US 4,610,836 AGranted

Method of reinforcing a structural member

AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation

InventorJoseph S. Wycech

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Method and apparatus is provided for reinforcing a structural member of a vehicle body by the use of adhesively bonded together glass macrospheres of 3 to 9 mm. in diameter. The adhesive is not more than about 40% by weight of the mixture so that voids remain between the adjacent macrospheres to permit airflow through the reinforcement and the reinforced structural member upon curing adhesive. The adhesive may be curable at ambient temperature or may be a high temperature curable adhesive which is cured in a vehicle body paint curing oven to bond the macrospheres to one another and to the structural member. The adhesion of the macrospheres to the structural member may be facilitated by an epoxy coated flexible sheet material lining the walls of the structural member. The adhesive coated macrospheres may be closely packed into the structural member by pouring or blowing.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A method of reinforcing a selected longitudinal portion of an elongated tubular structural member comprising the steps of:

filling an end portion of said tubular structural member adjacent to said selected longitudinal portion with a volume of heat vaporizable material sufficient to fill the end portion;
coating macrospheres having a diameter of 3 to 9 mm. with a curable adhesive in a quantity effective to bond together adjacent macrospheres and yet leave voids between the macrospheres upon subsequent curing of the curable adhesive, where said macrospheres are composed of bonded together hollow microspheres;
filling said selected longitudinal portion of said tubular structural member with a plurality of said adhesive coated macrospheres in close-packed relationship to engage said tubular structural member, and said heat vaporizable material;
and
heating said tubular structural member to vaporize said heat vaporizable material whereby said structural member is reinforced at a selected longitudinal portion thereof and the end portion previously occupied by the heat vaporizable material is restored as an open cavity having airflow communication through the voids between the closely packed bonded together macrospheres.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/674,226Filed 23 Nov 1984 · continuation in part
Priority: 12 Sep 1983
Granted: 9 Sep 1986
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

B62D 29/002
Characterised by combining metal and synthetic material: a foamable synthetic material or metal being added in situ
B29C 44/386
Using manifolds or channels directing the flow in the mould: using a movable, elongate nozzle, e.g. to reach deep into the mould
B29C 70/66
Comprising fillers only , e.g. particles, powder, beads, flakes, spheres: the filler comprising hollow constituents, e.g. syntactic foam
B29K 2105/165
Fillers: hollow fillers, e.g. microballoons or expanded particles