Joiner panel system

Abstract

A composite panel system has a plurality of planar joiner panels joined along longitudinal side edges arranged to interlock when axial tensile and compressive forces are exerted in the plane of the joiner panels and when out-of-plane bending stresses are exerted on the joiner panels. In a method of forming the joiner panels, a phenolic resin core material is fed into a hopper and pushed out onto a moving conveyor formed by a layer of material that forms a bottom face skin. The core material is covered with an upper face skin and fed into a pultrusion die.

1 . A composite panel system comprising: 
 a plurality of planar joiner panels, each joiner panel comprising two planar faces, a top edge, a bottom edge, and two longitudinal side edges;    wherein the longitudinal side edges comprise longitudinally extending faces arranged to abut opposing longitudinally extending faces of an adjacent longitudinal side edge of an adjacent interlocked joiner panel when axial tensile and compressive forces are exerted in the plane of the joiner panels and to abut when out-of-plane bending stresses are exerted on the joiner panels.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each longitudinal side edge comprises a longitudinally extending flange, the flange including a longitudinally extending lip, the flange and the lip forming the longitudinally extending faces of the side edge.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover disposed over a joint between adjacent interlocked joiner panels.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the cover comprises a plate, tabs extending from the plate, and the adjacent interlocked joiner panels include recesses therein to receive the tabs.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the cover comprises a longitudinally extending groove therein arranged over a reinforcing beam portion of the joiner panels.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a structural load bearing beam embedded and extending longitudinally within the joiner panels.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the load bearing beam is comprises of a reinforcing fiber fabric embedded in a matrix material.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the joiner panels comprise a longitudinally extending groove therein arranged over the load bearing beam.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the joiner panels comprise a core material faced with skins on the opposed planar sides.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the core material includes a phenolic resin syntactic foam.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the face skins comprise a reinforcing fiber fabric embedded in a phenolic resin matrix.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the reinforcing fiber fabric is comprised of glass.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the reinforcing fiber fabric is comprised of carbon.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a fire resistant additive in the core material.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a shoe attachable to a support surface, the shoe formed of a composite material, comprising a pair of webs, a recess between the webs forming a seat for the bottom edge of the plurality of joiner panels.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the webs include lower webs having an increased thickness forming a pair of shoulders, the bottom edge of the plurality of joiner panels supported on the pair of shoulders.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the webs include inwardly facing lips, the bottom edge of the plurality of joiner panels supported on the inwardly facing lips.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the shoe is formed of a composite material.  
   
   
       19 . A method of producing a composite panel comprising a sandwich structure having a core having opposed surfaces and face skins on the opposed surfaces, comprising: 
 feeding a core material comprising a phenolic resin into a hopper;    pushing the core material out the hopper onto a moving conveyor, the moving conveyor comprising a layer of material to form a bottom face skin;    applying a layer of material to form a top face skin over the core material; and    feeding the core material and covering face skins into a pultrusion die.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the core material is pushed through the hopper vertically with a pusher mechanism.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the core material is pushed through a mesh at the bottom of the hopper.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the core material is scraped off the mesh with a scraper mechanism arranged below the mesh.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the hopper is vibrated.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the hopper is heated.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the core material is pushed through the hopper vertically with an auger mechanism.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the core material is pushed through the hopper horizontally.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the core material is compressed and shaped after exiting the hopper and before entering the pultrusion die.