Glass/polymer reinforcement backing for siding and compression packaging of siding backed with glass/polymer

Abstract

An acoustical and thermally absorbent composite formed of thermoplastic bonding materials and reinforcing fibers is provided. The reinforcing fibers are preferably wet use chopped strand glass fibers (WUCS). The thermoplastic bonding materials may be any thermoplastic or thermosetting material having a melting point less than the reinforcing fiber. The composite material may be formed by partially opening the WUCS fibers and bonding fibers, blending the reinforcement and bonding fibers, forming the reinforcement and bonding fibers into a sheet, and bonding the sheet. The composite material is a lofted insulation product that may be used as a reinforcement backing for cladding such as vinyl siding. The composite material may be affixed to the siding by ultrasonic welding. After the composite material has been affixed to the siding, the siding product may be vacuum packaged within an air-impervious material to reduce the storage and/or shipping space required for the siding product.

1 . A reinforcement backing for cladding comprising: 
 about 30 to about 98% by weight of at least one thermoplastic bonding material; and    about 2 to about 70% by weight dried wet reinforcement fibers having a melting point that is above the melting point of said thermoplastic bonding material.    
     
     
         2 . The reinforcement backing of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said thermoplastic bonding material is a multicomponent fiber.  
     
     
         3 . The reinforcement backing of  claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic bonding material and said dried wet reinforcement fibers are substantially uniformly distributed throughout said reinforcement backing.  
     
     
         4 . The reinforcement backing of  claim 3 , wherein said wet reinforcement fibers are wet use chopped strand glass fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material is a member selected from the group of polyethylene terephthalate fibers, poly 1,4 cyclohexanedimethyl terephthalate, glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate, polyester fibers, polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyphenylene sulfide fibers, polyvinyl chloride fibers, ethylene vinyl acetate/vinyl chloride fibers, lower alkyl acrylate polymer fibers, acrylonitrile polymer fibers, partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate fibers, polyvinyl alcohol fibers, polyvinyl pyrrolidone fibers, styrene acrylate fibers, polyolefins, polyamides, polysulfides, polycarbonates, rayon, nylon, phenolic resins and epoxy resins.  
     
     
         5 . A reinforced siding product comprising: 
 a composite reinforcement backing material including dried wet reinforcement fibers and a thermoplastic bonding material having a melting temperature that is less than the melting temperature of said dried wet reinforcement fibers, said dried wet reinforcement fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material being substantially evenly distributed throughout said composite reinforcement backing material; and    a cladding product, said cladding product being affixed to a major surface of said composite reinforcement backing material.    
     
     
         6 . The reinforced siding product of  claim 5 , wherein said dried wet reinforcement fibers are present in said composite reinforcement backing material in an amount up to 70% and said thermoplastic bonding material is present in said composite reinforcement backing material in an amount of from 30-100% by weight.  
     
     
         7 . The reinforced siding product of  claim 6 , wherein said thermoplastic bonding material is present in said composite reinforcement backing material in an amount of 100% and said composite reinforcement backing material is affixed to said cladding product through ultrasonic welding.  
     
     
         8 . The reinforced siding product of  claim 5 , wherein said cladding product is a member selected from the group of vinyl siding, foamed siding, plaster board siding, metal siding and wood siding.  
     
     
         9 . The reinforced siding product of  claim 8 , wherein said cladding product is affixed to said composite reinforcement backing material by a member selected from the group of adhesives, ultrasonic welding, vibration welding and mechanical fasteners.  
     
     
         10 . The reinforced siding product of  claim 5 , wherein said reinforced siding product is compression packaged by a member selected from the group of vacuum compression and mechanical compression.  
     
     
         11 . The reinforced siding product of  claim 10 , wherein said compression packaged reinforced siding product is maintained in a compressed state by a rigid container that is larger than said compression packaged reinforced siding product and smaller than said uncompressed reinforced siding product.  
     
     
         12 . The reinforced siding product of claim,  6 , wherein said wet reinforcement fibers are wet use chopped strand glass fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material is a member selected from the group of polyethylene terephthalate fibers, poly 1,4-cyclohexanedimethyl terephthalate, glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate, polyester fibers, polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyphenylene sulfide fibers, polyvinyl chloride fibers, ethylene vinyl acetate/vinyl chloride fibers, lower alkyl acrylate polymer fibers, acrylonitrile polymer fibers, partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate fibers, polyvinyl alcohol fibers, polyvinyl pyrrolidone fibers, styrene acrylate fibers, polyolefins, polyamides, polysulfides, polycarbonates, rayon, nylon, phenolic resins and epoxy resins.  
     
     
         13 . A method of making a composite reinforced siding product comprising the step of: 
 attaching a composite reinforcement backing material to a major surface of a cladding product to form said composite reinforced siding product, said composite reinforcement backing material including dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and a thermoplastic bonding material having a melting point that is less than the melting point of said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said composite reinforcement backing material is attached to said cladding product by a member selected from the group of adhesives, ultrasonic welding, vibration welding and mechanical fasteners.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of forming said composite reinforcement backing material prior to said attaching step, said forming step including: 
 removing water from wet reinforcement fibers to form said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers;    blending said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers with said thermoplastic bonding material to form a substantially homogenous mixture of said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and said thermoplastic boding material;    forming said mixture into a sheet; and    bonding at least some of said dehydrated wet reinforcement fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material to form said composite reinforcement backing material.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of: 
 shaping said composite reinforcement backing material to substantially the shape of said cladding product prior to said attaching step.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of: 
 mechanically compressing said composite reinforced siding product to place said composite reinforced siding product in a compressed state and to reduce the overall size of said composite reinforced siding product for shipping and storage; and    placing said compressed composite reinforced siding product into a container that is larger than said compressed composite reinforced siding product and smaller than said uncompressed composite reinforced siding product to physically maintain said composite reinforced siding product in said compressed state.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of: 
 encapsulating said composite reinforced siding product in a gas-impermeable flexible sleeve;    vacuum compressing said composite reinforced siding product in said gas-impermeable flexible sleeve to reduce the overall size of said composite reinforced siding product for shipping and storage; and    sealing said gas-impermeable flexible sleeve.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of: 
 vacuum compressing said composite reinforced siding product to reduce the overall size of said composite reinforced siding product for shipping and storage;    placing said compressed composite reinforced siding product into a container that is larger than said compressed composite reinforced siding product and smaller than said uncompressed composite reinforced siding product to physically maintain said composite reinforced siding product in said compressed state.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said wet reinforcement fibers are wet use chopped strand glass fibers and said thermoplastic bonding material is a member selected from the group of polyethylene terephthalate fibers, poly 1,4-cyclohexanedimethyl terephthalate, glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate, polyester fibers, polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyphenylene sulfide fibers, polyvinyl chloride fibers, ethylene vinyl acetate/vinyl chloride fibers, lower alkyl acrylate polymer fibers, acrylonitrile polymer fibers, partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate fibers, polyvinyl alcohol fibers, polyvinyl pyrrolidone fibers, styrene acrylate fibers, polyolefins, polyamides, polysulfides, polycarbonates, rayon, nylon, phenolic resins and epoxy resins.