Patent ID: 8114501

Claim:
A fiber reinforced core panel having natural contour and having a first side and an opposing second side comprising: a series of adjacent low density strips having at least three faces and having a length to width aspect ratio of at least 5:1, wherein the longitudinal axis of the low density strips are substantially parallel, wherein the cross-section of each strip has a major face, a first edge face, and a second edge face, wherein the major face of each strip is disposed within the first or second side of the core panel, wherein the major face of each strip is disposed within an opposite face of the core panel than the major face of the adjacent strips; a continuous fibrous reinforcement sheet, wherein the continuous fibrous reinforcement sheets is threaded through the low density strips such that the fibrous reinforcement sheet is disposed between adjacent strips and adjacent to the major faces of the low density strips, wherein the reinforcement sheet forms at least about sixty five percent (65%) of the surface area of the first side of the core panel and at least about sixty five percent (65%) of the surface area of the second side of the core panel, wherein the reinforcement sheet is not continuous on the first side or second side of the core panel; wherein the contoured fiber reinforced core panel contains a contour in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the low density strips.