초록 ▼

A one-piece fiber reinforcement for a reinforced polymer is described. In an embodiment, a one-piece reinforcement is fabricated by first assembling an interior randomly oriented fiber layer between two exterior aligned fiber layers. With all layers in face to face contact, a preselected number of f

A one-piece fiber reinforcement for a reinforced polymer is described. In an embodiment, a one-piece reinforcement is fabricated by first assembling an interior randomly oriented fiber layer between two exterior aligned fiber layers. With all layers in face to face contact, a preselected number of fibers from the aligned layer is conveyed out of its aligned layer and threaded into at least the random fiber layer so that the conveyed fibers engage and mechanically and frictionally interfere with the random fibers. The fibers may be conveyed from one aligned layer to the other for yet greater interference. The interfering fibers serve to secure and interlock the layers together, producing a one-piece reinforcement which, when impregnated with a polymer precursor, shaped and cured may be incorporated in a polymer reinforced composite article.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A one-piece fiber reinforcement for a reinforced polymer article formed from a plurality of stacked, separate and distinct, reinforcing fibrous structures arranged in layers, the layers being at least partially coextensive and in face-to-face contact, the one-piece fiber reinforcement comprising:

1. A one-piece fiber reinforcement for a reinforced polymer article formed from a plurality of stacked, separate and distinct, reinforcing fibrous structures arranged in layers, the layers being at least partially coextensive and in face-to-face contact, the one-piece fiber reinforcement comprising: a fiber layer reinforcing structure with an area and a thickness and comprising aligned fibers which are either woven or stitched together, for placement of the aligned fiber layer in contacting face-to-face relation with a second fiber layer reinforcing structure having a thickness and an area and comprising a mat of randomly oriented fibers, at least a portion of the mat fiber layer area being placed coextensively with at least a portion of the area of the aligned fiber layer;a plurality of the aligned fibers of the aligned fiber layer reinforcing structure being extended out of the aligned fiber layer and inserted into the thickness of the mat fiber layer reinforcing structure to engage and interfere with at least some of the random fibers of the mat fiber layer so as to securely bind the mat fiber layer to the aligned fiber layer;the fibers extending out of the aligned fiber layer being distributed over the coextensive portions of the areas of the aligned and mat fiber layers to form a one-piece fiber reinforcement adapted for impregnation with a polymer or polymer precursor, before or after it is placed in a mold, for fabrication of a reinforced polymer article. 2. The one-piece fiber reinforcement of claim 1 in which the reinforcement further comprises an additional fiber layer reinforcing structure, the additional fiber layer reinforcing structure being a second aligned fiber layer having aligned fibers which are either woven or stitched together, and coextensive with the aligned fiber layer, the mat fiber layer being positioned between, and in contacting face-to-face relation with, the aligned fiber layer and the second aligned fiber layer, and further comprising fibers of the aligned fiber layer passing through the thickness of the mat fiber layer and being inserted into at least some of the aligned fibers of the second aligned fiber layer for engagement and interference with the fibers of the second aligned fiber layer. 3. The one-piece fiber reinforcement of claim 2 in which some of the aligned fibers of the second aligned fiber layer are passed through the thickness of the mat fiber layer and are inserted into at least some of the aligned fibers of the aligned fiber layer to engage and interfere with at least some of the aligned fibers of the aligned fiber layer. 4. The one-piece fiber reinforcement of claim 1 in which the aligned fiber layer is an aligned, multi-layer, non-crimp fabric. 5. The one-piece fiber reinforcement of claim 4 in which the aligned, multi-layer, non-crimp fabric comprises two layers in which the fibers are oriented at +45° and −45°. 6. The one-piece fiber reinforcement of claim 4 in which the aligned, multi-layer, non-crimp fabric comprises a 4-layer grouping of fibers arranged at 0°, +45°, −45° and 90° respectively with substantially equal numbers of fibers in each orientation. 7. The one-piece fiber reinforcement of claim 1 in which the fibers of each layer are one or more of the group consisting of carbon fibers, glass fibers and aramid fibers. 8. A fiber reinforced composite article comprising a polymer matrix reinforced by a one-piece fiber reinforcement comprising at least two, at least partially coextensive, discrete and distinct, fibrous, reinforcing, structure preform layers, each of the preform layers being placed in contacting face-to-face relationship with one or more neighboring preform layers at one or more interfaces, each preform layer comprising reinforcing fibers for placement of the layers; the preform layers of the one-piece reinforcement being securely bound to one another by conveying a plurality of fibers from at least a first preform layer out of the plane of the preform layer and across the one or more preform layer interfaces to insert them at least into all other preform layers so that the fibers of all other preform layers engage and interfere with the fibers of the first preform layer to interlock the layers. 9. The fiber reinforced composite article of claim 8 in which the layered one-piece fiber reinforcement comprises a first aligned fiber layer reinforcing structure preform, a second aligned fiber layer reinforcing structure preform and a third random fiber layer reinforcing structure preform positioned between the first and second aligned fiber layer preform wherein fibers from at least the first aligned fiber layer preform are conveyed into the second and third preform layers to interlock all three layers. 10. The fiber reinforced composite article of claim 8 in which the layered one-piece fiber reinforcement comprises a non-crimp fabric reinforcing structure preform comprising two layers in which the fibers are oriented at +45° and −45°. 11. The fiber reinforced composite article of claim 8 in which the fibers of the layered one-piece fiber reinforcement are one or more of the group consisting of carbon fibers, glass fibers and aramid fibers. 12. The one-piece fiber reinforcement of claim 8 in which the layered one-piece fiber reinforcement comprises an aligned, multi-layer, non-crimp fabric reinforcing structure preform comprising a 4-layer grouping of fibers arranged at 0°, +45°, −45° and 90° respectively with substantially equal numbers of fibers in each orientation.