Electrically conductive prepreg materials

Claim 2

A prepreg material comprising a web defined by a multiplicity of elongated fiber bundles arranged to substantially cover the entire surface area of the web, individual fibers of the bundles being constructed of a dielectric material, at least some of the individual fibers in at least some of the bundles of the web having an individual metallic surface coating extending over substantially the full length of said some fibers, and an uncured, curable resin applied to the web to form a resin impregnated prepreg material that is readily deformable; whereby the prepreg material can be transformed into a rigid article exhibiting conductivity supplied by the metallic coating by appropriately shaping the prepreg material and, while in the desired shape, curing the resin to rigidify the material in the desired shape.

Claim 3

A prepreg material according to claim 1 wherein the bundles are woven and the web comprises a woven fabric.

Claim 4

A prepreg material according to claim 2 wherein the bundles are transversely oriented to define the weave and warp of the fabric.

Claim 5

A prepreg material according to claim 3 wherein the individual fibers have a sufficient length so that they traverse at least a plurality of bundles which are transversely oriented.

Claim 6

A prepreg material according to claim 1 wherein the metallic coating on the fibers extends over less than the full circumference of the fibers.

Claim 7

A prepreg material according to claim 1 wherein the individual fibers have a sufficient length so that they extend across substantially the entire surface area of the web.

Claim 8

Prepreg material comprising a multiplicity of fiber bundles woven into a fabric formed of transversely oriented, separate fiber bundles defining the weave and the warp of the fabric, individual fibers of the bundles being constructed of a dielectric material, at least some of the individual fibers in at least some of the bundles of the fabric having a metallic surface coating extending over substantially the full length of said some fibers, and an uncured, curable resin applied to the fabric to form a resin impregnated fabric that is readily deformable; whereby the prepreg material can be transformed into a rigid article exhibiting conductivity supplied by the metallic coating by appropriately shaping the prepreg material and, while in the desired shape, curing the resin to rigidify the material in the desired shape.

Claim 9

Prepreg material comprising a multiplicity of fiber bundles woven into a fabric formed of transversely oriented, separate fiber bundles defining the weave and the warp of the fabric, individual fibers of the bundles being constructed of a dielectric material, at least some of the individual fibers in at least some of the bundles of the fabric having a metallic surface coating extending over substantially the full length of said some fibers, and an uncured, curable resin applied to the fabric to form a resin impregnated fabric that is readily deformable; whereby the prepreg material can be transformed into a rigid article exhibiting conductivity supplied by the metallic coating by appropriately shaping the prepreg material and, while in the desired shape, curing the resin to rigidify the material in the desired shape.

Claim 10

An article of manufacture including, a relatively lightweight, high strength and relatively thin shell made by appropriately shaping a prepreg material comprising: a web defined by a multiplicity of elongated fiber bundles, each bundle comprising a plurality of individual fibers, the bundles being arranged to substantially cover the entire surface area of the web, a curable resin applied to the web in its uncured state and cured after the web has been appropriately shaped so that the cured resin embeds and thereby rigidly interconnects individual fibers of the bundles as well as the individual bundles of the article, the individual fibers being constructed of a dielectric material, at least some of the individual fibers of at least some of the bundles having a relatively thin metallic coating intimately bonded to an outer surface of said some fibers, the coating extending over substantially the full length of said some fibers; whereby the metallic coating imparts conductivity to the article of manufacture.

Claim 11

An article of manufacture including, a relatively lightweight, high strength and relatively thin shell made by appropriately shaping a prepreg material comprising: a web defined by a multiplicity of elongated fiber bundles, each bundle comprising a plurality of individual fibers, the bundles being arranged to substantially cover the entire surface area of the web, a curable resin applied to the web in its uncured state and cured after the web has been appropriately shaped so that the cured resin embeds and thereby rigidly interconnects individual fibers of the bundles as well as the individual bundles of the article, the individual fibers being constructed of a dielectric material, at least some of the individual fibers of at least some of the bundles having a relatively thin metallic coating intimately bonded to an outer surface of said some fibers, the coating extending over substantially the full length of said some fibers; whereby the metallic coating imparts conductivity to the article of manufacture.

Claim 12

A prepreg material comprising a web defined by a multiplicity of elongated fiber bundles arranged to substantially cover the entire surface area of the web, individual fibers of the bundles being constructed of a dielectric material and having a sufficient length so that they extend across substantially the full surface area of the web, at least some of the individual fibers in at least some of the bundles of the web having an individual metallic surface coating extending over substantially the full length of said some fibers, and an uncured, curable resin applied to the web to form a resin impregnated prepreg material that is readily deformable; whereby the prepreg material can be transformed into a rigid article exhibiting conductivity supplied by the metallic coating by appropriately shaping the prepreg material and, while in the desired shape, curing the resin to rigidify the material in the desired shape.

Claim 13

A prepreg material comprising a web defined by a multiplicity of elongated fiber bundles arranged to substantially cover the entire surface area of the web, individual fibers of the bundles being constructed of a dielectric material and having a sufficient length so that they extend across substantially the full surface area of the web, at least some of the individual fibers in at least some of the bundles of the web having an individual metallic surface coating extending over substantially the full length of said some fibers, and an uncured, curable resin applied to the web to form a resin impregnated prepreg material that is readily deformable; whereby the prepreg material can be transformed into a rigid article exhibiting conductivity supplied by the metallic coating by appropriately shaping the prepreg material and, while in the desired shape, curing the resin to rigidify the material in the desired shape.

Claim 14

Prepreg material comprising a multiplicity of fiber bundles woven into a fabric formed of transversely oriented, separate fiber bundles defining the weave and the warp of the fabric, individual fibers of the bundles being constructed of a dielectric material and having a length substantially equal to the length of the respective bundles, at least some of the individual fibers in at least some of the bundles of the fabric having a metallic surface coating extending over substantially the full length of said some fibers, and an uncured, curable resin applied to the fabric to form a resin impregnated fabric that is readily deformable; whereby the prepreg material can be transformed into a rigid article exhibiting conductivity supplied by the metallic coating by appropriately shaping the prepreg material and, while in the desired shape, curing the resin to rigidify the material in the desired shape.

Claim 15

Prepreg material comprising a multiplicity of fiber bundles woven into a fabric formed of transversely oriented, separate fiber bundles defining the weave and the warp of the fabric, individual fibers of the bundles being constructed of a dielectric material and having a length substantially equal to the length of the respective bundles, at least some of the individual fibers in at least some of the bundles of the fabric having a metallic surface coating extending over substantially the full length of said some fibers, and an uncured, curable resin applied to the fabric to form a resin impregnated fabric that is readily deformable; whereby the prepreg material can be transformed into a rigid article exhibiting conductivity supplied by the metallic coating by appropriately shaping the prepreg material and, while in the desired shape, curing the resin to rigidify the material in the desired shape.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 11, including the step of imparting to the web a predetermined shape, and curing the resin while holding the web in such shape to thereby form a thin-walled, rigid article of manufacture.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 11 including the step of giving the individual fibers a sufficient length so that they extend across substantially the full surface area of the web.