Reinforcing member with thermally expansible structural reinforcing material and directional shelf

Abstract

A reinforced structural member includes a structural member and a reinforcing member, the reinforcing member being received within a cavity of the structural member and bonded thereto by thermally expansible foaming structural reinforcing material. The reinforcing member includes a carrier, a structural reinforcing material element, a directional shelf separate from the carrier, and a fastener coupling the directional shelf to the carrier. The directional shelf includes a platform which is apertured to permit the reinforcing material to foam and expand therethrough to bond the carrier directly to an adjacent wall of the structural member. At least one directional wall extends at an oblique angle to the platform to limit the expansion of the structual reinforcing material therepast during foaming. The shelf may have two directional walls which are opposing in substantially perpendicular relationship to the platform, in acute angular relationship to the platform, or diverge extending at obtuse angles to the platform.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.