamber provided as an open bath for coating external surfaces of the yarns such that the polymeric resin precursor is exposed to the surrounding atmosphere during the coating of the yarns of fiber and a second chamber for coating fibers within the yarns, the second chamber having a cross-sectional area that decreases between an entrance to the second chamber and an exit from the second chamber, the second chamber being in fluid communication with the first chamber, wherein the open bath being at atmospheric pressure configured to separate the yarns of fiber from each other by an appropriate distance and to cause exterior surfaces of the yarns to be thoroughly wetted by a force of gravity without impediment so that the polymeric resin precursor fills an entire open bath without voids;

a metering device configured to pump the precursor into the open bath, the metering device having an open exit positioned a distance above the top opening configured to permit the precursor to exit therefrom and enter into the first chamber prohibiting contact of the open exit with the precursor in the open bath; and

a member provided as a wall of the first chamber and including a plurality of apertures configured for spacing the yarns apart prior to entering the first chamber through the plurality of apertures to allow the polymeric resin precursor to flow around external surfaces of the yars, the member including a surface in contact with the polymeric resin precursor provided in the open bath, the apertures being located below a top level of the polymeric resin.

17. The pultrusion system of claim 16, further comprising a device for pulling the fiber tows through the first chamber and the second chamber.

18. The pultrusion system of claim 16, wherein the open bath is in contact with the second chamber.

19. The pultrusion system of claim 16, wherein the first chamber is in fluid communication with the second chamber.

20. The pultrusion system of claim 16, wherein the first chamber is configured to receive the polymeric resin precursor and to provide the polymeric resin precursor to the yarns at atmospheric pressure.

21. The pultrusion system of claim 16, wherein the second chamber is tapered from the entrance of the second chamber to the exit of the second chamber.

22. The pultrusion system of claim 16, wherein the second chamber is configured to allow penetration of the polymeric resin precursor into the yarns by capillary action.

23. The pultrusion system of claim 16, wherein the apertures are configured to allow passage of spliced yarns of fiber.

24. The pultrusion system of claim 16, further comprising a curing die for curing polymeric resin precursor of wetted yarns after the wetted yarns exit the second chamber.