IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0660375
(1984-10-12)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Kline, William T.
- Mittelstadt, Robert F.
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
121 인용 특허 :
4 |
초록
▼
In vacuum bagging and similar operations involving composite materials, it is necessary to provide both a release layer that directly contacts the composite material and will not adhere to such material, and passages for removing entrapped air. A problem with known release layers is that they are no
In vacuum bagging and similar operations involving composite materials, it is necessary to provide both a release layer that directly contacts the composite material and will not adhere to such material, and passages for removing entrapped air. A problem with known release layers is that they are not sufficiently stretchable to provide uniform contact with complex or sharply bending surface configurations. The invention provides a breather/release material (6). Material (6) includes a flexible, stretchable foraminous fabric (10) that has a ribbed major surface (16). A foraminous coating (20) of silicone rubber release compound is formed on fabric (10) by a shrink drying process. Coating (20) conforms to the ribbed configuration of surface (16) and has holes (24) generally coinciding with holes (12) in fabric (10). Ribbed surface (16) may be bonded to an impervious layer (4) with an adhesive (8). Passageways (26) formed by ribs (14) of surface (16) and holes (12, 24) are kept open by limiting the amount of adhesive ( 8) used.
대표청구항
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1. Breather material for use between an impervious layer and a workpiece in a system in which a vacuum is applied between said layer and said workpiece to cause said layer to exert substantially uniform pressure on said workpiece, said breather material comprising: a flexible fabric that has oppo
1. Breather material for use between an impervious layer and a workpiece in a system in which a vacuum is applied between said layer and said workpiece to cause said layer to exert substantially uniform pressure on said workpiece, said breather material comprising: a flexible fabric that has opposite major faces at least one of which is ribbed, and a plurality of holes extending therethrough between said faces, said holes being spaced over essentially the entire extent of said faces; said fabric being stretchable in its general plane in at least two directions, said directions being substantially perpendicular to each other; and a coating of silicone rubber release compound on said fabric covering at least the face opposite said ribbed face; said coating having a plurality of holes that extend therethrough and that generally coincide with said holes in the fabric, and any portions of said coating on said ribbed face substantially conforming to the configuration of said ribbed face, to provide passageways for a vacuum when the breather material is pressed between said impervious layer and said workpiece; and said release compound being flexible, stretchable, nonadherent to said workpiece, and not subject to damage or deterioration caused by contact with said workpiece. 2. Breather material as described in claim 1, in which, disregarding said holes in the coating, the outer surface of the coating on the face opposite said ribbed face is essentially flat and smooth to form a contact surface for pressing substantially uniformly against said workpiece. 3. Breather material as described in claim 1, in which the fabric includes polyester fibers arranged in a ribbed knit configuration. 4. Breather material as described in claim 3, in which, disregarding said holes in the coating, the outer surface of the coating on the face opposite said ribbed face is essentially flat and smooth to form a contact surface for pressing substantially uniformly against said workpiece. 5. Breather material as described in claim 1, in which said workpiece comprises composite material that includes an epoxy resin matrix, and said release compound is nonadherent to said matrix and is not subject to damage or deterioration caused by contact with said matrix. 6. Sheet material for exerting substantially uniform pressure on a workpiece when a vacuum is applied between said material and said workpiece, comprising: a layer of breather material including a flexible fabric that has opposite major faces at least one of which is ribbed, and a plurality of holes extending therethrough between said faces, said holes being spaced over essentially the entire extent of said faces, and said fabric being stretchable in its general plane in at least two directions, with said directions being substantially perpendicular to each other; and a coating of silicone rubber release compound on said fabric covering at least the face opposite said ribbed face; said coating having a plurality of holes that extend therethrough and that generally coincide with said holes in the fabric, and any portions of said coating on said ribbed face substantially conforming to the configuration of said ribbed face, to provide passageways for a vacuum; and said release compound being flexible, stretchable, nonadherent to said workpiece, and not subject to damage or deterioration caused by contact with said workpiece; a layer of flexible, stretchable impervious material adjacent to said ribbed face; and adhesive between said impervious material and said ribbed face in an amount sufficient to firmly bond said ribbed face to said impervious material but insufficient to block said passageways. 7. Sheet material as described in claim 6, in which the impervious material comprises flexible, stretchable silicone rubber. 8. Sheet material as described in claim 6, in which, disregarding said holes in the coating, the outer surface of the coating on the face opposite said ribbed face is essentially flat and smooth to form a contact surface for pressing substantially uniformly against said workpiece. 9. Sheet material as described in claim 6, in which the fabric includes polyester fibers arranged in a ribbed knit configuration. 10. Sheet material as described in claim 9, in which, disregarding said holes in the coating, the outer surface of the coating on the face opposite said ribbed face is essentially flat and smooth to form a contact surface for pressing substantially uniformly against said workpiece. 11. Sheet material as described in claim 6, in which said workpiece comprises composite material that includes an epoxy resin matrix, and said release compound is nonadherent to said matrix and is not subject to damage or deterioration caused by contact with said matrix. 12. A method of making foraminous sheet material having a ribbed major surface, said method comprising: laying a foraminous ribbed fabric on a horizontal surface of a material that will not adhere to silicone rubber release compound, and facing a ribbed major surface of said fabric upwardly; thinning liquid silicone rubber release compound with a volatile solvent in an amount sufficient to cause shrinkage of the compound of about 50% in volume upon drying of the compound; forming a puddle of the thinned compound that covers the fabric and is substantially flush with the top of the upwardly facing major surface of the fabric; and allowing the puddle of compound to dry to form a coating on the fabric, and allowing the compound to shrink as it dries to conform said coating to the ribbed configuration of the upwardly facing major surface and to allow holes through the coating to form where there are holes through the fabric. 13. A method as described in claim 12, in which the step of forming a puddle comprises pouring the thinned compound over the fabric to form a puddle of compound that covers the fabric, and sweeping excess compound off the fabric to make the top of the puddle substantially flush with the top of the fabric. 14. A method as described in claim 12, in which the step of laying a fabric on a horizontal surface comprises laying the fabric on an essentially flat horizontal surface, and in which the step of allowing the puddle to dry and allowing the compound to shrink includes allowing the coating on the downwardly facing major surface to conform to said horizontal surface to form, disregarding said holes through the coating, an essentially flat and smooth surface. 15. A method of making flexible, stretchable sheet material having an impervious layer, a foraminous layer, and pasageways between said layers, said passageways communicating with holes in the foraminous layer and with edge portions of said material, said method comprising: laying a flexible, stretchable foraminous ribbed fabric on a horizontal surface of a material that will not adhere to silicone rubber release compound, and facing a ribbed major surface of said fabric upwardly; thinning liquid silicone rubber release compound with a volatile solvent in an amount sufficient to cause shrinkage of the compound of about 50% in volume upon drying of the compound; forming a puddle of the thinned compound that covers the fabric and is substantially flush with the top of the upwardly facing major surface of the fabric; allowing the puddle of compound to dry to form a coating on the fabric, and allowing the compound to shrink as it dries to conform said coating to the ribbed configuration of the upwardly facing major surface and to allow holes through the coating to form where there are holes through the fabric; and then bonding said ribbed major surface to a sheet of flexible, stretchable impervious material by applying an adhesive in an amount sufficient to create a firm bond but insufficient to block passageways formed by said ribbed configuration and said holes through the fabric and the coating. 16. A method as described in claim 15, in which the step of forming a puddle comprises pouring the thinned compound over the fabric to form a puddle of compound that covers the fabric, and sweeping excess compound off the fabric to make the top of the puddle substantially flush with the top of the fabric. 17. A method as described in claim 15, in which the step of laying a fabric on a horizontal surface comprises laying the fabric on an essentially flat horizontal surface, and in which the step of allowing the puddle to dry and allowing the compound to shrink includes allowing the coating on the downwardly facing major surface to conform to said horizontal surface to form, disregarding said holes through the coating, an essentially flat and smooth surface. 18. A method as described in claim 15, in which the bonding step includes positioning the coated fabric against an essentially flat surface with said ribbed major surface facing outwardly from said flat surface, applying the adhesive to a cylindrical surface, following the cylindrical surface across the outwardly facing ribbed surface to transfer the adhesive from the cylindrical surface to outer ridge portions of said ribbed surface, positioning said sheet of impervious material adjacent to said ribbed surface and the adhesive thereon, and pressing said ribbed surface and said sheet of impervious material together to form said firm bond. 19. A method as described in claim 18, which further comprises providing peripheral portions of said flat surface with a plastic film; in which the step of positioning said sheet of impervious material includes bringing the edges of said sheet into contact with the film; and in which the step of pressing includes applying a vacuum between said sheet and said flat surface, and allowing the edges of said sheet to sealingly engage the film. 20. A method as described in claim 19, in which the step of pressing includes maintaining the vacuum and the sealing engagement between said sheet and the film for a period of time sufficient to allow the adhesive to cure. 21. Sheet material having a ribbed major surface, comprising: a fabric that has opposite major faces at least one of which is ribbed, and a plurality of holes extending therethrough between said faces; and a foraminous coating of silicone rubber release compound formed on the fabric by allowing the compound to dry and shrink, to conform to the configuration of said ribbed face and to form a plurality of holes extending through the coating and generally coinciding with the holes in the fabric. 22. Sheet material as described in claim 21, further comprising a layer of impervious material adjacent to said ribbed face, and adhesive between said impervious material and said ribbed face in an amount sufficient to firmly bond said ribbed face to said impervious material but insufficient to block passageways formed by the configuration of said ribbed face and said holes through the fabric and the coating.
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