Systems and method for producing three-dimensional articles from flexible composite materials

• US 9,993,978 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2015
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cubic Tech Corporation (Avient Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Cubic Tech Corporation (Avient Corp.)
• Inventors: Downs, Roland Joseph, Adams, Christopher Michael, Holweger, Jon Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Khare, Atul P.
• Application Number:
  US14/791,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20160001472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 156289, 156290
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0225 Composite materials, e.g. material with a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/505 cores or mandrels, e.g. inflatable B29C33/0016 takes precedence; for winding and joining B29C53/824; for supporting articles during joining B29C66/634; flexible cores for vulcanizing tyres B29D30/0654
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/76 Cores B29C33/02 - B29C33/70, B29C41/40, B29C53/74, B29C53/82 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/02 Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mouldcold vulcanisation B29C35/18 ; vulcanising tyres, presses therefor B29D30/0601
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/0078 Measures or configurations for obtaining anchoring effects in the contact areas between layers surface shaping B29C59/00; B29C66/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/003 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/12 using bags surrounding the moulding material or using membranes contacting the moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/203 Making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/60 using internal forming surfaces, e.g. mandrels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/023 using multilayered plates or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7832 by setting the overlap between the parts to be joined, e.g. the overlap between sheets, plates or web-like materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/004 Preventing sticking together, e.g. of some areas of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/022 Mechanical pre-treatments, e.g. reshaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/432 for making tubular articles or closed loops, e.g. by joining several sheets B29C66/547 takes precedence; bending and joining sheets at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the article being formed and joining the edges B29C53/38; for making hollow articles or hollow preforms
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/547 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles, e.g. endless tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/20 oriented in a single direction, e.g. roofing or other parallel fibres B29C70/083, B29C70/226 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/202 arranged in parallel planes or structures of fibres crossing at substantial angles, e.g. cross-moulding compound [XMC] B29C70/207 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/205 the structure being shaped to form a three-dimensional configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/345 : using matched moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/00 : Producing footwear
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/0054 : by compression moulding, vulcanising or the like; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/0063 : Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/146 : Uppers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/12 : of short lengths, e.g. chopped filaments, staple fibres or bristles
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/256 : Sheets, plates, blanks or films
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/30 : Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof vanes or blades B29L2031/08, air bags B29L2022/027
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/505 : Uppers
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/768 : Protective equipment B29L2031/4821 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/00 : Layered products having a non-planar shape
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/023 : Two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/046 : Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0269 : Aromatic polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/103 : Metal fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/106 : Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7265 : Non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/734 : Dimensional stability
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/748 : Releasability
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2437/02 : Gloves, shoes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2571/00 : Protective equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/00 : Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/18 : involving the assembly of discrete sheets or panels only
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0012 : Mechanical treatment, e.g. roughening, deforming, stretching
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/02 : characterised by structural features of a fibrous or filamentary layer layer formed of metallic wires B32B15/02; layer formed of natural mineral fibres B32B19/02; layer formed of wood fibres B32B21/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 : Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/028 : Net structure, e.g. spaced apart filaments bonded at the crossing points
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/04 : characterised by a layer being specifically extensible by reason of its structure or arrangement , e.g. by reason of the chemical nature of the fibres or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/12 : characterised by the relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers, e.g. the fibres or filaments being parallel or perpendicular to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 : another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1002 : with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 : by folding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/14 : Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with shaping, scarifying, or cleaning joining surface only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/19 : Sheets or webs edge spliced or joined
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24074 : Strand or strand-portions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24628 : Nonplanar uniform thickness material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/614 : Strand or fiber material specified as having microdimensions [i.e., microfiber]

Abstract

The present disclosure encompasses three-dimensional articles comprising flexible-composite materials and methods of manufacturing said three-dimensional articles. More particularly, the present system relates to methods for manufacturing seamless three-dimensional-shaped articles usable for such finished products as airbags/inflatable structures, bags, shoes, and similar three-dimensional products. A preferred manufacturing process combines composite molding methods with specific precursor materials to form fiber-reinforced continuous shaped articles that are flexible and collapsible.

Claims

1. A method of producing a cured part, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a male tool having a three-dimensional shape;

creating a fiber-reinforced, uncured scrim by sticking together two unitape layers, each unitape layer comprising a single fiber-reinforced direction provided by monofilaments spread side-by-side and embedded in an elastic polymer adhesive resin, the two unitape layers having an intersecting relative orientation in the scrim whereby one unitape layer has a different fiber direction than the other unitape layer, and the elastic polymer allowing the uncured scrim to stretch in non-fiber reinforced bias directions not aligned with the fiber directions;

stretching said fiber-reinforced uncured scrim in said bias directions over the male tool; and

curing the uncured, stretched scrim on the male tool to form the cured part in the three-dimensional shape of the mold,

wherein the single direction monofilament alignment within each unitape layer is stabilized and maintained during the stretching of the fiber-reinforced uncured scrim by reinforcement provided by the intersecting unitape layers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing additional unitape layers over said scrim or over said male tool prior to said curing.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising coating a release material over the male tool followed by one or more adhesive sizing materials to hold the stretched scrim adjacent to the male tool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said curing comprises use of at least one of a vacuum bag, an elastomeric external bladder, or a mold box.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said cured part is configured to be integrated into a shoe.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said male tool further comprises a vacuum port to allow for vacuum-assisted layup of said scrim during said stretching.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing a surface layer over said scrim or the male tool prior to said curing.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said surface layer comprises a film layer, a breathable membrane, a woven fabric layer, a nonwoven fabric layer, or a leather layer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said scrim is a first scrim, and wherein the method further comprises creating at least one additional of said uncured scrim and stretching the at least one additional scrim over said male tool and said first scrim prior to said curing, said cured part being formed from the cured first and at least one additional scrims.