Composite wood flooring and method of making the same

Abstract

A composite panel configured for use with a flooring assembly of a trailer comprises a wood substrate and a fiber-reinforced coating coupled to a side of the wood substrate, the fiber-reinforced coating comprising a base material with a plurality of reinforcing fibers, wherein the fiber-reinforced coating is coupled to the wood substrate without the use of adhesive.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composite panel configured for use with a flooring assembly of a trailer, the composite panel comprising:
 a wood substrate; and   a fiber-reinforced coating coupled to a side of the wood substrate, the fiber-reinforced coating comprising a base material with a plurality of reinforcing fibers;   wherein the fiber-reinforced coating is coupled to the wood substrate without the use of adhesive.   
     
     
         2 . The composite panel of  claim 1 , wherein the wood substrate is made of a softwood, a hardwood, a solid wood, a foam substrate, or a plastic substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The composite panel of  claim 1 , wherein the base material of the fiber-reinforced coating includes bonding and elongation characteristics of about 2-5% elongation and a tensile strength of greater than about 8000 pounds per square inch. 
     
     
         4 . The composite panel of  claim 1 , wherein the base material comprises an epoxy or a resin matrix. 
     
     
         5 . The composite panel of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber-reinforced coating comprises the plurality of reinforcing fibers comprise a first plurality of reinforcing fibers extending along a first axis and a second plurality of reinforcing fibers extending along a second axis, wherein the first axis is positioned at an angle of greater than 0 with respect to the second axis. 
     
     
         6 . The composite panel of  claim 5 , wherein the first plurality of reinforcing fibers include individual fibers oriented along a longitudinal axis of the wood substrate and the second plurality of reinforcing fibers include a fiber mat of individual fibers stitched together and extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The composite panel of  claim 5 , wherein the first plurality of reinforcing fibers are carbon fibers and the second plurality of reinforcing fibers are glass fibers. 
     
     
         8 . A method of making a composite panel configured for use with a flooring assembly of a trailer comprising:
 providing a substrate;   making a fiber-reinforced coating; and   coupling the fiber-reinforced coating to a surface of the substrate without the use of adhesive to create a composite assembly.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of applying a release film adjacent an outer surface of the fiber-reinforced coating before coupling the fiber-reinforced coating to the substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the coupling step comprises curing the fiber-reinforced coating by advancing the substrate with the fiber-reinforced coating thereon, through a heated die, through a heated double belt press, or between an isobaric pressure assembly and a heated platen. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of preheating the substrate prior to coupling the fiber-reinforce coating to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein making the fiber-reinforced coating includes (i) orienting a plurality of individual fiber rovings along a longitudinal axis of the substrate, (ii) positioning a fiber mat adjacent the plurality of individual fiber rovings, and (iii) feeding the plurality of fiber rovings and the fiber mat through a resin bath. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the fiber mat includes a plurality of uni-directional fibers and wherein positioning the fiber mat adjacent the plurality of individual fiber rovings includes orienting the plurality of uni-directional fibers of the fiber mat perpendicular to the plurality of individual fiber rovings. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein making the fiber-reinforced coating further comprises the step of applying constant pressure of between 5 and 35 pounds per square inch to the composite assembly. 
     
     
         15 . A method of making a composite panel configured for use with a flooring assembly of a trailer, the method comprising:
 providing a wood substrate;   making an uncured fiber-reinforced coating;   applying the uncured fiber-reinforced coating onto a surface of the wood substrate to form a composite assembly; and   curing the uncured composite assembly, thereby coupling a cured fiber-reinforced coating to the wood substrate.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of applying a release film on a top surface of the uncured fiber-reinforced coating before curing the uncured composite assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein making the fiber-reinforced coating further comprises the step of applying constant pressure of between 5 and 35 pounds per square inch to the composite assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wood substrate defines a longitudinal axis, and the coating includes (i) a first plurality of fibers configured to extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wood substrate, (ii) a second plurality of fibers configured to extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wood substrate, and (iii) a resin matrix around the first and second pluralities of fibers. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein making the uncured fiber-reinforced coating comprises (i) orienting a plurality of individual fiber rovings along a longitudinal axis of the substrate, (ii) positioning a fiber mat adjacent the plurality of individual fiber rovings, and (iii) feeding the plurality of fiber rovings and the fiber mat through a resin bath and wherein the applying step comprises orienting the uncured fiber-reinforced coating to locate the fiber mat adjacent eh surface of the wood substrate and to located the plurality of individual fiber rovings spaced apparat from the surface of the wood substrate to position the fiber mat between the surface of the wood substrate and the plurality of fiber rovings. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the making step further comprises adding at least one of clay and fumed silica to the resin bath.