Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Hollow or container type article – Polymer or resin containing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-10
2001-03-27
Copenheaver, Blaine (Department: 1771)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Hollow or container type article
Polymer or resin containing
C280S751000, C296S182100, C296S901010, C428S036200, C428S036400, C428S036500, C428S045000, C428S071000, C428S159000, C428S188000, C428S317100, C428S317500, C428S317900
Reexamination Certificate
active
06207244
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a wall or structural element, in particular for the body or parts of the body of a motor vehicle. The wall or structural element provides superior impact protection and increases the resistance to pressure and bending, and improves heat-insulation. The invention also relates to a process for producing such a wall or structural element.
In the construction of motor vehicles for passenger transportation, occupant protection is becoming an increasingly important consideration. For example, the problem of side impact protection is solved by the installation of transverse members in the doors. As known, shock absorbers made of foam are also fitted into the cavities of the doors in order to distribute the forces occurring during impact and absorb impact energy by deforming. Side airbags are other known measures for the protection of vehicle occupants. However, the known configurations contribute only to a limited extent to the strength and rigidity of the body and consequently to the safety of the occupants.
A further problem of modern vehicle construction is that of heat insulation. More and more vehicles are being fitted with air-conditioning systems. At the same time, inadequate heat insulation results in wasted cooling energy on a large scale. Better heat insulation could make a considerable contribution to lowering energy consumption by reduced heating power in the winter and lower fan power in the summer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a wall or structural element and process for its production which overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices and methods of this general type, and which provides a wall or structural element, preferably for the body or parts of the body of a motor vehicle, which offers the vehicle occupants a high level of safety during accidents and, by improved heat insulation, lowers energy consumption and improves traveling comfort.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a structural element for providing impact protection, increasing resistance to pressure and bending, and increasing heat-insulation, including a composite element having a sheet-like, thin-section wall part with a surface area; and a molding formed with a binder embedded with reinforcing elements and having a surface area adjoining the surface area of the sheet-like, thin section wall part, the composite element provided for dissipating impact forces and introducing the impact forces into load-bearing parts of a body.
The composite element formed in this way, which can be used variously as a wall element for the body or as a component for bumpers, members or the like, but also in other regions as a wall part or component of high flexural rigidity and heat insulation. The composite element can be produced at low cost and with little expenditure on primary raw materials. When used as a body wall element, it offers outstanding occupant protection during accidents, since the body or other components do not splinter and no sharp or broken edges causing injuries are produced. Any impact energy which is absorbed by the wall or structural element, such as doors, members, body panels, bumpers and the like, is dissipated and distributed over the surface area.
The expenditure on material for the body panel, in this case used as a sheet-like, thin-section wall part, is inexpensive. As a result, the vehicle weight can usually be reduced and consequently the energy consumption and ultimately the emission of pollutants can also be reduced. The climatic conditions in vehicles or other interior spaces provided with the wall element according to the invention can be improved considerably without having to use sophisticated air-conditioning systems.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the molding is either adhesively bonded over its entire surface area to the wall part or foamed onto the wall part.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the reinforcing elements are renewable raw materials.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the renewable raw materials are disposed in the binder as uncut, partially cut, and/or substantially cut in a form of stalks, stalk sections, fibers, bundles of fibers, twisted yarns, filaments, husks, nonwovens, wovens or rovings.
In accordance with another added feature of the invention, the renewable raw materials are dicotyledons, including flax, hemp, jute, and linume, and/or monocotyledons, including bamboo and giant grasses.
In accordance with another additional feature of the invention, the binder is a foamable synthetic, a biological derived substance, a naturally derived substance, matrices of natural substances or matrices of synthetic substances.
In accordance with yet another added feature of the invention, there are low weight recycled cores provided in regions of low tensile and compressive stress inside of the molding.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the recycled cores are unreinforced recycled products, formed from foam, foam granules, preformed parts, prebonded parts, foam-textile combinations or textiles.
Inside the molding or in regions of low tensile and compressive stress, recycled cores of unreinforced or reinforced recycled products, such as foam, foam granules or preformed or prebonded parts of the latter, foam-textile combinations, textiles or natural foams, for example sunflower pith, may be provided.
In accordance with yet another additional feature of the invention, there is an insulating layer disposed between the molding and the thin-section wall part, the insulating layer is recycled foam and is adhesively bonded solidly to each of the molding and the thin-section wall part.
In accordance with yet a further added feature of the invention, the insulating layer includes a molded foam part, a foam panel or foam flakes.
In accordance with yet a further additional feature of the invention, a foamable material is admixed with the recycled foam forming the insulating layer for adhesively bonding the insulating layer with the thin-section wall part.
In accordance with yet another further feature of the invention, the molding is at least two moldings produced separately and bonded to one another in a sandwich type of construction.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, each of the at least two moldings has a shell with a cavity formed therein, and the cavity receives an insulating core.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the insulating core is formed with the binder and the reinforcing elements.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the insulating core includes recycled products without reinforcing elements.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the insulating core has regions for receiving functional elements, actuating elements and cables.
In accordance with a further added feature of the invention, the molding is constructed at least partially from a number of shells in the sandwich type of construction for easy accessibility to and exchangeability of functional and actuating elements. Between the moldings there may be provided an insulating core composed of a binder and reinforcing means or composed of recycled products, it also being possible for clearances to be formed in the insulating core for receiving actuating elements, cables or the like.
In accordance with a further additional feature of the invention, the thin-section wall part is formed with sheet metal or a thin-layer, sheet-like decorative material.
In accordance with yet another added feature of the invention, the wall part is formed with sheet metal for forming a sheet-metal skin, and includes a hard shell formed by compression molding or injection molding adjoined to and reinforcing the sheet-metal skin, the hard shell also adjoining and solidly bonding to the molding.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the hard shell in
Copenheaver Blaine
Greenberg Laurence A.
Lerner Herbert L.
Moeller Plast GmbH
Stemer Werner H.
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