Lightweight baffle or reinforcement element and method for producing such a lightweight baffle or reinforcement element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016304133-A1
Application number	US-201415101284-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Dec 13, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A baffle or reinforcement element for sealing and/or reinforcing a cavity, in particular a cavity of a vehicle, including a carrier element and an expandable element supported by the carrier element, the expandable element including an expandable material, incorporating a plurality of gas bubbles forming a microcellular structure. Further presented is the process of manufacturing such a baffle or reinforcement element and its use.

First claim

1 . An element for sealing, baffling and/or reinforcing a cavity in a structure of manufacture, comprising:
at least one carrier element, at least one expandable element, supported by said carrier element, said expandable element comprising: a material expandable by heat, humidity, and/or radiation, and a plurality of gas bubbles incorporated into said expandable material.

2 . The element of claim 1 , wherein the expandable element weighs at least 1% less than the same element without said gas bubbles.

3 . The element of claim 1 , wherein the expandable element weighs at least 10% less than the same element without said gas bubbles.

4 . The element of claim 1 , wherein the expandable element weighs at least 25% less than the same element without said gas bubbles.

5 . The element of claim 1 , wherein the expandable element weighs at least 40% less than the same element without said gas bubbles.

6 . The element of claim 1 , wherein said expandable material contains a blowing agent.

7 . The element of claim 1 , wherein said gas bubbles comprise air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, a gaseous hydrocarbon, a noble gas, or a mixture thereof.

8 . The element of claim 1 , wherein, said gas bubbles comprise a thermoplastic shell filled with air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, a gaseous hydrocarbon, a noble gas, or a mixture thereof.

9 . The element of claim 1 , wherein said expandable material contains a second blowing agent that causes the formation of the gas bubbles during the manufacturing process of said element.

10 . A process for manufacturing an expandable element to be incorporated into an element as described in claim 1 , comprising:
molding and/or extruding an expandable material to form an expandable element wherein the molding and/or extrusion process includes applying a sufficiently high temperature and sufficiently high pressure to said material for maintaining a gas, liquid or supercritical fluid within said material while the gas, liquid or supercritical fluid is being fed into said material during the molding and/or extrusion process in order to produce a plurality of gas bubbles in said expandable element.

11 . A process for manufacturing an expandable element to be incorporated into an element as described in claim 1 , comprising:
molding and/or extruding an expandable material to form an expandable element wherein said expandable material contains essentially spherical bodies consisting of a thermoplastic shell filled with an expandable gas, liquid or supercritical fluid that expands during the molding and/or extrusion process by a sufficiently high temperature provided to form a plurality of gas bubbles in said expandable element.

12 . A process for manufacturing an expandable element to be incorporated into an element as described in claim 1 , comprising:
molding and/or extruding an expandable material to form an expandable element wherein said expandable material contains a second blowing agent that forms a plurality of gas bubbles within said expandable element by decomposing into a gas and a residue during the molding and/or extrusion process.

13 . A process of claim 10 , wherein said expandable material comprises at least one thermoplastic polymer including an epoxy resin, ethylene vinyl acetate, a polyurethane, a polyolefin, or a derivate or a mixture thereof.

14 . A method comprising: scaling, baffling, or reinforcing a cavity or hollow structure of a land-, water-, or air-vehicle, and/or a cavity of a building with the element of claim 1 such that the transmission of noise, vibrations, and/or heat is reduced, and/or the object surrounding said cavity is mechanically strengthened.

15 . Method for baffling and/or reinforcing a cavity or hollow structure, wherein the element of claim 1 is introduced into said cavity or hollow structure and subsequently the expandable element is expanded to form the expanded element.

Assignees

• Sika Tech Ag

Inventors

• Belpaire Vincent

Classifications

• B29C44/18

  Filling preformed cavities {(B29C44/1204 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C08J2203/18

  Binary blends of expanding agents · CPC title

• C08J9/04

  using blowing gases generated by a previously added blowing agent · CPC title

• B29C44/348

  by regulating the temperature and/or the pressure, e.g. suppression of foaming until the pressure is rapidly decreased · CPC title

• B29C44/027

  the foaming continuing or beginning when the mould is opened · CPC title