Cavity sealing article and method

• US 5,931,474 A
• Filed: 02/23/1998
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: Raychem Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Dawes, Keith, Chang, Rong J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): ACKERMAN, WILLIAM G
• Application Number:
  US09/028,122
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 277/316, 277/603, 277/616, 277/617, 277/626, 277/627
• US Class Current: 277/316
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/0461 by having different chemical compositions in different places, e.g. having different concentrations of foaming agent, feeding one composition after the other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/188 Sealing off parts of the cavities
• 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

Abstract

A planar cavity sealing article comprises:

(a) at least one driver comprising a crosslinked foamable polymer, and

(b) a sealer comprising an uncrosslinked foamable polymer in intimate contact with the at least one driver and substantially surrounding the at least one driver in the plane of the article.

Claims

1. A planar cavity sealing article comprising:

(a) at least one driver comprising a crosslinked foamable polymer, and

(b) a sealer comprising an uncrosslinked foamable polymer in intimate contact with the at least one driver and substantially surrounding the at least one driver in the plane of the article.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein the at least one driver is only one driver.

3. The article of claim 1 having a plurality of drivers.

4. A planar cavity sealing article for use in a longitudinally extending cavity defined by cavity walls, the cavity having a cross-section within the cavity walls which is to be sealed at a predetermined location, the article comprising:

(a) at least one driver comprising a crosslinked foamable polymer, and

(b) a sealer comprising an uncrosslinked foamable polymer in intimate contact with the at least one driver and substantially surrounding the at least one driver in the plane of the article;

the article having a size and shape such that the article incompletely occupies the cross-section of the cavity at the predetermined location and having expansion and sealing properties such that, when the article is placed at the predetermined location within the cavity and foamed, the foamed sealer is forced into intimate and sealing contact with the cavity walls.

5. The article of claim 4 where the compositions of the foamable polymer of the at least one driver and the foamable polymer of the sealer are the same composition.

6. The article of claim 5 where the foamable polymer of the at least one driver is a radiation crosslinked foamable polymer.

7. The article of claim 6 where the at least one driver and the sealer are formed from a single piece of foamable polymer that has been selectively irradiated to form the at least one driver.

8. The article of claim 4 where the at least one driver and the sealer are formed from at least two separate pieces of foamable polymer.

9. The cavity sealing article of claim 8 where the foamable polymer of the at least one driver is a radiation crosslinked foamable polymer.

10. The article of claim 4 where the article has a thickness between 3 mm and 13 mm.

11. The article of claim 10 where the article has a thickness between 5 mm and 8 mm.

12. The article of claim 4 where the article has a cross-sectional shape corresponding generally to the cross-section of the cavity.

13. The article of claim 12 where the article has linear dimensions within its cross-section that are between 45% and 85% of the linear dimensions of the cross-section of the cavity.

14. The article of claim 13 where the article has linear dimensions within its cross-section that are between 55% and 75% of the linear dimensions of the cross-section of the cavity.

15. The article of claim 4 further comprising means for mounting the article within the cavity at the predetermined location.

16. The article of claim 15 where the mounting means comprises a support adapted to fit within the cavity and orient the article within the cross-section at the predetermined location.

17. The article of claim 4 wherein the at least one driver is only one driver.

18. The article of claim 17 where the driver has a shape within the plane of the article corresponding generally to the cross-section of the cavity.

19. The article of claim 18 where the driver has linear dimensions that are between 35% and 50% of the linear dimensions of the cross-section of the cavity.

20. The article of claim 4 having a plurality of drivers.

21. The article of claim 20 where the plurality of drivers are of uniform size and shape, and are arranged regularly within the plane of the article.

22. The article of claim 20 where the plurality of drivers are not of uniform size and shape.

23. The article of claim 20 where the article has said shape within the plane of the article and the plurality of drivers are arranged symmetrically with respect to the shape of the article.

24. The article of claim 4 where the article has at least one aperture through the article.

25. The article of claim 24 wherein the at least one driver is only one aperture.

26. The article of claim 25 where the aperture is provided through the driver of the article.

27. A cavity sealing article for use in a longitudinally extending cavity defined by cavity walls, the cavity having a cross-section within the cavity walls which is to be sealed at a predetermined location, the article comprising:

(a) a planar cavity sealing layer comprising;

(1) at least one driver comprising a crosslinked foamable polymer, and

(2) a sealer comprising an uncrosslinked foamable polymer in intimate contact with the at least one driver and substantially surrounding the at least one driver in the plane of the layer; and

(b) a support structure adapted to fit within the cavity and orient the article within the cross-section at the predetermined location,

the article having a size and shape such that the article incompletely occupies the cross-section of the cavity at the predetermined location and having expansion and sealing properties such that, when the article is placed at the predetermined location within the cavity and the sealing layer foamed, the foamed sealer is forced into intimate and sealing contact with the cavity walls.