FASTENABLE MEMBER FOR SEALING, BAFFLING OR REINFORCING AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME

• US 20190308357A1
• Filed: 06/24/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zephyros, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zephyros, Inc.
• Inventors: Larsen, Douglas C., Kleino, Thomas D., Kassa, Abraham, Barz, William J., Harthcock, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 11,390,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/88 other parts for vehicles, e.g. cowlings, mudguards
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 11/00 Connecting or disconnecting metal parts or objects by metal-working techniques not otherwise provided for connecting sheet metal or metal tubes, rods or profiles B21D39/00; riveting B21J; soldering, unsoldering, welding B23K; hand tools for connecting wire or strip B25B25/00; connecting metal parts by adhesives F16B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 17/04 characterised by the nature of the material involved or the kind of product independently of its shape
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/0025 Applying surface layers, e.g. coatings, decorative layers, printed layers, to articles during shaping, e.g. in-mould printing moulding on preformed layers as inserts B29C70/68; applying fluent material to surfaces in general B05
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0012 combined with shaping by internal pressure generated in the material, e.g. foaming
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0021 combined with joining, lining or laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0022 combined with cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/15 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. extrusion moulding around inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/154 Coating solid articles, i.e. non-hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/21 the layers being joined at their surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/34 Cross-head annular extrusion nozzles, i.e. for simultaneously receiving moulding material and the preform to be coated
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/40 using two or more parallel screws or at least two parallel non-intermeshing screws, e.g. twin screw extruders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/605 the thread being discontinuous
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/6803 Materials, coating or lining therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/687 having projections with a short length in the barrel direction, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0053 Producing sealings B29D99/0085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/005 coated
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3005 Body finishings
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/727 Fastening elements bolts B29L2001/002; nuts B29L2001/005; screws B29L2001/007; slide fasteners B29L2005/00; buttons for haberdashery B29L2019/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 27/06 : readily releasable
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 29/002 : a foamable synthetic material or metal being added in situ shaping of substances in a plastic state by foaming, in general B29C44/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/06 : the sub-units or components being doors, windows, openable roofs, lids, bonnets, or weather strips or seals therefor assembling sealing arrangements with vehicle parts, e.g. doors, windows B60J10/45
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/944 : Elastomer or plastic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49618 : Restoring existing member, e.g., reinforcing, repairing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49622 : Vehicular structural member making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49798 : Dividing sequentially from leading end, e.g., by cutting or breaking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49885 : with coating before or during assembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49906 : Metal deforming with nonmetallic bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49947 : by applying separate fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 : Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49982 : Coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2826 : Synthetic resin or polymer

Abstract

There is disclosed a member for sealing, baffling and/or reinforcing components of an automotive vehicle. The assembly generally includes a carrier, an expandable material and at least one fastener.

Claims

1. A method of forming members for providing sealing, baffling or reinforcement to one or more structures, the method comprising:

molding a thermoplastic and fibrous carrier material to provide a rigid contoured structure;

disposing an expandable material upon the carrier material in a continuous manner;

forming the members such that each of the members includes a carrier with the expandable material disposed thereon, the carrier being formed of the carrier material; and

wherein the fibrous carrier comprises a carbon fiber and polyamide material.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier material is provided as a multi-layer arrangement and the expandable material is disposed upon the carrier material by extrusion.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material is disposed upon the carrier material by cross-head extrusion.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material is adapted for forming a sealing material, an acoustical material, an adhesive, a structural foam, or a combination of at least two of the foregoing.

9. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier further includes a layer of a material over at least a portion of its surface that is applied thereto by coextrusion, lamination, adhesion, vapor deposition, plasma deposition, spray coating, brushing, swabbing, dipping, plating or combinations thereof.

10. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material is a material that is thermally deformable at the temperature of extrusion, but upon thermal activation at an elevated temperature will cross link to form a thermoset material.

11. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material includes a plastic selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics, thermosets, or a combination thereof or a resin selected from the group consisting of an epoxy resin, a thermoplastic resin, an acetate resin, an EPDM resin, a phenoxy resin, a polyurethane resin or a combination thereof.

16. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier material is a polymeric material that is paintable to result in a class A automotive vehicle surface finish.

18. A method as in claim 1 wherein the length of the member along its longitudinal axis is greater than the height of the member.

19. A method as in claim 1 wherein, prior to expansion of the expandable material, at least about 10% of the outer surface area of the carrier of each of the members is covered with the expandable material.

22. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material is extruded through an extruder selected from a single-screw extruder, a twin-screw extruder or a mini-applicator to dispose the expandable material on the carrier material.

24. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material volumetrically expands to a size that is at least 1500% its original size up exposure to elevated temperatures.

25. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material has a configuration that is selected from 1) substantially uniform thickness, 2) non-uniform thickness, 3) planar, 4) contoured, 5) geometric, 6) non-geometric, 7) circular cross-section, 8) triangular cross-section 9) rectangular cross-section.

26. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material includes a property or ingredient selected from a flame retardant, water remediation ingredient, an electrically conductive ingredient, a sound absorption characteristic.

2. (canceled)

5-7. -7. (canceled)

12-15. -15. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

20-21. -21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

27-38. -38. (canceled)

39. A member for providing sealing, baffling or reinforcement to one or more structures, comprising:

a carbon fiber material formed in a layered arrangement with a polyamide material to form a carrier and an expandable epoxy-based material located onto the carrier.

40. The member of claim 39, wherein the carrier material is a molded layered arrangement.

41. The member of claim 39, wherein the member has a contoured shape.

42. The member of claim 39, wherein the member has a contoured shape for corresponding with the shape of a vehicle cavity.

43. The member of claim 39, wherein the expandable epoxy-based material is applied to the carrier in a molding operation.

44. The member of claim 39, including a means for attaching the member to a vehicle cavity wall.