CAVITY SEALING SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES

• US 20190315412A1
• Filed: 08/01/2017
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2016
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Zephyros, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zephyros, Inc.
• Inventors: Moore, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US16/316,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20190315412A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0815 Acoustic or thermal insulation of passenger compartments wall or roof liners integrating the insulating function B60R13/02; insulating floor mats or carpets B60N3/04
• 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: C08J 2323/08 Copolymers of ethene C08J2323/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2423/08 Copolymers of ethene C08J2423/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/0061 characterized by the use of several polymeric components

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for sealing a cavity of an automotive vehicle frame, wherein a wall is associated with an automotive vehicle structure; and an expandable material is disposed by an extruder over at least a portion of said wall and in contact with said wall prior to expansion of said expandable material, wherein the expansion rate of the expandable material is at least 400% when exposed to heat usually provided to the vehicle frame during automotive vehicle production and wherein the expandable material is prior and after its disposition to said wall dry to the touch at ambient temperature.

Claims

1. A system for sealing a cavity of an automotive vehicle frame, comprising:

(a) a wall associated with an automotive vehicle pillar; and

(b) a thermoplastic foamable acoustical polymer material disposed by an extruder over at least a portion of said wall and in contact with said wall prior to expansion of said expandable material,

wherein the expansion rate of the expandable material is at least 400% when exposed to heat usually provided to the vehicle frame during automotive vehicle production and wherein the expandable material is prior and after its disposition to said wall dry to the touch at ambient temperature.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wall defines a cavity of an automotive vehicle body in white.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wall is an interior wall surface of a vehicle pillar.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wall includes an exposed surface.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wall is an interior wall of a hollow structural member.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wall is an automotive vehicle body panel or reinforcement member.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adhesion-properties between the wall and the thermoplastic foamable material is 0.25-1.5 N/mm².

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the expansion rate of the thermoplastic foamable material is at least >

800%.

11. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the expansion rate of the thermoplastic foamable material is at least >

800%.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic foamable material includes a first cross linking agent and a second cross linking agent.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first cross linking agent has an activation temperature within a temperature range at which the adhesive is heated up to the foaming temperature to increase the melt viscosity of the adhesive.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second cross linking agent has an activation temperature above that of the first cross linking agent to cause the material to cross link.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second cross linking agent has an activation temperature above that of the first cross linking agent to cause the material to cross link.

16. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first cross linking agent has an activation temperature of from about 100°

C. to about 130°

C.

17. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second cross linking agent has an activation temperature of from about 140°

C. to about 180°

C.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second cross linking agent has an activation temperature of from about 140°

C. to about 180°

C.

19. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic foamable material wets the surface to which it is applied to absorb oil and other contaminants on the surface to improve adhesion.

20. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic foamable material includes two ethylene acrylate ester copolymers together with an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and an adhesion promoting resin.

21. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the thermoplastic foamable material includes two ethylene acrylate ester copolymers together with an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and an adhesion promoting resin.

22. The system as claimed in claim 1, including an ethylene acrylate copolymer have a melt flow index of 320 g/10 min (ISO 1133 190°

C., 2.16 kg) combined with an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer having a melt flow index of 800 g/10 min.

23. The system as claimed in claim 21, including an ethylene acrylate copolymer have a melt flow index of 320 g/10 min (ISO 1133 190°

C., 2.16 kg) combined with an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer having a melt flow index of 800 g/10 min.

4-5. -5. (canceled)