Shaped multilayer metal foil shield structures and method of making

• US 6,276,044 B1
• Filed: 06/05/1998
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Elringklinger USA Incorporated (Elringklinger AG)
• Original Assignee: ATD Corporation (American Tire Distributors Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ragland, Christopher V., Ragland, G. William, Ragland, Raymond E., Remke, Matthew S., Fairchild, Stephen J., Timmerberg, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, John J.
• Application Number:
  US09/092,631
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 428/594, 428/593, 428/603, 428/604, 428/595, 723/792, 723/796, 723/63, 181/290, 181/291, 29/174, 294/30, 295/05, 295/21
• US Class Current: 29/521
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 13/00 Corrugating sheet metal, rods or profiles; Bending sheet metal, rods or profiles into wave form tubes B21D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 35/007 Layered blanks B21D22/203 takes precedence; joining superposed plates B21D39/031, B21D39/034, B21D39/035
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/06 containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3041 Trim panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/08 Insulating elements, e.g. for sound insulation sound insulating linings for trains B61D17/185; drivers' cabs for load-carrying vehicles insulated against vibrations or noise B62D33/0604; thermal or acoustic insulation of engines F02B77/11; damping of sounds using compensation by electro-acoustic methods G10K11/178
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/083 for fire walls or floors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0861 for covering undersurfaces of vehicles, e.g. wheel houses
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0869 for protecting heat sensitive parts, e.g. electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0884 for mounting around noise sources, e.g. air blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/24 by using sound-absorbing materials F01N1/04, F01N1/06, F01N1/10, F01N1/14, F01N1/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/14 having thermal insulation exhaust manifolds F01N13/102
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2260/20 for heat or sound protection, e.g. using a shield or specially shaped outer surface of exhaust device
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 59/08 Means for preventing radiation, e.g. with metal foil
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/168 Plural layers of different materials, e.g. sandwiches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49629 Panel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49936 Surface interlocking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1234 Honeycomb, or with grain orientation or elongated elements in defined angular relationship in respective components [e.g., parallel, inter- secting, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1241 Nonplanar uniform thickness or nonlinear uniform diameter [e.g., L-shape]

Abstract

A forge/swage formed three dimensional multilayer metal foil shield having areas therein where the layers are in a spaced apart relationship, areas therein where the layers are tensioned or stretched, and areas therein where the layers are compressed and interlocked together by folding, rolling, wrinkling, curling, coiling, crimping and the like. The multilayer metal foil shield is formed by forge/swage shaping in an appropriate mold apparatus a preform of a stack of metal foil layers having gaps between the layers. The gaps are provided by embossments in the layers or by spacers between the layers. The forge formed multilayer metal foil shields have utility as heat shields and acoustic shields, particularly on vehicles. The forge formed multilayer metal foil shields are mounted on automobile underbody areas, such as the bottom of the floor pan of the passenger compartment, to provide heat and sound insulation. Other automotive uses include fire wall, exhaust tunnel, motor mount and exhaust down pipe. The three dimensional shields include multilayer metal sheet formed structures. Intermediate beaded or rolled edge multilayer metal preforms are made for transport to the final three dimensional stamping operation.

Claims

1. A method of forming a multilayer metal foil structure comprising:

at a first location, forming a bead along at least one edge of a stack of at least three metal layers to form a substantially-flat unitary multilayer metal beaded preform;

transporting the substantially-flat unitary multilayer metal beaded preform to a second location; and

at the second location, forming said substantially-flat unitary multilayer metal beaded preform into a three-dimensional shape over a mold, wherein the first and second forming steps are such that the layers are interlocked together and such that in a portion of the formed three dimensional structure, the metal layers have gaps there between.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least two of the layers are metal foil having a thickness of 0.006 in. or less.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein interlocking the layers is done by forming the layers in folds, rolls, wrinkles, coils, crimps or curls.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the preform is provided as a stack of metal foil layers which are embossed, corrugated or wrinkled to provide gaps between the layers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the bead is formed by curling, rolling or folding along the at least one edge of the metal layers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the substantially flat unitary multilayer metal beaded preform is cut to a desired shape.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the substantially flat unitary multilayer metal beaded preform includes interlocking corrugations.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein in a first portion of the preform the layers are placed under tensile stress to stretch and shape that portion of the preform stack to form a corner in the desired three-dimensional shape, and in a second portion of the preform the layers are placed under compression to shape a portion of the preform into the three-dimensional shape to impart structural strength to the metal structure by interlocking the layers together.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the stretching of a portion of the preform to form a corner substantially reduces embossments, corrugations, or wrinkles in that portion of the structure.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the structure comprises at least four layers of metal foil.