Patent ID: 9205603
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: B29C,B32B,D02J,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of preparing a veiled tape that is resistant to delamination, the method comprising the following steps in succession: a) providing a tape having an outer surface that is formed by a top side, bottom side, left edge and right edge, said tape having a thickness between said top side and bottom side, a width between said left edge and said right edge and an inside that is bounded by the top side, bottom side, left edge and right edge of said tape, said tape comprising reinforcing filaments extending in a direction substantially parallel to the length of the tape and inter-filament spaces located in the inside of said tape; b) combining a powder with said tape, said powder comprising particles that comprise a polymeric material, wherein said particles are heated to partially soften said particles and form a heated powdered tape; c) forming a calibrated powdered tape by simultaneously reducing the width and increasing the thickness of said heated powdered tape to form said calibrated powdered tape having an outer surface that is formed by a top side, bottom side, left edge and right edge of said calibrated powdered tape, said calibrated powdered tape having a thickness between the top side and bottom side of said calibrated powdered tape and a width between the left edge and right edge of said calibrated powdered tape, the width of said calibrated powdered tape being less than the width of said tape and the thickness of said calibrated powdered tape being greater than the thickness of said tape, wherein the size of said particles is sufficiently small so that a portion of said particles enters said inter-filament spaces during the combining step and the forming step to provide a calibrated powdered tape in which at least 30% by weight of said particles are not in contact with the outer surface of said tape; and d) bonding a nonwoven formed from polymeric fibers to the top side of said calibrated powdered tape and bonding a nonwoven formed from polymeric fibers to the bottom side of said calibrated powdered tape to form said veiled tape that is resistant to delamination.