High strength thermoplastic polymer films for strength and durability and related methods

Abstract

A high strength filament reinforced thermoplastic polymer film is provided for use in various applications with properties that are stronger than rip-stop nylon or polyester woven fabric. As disclosed, a sailboat spinnaker is provided made from high strength filament reinforced thermoplastic polymer film. The sailboat spinnaker may he bonded or thermo welded together along seams to form a finished spinnaker. The seams, being welded or bonded, can have enhanced performance over conventional rip-stop nylon or polyester fabric spinnakers that are sewn together. The spinnaker clews (attach) points can also be reinforced with one or more thermoplastic polymer film layers and/or adhesive backed woven fabric reinforcements with loops in lieu of conventional metal rings and webbing sewn in place.

1 . A sailboat spinnaker comprising at least one spinnaker clew made of one or more layers of a non-porous high strength thermoplastic polymer film. 
     
     
         2 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer film is reinforced with high strength filaments. 
     
     
         3 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 2 , wherein the filaments are oriented in 0/90 degree orientation, a +/−45 degree orientation, a combination of 0/90 degree orientation and +/−45 degree orientation. 
     
     
         4 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 2 , wherein the fibers are orientated an angular position from an edge of the sailboat spinnaker and have strands that are spaced from one another. 
     
     
         5 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 2 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer film is made by thermo-fusing reinforcing filament fibers into the thermoplastic polymer film without adhesive. 
     
     
         6 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 2 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer film is made by thermo-fusing reinforcing filament fibers into the thermoplastic polymer film using heated pinch rollers or opposed belt laminator. 
     
     
         7 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer film is made from thermoplastic PEEK film, PEI film, PI film, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer film comprises a plurality of adhesive bonding or thermo-welding seams. 
     
     
         9 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer film comprises a plurality of ultrasonically welded seams. 
     
     
         10 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer film comprises seams heat fused together with either a single heated blade passed along the film seam supported by a tool surface or by a heated roller with one or more fins of the roller contacting the film supported by a tool surface. 
     
     
         11 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of corners with at least one corner comprising braided and covered fiber rope loops. 
     
     
         12 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 11 , wherein the fiber rope loops are splayed out into the at least one corner and adhesively bonded or thermo-formed between reinforcing film layers. 
     
     
         13 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer film is a single layer polymer film or a multi-layer polymer film adhesively bonded or heat fused together with or without one or more layers of high strength reinforcing filaments of Kuralon (PVA) nylon, aramid or carbon fibers. 
     
     
         14 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 1 , wherein the film is laminated with one or more plies and any intermittent filament reinforcement or scrim layer does not enhance the isotropic stretch characteristics of the spinnaker film laminate in any direction. 
     
     
         15 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 1 , wherein at least two different polymer film types are bonded or thermo-fused together to form a joined substrate and wherein the joined substrate has properties that are enhanced in terms of tensile strength, modulus, elongation, tenacity, tear strength, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 15 , wherein the at least two different thermoplastic polymer film types have different thicknesses. 
     
     
         17 . The sailboat spinnaker of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of corners with each comprising reinforcements made from a different thermoplastic polymer film than the one or more layers of a non-porous high strength thermoplastic polymer film. 
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing a sailboat spinnaker comprising bonding or thermo-fusing two sheets made from a thermoplastic polymer-based film together along at least one seam in one or more assembly operations on a tool configured to bond or thermo-weld the two or more sheets together. 
     
     
         19 . The method of manufacturing of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 over-lapping a third sheet with one of the two sheets and joining the third sheet to the two sheets without sewing.   
     
     
         20 . A sailboat spinnaker made of various panels of reinforced thermoplastic film with various spacing of the filament reinforcement and orientations of the filament reinforcement in the panels to optimize the strength and shape holding characteristics of the spinnaker.