Fastenable member for sealing, baffling or reinforcing and method of forming same

• US 20050268454A1
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zephyros, Inc.
• Original Assignee: L&L Products Inc.
• Inventors: White, Erin Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 7,784,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/592
• 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: Y10S 277/944 Elastomer or plastic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture
• 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 29/49947 by applying separate fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material
• 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 for forming a member for sealing, baffling or reinforcement to a structure of an article of manufacture, the method comprising:

providing a carrier the carrier having a first surface and a second surface;

disposing a first mass of expandable material upon the first surface of the carrier;

disposing a second mass of expandable material upon the second surface of the carrier, the first mass substantially entirely separated from the second mass by a thickness of the carrier; and

providing a fastener connected to the carrier.

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

3. 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 fastener is integrally formed of a single material with the carrier.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the step of providing the carrier includes providing a carrier material that is cut after disposing expandable material upon the carrier material thereby forming the member.

6. A method as in claim 1 further comprising activating the masses of expandable material to volumetrically expand to a size that is at least 2000% their original size upon exposure to elevated temperatures.

7. A method for forming a member and using the member for sealing, baffling or reinforcement to a structure of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a carrier material, the carrier material being a film with a first surface and a second surface;

co-extruding expandable material upon the first surface of the carrier material;

co-extruding expandable material upon the second surface of the carrier material;

cutting the expandable materials and the carrier material thereby forming the member to include a carrier having a first surface with a first mass of expandable material disposed thereon and a second surface with a second mass of expandable material thereon, the first mass separated from the second mass by a thickness of the carrier; and

providing a fastener connected to the carrier, the first mass, the second mass or a combination thereof.

8. A method as in claim 7 wherein the first mass is separated from the second mass by substantially only the thickness of the carrier.

9. A method as in claim 7 further comprising:

locating the member in a cavity of a structure of an automotive vehicle and expanding the masses of expandable material.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein, upon expansion, the masses of expandable material substantially span an entire cross-section of the cavity of the structure and wherein the expandable material volumetrically expands to a size that is at least 2000% its original size upon exposure to elevated temperatures.

11. A method as in claim 7 wherein the fastener is a mechanical fastener that is separately attached to the carrier.

12. A method as in claim 7 wherein the fastener is integrally formed of single material with the carrier.

13. A method as in claim 7 further comprising:

installing the member into a cavity of a structure of an automotive vehicle such that the carrier substantially divides the cavity of the structure into a first space and a second space.

14. A method as in claim 13 wherein, upon installation, substantially the entire volume of the first mass is located in the first open space and substantially the entire volume of the second mass is located in the second open space.

15. A method as in claim 14 wherein the volume of the first mass and the second masses are respectively about a first percentage and a second percentage of the volume of the first space and second space, which are respectively substantially filled by first mass and the second mass upon expansion thereof and wherein the first percentage is within 5 percentage points of the second percentage.

16. A method as in claim 7 wherein the carrier material is provided by extrusion and the carrier material is extruded simultaneously with the expandable material, the carrier mateial is extruded prior to the coextrusion of the expandable material upon the carrier or the carrier material is coextruded with the expandable material and the resulting coextrusion is further extruded to form the profile configuration.

17. A method for forming a member and using the member for sealing, baffling or reinforcement to a structure of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a carrier material, the carrier material being a film with a first surface and a second surface;

co-extruding a strip of expandable material upon the first surface of the carrier material;

co-extruding a strip of expandable material upon the second surface of the carrier material;

cutting the strips of expandable material and the carrier material thereby forming the member to include a carrier having a first surface with a first strip of expandable material disposed thereon and a second surface with a second strip of expandable material thereon, wherein;

i. the first strip is separated from the second strip by substantially only a thickness of the carrier; and

ii. the member includes an intermediate portion between a first side portion and a second side portion;

forming slits in the first side portion to form the first side portion into a plurality of sections;

extending at least one mechanical fastener through an opening in at least one of the plurality of sections;

installing the member into a cavity of a structure of an automotive vehicle including extending the at least one mechanical fastener into an opening of the structure of the vehicle wherein, upon installation, a first section of the plurality of sections extends in a first direction and a second section of the plurality of sections extends in a second direction generally opposite the first direction such that the carrier substantially divides the cavity of the structure into a first space and a second space; and

expanding the first strip and the second strip of expandable material to substantially fill a portion of the cavity of the automotive vehicle and to substantially entirely span a cross-section of the cavity.

18. A method as in claim 17 wherein, upon installation, substantially the entire volume of the first mass is located in the first open space and substantially the entire volume of the second mass is located in the second open space.

19. A method as in claim 18 wherein the volume of the first mass and the second masses are respectively about a first percentage and a second percentage of the volume of the first space and second space, which are respectively substantially filled by first mass and the second mass upon expansion thereof and wherein the first percentage is within 5 percentage points of the second percentage.

20. A method as in claim 19 wherein:

i. 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;

ii. the length of the member along its longitudinal axis is smaller than the height of the member; and

iii. the expandable material volumetrically expands to a size that is at least 3000% its original size upon exposure to elevated temperatures.