Acoustical and thermal insulator

• US 6,955,845 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Original Assignee: Owens- Corning Fiberglas Technology Incorporated (Owens Corning)
• Inventors: Tilton, Jeffrey Allan, Block, Thomas Troy, Poole, Paul Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): Miggins, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US09/607,481
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 428/317.9, 428/319.7, 428/319.9, 428/543, 428/76, 428/74, 428/75, 428/70, 428/71, 428/35.7, 428/36.5, 428/36.4, 428/36.3, 428/35.8, 428/36.1, 524/061, 524/002, 524/063, 296/39.3
• US Class Current: 428/76
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/14 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/083 for fire walls or floors
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/168 Plural layers of different materials, e.g. sandwiches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1355 Elemental metal containing [e.g., substrate, foil, film, coating, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1362 Textile, fabric, cloth, or pile containing [e.g., web, net, woven, knitted, mesh, nonwoven, matted, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1369 Fiber or fibers wound around each other or into a self-sustaining shape [e.g., yarn, braid, fibers shaped around a core, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1372 Randomly noninterengaged or randomly contacting fibers, filaments, particles, or flakes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/233 Foamed or expanded material encased
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/237 Noninterengaged fibered material encased [e.g., mat, batt, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/239 Complete cover or casing

Abstract

An acoustical and thermal insulator in the form of a multilayer composite includes a first facing layer such as a heat reflective material layer, a polymer based blanket layer and an insulation insert encapsulated in the polymer based blanket layer. The insulator may also include a second facing layer. The insulation insert is sized and positioned in the insulator so as to provide extra thermal insulation at selected hot spots and/or extra acoustical insulation at high noise points of a vehicle to which the insulator may be mounted.

Claims

1. An automobile acoustical and thermal insulator, comprising a multilayer composite including (a) a fibrous first facing material layer, (b) a fibrous polymer based blanket layer and (c) an insulation insert encapsulated by said first facing material layer and said fibrous polymer based blanket layer, said insulation insert being constructed from a material selected from a group consisting of fiberglass, foam, polymer based blanket material, natural fiber based blanket material and combinations thereof.

2. The insulator of claim 1, wherein said fibrous polymer based blanket layer is selected from a group of materials consisting of polyester, polyolefin, polyethylene, cotton shoddy, nylon, rayon, acrylic, natural fibers including kenaf and hemp, and combinations thereof with and without melt blown microfibers.

3. The insulator of claim 1, wherein said fibrous polymer based blanket layer includes a relatively high density section and a relatively low density section.

4. The insulator of claim 1, wherein said insulation insert is positioned only at selected locations in said insulator to provide shielding of heat sources and/or sound sources.

5. The insulator of claim 1, wherein said first facing layer includes a heat activated adhesive to secure said first facing layer to said fibrous polymer based blanket layer.

6. The insulator according the claim 1, wherein the insulation insert is a first insulation insert, and further including a second insulation insert encapsulated by said first facing material layer and said fibrous polymer based blanket layer adjacent to the first insulation insert.

7. The insulator according the claim 1, wherein the insulation insert includes at least one recessed portion adapted for matching with an adjacent structure for which enhanced protection from heat or sound transmission is desired.

8. The insulator of claim 1, wherein said first facing layer is constructed from a heat reflective metallic foil having a thickness of between substantially 0.5–

5.0 mil.

9. The insulator of claim 8, wherein said metallic foil includes a reinforcement.

10. The insulator of claim 9, wherein said metallic foil reinforcement is selected from a group of materials consisting of a fibrous scrim, a fibrous mat and a fibrous web.

11. The insulator of claim 10, wherein said reinforcement is made from glass fiber threads arranged in a criss-cross patter.

12. The insulator of claim 1, further including a second facing layer.

13. The insulator of claim 12, wherein said second facing layer includes a scrim.

14. The insulator of claim 12, wherein said second facing layer is selected from a group of materials consisting of polyester, polypropylene, rayon, nylon, glass, metal foil and mixtures thereof.

15. The insulator of claim 14, wherein said beat activated adhesive is selected from a group of materials consisting of thermoplastic sheet, thermoplastic web, hot melt, latex and heat activated resins.

16. The insulator of claim 13, wherein said first facing layer and/or second facing layer is treated with a fire retardant, a biocide and/or a colorant.

17. The insulator of claim 10, wherein said second facing layer includes a heat activated adhesive to secure said second facing layer to said fibrous polymer based blanket layer.

18. The insulator of claim 17, wherein said heat activated adhesive is selected from a group of materials consisting of thermoplastic sheet, thermoplastic web, hot melt, latex and heat activated resins.