Patent ID: 7294383

Claim:
A composite construction comprising: a mat structure comprising a plurality of layers, each layer comprising a plurality of monoaxially drawn tape elements, said tape elements comprising a base layer of a strain oriented polymer disposed between covering layers of a heat fusible polymer, wherein said covering layers are characterized by a softening temperature below that of the base layer to permit fusion bonding upon application of heat, and wherein the plurality of layers are fused together; a multiplicity of embedded fiber elements extending in anchored relation across the thickness dimension of the mat structure such that at least a portion of the fiber elements project outwardly from the mat structure and the projecting portions define at least a partial surface covering across a first side of the mat structure and at least a partial surface covering across a second side of the mat structure; a substrate layer disposed in layered relation to the mat structure such that at least a percentage of said portion of the embedded fiber elements projecting outwardly from the mat structure is at least partially bonded to a surface portion of the substrate layer; and, at least one additional layer disposed across a second side of the mat structure facing away from the substrate layer such that said at least one additional layer defines an encapsulating barrier layer over the mat structure to substantially cover portions of the fiber elements proiecting outwardly from the second side of the mat structure.