Acoustic enclosure for motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9845059-B2
Application number	US-201514708653-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2015
Priority date	May 11, 2015
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A method of creating in situ an acoustic enclosure in a space that is between body panels of a motor vehicle, wherein the space defines an empty volume, the method comprising placing into the space between body panels a molding tool that comprises a solid barrier that divides the space between body panels into an interior portion on an inside of the molding tool and an exterior portion that is external to an outside of the molding tool, where the outside of the molding tool is exposed to the space between body panels, and while the molding tool is in the space between the panels, introducing a fluid material into the exterior portion of the space between the body panels, wherein the fluid material is configured to cure into a solid shell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of creating in situ an acoustic enclosure in a space that is between body panels of a motor vehicle, wherein the space defines an empty volume, the method comprising:
placing into the space between body panels a molding tool that comprises a flexible envelope with an inside and an outside, where the flexible envelope acts as a solid barrier that divides the space between body panels into an interior portion within the inside of the molding tool and an exterior portion that is external to the outside of the molding tool, where the outside of the molding tool is exposed to the space between body panels, wherein the flexible envelope is expandable, and is adapted to be expanded from a first state where the molding tool occupies a first volume, to an expanded state where the molding tool occupies a second volume that is greater than the first volume, and wherein the second volume is less than the empty volume of the space between body panels;
providing a mechanical stop located between the flexible envelope and one or more of the body panels, where the stop at least in part defines the expanded state of the flexible envelope;
expanding the flexible envelope from the first state to the expanded state; and then
while the molding tool is in the space between the body panels with the flexible envelope in the expanded state, introducing a fluid material into the exterior portion of the space between the body panels, wherein the fluid material is configured to cure into a solid shell that is in direct contact with the outside of the molding tool.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the shell is in direct contact with all of the outside of the molding tool that is in the space between body panels.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the motor vehicle has a vehicle cabin, and the interior portion of the space between body panels is in fluid communication with the vehicle cabin.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the body panels comprise interior and exterior front quarter panels, and there is an opening in the interior panel that is in fluid communication with the vehicle cabin, wherein the molding tool is placed into the space between body panels through the opening in the interior panel.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid material is introduced directly into the exterior portion of the space between body panels.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid material passes through the inside of the flexible envelope before the fluid material is introduced into the exterior portion of the space between body panels.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible envelope comprises a soft polymer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the molding tool further comprises a plurality of stiffening members embedded in the soft polymer.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible envelope is expanded with at least one of a fluid and mechanically.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the stop comprises one or more standoffs on the outside of the flexible envelope, where the standoffs are configured to contact one or more of the body panels when the flexible envelope is in the expanded state.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid material comprises a closed-cell foam, and wherein the shell is air tight.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the shell comprises an external air-impervious skin.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising placing a skin over the outside of the molding tool before the molding tool is placed into the space between the body panels.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the skin is on the inside of the shell.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the skin is air impervious.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the fluid material comprises an expandable open-celled or closed cell foam.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the skin is on the outside of the shell.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the fluid material is introduced between the skin and the outside of the molding tool.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the molding tool comprises an expandable skin.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible envelope is contracted before it is placed into the space between body panels.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the interior of the shell defines an acoustic volume that is constructed and arranged to be located directly to the rear of a loudspeaker.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the acoustic volume has no location with a cross-sectional area of less than about 4000 mm 2 .

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the acoustic volume is from about 4 liters to about 12 liters.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid material comprises an expanding closed-cell foam.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Subat Bradford Kyle
• Barksdale Tobe Z
• Dunn Jr Charles E
• Prager Lee
• Feng Ben J

Classifications

• H04R1/26

  Spatial arrangements of separate transducers responsive to two or more frequency ranges · CPC title

• B60R11/0217 Primary

  for loud-speakers · CPC title

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title

• H04R2201/029

  Manufacturing aspects of enclosures transducers · CPC title

• H04R1/2834

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title