Direct molded acoustic insulators
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorAlejandro Hernandez Covarrubias
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method to form automobile vehicle acoustic insulators includes as stages: forming a fiber mass by mixing a low melting point polymeric fiber and a high melting point polymeric fiber in predefined volumes in a mixing device; adding a water volume to the fiber mass to create a semi-solid mass; placing the semi-solid mass in a mold; internally heating the semi-solid mass in the mold using microwave energy; and expelling a first portion of the water volume through apertures created in the mold.
Claims10
A method of forming an automobile vehicle acoustic insulator, comprising:
- forming a fiber mass into a semi-solid mass by adding polymeric fibers and a water volume;
- generating energy waves to internally heat the semi-solid mass;
- expelling a portion of the water volume to create a finished part defining an acoustic insulator;
- moving the semi-solid mass using a transfer device onto a drying surface;
- and
- applying a heating energy to the finished part to complete removal of the water volume.
A method of forming an automobile vehicle acoustic insulator, comprising:
- forming a fiber mass into a semi-solid mass by adding polymeric fibers and a water volume;
- generating energy waves to internally heat the semi-solid mass;
- expelling a portion of the water volume to create a finished part defining an acoustic insulator;
- positioning the semi-solid mass into a mold prior to generating the energy waves;
- forming multiple first apertures through a mold perimeter wall of the mold to provide multiple outflow paths used during the expelling step;
- and
- applying a force to the mold to conform the semi-solid mass to an inner geometry of the mold and expelling a first amount of water from the mold through the multiple first apertures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.