Method of forming fastenable member for sealing, baffling or reinforcing

• US 8,931,173 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zephyros, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zephyros, Inc.
• Inventors: Larsen, Douglas C., Kleino, Thomas D., Kassa, Abraham, Barz, William J., Harthcock, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): COZART, JERMIE E
• Application Number:
  US14/186,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20140165405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 298/972, 294/58, 294/695, 295/271, 295/272, 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, baffling or reinforcement to one or more structures, the method comprising:

providing a carrier material, the carrier material forming an elongated, planar rectangular carrier having substantially uniform thickness;

co-extruding an expandable material upon the carrier material in a continuous manner so that the expandable material substantially surrounds the entirety of the carrier material; and

providing a fastener connected to one end of the carrier;

wherein the carrier material;

(i) is extruded simultaneously with the expandable material;

(ii) is extruded prior to the coextrusion of the expandable material upon the carrier;

or

(iii) is coextruded with the expandable material and the resulting coextrusion is further extruded to form a profile configuration of a sealing, baffling or reinforcement member.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the fastener is a mechanical fastener that is separately attached to the carrier.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material is adapted for forming a sealing material, an acoustical material, an adhesive, a structural foam, or a combination of at least two of the foregoing.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier further includes a layer of a material over at least a portion of its surface that is applied thereto by coextrusion, lamination, adhesion, vapor deposition, plasma deposition, spray coating, brushing, swabbing, dipping, plating or combinations thereof.

6. 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.

7. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material includes a plastic selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics, thermosets, or a combination thereof or a resin selected from the group consisting of an epoxy resin, a thermoplastic resin, an acetate resin, an EPDM resin, a phenoxy resin, a polyurethane resin or a combination thereof.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier material is formed at least partially of a material selected from a metal, a polymeric material, a carbon fiber, graphite, glass, or combinations thereof.

9. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier material is a polymeric material that is selected from a polyolefin, a polyamide, a polyester, polystyrene, a poly(meth)acrylate, a polyvinyl chloride, a polysulfone, or combinations thereof.

10. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier material is a polymeric material selected from polyethylene terephthalate, high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, low density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, or combinations thereof.

11. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier material is a polymeric material that is selected from a polycrystalline material, an amorphous material or a combination thereof.

12. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier material is a polymeric material that is paintable to result in a class A automotive vehicle surface finish.

13. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier of each member includes a portion that has a shape selected from an alphanumeric shape, a polygonal shape, an arrowhead shape, a barb shape, is flat, is curved, or a combination thereof.

14. A method as in claim 1 wherein the length of the member along its longitudinal axis is smaller than the height of the member.

15. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material volumetrically expands to a size that is at least 3000% its original size up exposure to elevated temperatures.

16. A method as in claim 1, including locating the expandable material into a vehicle cavity by placing the fastener through an opening in a cavity wall.

17. A method as in claim 1, including forming a through-hole in the carrier and expandable material post-extrusion, the through-hole being formed for receiving the fastener.

18. A method as in claim 1, wherein the expandable material substantially surrounds the carrier but does not extend to cover any portion of the fastener.

19. A method as in claim 1, wherein the carrier is formed after extrusion into a selected shape for filing a vehicle cavity.

3. A method as in claim wherein the fastener is integrally formed of single material with the carrier.