Method of forming members for providing sealing or baffling

• US 7,941,925 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zephyros, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zephyros, Inc.
• Inventors: Barz, William J., Kassa, Abraham, Harthcock, Matthew, Kleino, Thomas D., Larsen, Douglas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cozart; Jermie E
• Application Number:
  US11/767,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20070257515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 298/972, 294/12, 294/17, 294/28, 294/58, 294/695, 295/250.1, 295/251.1, 295/251.2, 295/271, 295/272, 298/97, 298/971, 264/173.11, 264/173.16, 264/173.17, 264/177.1, 277/650, 277/651, 277/906, 277/922, 277/930, 277/931, 277/935, 277/944
• US Class Current: 29/897.2
• 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 or baffling to one or more structures of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising:

providing an expandable material in a continuous manner, wherein;

i) a flexible, film carrier material is provided in an elongated strip to an extrusion die in continuous manner and the expandable material is being emitted to the same extrusion die so that the expandable material intimately contacts and adheres to the elongated strip of the film carrier material;

ii) the expandable material includes one, or more ethylene base polymers; and

iii) the expandable material includes a blowing agent and a curing agent;

forming the expandable material into a plurality of members by cutting the elongated strip of film carrier material and expandable material at predetermined lengths; and

providing at least one fastener connected to each member of the plurality of members after formation of each member by forming openings in both the film carrier material and expandable material after extrusion;

wherein;

i) the expandable material activates to foam at temperatures typically experienced in automotive painting or coating operations;

ii) the expandable material, upon activation, volumetrically expands to a size that is at least 1500% its original size; and

iii) the each member of the plurality of members is manually connected to the at least one fastener.

2. 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.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein:

i) the at least one fastener is a clip;

ii) each member is formed as an elongated strip;

iii) each member has a substantially uniform thickness.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein each member has a cylindrical, a C-shape, circular shape or combination thereof.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the at least one fastener is manually extended into an opening of each of the members.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material includes a resin selected from the group consisting of an acetate resin and an EPOM resin.

7. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material volumetrically expands to a size that is at least 2000% its original size up exposure to elevated temperatures.

12. A method as in claim 1, including a step of attaching the at least one fastener to a contoured surface of a vehicle cavity so that the flexibility of the film carrier allows the carrier to bend to adapt to the contour of the cavity surface.

8. A method of forming members for providing sealing or baffling to one Or more structures of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising:

providing an elongated strip of flexible film carrier member and an expandable material in a continuous manner, wherein;

i) the expandable material includes one or more ethylene base polymers; and

ii) the expandable material includes a blowing agent and a curing agent;

forming the expandable material into a plurality of members by cutting the elongated strip of film carrier material and expandable material at predetermined lengths;

providing at least one fastener connected to each member of the plurality of members after formation of each member by forming openings in both the film carrier material and expandable material after extrusion; and

locating each member to a contoured surface of a vehicle cavity of an automotive vehicle by attaching the at least one fastener to the structure so that the flexibility of the film carrier allows the carrier to bend to adapt to the contour of the cavity surface;

wherein;

i) the expandable material activates to foam at temperatures typically experienced in automotive painting or coating operations;

ii) the at least one fastener is manually connected to each member; and

iii) the expandable material of each member of the plurality of members has a shape substantially similar to a portion of the cavity into which the material is placed and the expandable material is at least 1000% smaller than the portion of the cavity until expanded.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein

i) the at least one fastener is a clip;

ii) each member is formed as an elongated strip;

iii) each member has a substantially uniform thickness.

10. A method as in claim 8 wherein each member has a cylindrical, a C-shape, circular shape or combination thereof.

11. A method as in claim 8 wherein the flexible film carrier material is provided in an elongated strip to an extrusion die in a continuous manner and the expandable material is emitted to the same extrusion die so that the expandable material intimately contacts and adheres to the elongated strip of the film carrier material.