Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D29/00—Superstructures, understructures, or sub-units thereof, characterised by the material thereof
  • B62D29/001—Superstructures, understructures, or sub-units thereof, characterised by the material thereof characterised by combining metal and synthetic material
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C39/00—Shaping by casting, i.e. introducing the moulding material into a mould or between confining surfaces without significant moulding pressure; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C39/02—Shaping by casting, i.e. introducing the moulding material into a mould or between confining surfaces without significant moulding pressure; Apparatus therefor for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
  • B29C39/10—Shaping by casting, i.e. introducing the moulding material into a mould or between confining surfaces without significant moulding pressure; Apparatus therefor for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. casting around inserts or for coating articles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C44/00—Shaping by internal pressure generated in the material, e.g. swelling or foaming ; Producing porous or cellular expanded plastics articles
  • B29C44/02—Shaping by internal pressure generated in the material, e.g. swelling or foaming ; Producing porous or cellular expanded plastics articles for articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
  • B29C44/12—Incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or reinforcements
  • B29C44/1228—Joining preformed parts by the expanding material
  • B29C44/1242—Joining preformed parts by the expanding material the preformed parts being concentric
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
  • B29C70/68—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers, e.g. foam blocks
  • B29C70/70—Completely encapsulating inserts
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D29/00—Superstructures, understructures, or sub-units thereof, characterised by the material thereof
  • B62D29/001—Superstructures, understructures, or sub-units thereof, characterised by the material thereof characterised by combining metal and synthetic material
  • B62D29/002—Superstructures, understructures, or sub-units thereof, characterised by the material thereof characterised by combining metal and synthetic material a foamable synthetic material or metal being added in situ
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D65/00—Designing, manufacturing, e.g. assembling, facilitating disassembly, or structurally modifying motor vehicles or trailers, not otherwise provided for
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C44/00—Shaping by internal pressure generated in the material, e.g. swelling or foaming ; Producing porous or cellular expanded plastics articles
  • B29C44/02—Shaping by internal pressure generated in the material, e.g. swelling or foaming ; Producing porous or cellular expanded plastics articles for articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
  • B29C44/12—Incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or reinforcements
  • B29C44/14—Incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or reinforcements the preformed part being a lining
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2206/00—Indexing codes related to the manufacturing of suspensions: constructional features, the materials used, procedures or tools
  • B60G2206/01—Constructional features of suspension elements, e.g. arms, dampers, springs
  • B60G2206/013—Constructional features of suspension elements, e.g. arms, dampers, springs with embedded inserts for material reinforcement

Definitions

• Hydra-formed metal sections may have curved three-dimensional geometry.
• reinforcing the section or component is very difficult because the location of the hydra-formed section that is critical and decides the overall performance of the component, is often the section located at a major discontinuity "notch" or curvature .
• An object of this invention is to provide a reinforced beam of curved geometry.
• a further object of this invention is to provide techniques for reinforcing such a beam.
• the beam is a hollow structure.
• a pre-molded foam core is inserted into the hollow structure spaced from at least one inside wall of the hollow structure.
• a polymer is pumped in and around the foam core insert so that after curing the polymer bonds to the inside wall of the structure.
• the structure is a hydra-formed metal section, such as a vehicle control arm assembly.
• the pre-shaped foam insert is preferably made of a lightweight material to minimize the weight of the final laminate beam formed by the invention.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a laminated control arm assembly beam in accordance with this invention.
• Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through Figure 1 along the line 2-2.
• the present invention is particularly useful for reinforcing hollow sections or structures, which are of curved geometry and/or located at locations, which are relatively inaccessible.
• the hollow structure is a metal section, such as a hydra-formed metal section with curved three-dimensional geometry.
• An example of such section is a control arm assembly, wherein it is desired to reinforce the control arm beam.
• the critical portion which requires reinforcement in order to maximize the overall performance of the component is often the portion at a major section discontinuity "notch" or curvature.
• Figure 1 illustrates an automotive control arm assembly beam 10 made of a hydra-formed metal shell 12 of conventional size and shape and structure such as including through holes 14 and end walls 16. As can be seen the shell 12 has a three dimensional geometry which is non-uniform from end wall to end wall and which is curved.
• a preformed foam core 18 is inserted into the hollow or cavity of shell 12.
• Core 18 is spaced away from at least one inside wall of the hollow shell 12 and is shaped to extend along at least one side of the shell .
• Core 18 functions to locate a reinforcing polymer 20 within the hollow shell so that after curing the polymer will bond to and reinforce the inside wall of the shell.
• Core or insert 18 is made of a lightweight pre-shaped or preformed material such as urethane, phenolic or expanded polystyrene.
• the polymer 20 would be pumped in and around the foam core 18 so as to be located in the space between core insert 18 and the inner wall of shell 12.
• Polymer 20 is then cured such as being heat cured or ambient temperature cured.
• polymer 20 is bonded to the inner wall of shell 12 and to foam core 18 to function as a structural foam.
• the polymer or structural foam may be, but is not necessarily an expandable foam.
• the curing of the polymer could be accomplished in any suitable manner.
• the polymer could be heat cured in an oven such as an e-coat oven during the manufacturing of the vehicle.
• the polymer could be cured at ambient temperatures such as, for example, about 77 * F.
• the foam core insert 18 may be pre-shaped in a geometry which generally conforms to the inner surface of shell 12 thereby minimizing the amount of polymer material required to fill the remaining open space within shell 12.
• core insert 18 may be of uniform cross- sectional shape throughout all or most of its length to simplify the structure of the core insert, but which would result in a greater amount of open space.
• the foam core insert 18 thus comprises a three-dimensional or essentially two dimensional molded pre-formed part which occupies some of the volume or space within shell 12 and provides a substrate for the polymer 20 which is pumped into the shell 12.
• the invention thus results in a three-dimensional laminate beam, which is formed by pumping the polymer around the pre-molded foam core. This is the only means necessary to reinforce such a hydra-formed metal section.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Composite Materials (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
• Moulding By Coating Moulds (AREA)
• Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)
• Casting Or Compression Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=22532613

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (35)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1999
  • 1999-09-02 EP EP99943755A patent/EP1109713A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-09-02 JP JP2000568729A patent/JP2002524339A/ja active Pending
  • 1999-09-02 TR TR2001/00648T patent/TR200100648T2/xx unknown
  • 1999-09-02 WO PCT/US1999/018832 patent/WO2000013958A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1999-09-02 CA CA002342666A patent/CA2342666A1/en not_active Abandoned

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