Appeal No. 2002-0963
Application No. 08/122,344
a) passing the thermoset resin impregnated fiber tow or tape
through a preheating zone of a fiber placement apparatus to
preheat the thermoset resin impregnated fiber tow or tape to a
predetermined temperature based on the particular thermoset resin
so as to partially advance curing of the thermoset resin; and
b) laying up on the mandrel the fiber tow or tape
impregnated with the thermoset resin in a preheated state and
exhibiting a partially advanced cure while simultaneously
advancing the curing of the thermoset resin to substantial
completion of greater than 60% crosslink density.
Claim 32, the only other independent claim on appeal, also
requires passing at least one thermoset resin impregnated fiber
tow or tape through a preheating zone of a fiber placement
apparatus prior to laying up the preheated fiber tow or tape on
the mandrel.
Appellants define a fiber placement apparatus as follows
(Specification, p. 11, line 16-p. 13, line 6):
Creel fed partially advanced or nonadvanced prepreg
tows 10 that are composed of a high temperature
resistant, high performance thermoset resin (such as an
epoxy resin) having continuous fibers are continually
fed into apparatus 1 where a plurality of prepreg tows
10 (i.e., up to five tows in each of upper and lower
paths) enter into the preheating zone 2 through
vertically and horizontally situated guide rollers 17
and 18 where half of the tows enter in upper and lower
6
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007