US4394338A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Production of elongated fiber-reinforced composite articles
Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corp
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Filing: 1981-08-10
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Granted: 1983-07-19
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Expires: 2001-08-10
Abstract
Abstract In the pultrusion of a fiber-reinforced plastic, an elongated fiber material impregnated with a thermosetting resin prior to setting is introduced into a long-land die, in which a thermoplastic resin and a lubricant are successively applied onto the outer surface of the impregnated fiber material thereby to make possible smooth drawing of the material through the die. As a result, the thermosetting resin is substantially set within the die, and, moreover, an elongated, fiber-reinforced, plastic composite article is produced at a reasonable speed.
Inventors
- 👤 Masaru Fuwa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 04:31
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C70/00; B29C70/04; B29C70/28; B29C70/40; B29C70/50; B29C70/52; B29C70/523; B29C48/00; B29C48/001; B29C48/0013; B29C48/0015; B29C48/0016; B29C48/03; B29C48/09; B29C48/15; B29C48/151; B29C48/152; B29C48/153; B29C48/16; B29C48/18; B29C48/21; B29C48/25; B29C48/94; B29C70/521; B29C37/00; B29C2037/92; B29K; B29K2101/00; B29K2101/10; B29K2101/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
A pultrusion process for producing elongated composite articles which comprises the steps of: impregnating an elongated reinforcing fiber material with a thermosetting resin; introducing the fiber material impregnated with the thermosetting resin into a stationary long-land die; extruding, into a shaping portion of the long-land die, a non-foaming thermoplastic resin in molten state onto the external surface of the fiber material thereby to coat the entire outer surface of the fiber material with the thermoplastic resin and thereby to form a composite material; immediately thereafter supplying a lubricant between the entire outer surface of the composite material and the inner surface of the long-land die; heating and setting the thermosetting resin in an elongate setting portion of the long-land die as the composite material is moved therethrough and shaped; cooling the composite material after it has moved out of the land-land die thereby to solidify the thermoplastic resin, and drawing the cooled composite material so as to pull the composite material through said long-land die.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
A pultrusion process for producing elongated composite articles which comprises the steps of: impregnating an elongated reinforcing fiber material with a thermosetting resin; introducing the fiber material impregnated with the thermosetting resin into a stationary long-land die; extruding, into a shaping portion of the long-land die, a non-foaming thermoplastic resin in molten state onto the external surface of the fiber material thereby to coat the entire outer surface of the fiber material with the thermoplastic resin and thereby to form a composite material; immediately thereafter supplying a lubricant between the entire outer surface of the composite material and the inner surface of the long-land die; heating and setting the thermosetting resin in an elongate setting portion of the long-land die as the composite material is moved therethrough and shaped; cooling the composite material after it has moved out of the land-land die thereby to solidify the thermoplastic resin, and drawing the cooled composite material so as to pull the composite material through said long-land die.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 1 in which the lubricant is a silicone oil or an oily surfactant having a boiling point above 250° C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A process according to claim 1 in which the thermoplastic resin is so supplied as to form a coating of a thickness of 0.3 to 5 mm on the fiber material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to claim 1 in which the long-land die has a length of 3 to 30 meters.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
A process according to claim 1 in which the thermoplastic resin is thus extruded and supplied into the long-land die at a point therein within 10 cm upstream or downstream in the direction of movement of the fiber material from the point at which the shaping of the fiber material impregnated with the thermosetting resin is completed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
A process according to claim 1 in which the lubricant is supplied into the long-land die at a point therein 1 to 10 cm downstream in the direction of movement of the fiber material from the point of extruding and supplying of the thermoplastic resin.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
A process according to claim 1 in which the lubricant is supplied in a manner to form a coating thereof of a thickness of 0.01 to 0.5 mm around the composite material on the basis of there being no absorption of the lubricant by the thermoplastic resin.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 1 in which the thermosetting resin is an unsaturated polyester resin, and the fiber material comprises rovings of glass fiber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
A process according to claim 1 in which the fiber material impregnated with the thermosetting resin is introduced into the long-land die together with a previously prepared core material so that the fiber material covers the outer surface of the core material thereby to produce a three-layer, laminated composite article.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
199 words
An apparatus for producing composite articles comprising: (1) a stationary long-land die through which, from an upstream end to a downstream end thereof, an elongated reinforcing fiber mateial impregnated with a thermosetting resin is passed to be shaped, and which has a length sufficient for thermosetting resin to be substantially set as the fiber material is thus passed; (2) a thermoplastic resin supplying device installed at a relatively upstream part of the long-land die and there operating to supply a non-foaming thermoplastic resin in molten state into the die to form a coating of the thermoplastic resin all around the impregnated, elongated fiber material thus passing through the die; (3) a lubricant supplying device installed on the long-land die at a part thereof immediately downstream from the thermoplastic resin supplying device and there operating to supply a lubricant into the die and onto the entire outer surface of the coating of the thermoplastic resin; (4) cooling means downstream of said long-land die for cooling the composite material after it has moved out of said long-land die to solidify said thermoplastic resin, and (5) drawing means downstream of said cooling means for pulling the composite material through said long-land die.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
199 words
An apparatus for producing composite articles comprising: (1) a stationary long-land die through which, from an upstream end to a downstream end thereof, an elongated reinforcing fiber mateial impregnated with a thermosetting resin is passed to be shaped, and which has a length sufficient for thermosetting resin to be substantially set as the fiber material is thus passed; (2) a thermoplastic resin supplying device installed at a relatively upstream part of the long-land die and there operating to supply a non-foaming thermoplastic resin in molten state into the die to form a coating of the thermoplastic resin all around the impregnated, elongated fiber material thus passing through the die; (3) a lubricant supplying device installed on the long-land die at a part thereof immediately downstream from the thermoplastic resin supplying device and there operating to supply a lubricant into the die and onto the entire outer surface of the coating of the thermoplastic resin; (4) cooling means downstream of said long-land die for cooling the composite material after it has moved out of said long-land die to solidify said thermoplastic resin, and (5) drawing means downstream of said cooling means for pulling the composite material through said long-land die.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus according to claim 10, comprising upstream of said long-land die, means for extruding a continuous shape of thermoplastic resin, means for cooling said extruded shape and means for covering said extruded shape with fiber material impregnated with a thermosetting resin and passing said covered extruded shape into the upstream end of said long-land die.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 in which said long-land die has at its upstream end a converging shaping portion for shaping said fiber material, said thermoplastic resin supplying device being installed at a point within 10 cm of the point where shaping of said fiber material is completed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 12, in which said lubricant supplying device is installed at a point 1 to 10 cm downstream of said thermoplastic resin device.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 10, in which said long-land die has a total length of from 5 to 20 m.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-07-18 | 1987-01-17 | 1987-07-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-07-18 | 1991-01-17 | 1991-07-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-07-18 | 1995-01-17 | 1995-07-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |