CA2188401A1

CA2188401A1 - Terry-cloth fabric panels

Info

Publication number: CA2188401A1
Application number: CA002188401A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Wolfgang Bottger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Vorwerk and Co Interholding GmbH
Priority date: 1994-04-22
Filing date: 1995-02-13
Publication date: 1995-11-02
Also published as: AU1756795A; WO1995029059A1; DE4414150A1; EP0756541A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a panel-like component (1) with a first and a second outer layer (2, 3) and an intermediate, preferably foam, layer (4), in which the first and second layers (2, 3) are based on a textile material. In order to obtain the lightest possible panel-like component having a central layer of freely foamed synthetic resin, especially or the open-pore type with the lowest possible like-lihood of separation, the invention proposes that the first and/or sec-ond layer (2, 3) consist of a cured resinated fabric forming project-ing extensions (5) facing the op-posite layer (2 or 3) and causing the layers (2, 3, 4) to adhere to-gether by projecting into the in-termediate layer (4).

Description

21 ~8431 -Terry fabric panels The invention relates initially to a panellike building element comprising a first and second layer and an interlayer preferably of a foam disposed therebetween, the first and second layers being formed on the basis of a textile material. Such a panellike building element is known for example from DE-A-21 38 705. In this known building element, the outer layers are formed of composite films.
Such a building element is considered in need of improvement particularly as regards its delamination properties.

Reference is also made to U.S. Patent Specification 4,888,228 as state of the art. From this document, there is known a fully cured resinated building element having solid continuous panellike resination, fabric layers being provided which, by virtue of stitched-in threads, form loops or free-standing ends protruding into the resinating material. The loops or free-standing ends of the fabric layers overlap one another. Further state of art is formed by the documents of DE-U-90 07 289 as filed. Similarly to the aforementioned U.S. patent specification, there is here provided a fabric layer which forms free-standing tufts or cut threads and which layer is then, in conjunction with fully such fabric layers, fully impregnated with a matrix plastics for a continuous solid construction.

Against the background of the state of the art described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a panel-like building element which is as light in construction as possible, which has a middle layer of freely foamed synthetic resin, especially an open-celled foamed synthetic resin, and which has a minimal tendency to delaminate.

This object is achieved initially and substantially by the subject of Claim 1, by which it is provided that the first and/or second layer of the panel-like building-element is formed of a cured resinated fabric, which fabric forms projecting extensions, and these projections in addition facing the opposite layer and by protruding into the intérlayer formed of foam, causing the layers to be secured to one another. In contradistinction to the cited state of the artl the panellike building element according to the invention is not formed by overall impregnation (or foaming) with a single foam material; on the contrary, the outer layers, which form the cover layers of the panellike building element, are separately cured resinated panellike elements having the aforementioned extensions, which are only joined to one another to form a strong lightweight sheetlike building element when a further foam material is expanded between the layers, i.e. by means of the interlayer formed of foam. However, the interlayer need not necessarily be a foam. It may also be some other material which is for example initially liquid and then cures, thus a resin, for example.
What is essential, however, is that the first and second layers be initially separately cured resinated fabrics, precisely in order for the formation of the extensions and their automatic uprighting to take place. The fabric too preferably has looplike extensions. A terrylike fabric is particularly suitable. It is also preferable for the fabric to comprise an industrial yarn such as carbon fibre, aramid fibre, ceramic fibre or especially glass fibre. The foam is preferably formed of a foamable resin. Recommended examples of the foamable resin are polyurethane-based, epoxy-based, phenol-based and polyester-based resins. Especially those which form open-celled foams. The intersecurement of the layers in the product according to the invention is so effective that attempted delamination will result in a rupture occurring in the foam, but not directly between the fabric layer and the foam. For this it is also preferable that the extensions have a certain effective free length. This length is preferably within the range from 1 to 10 mm.

A further subject of the invention is also a terrylike fabric which comprises an industrial yarn such as carbon fibre, aramid fibre, ceramic fibre and especially glass fibre and has free-standing cured loops as a result of curable resination. In connection with, for example, terrylike fabric woven from glass fibres having loops of the type in question on the upper surface (although the loops may also be 21 8840~

formed on both sides), it has surprisingly been found that, on curable resination, these loops automatically assume a standing position, so that they extend substantially perpendicularly or only at a slight angle of inclination relative to a plane in which the base layer of the fabric extends. Such a cured terrylike fabric is also widely usable on its own. For instance, it is in particular capable of bending while at the same time, by virtue of the standing loop structures, having integrated spacers. This may be utilized for example in a curved building element for maintaining a spacing from a second layer to leave a clear space through which a medium, for example air, can flow. The cured resinated fabric in question is still surprisingly bendable. It can therefore be utilized for sheathing even tubelike articles in particular. It can then be adhered in the wound form to the outer surface of the tube by means of an adhesive/resin. Also conceivable is an overlapping wrap in which the adherence/securement is immediately effected on the back of the resinated cured fabric. Also of importance is the immediate use of a terrylike fabric, especially on the basis of an industrial yarn, for forming a building element through curable resination. In a further embodiment, it is also provided that the fabric, when formed on the basis of an electrically unconductive or virtually unconductive base material, has individual threads which are electrically conductive, such a thread also forming a loop or coil. For example, the fabric may consist of glass fibre as base material. As electrically conductive thread, there can then be introduced a carbon thread which in fact also forms a loop or coil. In a practical embodiment, such a conductive thread is then introduced at regular spacings distributed over a fabric surface. Reference is also made in this connection to W092/17661 from which it is already known for a two-layered spacer fabric to introduce into a base fabric a conductive thread floating between the layers. In a fabric of the type in question here, however, the conductive thread does not alternate between two layers of a double-layered fabric but it extends in the base fabric and at least to some extent in loops formed therefrom.
The conductive thread may then also leave out certain loops. It is possible as it were for an interloop of conductive fibre to be introduced into the grid of the base fabric.

21 ~84~1 The invention also relates to a building element based on a cured resinated loop fabric such as particularly a terrylike fabric, wherein two fabric layers are joined to each other by the resination with the loops facing one another. By this, loops hardened by resination form the spacing elements. Although filling the free space then otherwise remaining between the base fabric layers is possible, in many applications, for example when the interspace is to be utilized for leakage monitoring (cf. EP W0/92/17661), it is not necessary or desired. The building element is characterized by external, thin r substantially unbroken, resinated base fabric layers, from which loop-like, i.e. substantially circular, structures extend in a large multiplicity inward, towards one another. By the curing resination, which also joins the two fabric layers to one another, a high- strength building element is created. In this way, it is possible, on the one hand, for the looplike structures to be substantially provided in such a way that they meet head on, as it were. In addition, however, it is possible by pressing these fabric layers into one another - especially if in a first operation, these have already been separately resinated and cured - to reach saturation of the looplike structures in a second operation and join them to one another once more with resin in this saturated layer, an even more compact and stronger building element being achieved.

As regards the loop fabric described, which may also be called a coil fabric~ it is essential that the loops or coils are created as an integral part of the weaving process. They are formed to belong to the woven fabric structure.

A subject of the invention is also an article such as, for example, a tank, a panel element, a tube or the like, having an outer lining, covering or sheathing, a coating, for example of a resin material, being applied to a surface of the article, and a spacer element having an unbroken cover layer with projecting extensions lying on top of the coating in such a way that a void remains between the surface and the projecting extensions. In this connection, reference 2 1 88~0 1 is to be made for example to EP-B 169 303. The known lining still has a relatively costly construction. The invention proposes in this context that the extensions have a looplike or coillike construction and be secured to the article by the coating. The coating may thus be for example an epoxy resin layer or the like. The spacer element with the looplike or coillike extensions is pressed into the still soft epoxy resin layer and the desired securement is achieved by the curing of the epoxy resin layer. In a further embodiment, it may also be provided that the extensions are embedded in the coating to provide a positive hold. Since the extensions are looplike or coillike, the coating can penetrate the free cross-section of the loop - preferably partially - and so enclose the loop or coil at least partially completely. A particular embodiment provides that the coating is conductive. Especially in combination with a spacer element which is itself conductive, for example a glass fibre fabric having conductive threads, as has been described further above, this makes possible a coating and simultaneous monitorability, for example, of tanks, both the coating and also the spacer element simultaneously providing the requisite explosion security through the conductivity. In this connection, reference is to be made to W0 92/17661 from which there is already known a different lining for a tank, with monitorability of the void created and a conductive set-up of the spacer element.

The invention is described in more detail below, but only by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a cross-section through a panellike building element formed from two oppositely disposed cured resinated loop fabric panels and foaming of the interspace;
Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a cured resinated loop fabric;

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section through a buiIding element formed from two cured resinated loop fabric panels directly disposed on one another with their loops;

.

Fig. 4 shows d cross-section through a loop fabric in cured resinated form, which has loops on both sides, Fig. 5 shows a cross-section through the article according to Fig. 2, sectioned along the line V-V;

Fig. 6 shows a partial sectional depiction of a fabric panel depicted as shown in Fig. 2 as a spacer element on a wall portion;

Fig. 7 shows a section through the article according to Fig.
6, sectioned along the line VII-VII.

There is first of all shown and described with reference to Fig. 1, a cross-section through a building element 1 having a sandwichlike construction. As bottommost layer 2, there is provided a cured resinated loop fabric, and as uppermost layer 3, a similarly cured resinated loop fabric. The interspace is filled by a freely expanding foam material which is open-celled in the solidified state and which accordingly forms an interlayer 4. It is a rigid foam. As a result of the fact that the foam of the interlayer 4 completely surrounds the projecting extensions of the layers 2, 3, namely the loops 5, and also penetrates into these, the overall result is a very intensive securement of the interlayer 4 to the fabric panels of the layers 2 and 3. There is no possibility of any delamination of a fabric - 25 panel from the foam of the interlayer 4. On the contrary, a breaking test shows that any break occurs in the region of the free foam, beyond the loops 5. The subsequent description of the building elements according to Figures 2 to 5 is similarly important as regards the cured resinated loop fabric of the layers 2 and 3 of the building element 1.
More particularly, the loop fabric of the layers 2 and/or 3 may also be a loop fabric as depicted in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 2, a fabric panel 2 or 3 in cured resinated form is shown in perspective view. A multiplicity of loops 5 are visible. The fabric, which is terrylike or a customary terry fabric, is made on a 2 1 884~ 1 base of glass fibres. The loops, which are arranged to be flat or only slightly upright following weaving, have been stiffened by sufficient impregnation, including for example spraying the fabric with a resin, for example an epoxy resin, so that they cannot for example be compressed or even folded over by hand. Similarly, excess resination with a subsequent squeeze-out to a desired resin content is possible.
The depicted spacing disposition of the loops is obtained automatically on resination.

In the representation of Fig. 2, schematic resination accumulations 6 at the base regions of the loops 5 are shown. Also resinations 7 r which can appear between neighbouring loops 5 at their point of contact. The loops 5 and the underlying glass fibre fabric generally also have a sleevelike overall coating of resin, which in fact leads to the integral stiffness of a loop 5 in the manner described. The resinations 7 are also dependent on the diameter of the loops, which is adjustable. A height or free length l of the loops 5 can likewise be freely adjusted in principle. In practice, such a length l in the range from 1 to 10 mm has been found to be essential.
It can also be seen that the loops extend in the manner of helical sections; that is, that a first foot 8 is offset in a depth direction t of the panel relative to a second foot 9.

The lower panel 10 is formed by the curable resination of the base fabric layer from which the loops protrude. The panel 10 is generally liquid-tight. Depending on the resin used, the building element of Fig. 2 may also be constructed to be translucent as a whole.

Figures 3 to 5 depict cross-sections through various embodiments of a building element based on a base element in accordance with the representation of Fig. 2.

In this regard, Fig. 5 represents a front view of the building element according to Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrow V in Fig. 2.

- 2 ~ 88'i0 1 Fig. 3 represents a cross-section through a building element obtained by superposing two building elements of the type depicted according to Figures 2 and 5. The superposing has been effected in such a way that the loops rest on top of one another at their upper ends. It is evident that by the process of resination, there are formed further resin bridges 11, 12 between opposite loops 5, 5' and 5". Owing to the helical configuration of the loops, it is also possible, especially following a certain offsetting of the layers relative to each other, for an upper loop 5' to be secured via (lateral) resin bridges to two further loops 5 of the lower layer.

The cross-section according to Fig. 5 shows a building element formed of a terrylike or terry fabric which has been resinated and cured, wherein for the terry fabric, loops are formed on both sides, which here lead to rigid loop structures 5 on both sides.

A building element 1 as depicted in Fig. 1 is manufactured by first resinating and curing appropriate fabrics, i.e. terrylike fabrics in particular, for the layers 2 and 3, either in a continuous process or directly as panel elements, then disposing these layers 2, 3 opposite each other in a mould and applying a freely foaming resin to the lower layer 2. The desired spacing between the layers 2 and 3 is then set in the mould and the freely foaming resin fills out the interspace to effect formation of the interlayer 4. In the course of its free foaming, the resin also penetrates at the same time into the region of the loops 5, penetrating both the interspaces between the loops and into the loops 5. What is essential is the integral positive bond ultimately achieved by this between the interlayer 4 and the upper and lower layers 2, 3. (It is of course also possible to construct the building element only with one layer 2 and a resin layer applied thereto, which becomes a foam layer). In contradistinction to known panel building elements, there is no need for any adhesive bond between the layers 2, 3 and the interlayer 4 and neither is this in fact readily achievable as part of the manufacturing process.

The base fabric layers which lead to the panel 10, for example as part of the building element according to Fig. 2, may also be multilayer fabrics on their own, if appropriate further reinforcement is additionally desired. It is also possible to provide further reinforcement with further fabric or mat layers in superposition. It is preferable for these to be coproduced integrally at the same time in the course of the making of the loop fabric.

If an edge reinforcement is desired for the resulting building elements, especially a building element 1 in accordance with Fig. 1, this may be immediately achieved in a very simple manner and way by placing for example edge strips, aluminium sections, corner reinforcements or the like in the mould. In fact, the mould itself may even be used as final profile, so that a strong frame encloses the panels.

In Fig. 6, a partial cross-sectional view of a tank lining is shown. A resin layer 14 is applied to the tank wall 13. In the uncured state of the resin layer 14, a panel portion according to Fig.
2 has been pressed into the resin layer 14 with the loops 5 pointing downward. The resin layer 14 thereby completely encloses the loop structure in the tip region of a loop 5, as is evident from Fig. 7 in particular. This provides an intensive positive securement of the cured resinated building element of Fig. 2 to the tank wall 13. It further creates a continuous void 15 which may be utilized for the above-mentioned monitoring duties.

The terrylike fabric is especially suitable for such linings, since it is flexible and thus can easily be conformed to a curved surface of a tank or the like.

The features of the invention disclosed in the foregoing description, the drawing and the claims may be important not only individually but also in any desired combination for realizing the invention. All disclosed features are essential to the invention. In 218~401 the disclosure of the application, there are hereby also incorporated as to their full content the disclosure content of the corresponding/accompanying priority documents (copy of the prior application).

Claims

New claims

1. A terrylike fabric comprising a yarn such as carbon fibre, aramid fibre, ceramic fibre or especially glass fibre and having free-standing cured loops as a result of impregnation of the fabric by resination and curing.

2. A process for manufacturing a panellike building element comprising a first and a second outer layer and an interlayer of preferably foam, the first and second layers being formed on the basis of a textile material, characterized in that initially the first and second layer are each formed by a terrylike fabric according to Claim 1, the extensions of the opposite layers facing one another, and in that the interlayer is then formed in such a way that the extensions facing the opposite layer each protrude into the interlayer.