Loading patent…
AssigneeDow Global Technologies LLC
InventorsMyron Maurer, Steven Swartzmiller, Gavin Vogel, Andrew Paquet, Chau Vo, Charles Berglund
Estimating the term…
Cushions for dynamic impact applications include anisotropic cellular polymers made in an extrusion, expanded bead or reactive foaming process. The anisotropic behavior represented by CE/CT, CV/CT and CH/CT, wherein CE, CV and CH represent the compressive strength of the cellular polymer in each of three orthogonal directions E, V and H, respectively, as measured by compressing a 25-50 mm thick sample of the cellular polymer at a strain rate of 0.08 s−1 to 25% strain, CT represents the sum of CE, CV and CH, and at least one of CE/CT, CV/CT and CH/CT has a value of at least 0.40, up to about 0.80. The cellular polymer also preferably has density of 1.75 to 2.35 pounds/cubic foot and a compressive stress in the direction of maximum compressive strength of 290-600 kPa at 25% strain when used for headliner countermeasure applications. The cushions are useful in automotive applications such as automotive headliners, door panels, knee bolsters, pillars, headrests, seat backs, load floors or instrument panels.
An impact-absorbing member for a vehicle in which during use the impact-absorbing member is expected to absorb impact forces sufficient to permanently deform the impact-absorbing member, the impact-absorbing member including an energy-absorbing cellular polymer having a density of no greater than 2.5 pounds/cubic foot, wherein the cellular polymer exhibits anisotropic behavior represented by CE/CT, CV/CT and CH/CT, wherein at least one of CE/CT, CV/CT and CH/CT has a value of from 0.40 to 0.80, wherein CE, CV and CH represent the compressive strength of the foam in each of three orthogonal directions E, V and H, respectively, and CT represents the sum of CE, CV and CH.
The impact-absorbing member of 12 wherein the greatest of CE, CV and CH has a value of 290-600 kPa at 25% strain.
An impact-absorbing member for dynamic impact applications in which during use the impact-absorbing member is expected to absorb impact forces sufficient to permanently deform the impact-absorbing member, the impact-absorbing member including a cellular polymer, wherein the cellular polymer is formed (1) by extruding a single, continuous mass of a foamable resin mixture in a direction of extrusion, (2) by expanding expandable polymer beads or (3) in a reactive foaming process, and formed into said specialized geometry, and further wherein the cellular polymer exhibits anisotropic behavior represented by CE/CT, CV/CT and CH/CT, wherein CE, CV and CH represent the compressive strength of the cellular polymer in each of three orthogonal directions E, V and H, respectively, as measured by compressing a 25-50 mm thick sample of the cellular polymer at a strain rate of 0.08 s−1 to 25% strain, CT represents the sum of CE, CV and CH, and at least one of CE/C, CV/CT and CH/CT has a value of from 0.40 to 0.80.
The impact-absorbing member of 30 wherein the greatest of CE, CV and CH has a value of 200-600 kPa at 25% strain.
The impact-absorbing member of claim 39 wherein the greatest of CE, CV and CH has a value of 150-900 kPa at 25% strain and the cellular polymer has a density of 1.5 to 4 pounds/cubic foot (24-64 kg/m3).
The impact-absorbing member of claim 42 wherein the greatest of CE, CV and CH has a value of 100-500 kPa at 25% strain and the cellular polymer has a density of 1.25 to 3 pounds/cubic foot (20-48 kg/m3).
An impact-absorbing member for a vehicle, the impact-absorbing member including an energy-absorbing cellular polymer that is formed by extruding a mass of a foamable thermoplastic polymer composition through a single orifice in an extrusion direction E and forming the resulting extruded polymer to form it into said specialized geometry, wherein the cells of the cellular polymer have an average dimension in at least one direction V orthogonal to the direction of extrusion that meet the criteria 0.80≧DV/DT≧0.40, wherein DV represents the average dimension of the cells in the said direction orthogonal to the direction of extrusion and DT=DV+DE+DH, wherein DE is the average dimension of the cells in the extrusion direction E and DH is the average dimension of the cells in a direction H which is orthogonal to both E and V.
The impact-absorbing member of claim 49, which is an automotive headliner, thoracic bolster, pelvic bolster, door panel, knee bolster, pillar, headrest, seat back, load floor or instrument panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.