Method of forming fastenable member for sealing, baffling or reinforcing

• US 9,352,505 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2015
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• 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:
  US14/591,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20150123307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 comprising:

providing a carrier having a base and one or more carrier extensions extending away from the base;

disposing an expandable material upon the carrier material in a continuous manner;

providing a fastener connected to the carrier, wherein the fastener;

i. is integrally formed with the carrier;

ii. includes a first pair contoured fastener extensions; and

iii. a second pair of fastener extensions.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier is provided as a strip or film of material and the expandable is disposed upon the carrier by extrusion.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material is disposed upon the carrier by cross-head extrusion.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier is provided by extrusion and the carrier is extruded simultaneously with the expandable material, the carrier is extruded prior to the coextrusion of the expandable material upon the carrier or the carrier is coextruded with the expandable material and the resulting coextrusion is further extruded to form a profile configuration.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

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

10. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carrier is formed from 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.

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

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

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

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

15. A method as in claim 1 wherein, prior to expansion of the expandable material, at least about 10% of the outer surface area of the carrier is covered with the expandable material.

16. A method as in claim 1 wherein at least one end portion of the carrier is embedded in the expandable material.

17. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material has a configuration that is contoured.

18. A method as in claim 1, wherein the second pair of fastener extensions are shaped as an arrowhead fastener.

19. A method as in claim 1. including locating the carrier within an opening in a cavity wall so that the first pair of fastener extensions abut an inner surface of the cavity wall.

20. A method as in claim 1, including locating the carrier within an opening in a cavity wall so that the second pair of fastener extensions abut an outer surface of the cavity wall.