A composite sports racket frame having a head portion subject to loading is provided with an integral arrangement of resin impregnated braided tow tubes and a layer of tow disposed in wound fashion between part of the braided tows. A method of making a sports racket frame by winding a resin impregnated tow about part of a braided tow tube and placing a second braided tow tube to form an assembly that is internally pressurized and heat cured is disclosed.
A method of producing a badminton racket frame includes the following steps. Prepare a mold cavity. Wrap a number of layers of graphite fibers so as to form a shell shaped in the form of the racket frame. Insert solvent material into the shell. Arrange the shell within the mold cavity. Heat the solvent material to cause expansion and to generate pressure within the mold cavity so as to press against the layers of graphite fibers and thereby provide intimate bonding of the layers. Remove the shell as an integral composite badminton racket frame.
A method of making a product including continuously feeding an elongated flexible tubular bladder, and braiding a first ply of a tubular braid of first yarns including reinforcing fibers and moldable material on the bladder, the tubular bladder having sufficiently high temperature degradation characteristics with respect to a molding processing temperature of the material such that the bladder maintains its structural integrity when the material is molded thereon.
A method of forming a tapered tubular part including the steps of: providing tows of filaments, the filaments being adapted to fuse together when subjected to combined heat and pressure; braiding the tows of filaments into a sleeve; providing a tapered mold and a matingly tapered mandrel; sliding the sleeve into the mold and securing the sleeve to the mold; forcing the mandrel into the mold to compress the wall of the sleeve and to stretch the length of the sleeve while applying heat to the mold to fuse the filaments of the sleeve together into a tube; cooling the mold; withdrawing the mandrel from the mold and removing the cooled tube from the mold.
A carbon and/or ceramic fiber reinforced carbon and/or ceramic matrix composite threaded member including a core, a fiber containing thread-defining element bonded to the exterior of the core and a reinforcing fabric layer securing the thread-defining element to the core. The thread-defining element may be an integral part of a tubular braided reinforcing fabric or applied to the core prior to application of a reinforcing fabric layer. Externally and internally threaded members and methods for their manufacture are described.
A frame for a game racquet such as a tennis racquet is formed by winding a resin-free filament over a mandrel to form a tube, inserting the wound tube into a mold, and injecting resin into the mold. The resin cures in the mold to form a rigid racquet frame
