Foam envelope for sealing large volumes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12448771-B2
Application number	US-202318135545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2023
Priority date	Apr 20, 2022
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

An article comprises a tube and at least one thermoplastic pouch inserted within the tube wherein the tube comprises an upper section, a lower section, an inner section and an outer section, the tube comprises an inner layer and an outer layer, the inner layer being a permeable nonwoven fabric and the outer layer being a semipermeable membrane that is permeable to vapors but impermeable to liquids, the tube has a plurality of holes that penetrate through the inner and outer layers of the upper section and/or lower section of the tube, the pouch is located within the tube such that it contacts the lower and inner sections of the tube and the pouch contains a foamable composition.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article ( 10 ) comprises a tube ( 11 ) having a length (L), a width (W) and a height (H) and at least one thermoplastic pouch ( 12 ) having a length (l) and a width (w) inserted within the tube wherein
the tube comprises an upper section ( 13 ), a lower section ( 14 ), an inner section ( 15 ) and an outer section ( 16 ),
the tube comprises an inner layer ( 17 ) and an outer layer ( 18 ), the inner layer ( 17 ) being a permeable nonwoven fabric and the outer layer ( 18 ) being a semipermeable membrane that is permeable to vapors but impermeable to liquids,
the tube has a through-thickness Gurley air permeability of from 1 to 2,000 seconds,
the tube has a tensile modulus in the L direction of from 300 to 450 MPa and from 200 to 320 MPa in the W direction,
the tube has a plurality of holes that penetrate through the inner ( 17 ) and outer ( 18 ) layers of the upper section ( 13 ) and/or the lower section ( 14 ) of the tube,
the pouch length (l) is greater than the width (w),
the pouch is located within the tube contacting the lower ( 14 ) and inner ( 15 ) sections of the tube and the pouch extends in a direction across the tube width (W) to an extent (W max ) that is no more than 45% across the tube width (W) and
the pouch ( 12 ) contains a foamable composition.

2. The article ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the width (W) and the height (H) of the tube are of the same dimensions.

3. The article ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the tube ( 11 ) has, in the upper section ( 13 ) of the tube, two spaced apart flow restrictors ( 19 a ) and ( 19 b ) and/or in the lower section ( 14 ) two spaced apart flow restrictors ( 19 c ) and ( 19 d ) the flow restrictors extending along the length of the tube and are attached to an outer surface ( 20 ) of the outer layer ( 18 ) of the tube and wherein the holes that penetrate through the inner ( 17 ) and outer ( 18 ) layers of the upper section ( 13 ) or lower section ( 14 ) of the tube are restricted to that part of the tube that is between the two spaced apart flow restrictors ( 19 a ) and ( 19 b ) and/or ( 19 c ) and ( 19 d ).

4. The article ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the outer layer ( 18 ) of the tube ( 11 ) is a nonwoven sheet of flash spun polyethylene fiber.

5. The article ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the inner layer ( 17 ) of the tube ( 11 ) is a nonwoven fabric of spunbonded polypropylene fiber.

6. The article ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the width of the tube (W) to the height of the tube (H) is from 20:1 to 2.3:1.

7. The article ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the at least one thermoplastic pouch ( 12 ) includes a first thermoplastic pouch and a second thermoplastic pouch, and wherein the foamable composition contained in the first thermoplastic pouch differs from the foamable composition contained in the second thermoplastic pouch.

8. The article ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the at least one thermoplastic pouch ( 12 ) comprises first (C 1 ) and second (C 2 ) compartments, the compartments being separated by at least one frangible barrier ( 21 ) and wherein the first compartment (C 1 ) contains a first foamable composition component and the second compartment (C 2 ) contains a second foamable composition component.

9. The article ( 10 ) of claim 8 wherein the first foamable composition component comprises isocyanate.

10. The article ( 10 ) of claim 9 wherein the first foamable composition component further comprises p-aramid pulp present in an amount of from 0.05 to 3.0 weight percent of the foamable composition.

11. The article ( 10 ) of claim 8 wherein the second foamable composition component comprises polyol.

12. The article ( 10 ) of claim 11 wherein the second foamable composition component further comprises a catalyst and/or a blowing agent.

13. The article ( 10 ) of claim 11 wherein the second foamable composition component further comprises p-aramid pulp present in an amount of from 0.05 to 3.0 weight percent of the foamable composition.

14. The article ( 10 ) of claim 8 wherein there are two spaced apart frangible barriers ( 21 a ) and ( 21 b ) separating the first (C 1 ) and second (C 2 ) compartments of the pouch ( 12 ).

15. The article ( 10 ) of claim 14 wherein a static mixer ( 22 ) is located between the two spaced apart frangible barriers ( 21 a ) and ( 21 b ) that separate the first and second compartments.

16. The article ( 10 ) of claim 1 further comprising a vapor control layer or liquid sealant ( 31 ) that covers the inner section ( 15 ) of the tube ( 11 ) and partially extends onto the upper ( 13 ) and lower ( 14 ) sections of the tube ( 11 ).

17. The article ( 10 ) of claim 16 wherein the vapor control layer is polyethylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, or a metallic foil.

18. The article ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the at least one thermoplastic pouch ( 12 ) includes a first thermoplastic pouch and a second thermoplastic pouch, and wherein the foamable composition contained in the first thermoplastic pouch differs from the foamable composition contained in the second thermoplastic pouch.

19. A method for sealing an air gap ( 26 ) between building interfaces ( 24 ) and ( 25 ), the method comprises the steps of:
providing an article ( 10 ) comprising a tube ( 11 ) and at least one thermoplastic pouch ( 12 ) inserted within the tube ( 11 ) wherein
the tube ( 11 ) has a length (L), a width (W) and a height (H) and the at least one thermoplastic pouch ( 12 ) has a length (l) and a width (w),
the tube comprises an upper section ( 13 ), a lower section ( 14 ), an inner section ( 15 ) and an outer section ( 16 ),
the tube comprises an inner layer ( 17 ) and an outer layer ( 18 ), the inner layer ( 17 ) being a permeable nonwoven fabric and the outer layer ( 18 ) being a semipermeable membrane that is permeable to vapors but impermeable to liquids,
the tube has a through-thickness Gurley air permeability of from 1 to 2,000 seconds,
the tube has a tensile modulus in the L direction of from 300 to 450 MPa and from 200 to 320 MPa in the W direction,
the tube has a plurality of holes that penetrate through the inner ( 17 ) and outer ( 18 ) layers of the upper section ( 13 ) and/or the lower section ( 14 ) of the tube,
the pouch length (l) is greater than the width (w),
the pouch is located within the tube contacting the lower ( 14 ) and inner ( 15 ) sections of the tube and the pouch extends in a direction across the tube width (W) to an extent (W max ) that is no more than 45% across the tube width (W) and
the pouch ( 12 ) contains a foamable composition,
inserting the article ( 10 ) into the air gap ( 26 ) between the building interfaces ( 24 ) and ( 25 ),
activating the foamable composition within the pouch ( 12 ) so that the ingredients of the foamable composition react to form an expandable foam, the foam then bursting the pouch ( 12 ), expanding the tube ( 11 ) and escaping through the tube holes in the upper section ( 13 ) and/or the lower section ( 14 ) of the tube and, when present, between two spaced apart flow restrictors ( 19 a ) and ( 19 b ) and/or two spaced apart flow restrictors ( 19 c ) and ( 19 d ) that extend along the length of the tube, so as to fill the air gap ( 26 ) between the building interfaces ( 24 ) and ( 25 ) of the building structure and then cure in situ into a foam structure thus providing an air tight and water impermeable seal.

20. A method for sealing an air gap ( 26 ) between building interfaces ( 24 ) and ( 25 ), the method compri

Assignees

• Dupont Safety & Construction Inc
• Ddp Specialty Electronic Materials Us Llc

Inventors

• Huebsch Eric
• Massueger Lars
• Thomi Cedric

Classifications

• E04B1/6816 Primary

  Porous tubular seals for injecting sealing material (filling of cracks in existing buildings E04G23/02) · CPC title

• B29C44/188

  Sealing off parts of the cavities · CPC title

• E04B2001/6818

  Joints with swellable parts · CPC title

• E04B1/6812 Primary

  Compressable seals of solid form · CPC title