US6346325B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Fiber-reinforced composite encased in a thermoplastic and method of making same
Assignee: Fulcrum Composites Inc
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Filing: 2000-06-29
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Granted: 2002-02-12
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Expires: 2020-06-29
Abstract
Abstract A fiber-reinforced depolymerizable and repolymerizable thermoplastic composite that is encased in a depolymerizable and repolymerizable thermoplastic resin exhibits the strength and stiffness that make the encased composite particularly suitable for a wide array of applications that require very high strength, stiffness, and exceptional impact, together with complex shape. Examples of such applications include bumper beams, pedals, car door structures, instrument panels, and seating structures for automotive use. Other applications include window profiles, skis, ski poles, mast stays, tent poles, concrete reinforcement, crash barriers, window or door lineals, cable trays, cable for optical fibers, bicycle wheels and frames, and pipe.
Inventors
- 👤 Christopher Michael Edwards
- 👤 Edward Louis d'Hooghe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:45
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08J; C08J5/00; C08J5/04; B; B29; B29C; B29C48/00; B29C48/15; B29C48/156; B29C70/00; B29C70/04; B29C70/06; B29C70/08; B29C70/088; B29C70/28; B29C70/40; B29C70/50; B29C70/52; C08G; C08G18/00; C08G18/06; C08G18/82; C08L; C08L75/00; C08L75/04; E; E04; E04C; E04C3/00; E04C3/02; E04C3/29; E04C5/00; E04C5/07; E04C5/073; B29C48/03; B29C48/06; C08J2375/00; C08J2375/04; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249924; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2913; Y10T428/298
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
67 words
An encased article comprising a) a depolymerizable, repolymerizable thermoplastic polymer composite that is reinforced with fibers that extend through the length of the composite and are at least 100 mm long; and b) a thermoplastic resin encasing the fiber-reinforced composite, wherein the depolymerizable, repolymerizable thermoplastic polymer contains structural units represented by the formula: where Z is S or O; and Z′ is S, O, N-alkyl or NH.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
67 words
An encased article comprising a) a depolymerizable, repolymerizable thermoplastic polymer composite that is reinforced with fibers that extend through the length of the composite and are at least 100 mm long; and b) a thermoplastic resin encasing the fiber-reinforced composite, wherein the depolymerizable, repolymerizable thermoplastic polymer contains structural units represented by the formula: where Z is S or O; and Z′ is S, O, N-alkyl or NH.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The encased article of claim 1 wherein the fibers constitute at least 30 volume percent of the fiber-reinforced composite, and the depolymerizable, repolymerizable polymer is a thermoplastic polyurethane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The encased article of claim 2 wherein the fibers constitute at least 50 volume percent of the fiber-reinforced composite and the thermoplastic polyurethane is a rigid thermoplastic polyurethane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The encased article of claim 2 wherein the thermoplastic resin adheres to the fiber-reinforced composite without an ancillary adhesive.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The encased article of claim 4 wherein the thermoplastic resin is an ABS terpolymer, an RTPU, an RTPU/ABS blend, an ASA, a PVC, an STPU, an STPU/ABS blend, a polycarbonate, a polycarbonate/ABS blend, a polyester, a polyamide, or copolymers thereof or blends thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The encased article of claim 3 wherein the fiber-reinforced composite is encased in a polypropylene, a polyethylene, an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, a polystyrene, an SBS, an ESI, and SEBS, an aliphatic polyketone, an acetal, or a polyphenylene sulfide, or copolymers thereof or blends thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The encased article of claim 6 wherein the fiber-reinforced composite is encased in the presence of an ancillary adhesive or with mechanical bonding or a combination thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
63 words
The encased article of claim 1 which is an automotive bumper beam, a pedal, a car door structure, an instrument panel, a seating structure, a window profile, a ski, a ski pole, a mast stay, a tent pole, a crash barrier, a window lineal, a door lineal, a cable tray, an optical fiber cable, a bicycle wheel, a bicycle frame, or a pipe.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
80 words
A process for preparing a fiber-reinforced rigid thermoplastic polyurethane composite article encased in a thermoplastic comprising the steps of drawing a fiber bundle continuously through a melt obtained by heating a rigid thermoplastic polyurethane that contains a hydrolytically- and thermally-stable catalyst to a temperature sufficient to depolymerize the thermoplastic polyurethane; impregnating the drawn fiber bundle with the depolymerized thermoplastic polyurethane to form a composite melt; shaping the composite melt into an article; then encasing the article with a thermoplastic resin.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
80 words
A process for preparing a fiber-reinforced rigid thermoplastic polyurethane composite article encased in a thermoplastic comprising the steps of drawing a fiber bundle continuously through a melt obtained by heating a rigid thermoplastic polyurethane that contains a hydrolytically- and thermally-stable catalyst to a temperature sufficient to depolymerize the thermoplastic polyurethane; impregnating the drawn fiber bundle with the depolymerized thermoplastic polyurethane to form a composite melt; shaping the composite melt into an article; then encasing the article with a thermoplastic resin.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
The process of claim 9 wherein the thermoplastic resin is an ABS terpolymer, an RTPU, an RTPU/ABS blend, an ASA, a PVC, an STPU, an STPU/ABS blend, a polycarbonate, a polycarbonate/ABS blend, a polyester, or a polyamide or copolymers thereof or blends thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the thermoplastic resin is an ABS terpolymer, a PVC, an STPU, or an RTPU/ABS blend.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 9 wherein the thermoplastic resin is overmolded onto the fiber-reinforced composite.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 9 wherein the thermoplastic resin is overextruded onto the fiber-reinforced composite.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 9 wherein the article is cooled sufficiently to rebuild molecular weight before it is encased with the thermoplastic resin.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-02-11 | 2005-08-13 | 2006-02-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-02-11 | 2009-08-13 | 2010-02-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-02-11 | 2013-08-13 | 2014-02-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |