Mesh structure and laminate made therewith

Claim 1

An integral, biaxially-molecularly-orientated mesh structure, comprising: continuous, substantially parallel, molecularly-uniaxially-orientated main strands with the orientation therein extending substantially uniformly from end to end and generally parallel to said main strands, said main strands being of substantially rectangular cross-section with their width substantially greater than their thickness; and discontinuous, uniaxially-molecularly-orientated interconnecting strands with the orientation therein extending generally parallel to the direction of said interconnecting strands, said interconnecting strands extending in a direction generally at right angles to said main strands and interconnecting said main strands at a plurality of positions spaced along the edge of each said main strand, each said interconnecting strand being generally symmetrical about a line at right angles to said main strands, to thereby define a generally regular mesh structure having generally four-sided mesh openings, each said mesh opening being defined by two said main strands and two said interconnecting strands, and the cross-sectional area at the mid-points of said interconnecting strands being less than the minimum cross-sectional area of said main strands; there being adjacent each end of each said interconnecting strand a zone of plastics material which is thicker than the material of the remainder of the respective said interconnecting strand.