Importance

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Abstract

A strong foam core structural member having an integral skin and a method of forming the foam core structure using conventional tooling, such as a clamshell mold. The method includes injecting a fluid foamable resin reaction mixture under pressure in a mold between a pair of pervious, absorbant, flexible sheets, preferably each including a nonresilient open mesh skrim. The sheets are thus expanded against the mold faces by the foaming reaction mixture, which saturates the sheets and forms a smooth skin integral with the foam core. The pervious sheets permit entrapped gasses to escape, forming a smooth integral skin on the foam core, which substantially improves the strength of the structure. The structure may also be strengthened by adding perforated reinforcement plates and injecting the fluid resin reaction mixture through and around the plates. The reinforcement plates thus become integral with the foam core.

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First Claim