US 6,093,358 A · Method of making an expandable gap filling product

Abstract

An expandable gap filling product, such as a gasket or baffle, including a plastic support structure formed with at least one aperture and an expandable material molded together with the plastic support structure such that a portion of the expandable material enters the aperture to assist in holding the expandable material to the plastic support structure. The expandable material may be a conventional expandable rubber product that expands under heat to fill a defined space, such as an automotive body interior space. Apertures in the support structure may have converging side walls to further assist in holding the expandable material in place. The support structure may be molded as a mesh material with a plurality of apertures. Methods of molding the expandable gap filling product include injection molding and overmolding or insertion molding methods.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method of molding an expandable gap filling product useful for filling or blocking a defined space, the method comprising the steps of:

molding a support structure from a plastic material;
forming at least one aperture within the support structure;
molding an expandable gap filling material to the support structure such that gap filling material flows into the aperture;
and
curing the expandable gap filling material to adhere the gap filling material to the support structure and within the aperture, wherein the gap filling material is then expandable into a foam product under heat to fill or block the defined space.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of making an expandable gap filling product

Life of this patent

Method of making an expandable gap filling product

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10