Process for producing a convex sail or a tensile structure

Details Process for producing a convex sail or a tensile structure Process for producing a convex sail or a tensile structure

2000-05-15

2001-05-15

Avila, Stephen (Department: 3617)

Ships

Sail or control means therefor

Specific sail structure or arrangement

C114S102310

Reexamination Certificate

active

06230641

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a triangular or trapezoidal sheet which can be utilized as a sail for sailboats. As already known, modern sheets used as sails for sailboats, are preferably produced in the form of a sandwich structure, in which two external plastic laminates are joined by an appropriate adhesive material or in another way, enclosing therebetween reinforcement filaments made of Kevlar, Spectra, Polyester or some other kind of resistant synthetic material.
BACKGROUND ART
According to the the prior art, plastic filaments are laid in thread groups, using an automated mechanism, onto a plastic film previously put on a convex and rigid mould, and subsequently they are covered by a second film having the same features as the first one. A considerable drawback of known production processes lies in the complexity of the automated plant, comprising the rigid adjustable mould and the robot which puts the reinforcement filaments on the first plastic laminate laid onto the rigid convex mould. In order to allow the adjustment of the mould, the latter must be provided with a plurality of flexible fillets or strips, which are nevertheless substantially rigid and which are provided with associated pneumatic cylinders to be adjusted individually depending on the value of the sail's camber.
Further problems must be faced when a different mould must be constructed for a sail of different size.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to realize a sail production process, which is less expensive than the traditional process, by replacing the known rigid mould, with a mould which in the following description will be called the “parent sail” (“loom”).
This definition is useful to emphasize—not only in terms of costs—the difference with respect to the traditional rigid and adjustable mould.
Another most important object of the present invention is that of realizing a “cloth” on said parent sail. In fact, the “parent sail” is a “fictitious sail” made of thermoplastic material, for instance a polyester film, which is much thicker than a plastic laminate used in practice to make sails. The parent sail is only used for the purpose of modelling, according to the desired camber and dimensions, a cloth made of reinforcement filaments (Kevlar, Spectra, polyester, etc.), which is to be introduced between the plastic laminates of the sail, in order to form a “sandwich”.
Since the parent sail has a negligible cost with respect to known adjustable rigid moulds, it may be realized according to different shapes (cambers) and different dimensions corresponding to those of known sails for sailboats. Preferably, a polyester film of 250 micron of thickness (10 mils) will be used, which forms a common extrusion material of a commercial kind.
Once the cloth has been realized, which is very different from the ensemble of reinforcement filaments arranged between the plastic laminates in a traditional sail—as will be explained afterwards—conventional (vacuum) techniques will be used for applying the thin external plastic laminates.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5038700 (1991-08-01), Conrad
patent: 5097783 (1992-03-01), Linville
patent: 5097784 (1992-03-01), Baudet
patent: 5333568 (1994-08-01), Meldner et al.
patent: 5355820 (1994-10-01), Conrad et al.
patent: 6112689 (2000-09-01), Baudet
patent: 0 224 729 (1987-06-01), None
patent: 0 475 083 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 0 488 870 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 2 565 157 (1985-12-01), None
patent: WO 87/07233 (1987-12-01), None
By S. Goelnitz, “Dem Original Auf Den Fersen”, Surf Magazin, vol. 21, No. 6, Jun. 1997, pp. 36 and 37.

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