Vehicular structural members and method of making the members

• Main Authors: SAID KOUSAY M, BREWSTER CHRISTOPHER A, BILLOTTO FRANK V, MCLEOD DAVID G, ALLEN MARK P, SWARTZMILLER STEVE B
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.11.2010
• Subjects: ACOUSTICS; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ADHESIVE PROCESSES NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; ADHESIVES; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CHEMISTRY; DYES; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULARARTICLES; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS; LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; METALLURGY; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING,NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; MOTOR VEHICLES; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; NATURAL RESINS; NON-MECHANICAL ASPECTS OF ADHESIVE PROCESSES IN GENERAL; PAINTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; POLISHES; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING; USE OF MATERIALS AS ADHESIVES; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

The present invention is an article comprising a shaped rigid foam part; a heat activated foamable adhesive applied directly to at least a portion of the outer surface of the shaped foam part and an integral locating means. A second aspect of the invention is a method of forming a foam filled vehicle hollow member comprising, (a) inserting into a vehicular hollow member a rigid foam part comprised of a rigid foam having a heat activated foamable adhesive on at least a portion of the rigid foam insert and at least one integral locating means extending from a surface of the rigid foam, (b) engaging the locating means with the hollow member to locate the rigid foam part within the hollow member, and (c) heating the hollow member having the rigid foam part therein to a temperature and for a time sufficient to activate the heat activated expandable adhesive to form the foam filled vehicle hollow member.