Reinforced channel-shaped structural member methods
AssigneeHenkel Corporation
InventorJoseph S Wycech
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A reinforced structural member has a channel-shaped laminate structure of a metal stamping, a channel-shaped foil and an intervening layer of structural foam. The reinforced structural member is formed by pressing a foil/resin preform into a channel and thermally expanding the resin to form a structural foam.
Claims35
A method of reinforcing a structural member, comprising the steps of:
- contacting a planar layer of thermally-expandable structural resin with a planar carrier member to form a two-layer laminated preform;
- placing the two-layer laminated preform in contact with a structural channel-defining part such that the two-layer laminated preform covers the channel;
- conforming the two-layer preform to the shape of said channel such that the thermally expandable resin portion of said two-layer preform is in contact with said structural channel-defining part;
- and
- heating said two-layer aminated preform and said structural channel-defining part to expand said thermally-expandable resin.
A method of reinforcing a part, comprising the steps of:
- extruding a layer of thermally expandable resin as a layer on the surface of a release liner;
- placing a carrier member on said resin to form a laminate;
- die cutting said laminate to a predetermined shape;
- placing the laminate on a part having a non-planar geometry;
- conforming the laminate to the geometry of the non-planar part;
- and thermally expanding and bonding the resin to the non-planar part.
A method of reinforcing a part having a non-planar wall, comprising the steps of forming a reinforcing preform laminate by applying an unexpanded uncured foam forming resin layer to a carrier wherein the preform laminate has a shape which conforms to the non-planar wall, inserting the reinforcing preform laminate against the part with the foam layer disposed toward the non-planar wall between the carrier and the wall, and curing and expanding the resin layer into bonding contact with the wall to form a structural foam which adds stiffness and strength to the part.
A method of forming reinforcement laminate preform in an in-line assembly comprising unwinding a layer of material from a coil at an unwinding station to form a carrier, extruding an expandable uncured foam forming resin onto and across the carrier through an extrusion die downstream from the unwinding station to form a laminate preform having a planar shape, forming the laminate preform into a non-planar shape at a form shaping station downstream from the extrusion die, and setting the non-planar shape of the laminate preform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.