U.S. patent application number 13/849924 was filed with the patent office on 2013-10-17 for fiber reinforced composite cores and panels.
The applicant listed for this patent is Robin Banerjee, G. Scott Campbell, Stephen W. Day, Michael Sheppard, Frederick Stoll, Danny E. Tilton. Invention is credited to Robin Banerjee, G. Scott Campbell, Stephen W. Day, Michael Sheppard, Frederick Stoll, Danny E. Tilton.
Application Number | 20130273308 13/849924 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42981205 |
Filed Date | 2013-10-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130273308 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Day; Stephen W. ; et
al. |
October 17, 2013 |
FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITE CORES AND PANELS
Abstract
A fiber reinforced core panel is formed from strips of plastics
foam helically wound with layers of rovings to form webs which may
extend in a wave pattern or may intersect transverse webs. Hollow
tubes may replace foam strips. Axial rovings cooperate with
overlying helically wound rovings to form a beam or a column. Wound
roving patterns may vary along strips for structural efficiency.
Wound strips may alternate with spaced strips, and spacers between
the strips enhance web buckling strength. Continuously wound
rovings between spaced strips permit folding to form panels with
reinforced edges. Continuously wound strips are helically wrapped
to form annular structures, and composite panels may combine both
thermoset and thermoplastic resins. Continuously wound strips or
strip sections may be continuously fed either longitudinally or
laterally into molding apparatus which may receive skin materials
to form reinforced composite panels.
Inventors: |
Day; Stephen W.; (Dayton,
OH) ; Campbell; G. Scott; (Dayton, OH) ;
Tilton; Danny E.; (Dayton, OH) ; Stoll;
Frederick; (Spartanburg, SC) ; Sheppard; Michael;
(Centerville, OH) ; Banerjee; Robin; (Centerville,
OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Day; Stephen W.
Campbell; G. Scott
Tilton; Danny E.
Stoll; Frederick
Sheppard; Michael
Banerjee; Robin |
Dayton
Dayton
Dayton
Spartanburg
Centerville
Centerville |
OH
OH
OH
SC
OH
OH |
US
US
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
42981205 |
Appl. No.: |
13/849924 |
Filed: |
March 25, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11983317 |
Nov 8, 2007 |
8419883 |
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13849924 |
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|
10810298 |
Mar 27, 2004 |
7393577 |
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11983317 |
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09749064 |
Dec 27, 2000 |
6740381 |
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10810298 |
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60857593 |
Nov 9, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
428/114 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B32B 5/12 20130101; Y10T
156/1075 20150115; B29C 44/569 20130101; E04C 2/246 20130101; B29C
44/1285 20130101; B29C 70/865 20130101; Y10T 428/249982 20150401;
Y10T 428/24996 20150401; E04C 2/243 20130101; B32B 7/03 20190101;
B29C 70/24 20130101; Y10T 428/24132 20150115; Y10T 428/249953
20150401; Y10T 428/249981 20150401; B29C 70/083 20130101; B29C
70/504 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/114 |
International
Class: |
B32B 5/12 20060101
B32B005/12; B32B 7/00 20060101 B32B007/00 |
Goverment Interests
U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS
[0002] This invention was made with U.S. Government support under
US Air Force Contract No. F29601-02-C-0169 and under Contracts,
F33615-99-C-3217, F33615-00-C-3018, F42650-03-C-0029,
FA8201-06-C-0091, US Navy Contract N00167-99-C-0042 and NASA
Contract NNC04CA18C. The Federal Government has certain rights in
the invention.
Claims
1. A reinforced composite panel having an upper side and a lower
side comprising: a plurality of parallel elongated strips of low
density cellular material having parallel opposite side surfaces
and parallel opposite faces perpendicular to the side surfaces,
wherein the elongated strips are oriented such that the side
surfaces face the upper side and the lower side of the reinforced
composite panel, wherein the elongated strips comprise at least one
layer of helically surrounding fibrous rovings, wherein the fibrous
rovings extend over the side surfaces and opposite faces of the
elongated strips; a hardened adhesive resin extending through the
fibrous rovings on the opposite faces of the elongated strips
forming internal reinforcing members, wherein the fibrous rovings
on the opposite side surfaces of the parallel strips retain their
porosity.
2. The reinforced composite panel of claim 1, wherein the at least
one layer of helically surrounding fibrous rovings comprises a
first layer of fibrous reinforcements wound in a helical manner and
a second layer of fibrous reinforcements over the first layer of
fibrous reinforcements, wherein the fibrous reinforcements of the
second layer cross the fibrous reinforcements of the first
layer.
3. The reinforced composite panel of claim 1, wherein the hardened
adhesive resin is a hardened thermoset resin.
4. A reinforced composite panel having an upper side and a lower
side comprising: a plurality of parallel elongated strips of low
density cellular material having parallel opposite side surfaces
and parallel opposite faces perpendicular to the side surfaces,
wherein the elongated strips are oriented such that the side
surfaces face the upper side and the lower side of the reinforced
composite panel, wherein the elongated strips comprise at least one
layer of helically surrounding fibrous rovings, wherein the fibrous
rovings extend over the side surfaces and opposite faces of the
elongated strips; a hardened adhesive resin extending through the
fibrous rovings on the opposite faces of the elongated strips
forming internal reinforcing members, and an additional resin
extending through the fibrous rovings on the side surfaces of the
elongated strips.
5. The reinforced composite panel of claim 4, wherein the at least
one layer of helically surrounding fibrous rovings comprises a
first layer of fibrous reinforcements wound in a helical manner and
a second layer of fibrous reinforcements over the first layer of
fibrous reinforcements, wherein the fibrous reinforcements of the
second layer cross the fibrous reinforcements of the first
layer.
6. The reinforced composite panel of claim 4, further comprising a
first skin on the upper surface of the panel adhesively attached to
the elongated strips by the additional resin extending through the
fibrous rovings on the side surfaces of the elongated strips.
7. The reinforced composite panel of claim 4, wherein the hardened
adhesive resin is a hardened thermoset resin.
8. The reinforced composite panel of claim 4, wherein the
additional resin is a thermoplastic resin.
9. A reinforced composite panel having an upper side and a lower
side comprising: a plurality of parallel elongated strips of low
density cellular material having parallel opposite side surfaces
and parallel opposite faces perpendicular to the side surfaces,
wherein the elongated strips are oriented such that the side
surfaces face the upper side and the lower side of the reinforced
composite panel, wherein the elongated strips comprise at least one
layer of helically surrounding fibrous rovings, wherein the fibrous
rovings extend over the side surfaces and opposite faces of the
elongated strips; a hardened adhesive resin extending through the
fibrous rovings on the opposite faces of the elongated strips
forming internal reinforcing members, wherein the fibrous rovings
adjacent on the opposite side surfaces are substantially free of
the hardened adhesive resin.
10. The reinforced composite panel of claim 9, wherein the at least
one layer of helically surrounding fibrous rovings comprises a set
of braided rovings.
11. The reinforced composite panel of claim 9, wherein the at least
one layer of helically surrounding fibrous rovings comprises a
first layer of fibrous reinforcements wound in a helical manner and
a second layer of fibrous reinforcements over the first layer of
fibrous reinforcements, wherein the fibrous reinforcements of the
second layer cross the fibrous reinforcements of the first
layer.
12. The reinforced composite panel of claim 9, wherein the fibrous
reinforcements comprise fiberglass.
13. The reinforced composite panel of claim 9, wherein the hardened
adhesive resin is a partially cured thermoset resin.
14. A reinforced composite panel having an upper side and a lower
side comprising: a plurality of parallel elongated strips of low
density cellular material having parallel opposite side surfaces
and parallel opposite faces perpendicular to the side surfaces,
wherein the elongated strips are oriented such that the side
surfaces face the upper side and the lower side of the reinforced
composite panel, wherein the elongated strips comprise at least one
layer of helically surrounding fibrous rovings, wherein the fibrous
rovings extend over the side surfaces and opposite faces of the
elongated strips, and wherein the fibrous rovings comprise a
porosity; a hardened adhesive resin extending through the fibrous
rovings on the opposite faces of the elongated strips forming
internal reinforcing members such that the fibrous rovings on the
opposite faces of the elongated strips retain some porosity,
wherein the fibrous rovings adjacent on the opposite side surfaces
are substantially free of the hardened thermoset resin and retain
substantially all of their porosity.
15. The reinforced composite panel of claim 14, wherein the at
least one layer of helically surrounding fibrous rovings comprises
a set of braided rovings.
16. The reinforced composite panel of claim 14, wherein the at
least one layer of helically surrounding fibrous rovings comprises
a first layer of fibrous reinforcements wound in a helical manner
and a second layer of fibrous reinforcements over the first layer
of fibrous reinforcements, wherein the fibrous reinforcements of
the second layer cross the fibrous reinforcements of the first
layer.
17. The reinforced composite panel of claim 14, wherein the fibrous
reinforcements comprise fiberglass.
18. The reinforced composite panel of claim 14, wherein the
hardened adhesive resin is a hardened thermoset resin.
19. A reinforced composite panel having an upper side and a lower
side comprising: a plurality of parallel elongated strips of low
density cellular material having parallel opposite side surfaces
and parallel opposite faces perpendicular to the side surfaces,
wherein the elongated strips are oriented such that the side
surfaces face the upper side and the lower side of the reinforced
composite panel, wherein the elongated strips comprise at least one
layer of helically surrounding fibrous rovings, wherein the fibrous
rovings extend over the side surfaces and opposite faces of the
elongated strips, and wherein the fibrous rovings comprise a
porosity; a hardened adhesive resin extending through the fibrous
rovings on the opposite faces of the elongated strips and extending
laterally across a portion of the fibrous rovings on the opposite
side surfaces to form a series of structural I-beams, wherein the
fibrous rovings adjacent on the opposite side surfaces outside out
the structural I-beams are substantially free of the hardened
adhesive resin and retain substantially all of their porosity.
20. The reinforced composite panel of claim 19, wherein the
hardened adhesive resin is a hardened thermoset resin.
21. The reinforced composite panel of claim 19, further comprising
a first skin on the upper surface of the panel adhesively attached
to the elongated strips by an additional resin extending through
the fibrous rovings on the side surfaces of the elongated strips.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
11/983,317, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.
10/810,298, filed Mar. 27, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of
application Ser. No. 09/749,064, filed Dec. 27, 2000. Ser. No.
10/810,298 also claims the benefit of provisional application Ser.
No. 60/857,593, filed Nov. 9, 2006.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention relates to sandwich panel composite
structures comprising fiber reinforced low density cellular
material, resin, fibrous and non-fibrous skin reinforcements, and
in particular to improved structural configurations, improved
methods of resin infusion and methods of production.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Structural sandwich panels having cores comprised of low
density closed cell material, such as closed cell plastics foam
material, and opposing skins comprised of fibrous reinforcing mats
or fabrics in a matrix of cured resin, have been used for many
decades in the construction of a wide variety of products, for
example, boat hulls and refrigerated trailers. The foam core serves
to separate and stabilize the structural skins, resist shear and
compressive loads, and provide thermal insulation.
[0005] The structural performance of sandwich panels having foam
cores may be markedly enhanced by providing a structure of fibrous
reinforcing members within the foam core to both strengthen the
core and improve attachment of the core to the panel skins, for
example, as disclosed in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,082. When
porous and fibrous reinforcements are introduced into the closed
cell foam core and a porous and fibrous skin reinforcing fabric or
mat is applied to each face of the core, adhesive resin, such as
polyester, vinyl ester or epoxy, may be flowed throughout all of
the porous skin and core reinforcements by differential pressure,
for example under a vacuum bag. While impregnating the fibrous
reinforcements, resin does not saturate the plastic foam core
because of its closed cell composition. The resin then co-cures
throughout the reinforced structure to provide a strong monolithic
panel.
[0006] It is desirable to produce sandwich panels of enhanced
structural performance by improving the structural connections and
support among reinforcing members within the foam core and between
the core and the panel skins. This is desirable in order to resist
buckling loads in the reinforcing members, to prevent premature
detachment of reinforcing members from one another and from the
skins under load, and to provide multiple load paths for the
distribution of forces applied to the panel. Existing fiber
reinforced core products offer important improvements over
unreinforced foam in this regard but fail to integrate fully the
separate reinforcing elements of the core into a unified and
internally supported structure. For example, in a grid-like
configuration of fibrous reinforcing sheet-type webs in which a
first set of continuous webs is intersected by a second set of
interrupted or discontinuous webs, the webs do support each other
against buckling. However, under severe loading conditions, the
discontinuous webs tend to fail at the adhesive resin bond to the
continuous webs along their narrow line of intersection. This
tendency may be substantially reduced by providing resin filled
fillet grooves in the foam along the lines of intersection as
disclosed in the above mentioned patent. Moreover, since the
reinforcing fibers of interrupted webs terminate at each
intersection with a continuous web, the structural contribution of
those fibers is substantially less than that of the fibers of the
continuous webs.
[0007] In the case of strut or rod type core reinforcements
comprising rovings of fiberglass or carbon fiber or other fibers
which extend between the faces of the core, individual struts
within a given row of struts may intersect each other in a lattice
configuration. This supplies buckling support to each strut, but
only in the plane of the strut row. To achieve bidirectional
support, struts of a first row must extend through the filaments of
struts of an intersecting row. This requires difficult and costly
levels of accuracy and control in machine processing, since all
struts must be precisely positioned in three dimensions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] One embodiment of the present invention overcomes the
limitations of both web type and strut type reinforced foam cores
by combining these two types of reinforcing elements into hybrid
reinforcement configurations. In hybrid architecture the foam core
is provided with parallel spaced rows of fibrous reinforcing webs
or sheets which extend between the faces of the foam board at an
acute or right angle. A second set of parallel spaced rows of
reinforcing elements comprising rod-like fibrous rovings or struts
also extend between the faces of the foam board at acute or right
angles, and the rovings or struts intersect the webs and extend
through them. Thus webs and struts constitute an interlocking three
dimensional support structure in which all reinforcing fibers
within the core are uninterrupted. The interconnected webs and
struts provide multiple load paths to distribute normal loads
efficiently among the reinforcing elements of the core and between
the core structure and the panel skins. Impact damage tends to be
limited to the immediate area of impact, since the complex
reinforcement structure resists the development of shear planes
within the core.
[0009] In an alternate hybrid architecture, the webs comprise a
continuous sheet of fabric or mat which is formed into corrugations
having segments which extend between the faces of the core, and the
voids between the corrugations are filled with foam strips of
matching cross-section. The corrugations, together with the
intersecting panel skins, may form, in cross-section, rectangles,
triangles, parallelograms or other geometric shapes which are
structurally efficient or which offer manufacturing advantages.
[0010] In a particularly cost efficient version of hybrid core, the
core reinforcing webs are produced by winding relatively low cost
fibrous rovings in a helical manner onto rectangular foam strips,
rather than by adhering substantially more expensive woven or
stitched fabric to the surface of the foam strips. Additional
rovings may be applied axially along the length of the strips
during the winding operation to enhance structural properties of
the strips or to serve as low cost components of the finished panel
skins. The fiber-wound foam strips may also be attached together to
form a structural core without the addition of rows of structural
struts. In this configuration, the contiguous or adjacent sides of
wound strips of rectangular cross section form web elements having
I-beam flanges for attachment to panel skins. In contrast to the
disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,939, the fibrous extensions of
each core web are attached to panel skins on both sides of the web
rather than only one, greatly increasing the shear strength of the
resulting panel. This permits the use of lighter and less expensive
webs for a given strength requirement. Similarly, the present
invention provides markedly improved core-to-skin attachment and
shear strength when compared to the structure disclosed in
Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,623, U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,243 and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,082. In tests, webs comprised of
circumferentially wound rovings exhibit 75% greater shear strength
than those whose end portions terminate adjacent the panel skins.
Each wound strip may be provided with internal transverse
reinforcing webs to provide bi-directional strength and stiffness.
Roving-wound cores may also be formed using strips of triangular
cross section.
[0011] The winding of rovings by machine and the consolidation of
the fiber-wound strips into a single core have both economic and
handling advantages. It is common for a single composite bridge
deck panel or yacht hull constructed in accordance with U.S. Pat.
No. 5,701,234, 5,904,972 or 5,958,325 to comprise a thousand or
more individual core blocks. The labor component of producing these
individual cores is very high. Reinforcement fabric is cut into
sheets which are wrapped and glued around each separate core, or
smaller pieces of fabric are glued to the separate faces of each
core, or tubular fabrics are first formed and the cores inserted
into them. These processes become increasingly difficult as the
dimensions of the core components decrease. Arrangement of these
cores in a mold is also labor intensive, expensive and time
consuming, which restricts the number of panels which may be
produced from a mold in a given period of time. Positioning of
individual core blocks becomes increasingly awkward as the
curvature of the mold increases or as the mold surface departs from
horizontal. The cores which are the subject of the present
invention substantially eliminate these deficiencies by unitizing a
large number of components into a single, easily handled core.
[0012] In addition to their superior structural performance, hybrid
design allows economical production of extremely complex and
structurally efficient configurations through relatively simple
processes at high machine throughput and without requiring extreme
levels of manufacturing precision. As mentioned above,
bidirectional strut type cores require the insertion of roving
reinforcements into the foam board with a degree of accuracy which
is difficult to achieve when it is desired that rovings of
intersecting rows extend through one another. It is also necessary
to make multiple passes through strut insertion devices in order to
place struts angled in two to four directions within the board.
[0013] In contrast, bidirectional hybrid cores may be produced in
as little as a single pass through a strut insertion device. The
reinforcement webs cooperate with the intersecting struts to resist
loads in the plane of the struts. The webs also provide strength in
the direction transverse to the struts, since the webs extend
transversely to the rows of struts. Further, a much more limited
degree of accuracy is required in production, since the struts have
only to intersect the plane of the webs, rather than a narrow
bundle of filaments.
[0014] Hybrid cores improve production of molded panels by
increasing the rate and reliability of resin impregnation or
infusion of both the core reinforcing elements and the sandwich
panel skins which overlie the core. In vacuum assisted resin
transfer molding (VARTM) processes, panels comprising dry and
porous skin reinforcements are placed in a closed mold or a single
sided mold in which the panel is covered by a sealed bag
impermeable to air. The panel is then evacuated, and resin under
atmospheric pressure is allowed to flow into and infuse the
reinforcements. Because of the complex interconnections between the
webs and struts in the cores of the present invention, both air and
resin are able to flow rapidly and pervasively throughout the
structure. The porous webs and struts form natural resin flow paths
between the skins and carry resin rapidly from its source of
introduction to a multiplicity of points at the porous skins. This
minimizes the problem of race tracking, in which areas of dry skin
fabric become isolated from the vacuum source by an unevenly
advancing resin front, preventing the skins to wet out fully before
the resin begins to thicken and cure.
[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, no resin
distribution medium of any kind is required between the panel skins
and the mold surface or vacuum bag membrane. This not only
eliminates the cost of such distribution medium but also allows the
production of panels having smooth faces on all sides. Also, in
contrast with prior art such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
5,958,325, the foam core need not be provided with micro grooves
located on the periphery of the core adjacent the panel skins, or
with slots or holes in the foam which extend between the skins, as
the means for distributing resin to the skins. In the present
invention, all resin flows to the skins through the core
reinforcing structure, whereas U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,325 specifically
describes impregnation as resulting from resin infusion originating
at the core surface. A disadvantage of peripheral micro grooves is
that the size and spacing of the micro grooves must be selected to
match the type and quantity of the panel's fibrous fabrics in order
to insure full impregnation of the skin and core reinforcements
before the resin cures. In the present invention, all of the resin
which infuses the skins passes through the porous reinforcing
structure of the core to reach the skins, and since panel skins are
typically intersected by two or more porous reinforcing elements
per square inch of panel surface, resin tends to spread both
rapidly and evenly across the skin surface. Thorough impregnation
of the panel skins, which can be seen, is a reliable indicator that
the core reinforcing structure does not have dry, and therefore
weak areas. This is an important advantage over other infusion
systems, in which resin is introduced adjacent the skins.
[0016] In accordance with the present invention, resin is supplied
to the core reinforcing structure through a network of grooves
within the interior of the foam core and adjacent the core
reinforcing webs and extending parallel to the webs, and not
adjacent the panel skins. The ends of these grooves intersect
feeder channels which usually have a larger cross-sectional area.
Resin supplied to the feeder channels rapidly flows through the
grooves adjacent the webs and substantially all of the resin then
flows through the fibrous core reinforcing elements to reach and
impregnate the panel skins. If the resin grooves are located in a
plane near the center of the panel thickness, resin need only flow
through half the thickness of the panel, in each direction from the
center plane, before full resin saturation is achieved. This is
markedly faster than common resin infusion techniques in which
resin is introduced across a single panel face and must flow
through the entire panel thickness to reach and infuse the opposing
face. Panels with thick cores or thick skins may be provided with
one or more additional sets of resin grooves and feeder channels
for faster infusion. The sets of grooves and feeder channels
describe a plurality of planes parallel to the panel faces.
[0017] The infusion method of the present invention is particularly
well suited for the production of molded panels in which both faces
of the panel require a superior surface finish. Because resin is
introduced into the interior of the core and flows rapidly under
differential pressure throughout the core to the skin reinforcing
structure, both faces of the panel may be adjacent rigid mold
surfaces of desired shape and finish, without seriously increasing
the time required for infusion compared to infusion conducted under
a flexible surface, such as a vacuum bag. In contrast, common
differential pressure molding processes such as VARTM, in which the
skin reinforcements are consolidated by pressure prior to the
introduction of resin, require that one side of the panel be
covered with a flexible membrane, such as a vacuum bag, enclosing a
resin distribution medium if it is desired to both maintain
substantial pressure and introduce resin rapidly over the skin
surface. If this arrangement is not used, the pressure of rigid
mold surfaces against both panel faces necessitates a long and slow
infusion path, in which the resin impregnates the skins by flowing
along their length and width, rather than through their
thickness.
[0018] The inside-out core infusion method of the invention may be
used to infuse into the fibrous core reinforcements and inner skin
layers a resin which differs in properties from the resin which
infuses the outer skin layers of the panel. It may be used, for
example, to produce a sandwich panel having an outer skin layer
comprising fire resistant phenolic resin and an inner skin layer
and core reinforcement structure comprising structural vinyl ester
resin. This is achieved by providing an adhesive barrier, for
example of epoxy resin in film form, between inner and outer layers
of porous, fibrous skin reinforcements. A first resin is supplied
by infusion from within the core as previously described, and a
second resin is infused directly into the outer skin
reinforcements, with the barrier film serving to keep the resins
separate while creating a structural adhesive bond between
them.
[0019] In a useful variation of the hybrid core of the invention,
the reinforcing webs do not extend between the faces of the panel.
Instead, two or more foam boards are interleaved with porous,
fibrous web sheets and stacked in a sandwich configuration. Porous
roving struts or rods extend between the faces of the core and
through the intermediate web sheet or sheets. The web or webs
stabilize the struts against buckling under load and also serve to
distribute resin to the struts and skins. Resin may be introduced
through parallel spaced grooves in the foam adjacent the web.
Alternately, resin may be flowed into the core through a feeder
channel which is perpendicular to the panel faces and which
terminates in radial grooves adjacent the webs. This arrangement is
useful in infusing circular panels, for example, manhole covers. In
a third variation, the web sheet may incorporate low density
fibrous mat or non-structural, porous infusion medium through which
resin supplied through feeder channels flows across the center
plane of the panel to the struts and through the struts to the
panel skins.
[0020] An additional feature of the present invention is the
provision of improved connections between strut or rod-type core
reinforcing elements and sandwich panel skins. This improvement is
applicable to hybrid panels having both web and strut-type core
reinforcing members, as well as to panels whose core reinforcing
comprises only struts. The porous and fibrous struts which extend
between the faces of the core may terminate between the core and
the skins, may extend through the skins and terminate at their
exterior surfaces, or may overlie one or more layers of the panel
skins. Under load, the struts are subject to substantial forces of
tension or compression at the point of intersection with the skins,
and these forces may cause failure of the adhesive bond between
reinforcing element and skins.
[0021] Prior art, for example, as disclosed in European Patent No.
0 672,805 B1, discloses the provision of looped end portions of the
reinforcing elements adjacent the skins. Under pressure during
molding, the loops formed in the end portions of the struts provide
an expanded area of adhesive contact with the skins. However, a
serious disadvantage of this design is that the loops, which are
doubled-back bundles of fibers, form lumps which cause the panel
skins to deform out of plane under molding pressure. This results
in excess resin accumulation in the skins, an increase in the
tendency of the skin to buckle under in-plane compressive loads,
and undesirable surface finishes.
[0022] In the present invention, terminating ends of strut type
reinforcing elements are cut to allow the filaments which comprise
the struts to flare laterally under molding pressure, which both
significantly flattens the end portions against the skins and
provides an expanded area of adhesive bond between each strut end
portion and skin in the region immediately adjacent the strut end
portion. Skin surface flatness may be further improved by applying
sufficient pressure, sometimes simultaneous with heat, to the faces
of the panel before molding to provide recesses for embedding any
reinforcement lumps or ridges into the foam core during the molding
process. Alternately, grooves may be formed in the faces of the
foam along the lines of strut insertion, into which strut end
portions or overlying stitch portions are pressed during
molding.
[0023] The present invention also provides an alternate method of
anchoring strut ends and which is effective even when the strut end
portions do not overlie panel skins. In this configuration,
parallel grooves or slits are so located in the faces of the foam
board that the end portions of strut-type reinforcing members pass
through the grooves. Porous reinforcing rovings having sufficient
depth to adhesively anchor the strut ends are inserted into the
grooves prior to insertion of the strut members, and resin which
flows into the structure during molding provides structural
attachment of struts to the rovings within the grooves. The
rovings, having a substantial area of contact with the overlying
panel skins complete the transfer of structural loads between skins
and cores. An important additional benefit of this construction is
that the groove rovings and strut members may be sized so as to
constitute a unitized truss structure, with the groove rovings
serving as truss chords. Since rovings cost substantially less than
woven fabrics, this allows for economical panel fabrication in
cases where relatively thin skins are adequate between the truss
rows.
[0024] In the present invention, low cost rovings may also be
applied directly to the faces of the foam boards to form panel
skins during the process of inserting reinforcing members into the
foam and in lieu of applying skins of more costly woven or knitted
fabric reinforcements to the faces of the core. In this method,
multiple rovings are supplied along parallel lines transverse to
the core length and are drawn in a longitudinal direction
continuously from supply creels by the forward progress of the foam
core through the strut insertion machine, in sufficient number to
more or less cover the faces of the foam. Prior to strut insertion,
groups of rovings are drawn transversely, at right or acute angles,
across the faces of the core from creels and advance with the core
while strut rovings are stitched through the core. Overlying
portions of the stitches hold all surface rovings in position to
form a structural panel skin once resin has been applied to the
panel. If desired, a light veil of reinforcing material may be
applied over the surface rovings before stitching to improve the
handling characteristics of the core prior to molding. In lieu of
continuous rovings, random or oriented chopped rovings may be
applied between the core faces and surface veils to form a
structural mat.
[0025] Sandwich panels comprising helically wound rovings which
overlie and restrain axial rovings which have been substituted for
skin fabric reinforcements are effective at resisting skin
delamination, even if the skins are not stitched through the core.
This is quite useful in areas of non-uniform core thickness, for
example at panel edge step-downs and tapers, which are subject to
delamination due to buckling or tensile loads in the skins.
[0026] The present invention includes several useful variations of
reinforced core panel having bi-directional core strength and in
which all of the core reinforcing members are provided by means of
a helical winding process. In the most economical embodiment, a
unidirectional core panel comprised of parallel wound foam strips
is cut in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the strips into
uniform second strips, which are then rotated 90 degrees and
consolidated to form a second unitized core panel. The original
helically wound rovings then extend between the faces of the core
panel as separate strut-like roving segments whose end portions
terminate adjacent the faces of the core. This core architecture
provides bi-directional shear strength and high compressive
strength, but reduced attachment strength of the core to panel
skins. Skin attachment may be enhanced by helically winding the
second strips prior to their consolidation, to provide layers of
wound reinforcements which extend continuously between the foam
strips and across the faces of the core panel adjacent the skins.
Depending upon the structural properties desired, the wound second
strips may be oriented, prior to consolidation, to provide doubled
layers of rovings either between or adjacent the skins.
Bi-directional core panels may also be provided with parallel rows
of continuous rovings which are inserted into slits in the faces of
the core panels to form support members between the core
reinforcing webs for thin panel skins. Skin support between wound
reinforcing webs may be provided in unidirectional cores by winding
pairs of foam strips which have been provided with reinforcing webs
between the strips prior to winding.
[0027] An important advantage of all of the bi-directional cores
described herein is that the intersecting reinforcing webs
stabilize each other against buckling under load into the adjacent
low density and low strength foam strip. Web buckling resistance in
unidirectional cores may be improved by increasing the effective
width of the web by providing a spacer strip, for example high
density foam plastic, between adjacent wound foam strips. In an
economical form of unidirectional core panel, roving-wound foam
strips alternate with plain foam strips, thus permitting the
doubling of panel output for a given amount of winding machine
output. To stabilize the webs against buckling in this embodiment,
the spacer strip is provided between the opposing wound layers on
opposing sides of each wound strip. Unidirectional strips may be
modified to provide bi-directional strength, by providing strips of
serpentine or other configuration in which the edges of the strips
are not parallel and thus provide structural properties in
directions other than the general direction of the strip. Core
panels comprising strips of all configurations and incorporating
thermoplastic resin may be economically produced by applying
reinforcing fibers and low cost thermoplastic materials to the
strips as separate components for subsequent consolidation under
heat and pressure.
[0028] The structural performance of helically wound strips may be
improved by providing rovings which extend axially along the
corners of the strips and beneath the wound rovings. This addition
causes the reinforcing web on each side of each foam strip to take
the general form of a bar joist having top and bottom chords which
are separated by rod-like shear members. This structure is more
resistant to impact, and the axial rovings may permit the use of
less reinforcing fiber in the panel skins. Individual strips so
constructed may be used as discrete structural members, for example
columns or box beams, whose performance may be further enhanced by
providing the strips with transverse reinforcing members and by
providing additional axial rovings between the corners of the
strips.
[0029] The structural efficiency of certain panels comprising wound
strips may be enhanced by varying the feed rate of the strip
through the roving winding apparatus, in order to vary the angle
and density of the wound reinforcements along the length of the
foam strips. This may provide improved compressive strength for the
panel at load bearing points, or core shear resistance which is
tailored to match predicted shear loads along the length of the
panel.
[0030] Shear loads in core panels comprising unidirectionally-wound
foam strips may be may be transferred to the ends of the strips and
thence to intersecting panel reinforcements by spacing continuously
wound foam strips during the winding process and folding the strips
back and forth before consolidating them to form a core panel. This
positions the wound rovings of the spaced segments across opposing
ends of the foam strips and provides a strong structural connection
to panel edge reinforcements or to adjacent core panels. It may
also be desirable to produce sandwich panels of generally
cylindrical or other closed configuration and having continuous
core panel reinforcements which do not end in core joints and
thereby avoid structural discontinuities. This embodiment may be
used for example to form jet engine casings, which are designed to
resist very high energy impacts while maintaining the overall
integrity of the casing. The core panel is produced by helically
winding reinforcing rovings around a continuous foam strip, then
wrapping the strip helically around a cylindrical mandrel.
Continuous axial rovings may be provided underneath the wound
rovings for additional hoop strength and resistance to impact.
[0031] In a useful embodiment of the present invention, thin-walled
tubes are substituted for the foam strips onto which reinforcing
rovings are wound. The tubes may comprise material of low
structural properties, for example stiffened paper, or of high
structural properties, for example roll formed or extruded
aluminum, preferably treated for strong adhesion to the resins used
as the matrix for the fibrous reinforcements. This embodiment is
useful when it is desirable to provide a hollow structure, or to
eliminate the weight of the low density solid core, or to
incorporate the structural properties of the tubular material into
the panel.
[0032] Another means of enhancing the impact resistance of sandwich
panels comprising helically wound cores and thermoset resins is to
incorporate thermoplastic resins, which are generally substantially
less brittle than thermoset resins, into the outer portions of the
panel skins. This may be accomplished by several means. A
thermoplastic film may be heated to flow into the outer portion of
a fibrous reinforcing mat or fabric, leaving the inner portion
porous, for subsequent impregnation with the thermoset resin used
to impregnate the core reinforcements. If desired, a layer of
fabric comprised of commingled fiberglass and thermoplastic fibers
may be substituted for the thermoplastic film. The commingled
fabric is heated to form a reinforced thermoplastic outer surface
and to flow the thermoplastic resin partially through the thickness
of the inner reinforcing mat. In still another embodiment,
commingled fabric skin may be placed adjacent the reinforced core
and infused without application of heat, so that both the
fiberglass and the thermoplastic fibers of the skin are impregnated
by the thermoset resin used to infuse the core.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a reinforced
foam core composite panel constructed in accordance with the
invention;
[0034] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section of a reinforced foam core
composite panel constructed in accordance with another embodiment
of the invention;
[0035] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section of another embodiment of a
reinforced foam core composite panel constructed in accordance with
the invention;
[0036] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section of another embodiment of a
reinforced foam core composite panel constructed in accordance with
the invention;
[0037] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section of another embodiment of a
reinforced foam core composite panel constructed in accordance with
the invention;
[0038] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section of another embodiment of a
reinforced foam core composite panel constructed in accordance with
the invention, with a center portion broken away;
[0039] FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section taken generally on the line
7-7 of FIG. 6 and with a center portion broken away;
[0040] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section of another embodiment of a
reinforced foam core composite panel constructed in accordance with
the invention;
[0041] FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a reinforced
foam core composite panel constructed in accordance with another
embodiment of the invention;
[0042] FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a reinforced
foam core composite panel constructed in accordance with another
embodiment of the invention;
[0043] FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a reinforced
foam core composite panel constructed in accordance with a
modification of the invention;
[0044] FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic view of apparatus for producing
fiber-wound foam strips in accordance with the invention;
[0045] FIG. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fiber-wound
foam strip constructed in accordance with the invention;
[0046] FIG. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of a reinforced
foam core composite panel constructed in accordance with the
invention;
[0047] FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic view of apparatus for producing
fiber reinforced foam core panels in accordance with the
invention.
[0048] FIG. 16 is a fragmentary perspective view of a reinforced
foam component constructed in accordance with the invention;
[0049] FIG. 17 is a fragmentary perspective view of a reinforced
foam component using the component of FIG. 16;
[0050] FIG. 18 is a fragmentary perspective view of a reinforced
foam core constructed in accordance with the invention and using
the component of FIG. 17;
[0051] FIG. 19 is a fragmentary perspective view of another
embodiment of a reinforced foam core constructed in accordance with
the invention;
[0052] FIG. 20 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core panel
constructed in accordance with a modification of the invention;
[0053] FIG. 21 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of FIG. 20;
[0054] FIG. 22 is a fragmentary perspective view of a section cut
from the panel shown in FIG. 20;
[0055] FIG. 23 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core panel
formed with the strips shown in FIG. 22 and partially exploded;
[0056] FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the strip shown in FIG. 22
with helically wound rovings;
[0057] FIG. 25 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the
wound strip shown in FIG. 24;
[0058] FIG. 26 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core panel
constructed with strips as shown in FIG. 24;
[0059] FIG. 27 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core panel
constructed with strips shown in FIG. 24 in accordance with a
modification of the invention;
[0060] FIG. 28 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core strip
formed in accordance with another modification of the
invention;
[0061] FIG. 29 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the
core strip shown in FIG. 28;
[0062] FIG. 30 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core panel
constructed using core strips as shown in FIG. 28;
[0063] FIG. 31 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core panel
formed in accordance with another modification of the
invention;
[0064] FIG. 32 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core panel
constructed in accordance with another modification of the
invention;
[0065] FIG. 33 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core strip
formed in accordance with a modification of the invention;
[0066] FIG. 34 is a fragmentary perspective view of another core
panel formed in accordance with a modification of the
invention;
[0067] FIG. 35 is a fragmentary perspective view of an annular core
assembly formed helically winding a core strip constructed in
accordance with the invention;
[0068] FIG. 36 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core panel
formed of tubular core strips each having helically wound rovings
and formed in accordance with a modification of the invention;
[0069] FIG. 37 is fragmentary plan view of a core strip constructed
in accordance with another further modification of the
invention;
[0070] FIG. 38 is a fragmentary plan view of a core panel formed
with the core strip shown in FIG. 37 in accordance with the
invention;
[0071] FIG. 39 is a fragmentary perspective view of a core panel
formed in accordance with another modification of the
invention;
[0072] FIG. 40 is a fragmentary perspective view of a panel formed
in accordance with another modification of the invention;
[0073] FIG. 41 is a fragmentary perspective view of a composite
panel formed in accordance with another modification of the
invention;
[0074] FIG. 42 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified core
panel formed in accordance with the invention;
[0075] FIG. 43 is a fragmentary perspective view of another
composite panel formed in accordance with the invention;
[0076] FIG. 44-47 are fragmentary perspective views of core panels
formed in accordance with the invention;
[0077] FIG. 48 is a diagrammatic perspective view of apparatus
showing the method of making a composite panel in accordance with
the invention;
[0078] FIG. 49 is another diagrammatic perspective view of another
apparatus showing another method of making a composite panel in
accordance with the invention;
[0079] FIG. 50 is a further diagrammatic perspective view of
apparatus for producing another form of composite panel in
accordance with the invention; and
[0080] FIG. 51 is a fragmentary exploded end view of a composite
panel formed in accordance with the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0081] FIG. 1 illustrates a structural composite sandwich panel 30
which may be used, for example, as the floor of a highway truck
cab, the hull or transom of a boat, the roof of a factory building,
or as a vehicular or pedestrian bridge deck. Panel 30 comprises a
fiber reinforced closed cell plastic foam core 31 and opposing
fiber reinforced skins 32. Foam core 31 comprises a plurality of
foam strips 33, whose structural properties are insufficient to
resist loads in the core which would correspond with loads for
which skins 32 are designed.
[0082] The core reinforcing fibers, which are selected to impart
the required structural properties to the core, are of fiberglass
or carbon fiber or other reinforcing fibers. In one direction, the
reinforcing fibers comprise a plurality of parallel sheets or webs
34 of porous, fibrous fabric or mat which extend between the faces
of the core 31 and which have been adhesively attached to one face
of each foam strip 33 while maintaining substantial porosity in the
web material. If desired, the webs 34 may incorporate
reinforcements comprising a plurality of individual rovings
adhesively applied to foam boards (not shown) from which strips 33
are cut. In a crossing direction, generally perpendicular to the
webs 34, the core reinforcing fibers comprise a plurality of
parallel rows of spaced rods or struts 35, which extend between the
faces of the core and are made up of bundles or rovings of porous
reinforcing filaments.
[0083] Each row of struts comprises a plurality of struts 35
inclined at opposing acute angles, for example +58 degrees and -58
degrees or +45 degrees and -45 degrees, to the panel skins. The two
sets of opposing struts in each row lie in the same plane and
intersect each other to form a triangulated or lattice type
structure. The diameter and spacing of struts 35 within a row of
struts are determined by structural considerations, but are
commonly in the range of 0.01 inch to 0.12 inch diameter and 0.25
inch to 2.0 inch spacing. In some cases struts may exceed 0.50 inch
diameter and 7.0 inch spacing. Rows of struts 35 are commonly
spaced 0.5-in. to 1.0-in. apart. The closed cell foam strips or
pieces may be of polyurethane, polyvinylchloride, polystyrene,
phenolic, polyethylene, polymethacrylimide or other foam material
having the desired properties for a specific application.
Typically, foam density is low, in the range of 2 to 5 pounds per
cubic foot, but much higher densities may be used where
appropriate.
[0084] As shown in FIG. 1, the struts 35 intersect webs 34, and the
fibers which comprise the struts extend through the fibers which
comprise the webs. Since the fibrous rovings which comprise the
struts are inserted into the foam core and through the webs in a
stitching operation, the filaments which comprise the struts pass
through the filaments of the webs without breaking either set of
filaments, so that the continuity of all elements of the core
reinforcing structure remains intact. In a preferred embodiment,
panel skins 32 comprise inner skins 36 and outer skins 37. The end
portions 38 of reinforcing struts 35 also extend through the inner
skins 36 and flare laterally to overlie the inner skins 36. The
inner skins 36 are covered by outer skins 37 prior to molding panel
30 with resin. The struts are thus mechanically attached to the
skins, providing high resistance to delamination of skins 32 from
core 31 under load. If desired, the end portions of strut rovings
may terminate adjacent the faces of the reinforced core 31.
[0085] The porous and fibrous reinforcements of both core and skins
are impregnated or infused with an adhesive resin which flows,
preferably under differential pressure, throughout all of the
reinforcing materials and cures to form a rigid, load bearing
structure. Before panel 30 is molded and cured, inner skins 36 and
foam strips 33 with their attached webs 34, are held together as a
unitized structure by friction caused by pressure of the plastic
foam and the skin fibers against the roving fibers which form the
struts 35, as well as by the roving segments or end portions which
overlie the panel skins. While the core 30 may vary widely in
dimensions for specific applications, practical core sizes include,
for example 0.25-in. to 5.0-in. thick and 2-ft. to 8-ft.
wide.times.2-ft. to 40-ft. long. Cores are commonly produced in
continuous lengths and cut to the desired length. To mold sandwich
panels which are larger in area than a single reinforced core
constructed in accordance with the present invention, two or more
cores may be arranged adjacent each other in the mold prior to the
introduction of resin.
[0086] Shear loads in the core 31 are resisted in one direction
primarily by the struts 35 and in the transverse direction
primarily by the webs 34. In addition, a complex integration of
webs and struts is achieved through the rigid resin bond at each
point of intersection of strut and web and through the continuity
of reinforcing fibers through all such intersection points. Webs
and struts support each other against buckling loads, which permits
the use of lighter weight reinforcing members in thick panels,
where the slenderness of the core reinforcing members makes them
prone to buckling failure. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is
able to resist large compressive loads perpendicular to the skins,
since the webs 34 are oriented at right angles to skins 32 and are
restrained from buckling by the struts 35. The structural
integration of webs and struts also provides multiple load paths to
increase the sharing of localized compressive loads among the core
reinforcing elements and provides substantial resistance to the
initiation and spread of planes of shear failure separation within
the core. Adhesive and mechanical attachment of core reinforcing
members to skins provides high resistance to pull-through of
fasteners in the panel skins.
[0087] The fiber reinforcements of the foam core and skins are
commonly impregnated or infused with resin by flowing the resin
throughout the porous reinforcing fibers under differential
pressure in processes such as vacuum bag molding, resin transfer
molding or vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). In VARTM
molding, the core and skins are sealed in an airtight mold commonly
having one flexible mold face, and air is evacuated from the mold,
which applies atmospheric pressure through the flexible face to
conform panel 30 to the mold and compact the fibers of the skins
32. Catalyzed resin is drawn by the vacuum into the mold, generally
through a resin distribution medium or network of channels provided
on the surface of the panel, and is allowed to cure. The present
invention may, if desired, incorporate an improved method of VARTM
infusion.
[0088] Reinforced core 31 may be provided with resin grooves 39
machined into foam strips 33 and located adjacent webs 34 within
the interior of the foam core 31. The grooves 39 terminate at a
resin feeder channel 40 (FIG. 1) which is usually larger in cross
sectional area than individual grooves 39, but may be of the same
size. Channel 40 serves to distribute the resin under differential
pressure to the grooves 39. Feeder channels 40 may be located
either along one or both of the edges of the reinforced core 31 at
which reinforcing webs 34 terminate. Alternately, channel 40 may be
located entirely within the interior of the core. For purposes of
illustration, FIG. 1 shows channel 40 at the core edge, and FIG. 7
shows the feeder channel in the core interior. If channel 40 is
provided on only one edge of core 31, grooves 39 may extend to the
opposing edge of core 31 or alternately may terminate within foam
strip 33, depending upon the dynamics of resin flow within the
reinforced foam core and panel skin reinforcements.
[0089] Catalyzed resin flows to channel 40 through a tube (not
shown) connected to a resin source, commonly a drum of resin. The
tube opening may be located at any point along channel 40. In a
preferred method of infusing the reinforced cores of the present
invention using a vacuum bag, the mold is sealed and evacuated
prior to attaching any resin plumbing apparatus to the mold. A
rigid resin connection or insertion tube is provided with a sharp,
pointed end and is then inserted through the vacuum bag membrane
and panel skins 36 and 37, or through the vacuum bag at the edges
of panel 30, and into reinforced core 31, intersecting feeder
channel 40. The insertion tube has been provided with openings in
its circumference which permit the flow of resin into channel 40. A
tape sealant is applied at the point of insertion to prevent loss
of vacuum, the insertion tube is connected to the resin supply, and
resin is drawn by the vacuum through the insertion tube and into
channel 40.
[0090] In addition to the speed, simplicity and low material cost
of this method of introducing resin into the panel, additional
resin connection tubes may be inserted into the panel at other
locations, while the infusion is in progress, to bring additional
resin to specific areas of the panel. The tube insertion method may
also be used to infuse panels 30 which are enclosed entirely within
a rigid mold, by providing in a mold surface one or more holes
through which resin connection tubes may be inserted. As resin
fills grooves 39, it flows into and throughout the porous and
fibrous webs 34, into and throughout the intersecting porous and
fibrous struts 35, and into and throughout intersecting panel skins
32, after which the resin cures to form a rigid reinforced sandwich
panel structure. Reinforced cores 31 which have been provided with
channels 40 may be placed in a mold with channels 40 adjacent each
other and forming a single, larger channel. Resin which flows into
this larger channel cures to form a structural spline which is
keyed into the edge portions of webs 34 and resists shear forces
between the adjacent cores 31.
[0091] The resin distribution system incorporated into the
reinforced core 31 has significant advantages over existing VARTM
processes. Resin fills grooves 39 rapidly and flows throughout the
web and strut reinforcing structure to panel skins 32 through
numerous, relatively evenly distributed connections with the skins
by the webs and struts, thereby minimizing the likelihood of
non-impregnated areas in the skins. No resin micro grooves or
distribution medium material are required on the periphery of the
core 31. Resin is introduced into the plurality of grooves 39
located in the mid-plane of the panel and travels a relatively
short distance to both skins 32. Vacuum may be applied at any
desired location or locations on outer skins 37 or panel edge
fabrics. If desired, multiple rows of perforated vacuum tubing,
fibrous drain flow media or other means of introducing vacuum may
be provided against the surface of outer skins 37 to ensure that
small areas of dry, porous skin reinforcements are not isolated
from vacuum by surrounding resin flow. Panels having unusually
thick cores or skins may be provided with additional sets of resin
grooves 39 and associated feeder channels 40 located in planes
parallel to panel skins 32. Resin introduced into the center of the
panel travels a relatively short distance to both skins 32. The
internal core infusion system just described is also effective in
cores comprising webs which extend between the skins without
intersecting fibrous struts. Closer web spacing may be required for
uniform resin distribution.
[0092] The mold surfaces in contact with the reinforced core panel
may be either rigid or flexible without impairing the rapid flow of
resin throughout the core reinforcing structure or skins. For
example, a reinforced core with associated porous and fibrous skins
may be placed between a rigid mold table and a rigid caul plate,
with the caul plate covered by a vacuum bag sealed to the mold
table. Evacuating the bag from one edge of the panel applies
atmospheric pressure to the panel, and resin introduced at the
opposing edge of the panel flows rapidly throughout the core and
skin reinforcing structure, without having to flow longitudinally
through the entire length or width of the panel skins as in
conventional VARTM processes in which both mold faces are
rigid.
[0093] Reinforced panel 30 may be constructed to permit
simultaneous infusion of the core with two resins of differing
properties. For example, the exterior skin of the panel may be
impregnated with fire resistant phenolic resin, and the interior
skin and core reinforcing structure may by impregnated with
structurally superior but less fire resistant vinyl ester resin. If
such a structure is desired, panel 30 is provided, prior to resin
infusion, with adhesive barrier films 41 located between the inner
skins 36 and outer skins 37. The barrier film 41 is comprised of
adhesive material, for example epoxy, which prevents the passage of
liquid resin from one side of the film to the other and which,
under application of heat and moderate pressure, cures to form a
structural bond between the inner skins 36 and outer skins 37.
[0094] To infuse the panel, the reinforced core 31, together with
the attached inner skins 36, adhesive barrier films 41 and outer
skins 37, are placed in a closed mold which is then evacuated by
vacuum pump. A first resin is introduced into the interior of the
core 31 through channels 40 and 39 and allowed to flow throughout
the core reinforcing structure and inner skins, as previously
described. Simultaneously, a second resin, of differing
composition, is introduced directly into the outer skin through the
mold surface or the outer skin edge. The adhesive barrier film 41
serves to prevent the mingling of the two different resins, and
heat generated by the curing of the two resins also advances the
cure of the adhesive film, thus providing a structural bond between
the inner and outer skins. If adhesive film is applied to both
sides of panel 30, three individual resins may be infused into the
panel. If adhesive film 41 is applied to one side of panel 30 only,
the resin which infuses core 31 will also infuse both inner and
outer skins on the opposite side of the panel.
[0095] The embodiments of the present invention illustrated in
FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7, 13, 14 and 18 have been shown as provided with
internal resin distribution grooves adjacent the core reinforcing
webs and with an associated resin feeder channel. It is understood
that this feature may, if desired, be omitted from the embodiments
of FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7, 13, 14 and 18 and that the feature may be
added in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 9 and 19 or in any
other embodiment having porous and fibrous web sheets within the
foam core.
[0096] A sandwich panel 50 (FIG. 2) utilizes a reinforced foam core
52 which can be produced at improved rates of output compared to
the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, because reinforcing struts need
only be inserted into the foam core at a single angle, rather than
at two opposing angles. Parallel fiber reinforced webs 51 extend
between the faces of foam core 52 at an acute angle, for example 58
degrees or 45 degrees, to the faces of the core. The rows of webs
51 are intersected, generally at right angles, by a set of parallel
rows of fiber reinforced struts 53, whose fibers extend through
webs 51 and skins 54 in the manner described in connection with
FIG. 1.
[0097] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, all struts are inclined
at an angle with respect to the panel skins, and the angle matches
the angle of the webs 51 but in the opposite direction. Webs 51 and
struts 53 support each other against buckling and cooperate to
resist shear loads in one direction, and the webs also resist shear
loads in the transverse direction. While any number of web
reinforcement fabrics or mats may be selected, the dual direction
structural function of the webs may be enhanced through the use of
web reinforcing fabric having a portion of its fibers oriented at
an angle opposing the angle of struts 53. Transverse shear strength
may be efficiently achieved by orienting the remaining fibers of
webs 51 at angles of +45 degrees and -45 degrees to the panel
skins, since shear forces in the core resolve themselves generally
into these angles. The core reinforcing webs 34 of FIGS. 1 and 51
of FIG. 2 terminate adjacent panel skins 32 and 54 respectively.
Thus, the direct structural connection between webs and skins is
provided by the adhesive bond of the resin matrix which surrounds
all reinforcing fibers in the panel. The strength of this
web-to-skin connection may by improved by providing the webs 34 and
51 with protruding and flared fibers at their edge portions or with
web edge resin fillets formed by grooving foam strips 55 adjacent
the edge portions of the webs, as described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,834,082.
[0098] The webs 34 and 51 also have an indirect structural
connection with skins 32 and 54 through struts 35 and 53,
respectively, which are attached to both webs and skins and thus
carry a portion of the loads between webs and skins. Panel skins
are also tied together by the configuration of the roving struts
shown in FIG. 2, which comprise rows of continuous inclined
separate staples each having flared strut end portions. The
inclined staple form of strut construction may also be provided in
panels having opposing struts and is more fully described in
connection with FIG. 8.
[0099] If it is desired to increase further the strength and
stiffness of composite panels having intersecting webs and struts,
the core reinforcing webs may comprise a single, continuous fiber
reinforced mat or fabric, rather than a plurality of discrete web
strips. This embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.
Referring to FIG. 3, composite sandwich panel 60 comprises fiber
reinforced skins 61 and fiber reinforced foam core 62. The foam
core 62 comprises foam pieces or strips 63, spaced rows of spaced
fibrous roving struts 64, and a fibrous web sheet 65 which has been
formed into a plurality of rectangular corrugations extending
between the panel skins and transverse to the rows of struts. As in
FIG. 1, struts 64 are inclined at equal opposing angles to the
skins and intersect and extend through opposing struts and skins
61. The struts also intersect and extend through corrugated web
segments 66, which extend between the skins and through web
segments 67 which lie adjacent the skins. The architecture shown in
FIG. 3 offers several structural enhancements to that shown in FIG.
1. Corrugated web segments 67 provide an expanded area of adhesive
attachment to skins 61, and struts 64 provide a stitched mechanical
attachment between web segments 67 and skins 61. Also, the
corrugations of the web structure provide substantial additional
strength and stiffness in the direction transverse to the rows of
struts.
[0100] Reinforced sandwich panel 70, shown in FIG. 4, also provides
the advantages of web-to-skin attachment and corrugation strength
and stiffness described in connection with FIG. 3. In FIG. 4, foam
strips 71 are of parallelogram cross section, and web segments 72
of a continuous corrugated web sheet 73 extend between the faces of
the core 76 at an acute angle to skins 74. A plurality of parallel
rows of spaced fibrous roving struts 75 also extend between the
faces of the reinforced core 76, and the struts 75 are inclined at
an angle equal to but opposing the angle of web segments 72. The
struts intersect and extend through corrugated web segments 72,
through web sheet segments 76 adjacent skins 74, and preferably
extend through one or more layers of the skins. Fiber orientation
in the webs may be optimized for overall core structural properties
as more fully described in connection with FIG. 2. Also as in the
case of FIG. 2, the orientation of the struts at a single angle
permits rapid and efficient production of the reinforced core
because only a single strut insertion step is required.
[0101] Another reinforced sandwich panel 80 shown in FIG. 5 and
also employs a continuous corrugated web sheet 81 as part of the
reinforcement of foam core 82. Foam pieces or strips 83 are
triangular in cross section, and web segments 84 and 85, which
extend between skins 87 are inclined at opposing angles to the
skins. A plurality of rows of spaced fibrous roving struts 86 are
inclined at equal but opposing angles to each other and intersect
and extend through web segments 84 and 85. The struts also
intersect and preferably extend through one or more layers of skins
87.
[0102] In contrast to the configurations shown in FIGS. 3 and 4,
the triangulated web architecture of FIG. 5 provides substantial
strength and stiffness to panel 80 both longitudinally and
transversely, even in the absence of reinforcing struts 86. The
struts enhance these properties by stabilizing web segments 84 and
85 and by tying skins 87 together. The struts 86 also provide
additional strength and stiffness in the direction of the strut
rows. The angle of the struts is selected on the basis of overall
structural considerations and need not correspond to the angle of
web segments 84 and 85. For example, the struts 86 may, if desired,
be perpendicular to the skins. This not only provides increased
compressive strength to panel 80, but also requires only a single
angle of strut insertion, thus simplifying panel production.
[0103] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a sandwich panel 90 having in the
reinforced foam core 91 a plurality of parallel rows of spaced
reinforcing roving struts 92, a plurality of intersecting parallel
rows of spaced reinforcing roving struts 93, and a single
continuous reinforcing web sheet 94 which is parallel to skins 95.
Foam core 91 comprises stacked foam boards 96 separated by web 94.
If required by structural design, struts 92 may differ from struts
93 in spacing, diameter, fiber composition and angle. Struts may be
provided as a single set of parallel rows of struts if structural
requirements of the panel are primarily unidirectional. Compressive
and shear properties of panel 90 are provided primarily by struts
92 and 93. As the thickness of core 91 increases, or the diameter
of the struts decreases, the struts are increasingly susceptible to
buckling failure under structural load conditions. The struts 92 or
93 in each row intersect each other in a lattice-like
configuration, providing buckling support for each other in the
plane of the strut rows. However, only weak and often insufficient
transverse buckling support is provided by the low density foam 96.
The continuous fiber reinforced web 94, through which all of the
struts 92 and 93 extend, provides the required additional buckling
support. If needed, one or more additional support webs 94 may be
provided, all spaced from each other and parallel to the panel
skins 95.
[0104] FIG. 6 also shows strut end portions 97 and web edge
portions 98 protruding from foam boards 96 to provide means of
securing enhanced structural continuity between the reinforcing
members of core 91 and the reinforcing members of adjacent foam
cores molded as components of a single sandwich panel, or to other
adjacent composite structures (not shown). If structural attachment
of adjacent cores within a given sandwich panel is desired, edge
portions of foam boards 96 and of foam boards of adjacent
reinforced cores (not shown) are abraded or otherwise removed to
expose fibrous strut end portions 97 and web edge portions 98,
before introducing resin into the core and skin reinforcements. The
reinforced cores are then pressed together, for example in a mold,
and exposed end and edge portions from adjacent cores become
intermingled and subsequently embedded in resin which is flowed
into the panel reinforcements under differential pressure and cures
to form a strong adhesive bond with strut end portions and web edge
portions. Preferably, a strip of fibrous reinforcing mat or fabric
extending between skins 95 is arranged in the mold between adjacent
cores to enhance the load bearing properties of the joint between
cores.
[0105] A strong structural connection between adjacent reinforced
cores 31, or between cores 31 and sandwich panel edge skins, may
also be achieved by providing cores 31 with fibrous webs 34 which
extend beyond their intersection with the edges of core 31. The
extensions of webs 31 are folded at right angles against foam
strips 33 in the form of a tab. These web-end tabs provide an
expanded area of contact for adhesively bonding the web reinforcing
members to adjacent reinforcements when panel 31 is impregnated
with resin. If it is desired to achieve a strong structural bond
between a resin impregnated and cured panel 90 and an adjacent
composite structure, foam boards 91 are abraded to expose stiff,
hardened strut end portions 97 and web edge portions 98, and the
area adjacent the end and edge portions is filled with adhesive
resin, mastic or potting compound and pressed against the panel to
which panel 90 is to be bonded while the resin cures.
[0106] The reinforced core 91 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 has been
provided with an integral resin infusion system, as generally
described above in connection with FIG. 1. Sandwich panel 90
comprises porous and fibrous skin and core reinforcements and is
placed in a closed mold from which air is evacuated. Resin is then
introduced into feeder channel 99 at the end of the channel or
through a hole drilled from the panel face (not shown). The resin
then fills resin feeder channel 99, located within the interior of
reinforced core 91, and fills connecting spaced resin grooves 100
located within the interior or core 91 and adjacent the porous and
fibrous web 94. Resin then flows from grooves 100 throughout porous
web 94, from the web 94 throughout porous struts 92 and 93, and
from the struts throughout porous skins 95, after which the resin
cures to form a structural panel. If the core 91 is to be used to
produce a circular panel, resin grooves 100 may be arranged
radially from the center of the panel and with the resin supplied
from the panel face to the center.
[0107] The core reinforcement strut architecture shown in FIGS. 1,
3, 5, 6 and 7 takes the form of planar rows of opposing struts
which intersect each other within the foam core. The number of such
intersections and the density of the resulting lattice-like
structure is dependent upon core thickness, the spacing between
struts, and the steepness of the strut angle with respect to the
panel skins. An alternate strut architecture is shown in FIG. 8 and
may be substituted for that of FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7, but is most
appropriate in the case of relatively thin panels or relatively
thick struts. The core reinforcing architecture of FIG. 8 comprises
either unidirectional rows of struts, as shown, or sets of
intersecting rows of struts and may be used with or without core
reinforcing webs, depending upon structural requirements.
[0108] Referring to FIG. 8, a sandwich panel 110 comprises opposing
skins 111 and reinforced foam core 112 having a plurality of rows
of fibrous roving struts 113 which extend between panel skins 111
and which are inclined at equal but opposing angles to the skins.
Opposing struts 113 intersect each other adjacent panel skins 111
in a simple triangulated configuration and extend through the
skins. In the production of the reinforced core 110, continuous
fibrous rovings 114 are stitched through skins 111 and foam core
112 from opposing faces of the foam core. If desired, both sets of
roving struts may be stitched through the skins and foam core from
the same face of the core. In the stitching process, continuous
rovings 114 exit skins 111 and protrude in the form of loops 115
(shown in phantom). The rovings then double back along the line of
insertion to form struts 113 comprised of double roving
segments.
[0109] As the panel 110 advances through the stitching apparatus,
roving segments 116 overlie the skins 111. Protruding roving loops
115 formed during the stitching process are severed at a desired
distance, for example 0.2 inches, from the surface of the skins to
form protruding strut end portions 117 (shown in phantom). When
pressure is applied to the panel skins during the resin molding
process, the protruding strut end portions 117 flare out and form
flattened end portions 118 against the skins 111, forming a strong
adhesive bond to the skins and a mechanical resistance to pulling
flattened strut ends 118 through skins 111.
[0110] The mechanical attachment may be improved by the addition of
outer skins as shown in connection with FIG. 1. Cut and flared
strut ends 118 also provide substantially improved skin
characteristics, compared to that achieved with intact loops, which
tend to form lumps adjacent the skins or which prevent the panel
from fitting tightly against the mold surface, allowing excess
resin to accumulate at the skin surface. Surface flatness may be
further improved by applying sufficient pressure to panel 110 to
conform the foam core 112 to any roving segments which protrude
beyond the surface of skins 111 or by providing the foam core with
grooves or indentations into which protruding roving segments may
be pressed under moderate molding pressure.
[0111] The inclined staple configuration comprising struts 113, cut
and flared strut end portions 118, and roving segments 116 which
overlie skins, as shown in FIG. 8, provides an efficient and
effective means of securing structural attachment between core
reinforcing struts and panel skins and a preferred method of
producing all of the reinforced cores which are the subject of the
present invention. It is understood that other methods of stitching
and other treatments of roving segments which are exterior to the
faces of the foam core may also be used, for example, conventional
patterns of lock stitching or chain stitching of continuous
fibers.
[0112] The sandwich panels and cores illustrated in FIGS. 1-8
typically have a width greater than their depth. Core reinforcing
members comprising porous and fibrous webs and struts may also be
incorporated into sandwich panels having a depth greater than its
width. FIG. 9 illustrates a beam-type panel or beam 120
incorporating a strut-type core reinforcing architecture and
designed for use as a roof support in corrosion resistant
buildings. The beam 120 comprises opposing fiberglass or carbon
fiber reinforced plastic skins 121, and a reinforced foam core 122
which comprises foam boards or pieces 123 and opposing porous
fiberglass or carbon fiber reinforcing member struts 124 which
extend through the foam core 122 at acute angles to the skins 121
in the general form of a bar joist. If required by structural
design, additional struts may be added to intersecting struts 124
to form a lattice-like configuration, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and
7, or one or more additional parallel rows of reinforcing struts
may be incorporated into the panel or beam 120. Skins 121 function
as structural chord flanges, the fibers of which are primarily
oriented longitudinally. Skins 121 comprise inner skins 125 and
outer skins 126 having fibrous reinforcements, with end portions
127 of the reinforcing members 124 flared and sandwiched between
the skin layers as described in connection with FIG. 8. If desired,
the skins 125 and 126 may be more strongly attached to the flared
end portions 127, by stitching the skins to the end portions using
flexible fibers or thin rigid rods which extend through the fibers
of end portions 127 and adjacent skins 125 and 126.
[0113] One or more porous and fibrous support webs 128 may be
incorporated into the beam 120 if required to stabilize the struts
124 against buckling under load. The faces of the foam boards 123
which extend between opposing skins 121 are provided with a second
set of skins 129 of porous, fibrous reinforcing fabric, such as
fiberglass, to stabilize beam 120 against lateral deflection under
load. As previously described, a curable resin introduced under
differential pressure impregnates all of the porous and fibrous
reinforcing materials which form the beam 120 and cures to form a
rigid, load-bearing beam. If required by structural considerations,
the beam may be of non-uniform cross section, that is, varying in
depth from beam ends to beam center, and may also be in curved or
arch form. If desired, skins 120 may be substantially reduced in
thickness, and the truss chord structural function may be provided
by roving bundles inset in grooves in the foam boards adjacent the
skins, as more fully described below in connection with FIG.
10.
[0114] The core reinforcing structure of sandwich panels in which
panel width is greater than depth may take the form of a plurality
of parallel true truss-type structures, in which rod- or strut-type
reinforcing members extend at opposing angles in a triangulated
configuration between top and bottom chord members, into which the
end portions of the struts are anchored. This arrangement provides
superior attachment of strut end portions. It also utilizes, as
truss chord members, fibrous reinforcing materials, for example
carbon fiber or fiberglass, in their relatively low cost roving
form to replace a substantial portion of the more expensive fabric
skin reinforcements. As shown in FIG. 10, a sandwich panel 140
comprises a reinforced closed-cell foam core 141 and opposing
fibrous reinforcing skins 142. The reinforced core 141 is provided
with a plurality of parallel rows of trusses 143 which extend
between skins 142. Each truss 143 comprises parallel bundles of
fibrous reinforcing rovings 144, such as fiberglass or carbon
fiber, which are located in grooves formed in the foam core 141 and
which serve as top and bottom chord members for each truss 143.
Fibrous reinforcing rods or struts 145 penetrate the chord members
and are anchored in chord members 143, and extend between panel
skins 142 at opposing acute angles, preferably penetrating and
overlying one or more layers of skins 142. A cured resin
impregnates all of the reinforcing materials, as previously
described. The truss structure, comprising struts 145 and chord
members 143, may also be incorporated into cores having reinforcing
webs which extend between or parallel to panel skins, as shown for
example, in FIGS. 1 and 7.
[0115] Referring to FIG. 11, the use of relatively economical
fibrous rovings in place of woven or knitted fibrous reinforcing
fabrics may be extended to form the entire panel skin structure. A
sandwich panel 150 comprises a reinforced closed cell foam core 151
and opposing fibrous skins 152. The core 151 comprises a foam board
153 and fibrous reinforcing members or struts 154 which extend
between the skins. Each of the skins 152 comprises a first layer of
parallel reinforcing rovings 155 adjacent the foam core 153 and
substantially covering the faces of the foam. A second layer of
parallel reinforcing rovings 156 overlie and cross first roving
layer 155 and substantially covering the surface of first layer
155. If desired, a layer of fibrous mat or veil 157 may overlie
second roving layer 156.
[0116] In the production of panel 150, the ends of the rovings
which comprise first skin layer 155 are secured in a line across
the leading edge of foam board 153. The board advances through
stitching apparatus such as that shown in FIG. 15, and the forward
motion of the board pulls the rovings to form the skin layer 155
from supply creels to cover the opposite faces of the board. Prior
to the insertion of struts 154 by the stitching apparatus, a
plurality of parallel skin rovings 156 are applied across first
roving layer 155 by a reciprocating mechanism having guides which
maintain the desired spacing and tension of the rovings 156. The
second skin layer 156 is then covered by a fibrous veil 157 drawn
from a supply roll. Core reinforcing struts 154 are stitched
through the veil 157, the layers of skin rovings 156 and 155, and
the foam board 153 to produce sandwich panel 150.
[0117] If required by structural considerations, additional layers
of skin rovings may be applied to the panel faces at various angles
before stitching. Alternately, oriented or non-oriented roving
fibers may be chopped to desired lengths and applied to the core
faces in lieu of continuous rovings. Overlying segments 158 of the
stitched strut rovings 154 hold all of the skin rovings 155 and 156
in position until the panel 150 is placed in a mold where a curable
or hardenable resin is flowed throughout all of the fibrous
reinforcements to produce the structural panel. This method of
forming panel skins directly from rovings may be incorporated into
any of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-10.
[0118] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, substantial cost
savings are achieved by producing the web-type core reinforcing
members directly from fibrous rovings, rather than by using as the
webs woven or stitched fabrics, which are significantly more
expensive than rovings. In this method, rovings are wound
circumferentially around a continuous foam strip to create a
structural tube reinforcement structure around the strip. A
particularly cost-effective means of forming the wound structure is
by spiral or helical winding. The wound strip is cut to desired
length and fed into a roving stitching machine in the manner
described in connection with FIG. 15.
[0119] Referring to FIG. 12, plastic foam strips 170 of convenient
length are fed end-to-end through a helical winding apparatus 171,
illustrated diagrammatically. Helical winding of core
reinforcements offers major economic advantages compared to
existing processes. Fibers in roving form cost approximately 50- to
60-percent of those incorporated into double-bias 45-degree
fabrics, and winding machine production rates are five to ten times
those of braiding machines. If desired, the foam strip may be
provided with one or more grooves 39 as described in connection
with FIG. 1 to facilitate the flow of resin in a subsequent molding
operation. The foam strip 170 has a thickness equal to the
thickness of the sandwich panel core to be produced from the strip
and a width equal to the desired spacing of reinforcing webs within
the core.
[0120] As the strip 170 advances through the winding apparatus 171,
it passes through the axes of a rotating bobbin wheel 172 rotating
in one direction and a bobbin wheel 173 rotating in the opposite
direction. Each wheel is loaded with a number of bobbins 174 wound
with fibrous reinforcing rovings 175. Rotating bobbin wheel 172
winds a layer 176 of rovings onto the foam strip at a single angle
which is determined by the rate of advance of strip 170 through the
apparatus 171 and the rate of rotation of the bobbin wheel 172. The
single-wound strip then advances through the counter-rotating
bobbin wheel 173 which winds a second layer 177 of rovings over
wound roving layer 176.
[0121] Winding apparatus 171 may be scaled to efficiently process a
wide range of foam strip sizes, for example, from one-quarter inch
to one foot or more in thickness. The rovings may be of different
thicknesses and may be closely spaced, so as to cover the surface
of the foam strip or more widely spaced, depending upon structural
requirements of the finished wound strip and the composite panel
into which it will be incorporated. Rovings applied to the surfaces
of the foam strip may have a weight totaling as little as 0.1
ounces or less per square foot and as much as 5.0 ounces or more
per square foot. The rovings shown in FIGS. 12-14 are thicker than
normal, so that details of construction may be understood. The
rovings may be wound at angles of +45 degrees and -45 degrees for
maximum resistance to shear stresses in applications in which the
strip is subjected to bending loads, or the rovings may be applied
at other angles dictated by structural requirements of specific end
products into which they will be incorporated.
[0122] The continuous foam strip 170 with overlying wound layers
176 and 177, is cut to length by a traveling cutting apparatus,
such as a circular saw (not shown) to form finished wound strips
178. Since the wound foam strips 178 are used as the foam and web
elements of a hybrid sandwich panel such as the one shown in FIG.
14, their length is equal to the desired width of the sandwich core
panel. Prior to being cut, the wound rovings 174 are secured
against unraveling, for example, by being wrapped on either side of
the cut with yarn 179 impregnated with hot melt adhesive, or by
applying adhesive tape around the cut location, or by applying
adhesive to the rovings. If desired, foam strips 170 may be wound
with a barrier film applied before the roving layers to protect the
foam from moisture, resin attack or the like.
[0123] Finished strips 178 are advanced to the infeed end of core
forming apparatus 200 illustrated in FIG. 15 and are inserted into
the apparatus as described in connection with FIG. 15, or are
advanced into an apparatus (not shown) for attaching strips
together with an adhesive veil 241, as shown in FIG. 18. Labor cost
per square foot of core produced is very low. In a variation of the
winding process described in connection with FIG. 12, a layer 180
of longitudinal fibrous rovings is applied to the surface of the
foam strip 170, in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of
the strip and prior to rovings 174 being wound around the strip so
that the layer 180 is held in place by the wound rovings 174. The
rovings of longitudinal layer 180 are supplied from stationary
roving packages 181 and are pulled through winding apparatus 171 by
the forward motion of the advancing foam strip 170. The
longitudinal rovings may be applied to two opposing faces of the
strip, as shown in FIG. 12, to serve as sandwich panel skin
elements as will be described in connection with FIG. 14.
Alternately, the longitudinal rovings may be applied to all faces
of the foam strip in order to provide compressive and buckling
properties required for structural columns.
[0124] FIG. 13 provides a detailed view of a wound foam strip 178,
showing the layering and orientation of the four sets of porous and
fibrous rovings applied during the winding process illustrated in
FIG. 12. In FIG. 13, all rovings are shown as having flat cross
section and are closely spaced to cover the surface of closed cell
plastic foam strip 170. The longitudinal roving layers 180 cover
the top and bottom faces of foam strip 170. The first layer 176 of
wound roving, shown at an angle of +45 degrees, covers longitudinal
roving layers 180 and the side faces of the foam strip 170. The
second layer 177 of wound rovings, at an angle of -45 degrees,
covers the first wound layer 176. When subsequently impregnated
with a curable thermosetting resin or hardenable thermoplastic
resin, all of the fibrous rovings, along with the cured or hardened
resin, produce a structural element having the general properties
of a beam of rectangular tubular cross section.
[0125] FIG. 14 illustrates a reinforced foam core sandwich panel of
the intersecting web and strut hybrid construction described above
in connection with FIG. 1, but in which the roving-wound strips 178
shown in FIG. 13, are substituted for the foam strips 33 with the
attached web sheets 34 shown in FIG. 1. Additionally, FIG. 14
incorporates rovings in place of woven or knitted fabrics to form
the sandwich panel skins, in the production method shown in FIG.
15. This combination of roving-wound foam core strips and
roving-applied panel skins provides important structural and cost
advantages.
Referring again to FIG. 14, a structural composite panel 190
comprises a fiber reinforced closed cell plastic foam core 191 and
opposing fiber reinforced skins 192. The reinforced foam core 191
comprises a plurality of parallel strips 178 shown in FIG. 13. If
desired, foam strips 178 may be provided with diagonally wound
rovings in only one direction by alternating right hand and left
hand wound strips while forming the sandwich panel core, so that
adjacent wound edges are at plus and minus angular orientation,
rather than both with the same orientation and therefore
structurally unbalanced.
[0126] The wound foam strips 178 are intersected at right angles by
a plurality of parallel rows of spaced rods or struts 193 which
extend between the faces of the core, and are made up of porous and
fibrous reinforcing rovings. The struts 193 within each row are
inclined at opposing acute angles to each other, to the panel skins
192, and to the plane surfaces of the wound strips 178. Overlying
the wound strips 178 is a layer of parallel porous and fibrous skin
rovings 194 which extend in a direction parallel to the plane of
the rows of struts 193 and perpendicular to the wrapped strips 178
and their longitudinal rovings layer 180. A light weight fibrous
veil, mat or scrim 195 overlies the skin roving layer 194 which may
be applied to the panel 190 in the form of either a plurality of
discrete rovings or as a unidirectional fabric having rovings
adhered in advance to a light weight veil. The end portions of the
struts 193 penetrate all layers of longitudinal rovings 180, wound
rovings 176 and 177, skin rovings 194 and veil 195, and these end
portions overlie veil 195.
[0127] The panel illustrated in FIG. 14 has been inverted from the
position in which it is produced in the apparatus of FIG. 15 in
order to show the continuous rovings which comprise the struts 193.
As shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of continuous rovings have been
stitched through sandwich panel 190 at opposing angles and from the
same side of the panel, with each continuous roving segment 196
interlocked with itself in a chain stitch configuration. It is
understood that alternate stitching methods may be used, for
example lock stitching or cut loops as shown in FIG. 1.
[0128] An important feature of the fibrous reinforcing structure
shown in FIG. 14 is that the longitudinal roving layer 180 on the
wound strips 178 comprises the transverse reinforcements of the
sandwich panel skins 192, and the +45 degrees and -45 degrees
roving layers 176 and 177 which overlie longitudinal layer 180 also
constitute elements of the sandwich panel skins. That is, the web
elements of the core reinforcements are comprised of the same
continuous wound rovings as the +45 degrees and -45 degrees skin
elements. This results in greater resistance to delamination
between core and skin structure, since the web-type core
reinforcing webs do not terminate adjacent the panel skins as in
FIG. 1. The roving layers 180, 176 and 177, which cover foam strips
178, also anchor the end portions of struts 193.
[0129] Reinforced core 190 shown in FIG. 14 may also be produced
omitting the roving layers 180 and 194 and veil 195, which comprise
skin elements continuous across the length and/or width of the
panel. This may be desirable when the reinforced cores are used to
produce large sandwich panels, for example boat hulls, which
generally consist of a plurality of cores adjacent one another and
between the skins of the panel. In such panels, it is generally
preferred to use skins of sufficient length and width to provide
structural continuity across a number of cores, rather than to use
cores having pre-attached skins, whether such pre-attached skins
comprise reinforcing fabrics or of rovings integrated into the core
as described in connection with FIG. 14. When continuous skin
elements 180, 194 and 195 are omitted, the wound strips 178 remain
tightly held together as a unitized core by the friction of strut
rovings 193 which intersect adjacent cores and by the continuous
strut roving segments which are stitched along the top and bottom
faces of strips 178. In this configuration, the end portions 196 of
struts 193 do not extend through the skins of the sandwich panel,
but rather are trapped between the wound outer roving layer 177 and
the panel skins applied to the surface of the core.
[0130] The roving-wound foam strips 178 of FIGS. 12-14 are shown as
rectangular in cross section. If desired, these strips may be of
other cross sections, for example, parallelogram or triangular, as
shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 19.
[0131] U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,972 discloses sandwich panel core
elements comprised of discrete plastic foam blocks or strips
wrapped with reinforcing fabrics. A plurality of the wrapped blocks
are stacked between sandwich panel skins in a mold in honeycomb
configuration, with the end portions of the foam blocks and edge
portions of the wrapped fabric adjacent the panel skins. The
helically wound foam strips 178 shown in FIG. 13 of the present
application may be substituted for these wrapped blocks to provide
comparable structural properties at substantial savings over the
cost of fabrics and the labor of fabrication.
[0132] As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,972, it may be desirable
to extend the edge portions of the reinforcing fabric beyond the
ends of the foam blocks, so that they may be folded over to form a
flange for improved structural attachment to the sandwich panel
skins. A similar extension of the wrapped and longitudinal roving
layers 180, 176 and 177 of FIG. 13 may be achieved by alternating
sacrificial foam blocks (not shown) end-to-end with core foam
strips 170, winding the foam as described above, cutting the
wrapped strips through the middle of the sacrificial foam blocks,
and removing the sacrificial blocks. Foam strips 170 may also be
provided with surface microgrooves prior to insertion into winding
apparatus 171. Other suitable core materials may be substituted for
the plastic foam used for the wound strips or blocks, for example
balsa wood or hollow, sealed plastic bottles of similar geometric
shape.
[0133] Since the structural properties of the sandwich panel cores
shown in FIGS. 1-19 are usually provided primarily by the fibrous
core reinforcing structure, the closed-cell plastic foam which
comprises the cores may be selected on the basis of other desired
panel properties, such as water or fire resistance, thermal
insulation or light transmission. For example, translucent
polyethylene foam and fiberglass reinforcing materials may be
impregnated with translucent resin to produce a light-transmitting
and load bearing panel for use as the roof of highway trailers or
building roofs. It is also within the scope of the invention to
substitute for the plastic foam other cellular materials, such as
carbon foam or balsa wood.
[0134] FIGS. 1-8, 10, 11 and 14 illustrate fiber reinforced cores
and sandwich panels which are produced in part by inserting, or
stitching, porous and fibrous reinforcing elements such as
fiberglass rovings through the thickness of foam plastic core
materials. This may be accomplished by the apparatus 200
illustrated in FIG. 15. A plurality of foam strips 201 are inserted
adjacent one another into stitching apparatus 200. Strips 201 may
be of rectangular or other cross section and may be provided with
attached porous and fibrous webs of reinforcing fabric or with
wound porous and fibrous reinforcing rovings, as previously
described. It is understood that, if desired, foam boards having a
length substantially greater then the width of strips 201 may
comprise the foam plastic material.
[0135] The strips 201 are advanced in generally equal steps by, for
example, a reciprocating pressure bar (not shown) or movable
endless belts 202, to stitching heads 203 and 204, to which are
rigidly attached a plurality of tubular needles 205, cannulae or
compound hooks, adapted for piercing and for inserting fibrous
rovings. Stitching heads 203 and 204 are inclined at opposing acute
angles to the surface of strips 201. When the strips 201 stop
advancing at the end of each forward step, the reciprocating
stitching heads 203 and 204 insert the needles 205 into and through
the strips 201. The needles are accurately positioned at their
points of entry into strips 201 by needle guides 207. The porous
and fibrous rovings 208, which have been supplied from wound roving
packages (not shown), are inserted by the needles 205 through the
strips 201 and emerge on the surface opposite their points of entry
in the general form of the loops 115 as shown in FIG. 8.
[0136] Referring again to FIG. 15, the loops 115 are gripped by
apparatus (not shown) which retains the loops formed beyond the
surface of the strips from which they have emerged and, if desired,
engages them with other loops to form a chain stitch as shown in
FIG. 14 or with separately supplied rovings to form a lock stitch.
The stitching heads 203 and 204 then retract, which advances into
the needles 205 a predetermined length of rovings 208 sufficient to
form the next stitch. After retraction, the row of strips 201
advances a predetermined step or distance and stops, and stitching
heads 203 and 204 reciprocate to insert the next pair of opposing
struts. The unitized assembly of strips 201 held together by
stitched rovings 208 which intersect the strips, is cut by a saw or
other suitable means into cores 209 of desired length.
[0137] The stitching apparatus 200 may be used to produce panels
209 having pre-attached porous and fibrous skins as shown in FIG.
1. Referring again to FIG. 15, reinforcing skin fabric 210 is
supplied from rolls and advances adjacent the opposing faces of the
panel 206 to stitching heads 203 and 204. As rovings are stitched
through the strips 201 which form the panel 206, the rovings
overlie the skin fabric 210 and mechanically attach the fabric 210
to panel 206.
[0138] The apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 15 may also be used to
produce sandwich panels in which all structural reinforcing
components of both core and skins comprise low cost fibrous
rovings, as shown in FIG. 14. A layer of longitudinal skin rovings
194 (FIG. 14) is applied as the surface of panel 206 during its
production in the stitching apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 15. A
plurality of porous and fibrous rovings 211 sufficient to cover the
faces of the panel are pulled by the advancing panel 206 from
roving supply packages (not shown) and advance adjacent the exposed
faces of strips 201 to the stitch heads. A thin, porous veil, mat
or scrim 210 is pulled from rolls by the advancing panel 206 to
overlie skin rovings 211 and hold them in place after the rovings
208 have been stitched through panel 206. The strips 201 have been
provided with a longitudinal roving layer 180, as shown in FIG. 14,
so that layers 180 and 194 of FIG. 14 comprise the transverse and
longitudinal skin reinforcements of panel 206 produced in FIG. 15.
It is also within the scope of the invention to provide panel
producing apparatus 200 with a reciprocating mechanism (not shown)
which applies transverse and double-bias angle rovings to the faces
of panel 206. This permits the production of the panels 150 shown
in FIG. 11, in which the foam core does not comprise wound strips
178 containing roving layer 180.
[0139] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention,
bi-directional panel strength is achieved by providing wound foam
strips 177 with internal transverse reinforcing members, rather
than by inserting structural rovings 193 through the strips 177.
Referring to FIG. 16, reinforced foam strip 220 comprises a
plurality of blocks or pieces 221 of foam plastic separated by
sheets 222 of web-like fibrous reinforcing material, such as
fiberglass or carbon fiber fabric or mat. Foam pieces 221 and
reinforcing webs 222 are adhesively connected to each other for
ease of processing and handling, while maintaining substantial
porosity of the web material, as described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,834,082. Reinforced strip 220 may be provided with a groove 223
for the flow of resin. It is understood that other materials may be
substituted for foam pieces 221, for example balsa wood or plastic
blow-molded cubes, without compromising the form or structural
integrity of the core.
[0140] Referring to FIG. 17, reinforced strip 230 is provided with
layers 176 and 177 of fibrous rovings, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13,
to form wound reinforced strip 233. If needed for increased bending
or axial strength, roving layer 180 shown in FIG. 13 may also be
provided. Referring to FIG. 18, reinforced core 240 is comprised of
a plurality of wound reinforced strips 233 held together as a
unitized structure by veils 241 adhered with heat activated binder
to opposite faces of core 240. If desired for greater bending
flexibility, veil 241 may be applied to only one surface of the
core. Other means of unitizing the core structure include adhering
parallel bands of hot melt yarn or scrim across the wound strips or
applying pressure sensitive adhesive to the faces of the strips
which are in contact with each other. In lieu of veils 241,
structural skin fabric or mat may be adhered to the core surface to
form a sandwich panel preform ready for impregnation. When one or
more cores 240 is placed in a mold between fabric skin
reinforcements and resin is flowed throughout the core and skin
structure and cured to form a structural composite panel, fabric
webs 222 and roving webs 242 comprised of four wound roving layers
176 and 177 form a grid-like reinforcing structure, and the
portions of wound layers 176 and 177 adjacent the panel skins
provide exceptional adhesive attachment for resistance of shear
forces. The articulated construction of core 240 also permits a
high degree of conformability to curved mold surfaces.
[0141] FIG. 19 illustrates an embodiment of a fiber-wound core 250
in which bi-directional strength and stiffness are achieved without
the addition of either internal webs or roving struts. Fiber
reinforced core 250 comprises a plurality of triangular foam strips
251 which have been provided with layers 252 and 253 of helically
fibrous rovings to form wound strips 254. The wound triangular
strips 254 are held together as a unitized core structure by veils
255 adhered with a heat activated binder to outer wound roving
layer 253 of wound strips 254. The angles to which the triangular
strips 251 are cut may be selected for the desired balance of shear
and compressive strength.
[0142] It is within the scope of the present invention to use
either of two general types of hardenable resin to infuse or
impregnate the porous and fibrous reinforcements of the cores and
skins. Thermoset resins, such as polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy and
phenolic, are liquid resins which harden by a process of chemical
curing, or cross-linking, which takes place during the molding
process. Thermoplastic resins, such as polyethylene, polypropylene,
PET and PEEK, which have been previously cross-linked, are
liquefied by the application of heat prior to infusing the
reinforcements and re-harden as they cool within the panel.
[0143] As an alternate to infusion of the porous reinforcement
materials of the assembled panel structure with liquid resin, the
reinforcing materials may comprise fabrics and rovings which have
been pre-impregnated with partially cured thermoset resins which
are subsequently cured by the application of heat. Similarly,
reinforcing roving and fabric materials may be pre-impregnated with
thermoplastic resins or intermingled with thermoplastic fibers
which are subsequently fused together through the application of
heat and pressure.
[0144] It is further within the scope of the invention to bond to
the faces of the reinforced foam cores rigid skin sheet materials
such as steel, aluminum, plywood or fiberglass reinforced plastic.
This may be achieved by impregnating the core reinforcements with a
curable or hardenable resin and applying pressure to the rigid
skins while the resin cures, or by impregnating and curing the core
reinforcement structure prior to bonding rigid skins to the core
with adhesives.
[0145] FIGS. 20-23 show the steps in the construction of a fiber
reinforced foam core panel comprising helically wound strips and
having improved bi-directional strength and useful manufacturing
advantages. In FIG. 20, helically wound foam strips 178 are
connected together to form unidirectionally reinforced core panel
260. If desired, strips 178 comprising wound layers of rovings 176
and 177 (FIG. 2) may incorporate web sheets 94 generally parallel
to the faces of core panel 260, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, to
stabilize the rovings 176 and 177 against buckling under load. A
preferred method of connecting together a plurality of strips
comprising low density foam and helically wound reinforcing rovings
is shown in FIG. 23, in which fiberglass scrim 271, which has been
coated with hot melt adhesive, is attached to opposing faces of the
core panel by application of heat and pressure. Scrim 271 or rows
of adhesive coated individual fibers may be used to connect
adjacent strips in all of the core panel embodiments shown herein
and comprising a plurality of strips or blocks.
[0146] Layers of rovings 176 and 177 may comprise materials
resistant to adhesive bonding, for example, partially cured prepreg
resin or thermoplastic fibers. When such materials are used,
rovings 176 and 177 may be provided with additional spaced rovings
comprising bondable fibers such as non-impregnated fiberglass or
carbon fiber. Referring to FIG. 21, the layer of rovings 177
crosses and overlies the layer of rovings 176. If desired, the
rovings may be wound onto the foam strip in a braiding process in
which rovings 176 and 177 alternately overlie each other. This
braiding option applies to all of the embodiments of the present
invention which comprise two or more layers of reinforcing fibers
wound onto a single strip of foam plastic or other low density
cellular material. Strips 170 comprise closed cell foam if the core
panel is intended for infusion with a liquid thermoplastic resin in
a pressure differential process. Both closed and open cell foams
may be suitable for core panels comprising prepreg rovings 176 and
177, or comprising hardened thermoplastic resin components. After
molding with skins and hardenable resin, foam may be removed from
reinforced strips 178 by grit blasting, solvent or otherwise to
produce hollow composite panels.
[0147] Referring to FIGS. 20 and 22, core panel 260 is cut in a
direction C perpendicular to the length of strips 178, by gang saw
or other means, into a plurality of first narrow fiber reinforced
core panels 261 of desired thickness. During the cutting process,
the severed end portions 262 of rovings 176 and 177 are frayed and
are caused to protrude from the surface of foam strips 170 due to
removal of a layer of foam by the cutting process. Referring to
FIG. 23, a plurality of first narrow core panels 261 are connected
together, using adhesive scrim 271, to form a bi-directional core
panel 270 having reinforcing webs extending both longitudinally and
transversely. The protruding end portions 262 of reinforcing
rovings 176 and 177 aid in making adhesive connection to opposing
panel skins (not shown) when the panel is infused with a hardenable
resin. If desired each strip 170 may be helically wound with a
single layer of rovings 176 and adjacent layers of rovings 176 will
still comprise crossing layers having balanced structural
properties. Similarly, all core panels described herein and
comprising adjacent strips may be wound with a single layer of
helically extending rovings.
[0148] Cores of higher compressive strength may be produced by
providing wound strips 178 with axial rovings 180 on one or more
sides of foam strips 170 prior to winding, as shown in FIG. 13. In
a finished core panel 270, these axial rovings, which may be
Similarly applied to core panels 290 and 300, extend
perpendicularly between the faces of the panel. An important
advantage of bi-directionally reinforced core panel 270 is that it
can be quickly produced in any desired thickness from a
pre-existing inventory of unidirectional core panels 260, by simply
slicing panel 260 into first narrow core panels 261 whose width
corresponds to the desired panel thickness and connecting the
strips together as previously described.
[0149] Core panel 270 may be provided with substantially enhanced
structural connection to panel skins as shown in FIGS. 24-26. That
is a narrow core panel 261 (FIG. 24), comprising foam strips 170
and wound layers of rovings 176 and 177, is provided with
additional helically wound roving layers 281 and 282, which overlie
layers 176 and 177, to form second narrow core panel 280. A
plurality of panels 280 are connected together, using adhesive
scrim 271 or other means, to form reinforced core panel 290, shown
in FIG. 26. Layers of wound rovings 281 and 282 form continuous
webs extending between the faces of core panel 290, while layers of
rovings 176 and 177 form discontinuous webs intersecting the
continuous webs. All four layers of rovings are connected to
sandwich panel skins 291 when hardenable resin is introduced into
the sandwich panel. FIG. 25 shows in detail the greatly increased
area of attachment of fibrous core reinforcing rovings to the panel
skins. Referring again to FIG. 24, if the layer of rovings 282 is
omitted, layers of rovings 281 on adjacent wound strips 280 will
form reinforcing webs in which the rovings 281 cross at opposing
angles.
[0150] FIG. 27 shows a variation of bi-directionally reinforced
core panel 290, in which second narrow core panels 280 are rotated
90 degrees from the orientation shown in FIG. 26 before being
connected together. In the FIG. 27 configuration, the densest
layers of rovings on each wound core panel 280 are positioned
within the core rather than adjacent the skins. The orientation of
wound panel 280 is selected to produce either core panel 290 or
core panel 300, as determined by the desired balance of strength
and stiffness between the reinforcing webs and the panel skins.
[0151] Bi-directional core panels produced by helically winding
reinforcing members, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 23 and 26,
are comprised of a plurality of foam blocks which are attached
together. This articulated configuration allows the panel to
conform to curved surfaces, provided that the convex face of the
panel is unitized by scrim fibers of relatively low tensile
strength, or the curvature is achieved by applying heat to soften
the adhesive which connects the scrim to the panel face. Referring
to FIG. 23, adhesive scrim 271 of high tensile strength, such as
fiberglass, may be applied to opposing faces of core panel 270
after the panel is formed to simple or compound curvature against a
forming tool. After the scrim adhesive has set, the pressure may be
released and core panel 270 retains its curvature. This method is
useful for the production of preforms which may be efficiently
loaded into curved molds. Adhesive scrim may also be used in this
manner to produce curved preforms comprising non-reinforced foam
plastic.
[0152] Core panels which are used with thin skins, for example
roofs for trailers, may provide adequate shear strength and
stiffness in the core but insufficient support for the skins under
conditions of impact or compressive loads. The poor skin support
may be due to the absence of core reinforcements which overlie the
core panel faces, as in FIG. 23, or to the use of relatively wide
strips of the helically wound foam comprising the core panel, which
results in widely spaced webs supporting the skins. A means of
providing additional skin support is shown in FIG. 27, in which
bi-directional core panel 300, which comprises a plurality of
narrow core panels 280, has been provided with rigid skin support
members 301. In a preferred embodiment, support members 301
comprise fibrous rovings, for example fiberglass, which are
inserted into slits formed in narrow core panels 261, shown in FIG.
22, prior to panels 261 being helically wound with reinforcing
rovings 281 and 282 to form narrow core panel 280, shown in FIG.
24. Support members 301, described a generally beam-like
rectangular cross section and are in turn supported at each point
at which they intersect core reinforcing webs 302, which comprise
wound layers of rovings 176 and 177, shown in FIG. 22. Referring
again to FIG. 27, compression or impact loads applied to panel
skins 291 are transferred by skin support members 301 to
reinforcing webs 302, thus preventing damage to skins 291.
[0153] FIGS. 28-30 illustrate another embodiment of the present
invention, in which fiber reinforced strips 310 are provided with
reinforcing rovings 311 which extend axially along one or both
sides of the corners of foam strips 170 and beneath one or more
helically wound layers of rovings 176 and 177. This construction is
shown enlarged in FIG. 29. When a plurality of reinforced strips
310 are connected together as previously described to form
reinforced core panel 320 as shown in FIG. 30, adjacent pairs of
reinforcing webs comprised of crossing helically wound rovings
cooperate with corner axial rovings 311 to form, in effect, a
plurality of structural bar joists having top and bottom chords
which are separated by rod-like shear members. This structure
provides superior impact strength and enhanced attachment strength
between web reinforcements and panel skins, and permits the use of
reduced skin reinforcements. If desired, axial corner rovings 311
may also be added in the construction of bi-directional core panels
such as shown in FIGS. 24-26.
[0154] Additional axial rovings may be provided beneath wound
rovings to cover any or all of the surfaces of foam strips 170 in
any of the forms of the present invention having helically wound
reinforcing members. Single reinforced strips 310 (FIG. 28), after
molding with hardenable resin, may be used as discrete structural
members, such as columns or box beams. Performance of such
structural members may be further enhanced by providing transverse
reinforcing members as shown in FIGS. 17 and 24 and by providing
additional axial rovings to cover all exposed foam surfaces.
Columns may be further reinforced by helically wrapping layers of
reinforcing material, for example, fiberglass or carbon fiber
fabric, around foam strips 170 at the end portions of the strips,
or in other desired areas of the strips, prior to winding roving
layers onto the strips, for purposes of providing enhanced strength
in areas of structural attachment.
[0155] Molded column-like structural members may be economically
produced by a continuous process in which the fiber reinforced foam
output of a helical winding apparatus feeds directly and
continuously into a molding apparatus, for example a resin
injection pultrusion apparatus (not shown) for the application and
cure of thermoset resins. Similarly, helically wound fiberglass
rovings commingled with thermoplastic filaments, such as "Twintex"
rovings manufactured by Saint-Gobain Vetrotex, may be commingled
and hardened by being continuously advanced through an apparatus
(not shown) which successively applies heat and cooling to the
fiber reinforced foam structure. It is also within the scope of the
invention to provide a continuous process in which the fiber
reinforced product of a helical winding apparatus is cut to form
components of predetermined length and said components are
delivered into a mold for subsequent application and hardening of
resin.
[0156] FIG. 31 illustrates a unidirectional fiber reinforced core
panel 330 comprising a unitized plurality of helically wound strips
331 in which support for panel skins is provided between helically
wound core reinforcing webs. At least two foam strips 170 are
provided on one or both sides with facings 332 which may comprise
rigid strip material or may comprise porous and fibrous material,
for example fiberglass mat, into which resin flows and hardens
during molding of the core panel. In a particularly economical
embodiment, foam strips 170 are cut from low cost plastics foam
insulation boards produced in a continuous process in which the
foam is introduced between continuous sheets of fiberglass mat 332.
Pairs of adjacent mats 332 provide substantial support to panel
skins between the core reinforcing webs comprising helically wound
rovings. Those segments of fiberglass mat which are adjacent the
wound rovings cooperate to form structurally enhanced reinforcing
webs 333, which are comprised of two layers of fiberglass mat 332
and four layers of wound rovings 176 and 177. This structure
provides both an increased amount of reinforcing fibers, compared
to webs which are helically wound only, and improved resistance to
web buckling under load, due to the greater overall thickness of
the webs. In lieu of fiberglass mat, strips 332 may comprise a
variety of other materials, including, for example, aluminum foil,
which may be used to protect foam strip 170 during the application
of radiant heat applied to strip 331 in order to melt thermoplastic
components of rovings 176 and 177.
[0157] FIG. 32 illustrates a form of reinforced core panel which
can be produced in greatly increased quantity from a given roving
winding apparatus. Reinforced core panel 340 comprises alternating
strips of roving wound plastics foam 178 and plain plastics foam
strips 170. By increasing the weight of reinforcing rovings wound
on strips 178, structural properties roughly equivalent to those of
uniform strip core panel 260 shown in FIG. 20 may be achieved in
the alternating strip core panel shown in FIG. 32.
[0158] The method of helically winding foam strips permits the
production of sandwich panels having cores whose structural
properties vary along the length of the core. This configuration is
achieved by varying in a controlled manner the spacing and angle of
the rovings as they are wound onto the foam strips which will be
subsequently unitized to become core panels. FIG. 33 shows wound
strip 350 comprising foam strip 170 and spaced helically wound
rovings 176 and 177. Referring to FIG. 12, the angle and spacing of
the rovings on foam strips 170 are controlled by varying the speed
at which the strips are advanced through winding heads 172 and 173
at a given rate of rotation of the heads. This relationship may be
closely controlled through the use of programmed strip conveyer
drive motors. For example, as strip feed speed is decreased the
spacing of the wound rovings decreases and the angle at which the
rovings cross the axis of the strip decreases. The spacing of
winding heads 172 and 173 from each other is preferably adjustable
to correspond to the desired length of strip 350. Wound strip 350
shown in FIG. 33 illustrates a foam strip in which the density and
angular steepness of the rovings with respect to the faces of strip
350 are highest at the ends of the strip, for the purpose of
providing enhanced compressive strength to resist concentrated
loads over panel supports. For improved bi-directional strength,
reinforced strip 261 shown in FIG. 22, or reinforced strip 310
shown in FIG. 28 may be substituted for non-reinforced foam strip
170 shown in FIG. 33.
[0159] FIG. 33 also illustrates a means of providing improved skin
strength in composite panels of non-uniform core thickness. It is
common in structural sandwich panels for edge closeout portions of
the panel to taper or step down to lesser thickness, and thickness
variations are sometimes required within the interior of the panel.
When the fibers comprising panel skins deviate from a plane
surface, tensile or compressive stresses in the skins may lead to
failure of the skin reinforcements and delamination of the skins
from the panel core. The helically wound strip 350 shown in FIG. 33
has been provided with layers of axial rovings 180, as described in
connection with FIGS. 12 and 13, on the opposing faces of strip 350
which will comprise the faces of a reinforced core panel. As
described in connection with FIG. 14, the axial layer of rovings
180 serves the function of skin fibers extending in the direction
of the strip, and the axial rovings are helically overwound by
layers of rovings 176 and 177. Under conditions of bending stress,
the tendency of axial rovings 180 to fail at or near core thickness
transition area 351 is reduced because the helically wound roving
layers constrain the axial rovings from moving outward. Stability
of the axial rovings may be further enhanced by providing strip 350
with transverse reinforcements, as previously described, to prevent
roving layer 180 from buckling inward.
[0160] In helically wound unidirectional core panels comprising low
density foam, the resistance of relatively thin reinforcing webs in
relatively thick panels to buckling under compressive or shear
loads may be substantially improved by decreasing the slenderness
of the webs. FIG. 34 shows core panel 360 comprising fiber
reinforced foam strips 178 and web spacer strips 361, whose
function is to cooperate with layers of rovings 176 and 177 to form
compound reinforcing webs 362. Spacer strips 361 may comprise foam
plastic of greater compressive strength than that of foam strips
170, porous matting, or other material of sufficient strength to
cause compound reinforcing web 362 to function as a structural web
of increased thickness. The spacer and roving components of
compound web 362 are structurally bonded together by the resin used
to infuse the sandwich panel. Spacer strips 361 serve to divide the
mass of resin present between foam strips 170 and thereby to reduce
the shrinkage normally induced in a local mass of resin during the
curing process. This reduced shrinkage along the reinforcing webs
increases the flatness of molded panel skins which improves
appearance and may permit the use of lighter skin
reinforcements.
[0161] Sandwich panels comprising helically wound strips have
proven effective in retaining substantial structural integrity
after high energy ballistic impact, for use in applications such as
casings for jet engines or structural backup for armor designed to
prevent penetration by projectiles. FIG. 35 illustrates a
cylindrical or annular embodiment of the present invention useful
as a jet engine casing, in which structural continuity of core
properties is optimized by eliminating joints between the ends of
helically wound foam strips, so that every helically wound roving
within the entire panel is unbroken. Cylindrical or annular core
panel 370 is produced from a single helically wound foam strip 371,
by wrapping strip 371 continuously around a cylindrical or
non-cylindrical mandrel in a helical pattern.
[0162] Wound strip 371, which comprise plastics foam strips 170 and
layers of helically wound rovings 176 and 177, may be of cross
sectional shapes other than rectangular, for example, triangular,
as shown in FIG. 19, or trapezoidal and in which the reinforcing
webs within the core are oriented at opposing angles to provide
transverse shear strength to the core. Transverse shear strength
may also be provided by providing wound strip 371 with internal
transverse reinforcements, for example as shown in FIG. 24. If
desired, a second continuous strip 371 may be helically wound over
core panel 370, preferably at a crossing angle, for greater
strength. Hoop strength and impact resistance of core panel 370 may
also be enhanced by providing axial rovings 180 beneath wound
rovings 176 and 177, as shown in FIG. 13. Ballistic impact
resistance of sandwich panels having helically wound core
reinforcements and structural skin reinforcements may be increased
by stitching fibrous reinforcements through the panel skins and
core, at crossing angles or perpendicular to the panel skins, as
previously described in connection with FIGS. 14 and 15. Continuous
reinforced strips 371, in one or more layers, may also be used to
form enclosed containers of cylindrical or box-like configuration
and intended to resist explosion, by forming strip 371 around all
faces of the container and providing skins applied by a filament
winding process.
[0163] Continuous strip 371 may be wound using a relatively low
weight or relatively brittle reinforcing fibers, for example carbon
tow, in order to allow a ballistic object such as a jet engine fan
blade, to penetrate the cylindrical casing without seriously
compromising the shape or structural integrity of the panel, and
the penetrating object is arrested outside the casing, for example
by a surrounding wrap of non-resin-impregnated aramid fabric, such
as Kevlar. Alternately, the panel may be designed to contain the
impacting object while still maintaining the integrity of the
panel. In this configuration, it may be desirable to employ, as a
core, skin and through-panel stitched reinforcements, fibers such
as aramid or steel which will elongate under impact and resist
penetration. By employing resin film barriers 41 described in
connection with FIG. 1, specific layers of these impact resistant
reinforcements may be kept generally free of resin during molding,
to optimize ballistic impact performance.
[0164] FIG. 36 shows an embodiment of the present invention in
which hollow tubes are substituted for foam strips to produced a
non-insulated structural sandwich panel which may be used for the
distribution of air or water or as an efficient heat exchanger,
especially when provided with reinforcing fibers of high thermal
conductivity, such as carbon. Reinforced core panel 380 comprises a
plurality of thin-walled tubes 381, which may be of rectangular,
triangular or other cross sectional shape, and which are helically
wound with layers of reinforcing rovings 176 and 177. Tubes 381 may
serve primarily as mandrels on which the structural rovings are
wound and may therefore comprise structurally weak material such as
stiffened paper. Alternately, tubes 381 may comprise material
having significant structural properties, such as roll formed or
extruded plastic or aluminum, preferably surface treated for
structural bonding to the wound reinforcing layers and to
subsequently applied panel skins.
[0165] The walls of tubes 381 comprising thin flexible material may
be provided with convex curvature to resist pressure during the
molding process. Molding pressure may also be resisted by sealing
the ends of tubes 381 during the process of producing core panel
380 or during the molding process. Sealed helically wound flexible
tubes of circular cross section containing air or other gas and
comprising film plastic or other material impervious to resin, may
be unitized to form core panel 380 and may be made to conform to
generally rectangular cross section during the molding process by
applying pressure to the core panel faces using rigid platens. Core
panels 380 which are sealed to prevent the intrusion of resin may
be combined with skin reinforcements and molded using liquid
resins. When rovings 176 and 177 comprise partially cured pre-preg
thermoset resins or heat-softened thermoplastic resins, core panel
380 may be molded by the application of heat without sealing the
ends of tubes 381.
[0166] FIGS. 37 and 38 show an embodiment of reinforced core panel
in which the helically wound core reinforcements which extend
between and over the faces of the core panel also extend over the
edges of the core panel. This construction provides superior
transfer of structural loads in the core panel to adjacent core
panels and to the edges of the sandwich panel and is illustrated in
FIG. 37. Spaced foam strips 170, preferably provided with axial
corner rovings 311 as described in connection with FIGS. 28-30, are
passed through a helical winding apparatus as previously described,
to form continuous reinforced strip 390. Strip 390 comprises a
plurality of axially spaced, helically wound foam strips 178, which
may be provided with spaced transverse reinforcing members as
described previously, and which are connected to each other by
layers of rovings 176 and 177, and the roving layers are supported
between strips 178 by axially extending rovings 311, to form hollow
wound segments 391. The wound roving layers are maintained intact
across the spaces between the foam strips.
[0167] In a second step, shown in FIG. 38, the wound strips 178 are
folded back-and-forth, so that successive strips are adjacent one
another to form reinforced core panel 400. The reinforcing rovings
comprising hollow wound segments 391 are folded and collapse across
the ends of strips 178, to provide superior adhesive attachment of
the strip ends to adjacent panel components in order to transfer
structural loads between interior core panel reinforcements and
exterior core panel edges. Reinforced core panel 400 may be
produced in continuous lengths by applying continuous adhesive
scrim to connected strip segments 178 after they are moved or
folded into contact with adjacent strips. In its continuous form,
core panel 400 is well adapted for continuous molding processes,
such as pultrusion, linked to the roving helically winding
apparatus.
[0168] In another embodiment of the invention, fiber reinforced
foam core panels may be provided with bi-directional strength by
helically winding reinforcing rovings onto foam strips of
serpentine shape. FIG. 39 illustrates reinforced core panel 410
comprising helically wound foam strips 411, each having a
serpentine configuration and shown with sandwich panel skin
reinforcements 291. The serpentine webs 412, which comprise
crossing layers of helically wound reinforcing rovings 176 and 177,
provide core panel 410 with shear strength in both longitudinal and
transverse directions, and the ratio of strength in each direction
is determined by the angular deviation of webs 412 from a straight
line. Foam strips 170 may have parallel edges of serpentine
configuration in lieu of the symmetrical non-parallel edges shown
in FIG. 39 and may be cut from foam boards, using multiple gang saw
water jets, or hot or abrasive wires or may be formed by applying
heat to thermoformable linear foam strips. The winding angle of the
wound rovings on strips having non-parallel edges, may be
controlled by varying strip feed through the winding apparatus, as
described previously.
[0169] The impact resistance of sandwich panels comprising fiber
reinforced cores impregnated with thermoset resins may be
substantially increased by incorporating thermoplastic resins of
superior impact properties into the outer portions of the sandwich
panel skins, instead of allowing the more brittle thermoset resins
to extend to the outer surfaces of the panel. FIG. 40 illustrates a
greatly enlarged section of composite sandwich panel 420 comprising
helically wound fiber reinforced core 260 and panel skins 421 and
422. Foam strip 170 has been provided with resin distribution
grooves 223, previously described as grooves 39 in connection with
FIGS. 13 and 14. Panel skin 421 comprises fibrous reinforcing mat
or fabric whose outer portions 423 are impregnated with
thermoplastic resin, for example polypropylene, which extends from
the outer surface of skin 421 and partially through the thickness
of the skin.
[0170] This layer of thermoplastic resin may be provided by
applying thermoplastic film to one side of fibrous skin 421 under
heat and pressure prior to infusing panel 420 with thermoset resin.
If desired, a layer of fabric comprised of commingled fiberglass
and thermoplastic fibers, for example "Twintex" fabric from
Saint-Gobain Vetrotex, may be substituted for the thermoplastic
film. The commingled fabric is heated to form a reinforced
thermoplastic outer surface and to flow the thermoplastic resin
partially through the thickness of the underlying reinforcing
fabric. Enhanced impact resistance may also be achieved by applying
"Twintex" skin fabric 422, which has not been consolidated by
application of heat, to reinforced core panel 260, and infusing all
core and skin reinforcements with thermoset resin. The
thermoplastic filaments which comprise skin 422 impart enhanced
impact resistance to the infused skin, and the skin may be heated
after infusion to melt the thermoplastic fibers.
[0171] In a preferred method of producing helically wound fiber
reinforced composite panels having low density cellular cores such
as foam plastic, core panels are provided with separately applied
fibrous reinforcements and hardened thermoplastic material, rather
than with commingled-filament roving such as "Twintex" fabric.
Referring to FIG. 20, foam strips 170 may be provided with a
surrounding layer of thermoplastic resin, for example
polypropylene, by applying heated and liquefied resin to the strips
in a continuous extrusion process, after which the resin is cooled
and solidified prior to helically wrapping reinforcing rovings 176
and 177 over the strips. Wrapped strips 178 may be connected
together, and the thermoplastic resin impregnates the reinforcing
fibers by application of heat and pressure, and skins comprising
fibrous reinforcements and thermoplastic resin may be similarly
attached to the core panel. In lieu of extrusion, strips of
thermoplastic material may be provided adjacent the layers of
rovings 176 and 177 and between foam strips 170.
[0172] In still another method, foam strips 170 are helically wound
with layers of rovings 176 and 177, each of which is comprised of a
plurality of reinforcing rovings, such as fiberglass, and
thermoplastic rovings. In all of these methods of separately
applying fibrous reinforcing and thermoplastic components to the
foam strips, subsequent impregnation of the reinforcing fibers by
application of heat and pressure is generally less complete than
that achieved by using commingled-filament rovings. The advantage
of the present methods is that very low cost materials, including
recycled thermoplastics, may be used in the production process. It
is understood that monofilament fibers of various flexible
materials, including metals and high tensile strength plastics, may
be used as reinforcements in all of the fiber reinforced panels
described in the present invention, in lieu of fibrous rovings
comprising a plurality of filaments.
[0173] As previously described, embodiments of the present
invention are adapted for use with liquid thermoset molding resin
in processes in which the resin flows throughout and impregnates
the internal core reinforcing elements under differential pressure.
These embodiments are illustrated in FIGS. 1-40 and comprise porous
reinforcing elements within the core panel. Major portions of the
sandwich panel industry employ processes in which differential
pressure is not utilized or is insufficient to cause the resin to
wet out the core reinforcements. As the thickness of the sandwich
panel core increases, the absence of differential pressure severely
limits the extent to which molding resin can penetrate and flow
throughout the core reinforcing members, for example fiberglass
rovings, within the core. Penetration and hardening of the resin is
essential to achieving the structural properties of the fiber
reinforced core and sandwich panel.
[0174] Several embodiments described herein adapt the present
invention for use in sandwich panel manufacturing processes which
do not employ differential pressure. Such processes include, for
example, open molding with liquid resins, open-bath pultrusion, and
adhesive lamination of rigid skins to panel cores. In embodiments
adapted for these processes, those portions of the reinforcing
members situated within the sandwich panel core are impregnated and
hardened during the production of the core panel, and those
portions of the reinforcing members adjacent the faces of the core
panel remain porous. The hardening of the internal reinforcing
members secures the desired core structural properties, and the
porosity of those portions of the reinforcing members adjacent the
core panel faces adapts the core for especially strong structural
attachment to sandwich panel skins which are subsequently attached
to the core using adhesive resins.
[0175] Hardened web core panels may also be used advantageously in
molding processes employing differential pressure, such as resin
infusion, injection pultrusion and resin transfer molding. In these
exothermic resin curing processes, resin temperatures within the
core are significantly reduced by decreasing or eliminating the
amount of uncured resin in the webs, thus reducing the likelihood
of foam damage or generation of volatile gasses. It may be useful
to perforate the hardened web core panel to allow flow of skin
molding resin from one face of the core panel to the other.
Alternately, the webs of the core panel may be only partially
impregnated and hardened, so that some residual porosity remains in
the web reinforcements to permit flow of resin during the molding
process.
[0176] FIG. 41 illustrates structural composite sandwich panel 430,
useful as the wall of a refrigerated trailer or recreational
vehicle, comprising reinforced core panel 431 and panel skins 432.
Core panel 431 comprises a plurality of helically wound strips 178
of plastics foam or other low density cellular material constructed
generally as described in connection with FIGS. 12-14. Axial roving
layers 180 are not shown in FIG. 41 but may be provided if desired.
If desired, wound foam strips 178 may omit second roving layer 177
and, if desired, may also be provided with pre-attached reinforcing
mats 332 as shown in FIG. 31 or with transverse reinforcing members
222 as described in connection with FIG. 16.
[0177] Referring again to FIG. 41, prior to consolidation of a
plurality of strips 178 to form core panel 431, a hardening
adhesive resin 433, for example polyester or polyurethane, is
applied to those portions of porous wound roving layers 176 and 177
which comprise the reinforcing webs of core panel 431. Resin 433
may be applied to both opposing web faces of each foam strip, or it
may be applied to only one face, in sufficient quantity to wet out
the porous fibers of the adjacent web face when strips 178 are
connected together. If desired, some porosity may be retained by
limiting the amount of resin applied. Heat may be applied to the
roving layers prior to application of resin to facilitate wet-out
of the reinforcing fibers by reducing the viscosity of the resin
when it contacts the heated reinforcements. The increased
temperature also accelerates the rate of resin cure subsequent to
application of the resin. Web strips 178 are connected together by
pressing adjacent strips against each other in a stack while resin
433 hardens to form composite reinforced webs 434. Alternately, the
web portions of individual strips 178 may be hardened, and adhesive
scrim or other connection means may be used as previously described
to consolidate a stack of strips 178 to form core panel 431.
[0178] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 41, web hardening resin 433
is withheld from those portions of the core panel webs immediately
adjacent the faces or opposite side surfaces of the core panel, for
example for a distance of one-eighth inch from the faces of the
core panel, in order to permit wicking or flow of skin attachment
resin into the outer portions of the web reinforcements for
improved structural attachment of webs 434 to skins 432. It is
understood that, if desired, hardening resin 433 may extend fully
to the opposite side surfaces or faces of the core panel, or the
resin may further extend partially or entirely across the faces of
the core panel.
[0179] FIG. 51 illustrates core panel 500, in which web hardening
resin 433 extends laterally across a portion of the exposed
surfaces or faces of adjacent fiber wound strips 178 to form a
series of structural I-beams 501. This embodiment is useful for
increasing the strength and stiffness of sandwich panels in which
an adhesive of relatively low structural properties is used to
attach skins to the core panel. Resin 433 impregnates the wound
fibers between adjacent strips 178 and also impregnates a portion
of the wound fibers 502 extending across the faces of core panel
500, and resin 433 hardens to form structural I-beams 501. Skins
432 are attached to core panel 500 using adhesive 435 which
penetrates porous wound fiber portions 502 to form a strong
skin-to-core bond, while hardened I-beams 501 provide enhanced
panel strength and stiffness.
[0180] If the opposite side surfaces or faces of core panel 431 are
entirely impregnated with resin 433 and hardened, core panel 431
becomes a rigid sandwich panel. Structural properties of this
resulting sandwich panel and of the I-beams 501 shown in FIG. 51
may be enhanced by providing the wound strips 178 with longitudinal
fibrous rovings 180 as described in connection with FIGS. 13 and
14. Web hardening resin 433 may be applied by roll coater,
extrusion, spray or flow apparatus, resin film or otherwise. The
resin may be thermoset, for example polyester, epoxy or urethane or
it may be thermoplastic, for example polypropylene, PET or nylon.
The rate of hardening of thermoset resins may be accelerated by the
application of high catalyst levels, heat, ultraviolet radiation or
otherwise, in order to increase the rate of attachment of wound
strips 178 to each other to form core panel 431.
[0181] Thermoplastic resin may be incorporated into roving layers
176 and 177 during the winding process by providing rovings
comprising commingled structural and thermoplastic filaments, for
example "Twintex" manufactured by Saint-Gobain Vetrotex, or
structural rovings surface coated with thermoplastic resin as
manufactured by Hexcel Corporation. Strips 178 comprising
thermoplastic resins are connected to each other by pressing the
strips together after applying sufficient heat to the web portions
of the strips to melt the thermoplastic matrix. Alternately,
electrically conductive fibers, for example, carbon fiber may be
provided adjacent wound layer 176 and 177, and electrical current
may be passed through the conductive fibers to melt the
thermoplastic matrix. Layers 176 and 177 may, if desired, comprise
hardened fiber reinforced thermoplastic tapes, such as "Zenicon"
manufactured by Crane Composites, in lieu of Twintex rovings. The
thermoplastic tapes may be wound onto foam strips 170 by providing
sufficient heat to soften the tapes prior to contact with strips
170. Tape-wound strips are connected together as described for
Twintex. It is also within the scope of the invention for layers
176 and 177 to comprise high tensile strength polymer fibers, for
example MFT by Milliken and Cury by Propex.
[0182] Finished core panel 431 (FIG. 41) is moved to a molding or
lamination process in which sandwich panel skins 432 are attached
to the core panel as previously described, using adhesive resin
435. Resin 435 used to attach the skins may be, but need not be, of
the same type as resin 433 used to harden webs 434. Resin 433 may,
for example, comprise catalyzed polyester resin, and resin 435 may
comprise moisture curing polyurethane resin, or one resin may be
thermoplastic and the other thermoset. Skin attachment resin 435
wets out the porous portions of wound roving layers 176 and 177
which comprise the opposite side surfaces or faces of core panel
431 and may comprise the edge portions of the webs adjacent the
core panel faces, providing a strong structural attachment of skins
to core.
[0183] Adhesive resin for bonding skins, is similarly applied if
all portions of roving layers 176 and 177 have been impregnated and
hardened as previously described. Sandwich panel skins 432 may be
porous and fibrous prior to attachment of resin 435, for example
fiberglass fabric, or they may be rigid, for example aluminum or
fiberglass reinforced plastic sheet. The skin attachment resin may
be applied by any convenient application process and does not
require differential pressure for flowing into webs 434, since
these have already been hardened, as previously described. When
core panel 431 comprises roving layers which incorporate a
thermoplastic matrix, skins may be attached by heating the core
faces to liquefy the thermoplastic matrix of the exposed roving
layers.
[0184] Sandwich panel 430 may be used as a construction panel or
building wall by incorporating skins 432 comprising sheet materials
common in the construction industry, for example decorative plywood
or thin painted metal. Adhesive resin 435 may also be used to
adhere a plurality of pieces of individual cladding materials, for
example glazed tiles brick or stone. In a useful variation of the
panel shown in FIG. 41, resin layer 435 may comprise a mastic-like
material such as fiber reinforced polymer stucco, or other
hardening wall surfacing material. In this embodiment, the material
comprising layer 435 penetrates fibrous roving layers 176 and 177
prior to hardening to form a permanent structural bond to the faces
of core panel 431 and cooperates with hardened webs 434 to resist
structural loads applied to the building panel. If desired, hollow
tubes may be substituted for foam strips 170 as previously
described in connection with FIG. 36, and the tubes may be filled
with a dense material, for example sand or concrete, to render
sandwich panel 430 shown in FIG. 41 useful as a soil retaining wall
or highway noise barrier.
[0185] Hardened webs having porous portions adjacent the panel
skins may also be provided in core panels in which the core
reinforcing members comprise planar web sheets of fibrous
reinforcing material, for example fiberglass cloth or mat. FIG. 42
shows reinforced core panel 440 comprising a plurality of foam
strips 33 having attached porous fibrous web sheets 34 as
previously described in connection with FIG. 1. The steps of
providing fibrous struts 35 shown in FIG. 1 are omitted. Referring
again to FIG. 42, hardening resin 433 is applied to porous web
sheets 34, and a plurality of foam strips 33, with attached web
sheets 34, are connected together as described in connection with
FIG. 41. Web hardening resin 433, shown in FIG. 42, may be withheld
from the edge portions of webs 34 adjacent the opposite side
surfaces or faces of core panel 440 so that adhesive resin used to
attach skins to the core panel, as described in connection with
FIG. 41, will penetrate into the webs to provide an improved
structural bond. Webs 434 may, if desired, comprise Twintex
commingled fiberglass and thermoplastic fabric, and the webs may be
hardened by application of heat and pressure, retaining porosity in
the web edge portions for attachment to skins using liquid
resins.
[0186] The embodiment shown in FIG. 43 illustrates sandwich panel
450 having spaced reinforced core strips. A plurality of
roving-wound foam strips 178 having hardened web portions 451 and
porous face portions 452 are assembled in a spaced-apart array or
relation and are attached, using a lamination process, to opposing
rigid panel skins 453, using adhesive resin 435. This embodiment
substantially reduces the volume of plastic foam required and is
useful in structural sandwich panels which do not require thermal
insulation. If thermal insulation or continuous support for panel
skins is required, alternating strips of plain foam and wound foam
having hardened webs 451 may be connected together as generally
described in connection with FIG. 32. The embodiments of the
present invention shown in FIGS. 41 and 43 may, if desired,
incorporate hollow tubes 381 as shown in FIG. 36, in lieu of foam
strips 33. In an alternate embodiment, higher density materials,
for example dimensional lumber, may be substituted for foam strips
170 to achieve improved structural properties.
[0187] FIGS. 44-47 show the steps in the construction of a
reinforced core panel comprising helically wound strips and
hardened structural webs and having improved bi-directional
strength. Core panel 431 shown in FIG. 44 and having hardened webs
434, as described in connection with FIG. 41, is cut in a direction
perpendicular to the length of strips 178 into a plurality of first
narrow fiber reinforced core panels 462 of desired thickness.
Referring to FIG. 46, first core panels 462 are helically wound
with crossing roving layers 281 and 282 to form second reinforced
strip 464. Referring to FIG. 47, hardening resin 433 is applied to
adjacent faces of a plurality of second reinforced strips 464.
Resin 433 wets out roving layers 177, 178, 281 and 282, shown in
detail in FIG. 46, to form hardened webs 465 shown in FIG. 47, and
strips 464 are pressed together and connected as resin 433 hardens,
to form reinforced core panel 460 having hardened webs 465
extending longitudinally and hardened webs 434, shown in phantom,
extending transversely. Sandwich panel skins may be applied to core
panel 460 as described in connection with FIG. 41. Referring to
FIG. 45, bi-directional core panels may also be produced by
applying hardening resin 433 to the wound rovings of narrow core
panel 462 and pressing the wound edges together as the resin cures,
to form a core panel similar in architecture to that shown in FIG.
23.
[0188] FIGS. 48-50 illustrate schematically advantageous means of
producing continuous sandwich panels comprising foam strips having
layers of helically wound reinforcements. In panel molding
apparatus 470 shown in FIG. 48, a plurality of continuous lengths
of foam strips 471 having layers of porous reinforcing rovings are
pulled from reel 472 into pultrusion apparatus 473 comprising resin
bath or resin injection module 474 and heated die 475, by a pulling
apparatus (not shown) commonly used in the pultrusion art.
Continuous wound strips 471 are taken up onto reel 472 during the
process of winding strips 177 as shown in FIG. 12, omitting the
step of cutting strips 177 into lengths. If desired, a single
continuous strip 471 may be provided in lieu of the plurality of
strips shown in FIG. 48, and if desired, strips 471 may be pulled
into pultrusion apparatus 473 simultaneously from a plurality of
reels 472.
[0189] Strips 471 may be provided with transverse reinforcing
members, axial reinforcements or other improvements previously
described herein. As strips 471 progress through apparatus 470,
skin materials 476, for example fiberglass cloth, are applied to
the surfaces of strips 471, the skin and core reinforcements are
wet out in resin module 474, the resin is hardened in heated die
475 to form reinforced sandwich panel 477 having reinforced core
478, and the sandwich panel is cut to desired length (not shown).
Continuous strips 471 provide unbroken reinforcing layers 176, 177
and 180 within sandwich panel core 478, regardless of where
sandwich panel 477 is cut, thus producing a panel of uniform
strength throughout its length.
[0190] As previously described herein, the helically wound forms of
the present invention are well adapted for continuous process
production of molded composite panels. FIG. 49 illustrates an
economical method of producing a continuous sandwich panel, useful
as a trailer wall or building wall and having a core comprising
fiber reinforced foam strips 178 transverse to the length of the
panel. The efficient incorporation of transverse reinforcing
members is especially difficult in traditional methods of
continuous panel production such as pultrusion. Panel production
apparatus 480 comprises winding apparatus 171 (FIG. 12), wound
strip advance device 482, and molding module 483. Winding apparatus
171, described in connection FIG. 12, produces fiber wound foam
strips 178 which, as shown in FIG. 49, are advanced successively by
advance device 482 into and through resin module 483. The strips
178 may be advanced perpendicular to the length of the strips (FIG.
49) or at an acute angle relative to the direction of advance of
the strips.
[0191] The wound strips may incorporate features previously
described herein, for example, transverse reinforcing members
within the strip. If desired, wound foam strips 178 may be fed from
reels 472, as described in connection with FIG. 48, and cut to the
desired length before being advanced into resin module 483. Prior
to entering the molding module, the stack of strips 178 is provided
with porous skin materials 484. Resin wets out porous skins 484 and
the porous rovings in foam strips 178, and cures in molding module
483 to form continuous sandwich panel 485. In a particularly
economical embodiment of the present invention, wound strips 178
are provided with axial roving layers 180, and a plurality of
reinforcing rovings supplied from reels are substituted for skins
484, eliminating the cost of weaving reinforcing fabric.
[0192] Molding module 483 may be a pultrusion apparatus, as
described in connection with FIG. 48, an extrusion apparatus as to
be described in connection with FIG. 50, or other molding device
known in the industry. An important advantage of this method is
that panels of any desired width may be produced either directly
from the output of a winding machine or alternately from a single
reel of continuous fiber reinforced foam strip. Roving wound foam
strip 178 may, if desired, comprise a pre-stiffened web 332
adjacent one or opposing faces of the foam strip, as shown in FIG.
31. In this configuration, webs 332 provide substantial compressive
and shear strength to the core, and penetration of roving layers
176 and 177 by the molding resin used to attach skins 484 may, if
desired, be omitted.
[0193] FIG. 50 illustrates an economical method of producing a
continuous sandwich panel, useful as a construction plank, board or
post of high strength, low material usage and low weight, and
incorporating a plastics resin extrusion process. Panel production
apparatus 490 comprises winding apparatus 171' and 173', and
extrusion module 491. Winding apparatus 171' and 173', described in
connection FIG. 12, produces continuous fiber wound foam strip 178
which, as shown in FIG. 50, is advanced through extrusion module
491. In the module 491, heated liquid thermoplastic resin, for
example PVC or polyethylene, is applied to wet out fibrous
reinforcing layers 180, 176 and 177, and the resin is cooled and
hardens to form continuous sandwich panel plank 492. Strip 178
comprises a plastics foam composition, for example,
polyisocyanurate or phenolic, able to withstand the temperature of
the heated extrusion resin.
[0194] If desired, fiber wound foam strips 178 may comprise fibrous
mat reinforcements 332 to supply enhanced compressive strength to
sandwich panel 492, as described in connection with FIG. 31, and
additional skin materials may be provided to sandwich panel 492 as
described in connection with FIGS. 48 and 49. The reinforced foam
core may, if desired, be supplied from reels as described in
connection with FIG. 48. Also, if desired, the extrusion resin may
comprise a filler material, for example cellulose wood flour, to
produce surface properties useful in, for example, deck boards, in
which case the extrusion process may include a first non-filled
resin stage to ensure full wet-out of the fibrous reinforcements of
sandwich panel 492. Also, panel board 492 may be provided with
surface embossing or with additional surface layers of extruded
resin to resist ultraviolet radiation, as commonly practiced in the
extrusion art. Pultrusion module 473, described in connection with
FIG. 48, may be substituted for extrusion module 491 shown in FIG.
50, depending upon the specific materials and properties required
in sandwich panel 492. Fiber wound hollow tubes as described in
connection with FIG. 36 may be substituted for wound foam strips
178, provided that the hollow tubes are sufficiently strong to
resist the pressure of the extrusion process.
[0195] Any of the fiber reinforced core panels disclosed herein may
be used to produce structural molded composite panels of a
thickness exceeding that of the individual core panels. Two or more
core panels may be stacked in a mold, with the fiber reinforcements
of adjacent core panel faces in contact with each other or with a
layer of reinforcing material, for example fiberglass fabric,
separating the core panels. If desired, the fibrous reinforcements
of adjacent core panels may be placed in crossing orientation to
achieve specific structural properties, for example by stacking in
crossing orientation two layers of the core panel shown in FIG. 18.
Wound strips 178, shown in FIG. 32, may be provided with transverse
reinforcing members as previously described, and two or more core
panels 340 having said transverse reinforcing members may be
stacked with strips 178 in crossing arrangement to form a second
core panel having enhanced bi-directional strength. If desired,
stacked core panels 340 may be separated by a reinforcing mat or
fabric.
[0196] For purposes of clarity and comparison, core panels herein
have been shown as rectangular in shape and as having sets of
fibrous reinforcements generally parallel to the edges of the core
panels. If required by structural considerations, the sets of
reinforcements may be oriented to any desired angle to the
direction or edge of the core panel. For example, referring to FIG.
18, transversely reinforced foam strips 233 may intersect the edges
of rectangular core panel 240 at an angle of 45 degrees.
[0197] While the forms of the reinforced foam cores and core panels
herein described and their method steps of construction constitute
preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that
the invention is not limited to these precise forms and method
steps and that changes may be made therein without departing from
the scope and spirit of the invention.
* * * * *