Patent ID: 6482280
Filing Date: 2002-11-19
Classification: B29C,E03F,F16L

Abstract:
A method for impregnating a curable resin in a layer of resin absorbent material having a first end and a second end, comprising:taking a flexible bladder tube having a fill end and a vacuum end positioned downstream from the fill end; positioning the first end of the layer of resin absorbent material within the bladder tube downstream from the second end of the resin absorbent material, the first end of the layer of resin absorbent material being upstream a first spaced distance from the vacuum end of the bladder tube; taking an elongated wick having first and second wick ends; positioning the wick to span the first spaced distance so that the first wick end is between the downstream and upstream ends of the layer of resin absorbent material and the second wick end protrudes outwardly beyond the vacuum end of the bladder tube; connecting a vacuum tube to the bladder tube at a point spaced downstream from the first end of the layer of resin absorbent material; introducing a quantity of curable resin into the fill end of the bladder tube, the quantity of the curable resin being sufficient to impregnate all of the layer of resin absorbent material within the bladder tube; applying a vacuum to the vacuum tube to cause the bladder tube to collapse on the layer of resin absorbent material and also along the first spaced distance between the downstream end of the layer of resin absorbent material and the vacuum end of the bladder tube; using the wick to evacuate gas through the collapsed bladder tube along the first spaced distance between the downstream end of the layer of resin absorbent material and the vacuum end of the bladder tube, and outwardly from the vacuum end of the bladder tube; continuing to use the wick to evacuate gas until the resin impregnates all of the layer of resin absorbent material from the second end thereof to the first end thereof and also impregnates the first wick end.