Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Machine or implement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-13
2001-11-06
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Machine or implement
C052S309130, C052S309200, C052S207000, C052S749100, C052S749100, C269S207000, C269S146000, C269S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311452
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to the reinforcement of hollow structures and more specifically to the use of rigid reinforcements which utilize expandable resins.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There has been an increase in the need for selective reinforcement of automotive structures in order to meet various government test standards. To that end, structural foams and carriers have been developed for the purpose of reinforcing specific locations in vehicles. The primary focus of these reinforcements is to add strength or stiffness to a structure.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the three factors of greatest general importance in the evaluation of reinforcement effectiveness are stiffness, weight, and cost. With most prior art techniques, increasing stiffness results in a corresponding penalty of weight increase and/or cost increase. For example, while using thicker gages of metal increases strength, it results in an unwanted increase in weight. Similarly, the use of exotic high-strength alloys is effective to increase strength, but this adds considerably to the cost of the vehicle. Finally, it will be recognized that the cost of resins is also a concern and thus structural foams must be used sparingly.
Another concern in the use of structural foams is the problem associated with fully curing material that is very thick. That is, in some prior art applications the materials required to satisfactorily reinforce are so thick that it is difficult to achieve full cure. Therefore, it will be recognized that techniques for reinforcing hollow structures which do not cause a substantial weight and cost or curing problems have the potential to provide significant advantages.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a structural reinforcement which utilizes structural foam in a manner which conserves resin.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a reinforcement which can be fully cured in a short time.
It is still a further object to provide a low-cost, light-weight structural reinforcement which provides significant strength and stiffness to the reinforced region.
It is still a further object to provide a structural reinforcement which can be transported easily to the site of installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect the present invention provides a keyed reinforcing member having a rigid body and an attached uncured resin portion. The rigid body includes a surface having a geometry that mates with the uncured resin to form a purely mechanical interlock between the rigid body and the resin. In one aspect the rigid member has an interlocking channel in which a strip of uncured resin is disposed. In one aspect the rigid member is linear, in other applications the member is non-linear with the resin strip being disposed circumferentially. In still another aspect the rigid member has attachment sites and locator pins which facilitate its location and attachment to the hollow structural body to be reinforced.
In another aspect the present invention provides a method of reinforcing a structure comprising the steps of providing a rigid member having a surface adapted to receive and mechanically retain an uncured resin body having a preselected shape. An uncured resin body having the mating geometry is inserted in the interlocking portion of the rigid member. The composite keyed reinforcement is then placed in the appropriate location of the structural body to be reinforced. The composite keyed reinforcement is then heated to a temperature sufficient to foam (expand) and cure the resin. Typically, the foam will then bond to the surrounding structural body.
Thus, the invention provides a way to reduce cost, improve stiffness, and increase the possibility of achieving full cure of the structural foam all through the use of a composite construction. The keying of the surface of the reinforcement member permits uncured resin to be applied such that mechanical interlocking between the member and the applied uncured resin occurs. This interlocking permits the resin to be positioned on the reinforcement member without the necessity of heating the reinforcement member, using a secondary adhesive, heating the uncured structural foam, or using a pressure sensitive uncured structural foam. In addition to processing ease, the keyed surface produces a structure that is strongly resistant to damage during shipping or handling in an assembly plant. In one aspect the primary uncured heat expandable material attached to the keyed reinforcing member is not pressure sensitive. This enables packaging such that adjacent preformed parts do not adhere to each other during shipping (i.e. the material does not behave as a pressure sensitive adhesive).
These features and others will be more fully explained herein in connection with the drawings.
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Barz William J.
Czaplicki Michael J.
Dobrusin & Thennisch
Friedman Carl D.
L&L Products Inc.
Syres Christy M.
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