Translucent Flexible Sheet With Reinforcing Threads

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing translucent or transparent flexible sheets made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or polycarbonate are fragile, burn easily, and have low impact resistance, while also being impermeable to gases and liquids.

Innovation Solution

A flexible sheet woven from translucent amorphous polymer ribbons with embedded reinforcing threads, such as glass, carbon, or aramid fibers, which provide enhanced mechanical strength and allow for permeability by creating an openwork structure, optionally using metal strips and a translucent coating for added reinforcement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If flexible sheets are made of PMMA or PC with closed structure, then they provide good mechanical strength and transparency, but they are impermeable to gases or liquids

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical strengthVSAvoidimpermeability to gases or liquids
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies porous materials by creating an openwork structure with regularly distributed openings in the flexible sheet. The sheet comprises a woven assembly of transparent polymer ribbons forming cells with openings that allow gas and liquid permeability while maintaining mechanical strength through the woven ribbon structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

2Object-generated harmful factors

If woven veils are used to improve storage conditions, then they allow gas or liquid passage, but they are fragile and have low impact resistance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegas or liquid permeabilityVSAvoidimpact resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining transparent amorphous polymer ribbons with reinforcing threads embedded within them. The reinforcing threads are distributed throughout the polymer material to significantly increase tensile strength and impact resistance while maintaining the openwork structure for permeability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Illumination intensity

If woven veils are used for transparency, then they allow light transmission, but they burn easily

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight transmissionVSAvoidfire resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by embedding reinforcing threads within the transparent amorphous polymer ribbons. The combination provides fire resistance while maintaining light transmission properties of the transparent polymer material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Strength

If reinforcing threads are embedded in polymer ribbons, then tensile strength increases significantly, but the structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetensile strengthVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies merging by integrating the reinforcing threads directly within the polymer ribbons during the forming process. The ribbons are created with embedded reinforcing threads already distributed throughout their structure, allowing the woven assembly to be formed as a unified structure without separate reinforcement steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3339485B1Translucent flexible sheet and method for manufacturing such a flexible sheet
Publication Date: 2019.08.28 SERGE FERRARI
  • EP3339485B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3

AI summary

The invention relates to a flexible sheet (1) substantially translucent or transparent comprising a plurality of ribbons (2, 3, 4) formed, in whole or in part, from a translucent amorphous polymer material (9), said ribbons (2, 3, 4) being woven together and arranged both in a weft direction and in a warp direction, and characterized in that at least one group of parallel ribbons (2) arranged in the weft or warp direction comprises a textile core formed by reinforcing yarns (6).