JP2003015654A - Gap packing material - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gap packing material which can be easily inserted and held into a parts of a cylindrical structure. SOLUTION: The gap packing material 1 is formed to a shape at which the material can be elastically deformed and inserted into a gap 4. The sectional shape of the gap 4 is rectangular and the gap packing material 1 is formed to a planer shape longer than the diagonal line of the rectangular shape and is formed insertably into the gap 4 by curving the material. Further, the gap packing material is provided with an expansion section 6 meeting the volume of the gap 4. After the gap packing material is inserted into the gap 4, the material is expanded by heating, by which the gap is packed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a void filling material that expands by heating to fill voids.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been widely used a technique for improving sound insulation / damping characteristics and strength by filling voids inside a pillar of an automobile. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-164641, there is known a void filling material formed by enclosing a urethane foam in a compressed state between two sheets of thermosetting foamable material. .

The void filling material is adhered to the inner wall of the component such as the center pillar before the component having the tubular structure is assembled. Adhesion is performed by utilizing the adhesive force of the thermosetting foamable material itself, or by using an adhesive, a double-sided adhesive tape, or the like. Then, for example, when the component is coated and then heated for drying, the sheet-shaped thermosetting foamable material foams and expands.

At this time, the thermosetting foam material is gradually softened by heating and the restraining force for holding the urethane foam in a compressed state is lowered, so that the shape of the urethane foam is gradually restored. Then, the urethane foam whose shape has been restored functions as a core member of the void filling material and guides the void filling material to expand into a suitable shape.
As a result, the voids inside the center pillar and the like are filled with the expanded thermosetting foamable material and the urethane foam whose shape has been restored, and it is possible to obtain suitable sound insulation and vibration damping characteristics and strength.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In such a conventional type, a part having a cylindrical structure such as a center pillar has a cross section of "U".
It was a so-called middle structure in which two character-shaped members were butted against each other and integrated by welding or the like. Before being united
The void filling material is adhered to the flat inner wall of one member.

However, there are cases where a tubular structure part such as a center pillar is formed directly into a tubular shape from a pipe or the like instead of the middle structure. In that case, it is difficult to adhere the void filling material to the inner wall. There was a problem. The same applies to the case where a through hole is formed in a tubular component and a void filling material is attached to the through hole by using a clip or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a void filling material that can be easily inserted and held in a tubular component.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following means in order to solve the object. That is, a void filling material that is expanded by heating to fill the voids is characterized in that it is elastically deformed into the voids and formed into a shape that can be inserted.

When the cross-sectional shape of the void is rectangular, it may be formed in a plate shape longer than the diagonal line of the rectangle and curved so that it can be inserted into the void. Further, it may be formed in a ring shape, may have a structure having a plurality of branch portions in a radial shape, or may have a spherical outer shape. Further, an expansion part may be provided according to the volume of the void.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, 1 is a void filling material and 2 is a tubular structural part such as a center pillar. The tubular structural component 2 is formed of a pipe or the like into a tubular shape, and both ends thereof are open. The cross-sectional shape of the internal void 4 of the tubular structural component 2 of this embodiment is formed in a rectangular shape, but the shape is not limited to this.

The void filling material 1 of this embodiment is shown in FIG.
As shown in the plan view and the side view of FIG. 2B, it is formed in a rectangular plate shape. With the length A of the diagonal line of the void 4 of the tubular structural component 2 and the length B1 of the long side of the void filling material 1,
The long side length B1 is longer than the diagonal length A (B1>
A) is formed. Even if the long side length B1 is formed longer than the diagonal length A, as shown in FIG.
The void filler 1 is formed so that the void filler 1 can be elastically deformed and inserted into the void 4.

When the void filler 1 is elastically deformed and inserted into the void 4, the short side of the void filler 1 and the inner wall of the void 4 come into contact with each other. Then, due to the elastic force of the void filler 1, a frictional force is generated between the void filler 1 and the inner wall. The magnitude of the frictional force may be such that the void filling material 1 does not slide down from the tubular structural component 2.

The void filling material 1 is formed such that the elastic force generated by elastically deforming the void filling material 1 when the void filling material 1 is inserted into the void 4 generates the above-mentioned frictional force.
When the void filling material 1 is heavy, the material and the like may be selected so as to generate a large elastic force and have an appropriate elastic coefficient and the like. In addition, the length B2 of the short side and the thickness t of the void filling material 1 may be set to an appropriate length and thickness so that an appropriate elastic force is generated.

An inflating portion 6 is formed substantially at the center of the void filling material 1. The expansion part 6 has a size corresponding to the volume of the space 4 so that the space 4 is filled with the space when heated and foamed, and the cross-sectional shape of the space 4 and the cross-section of the expansion part 6. It is preferable to form such that the shape and the shape are similar to each other. In addition, the entire volume of the void filling material 1 including the expansion portion 6 is formed so as to fill the volume of the void 4.

The void filler 1 is a polymer, an inorganic filler,
A polymer obtained by adjusting and blending a cross-linking agent and a foaming agent, and examples of the polymer include thermoplastic resins such as polyolefin, ethylene vinyl acetate polymer, ethylene pyropyrene rubber, and styrene butadiene rubber.

As the inorganic filler, calcium carbonate, barium sulfate, ferrite, silica or the like can be used. As the crosslinking agent, peroxide or the like can be used, and as the foaming agent, azodicarbonamide, dinitropentamethylenetetramine or the like can be used. The void filling material 1 expands several times to several tens of times when heated at 140 to 230 ° C. for several tens of minutes.

Next, the operation of the above-described void filling material of this embodiment will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the void filling material 1 is elastically deformed, the long side of the void filling material 1 is curved in a bow shape, and the void filling material 1 is inserted into the void 4. Due to the elastic force due to this elastic deformation, friction occurs between the short side of the void filling material 1 and the inner wall of the tubular structural component 2. By this frictional force,
The void filler 1 is retained in the void 4 of the tubular structural component 2.
Therefore, the void filler 1 does not fall off when the tubular structural component 2 is transported to a heating furnace or the like.

When the tubular structural component 2 having the void filling material 1 mounted thereon is heated at 140 to 230 ° C. for several tens of minutes, it expands several times to several tens of times to fill the voids 4. At this time, the expansion 4 expands to fill the voids 4 without any gap. Further, at the beginning of heating, since foaming starts from the short side that is in contact with the tubular structural part 2, the frictional force decreases, but the adhesive force increases due to heating, and this adhesive force causes the void filling material 1 to form Held at 4. Then, foaming progresses throughout the void filling material 1 to fill the voids 4.

Next, a second different from the above-mentioned void filling material 1
The void filling material 11 of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The void filling material 11 of the second embodiment is formed in a ring shape, and a large number of projections 12 projecting in the radial direction are formed on the outer circumference thereof. The material and the like are the same as those of the void filling material 1 described above (the same applies hereinafter). By forming in a ring shape, a larger elastic force can be obtained more easily than in the case of forming in a plate shape. Further, by forming the protrusion 12, it is easy to obtain a larger frictional force, and it is suitable when the weight of the void filling material 11 is heavy. Furthermore, by pinching the outer periphery of the void filling material 11 with a finger, it is easy to elastically deform even with one hand,
Easy to insert into voids.

Further, like the void filling material 21 of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 4, when the plate-like void filling material 21 is bent in advance and is inserted into the void, it is further elastically deformed. You may By pre-bending in this way, it becomes easier to elastically deform when inserting.

Further, as in the void filling material 31 of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of branch portions 32 may be radially projected in the radial direction. Since the branch portion 32 is elastically deformed and inserted into the void, the void filler 31 can be inserted by being pushed into the void, and can be easily inserted without elastically deforming in advance.

Further, as in the void filling material 41 shown in FIG. 6, the outer shape of the cavity may be formed into a spherical shape. Alternatively, the outer shape is not limited to a cavity, and may be formed in a sponge shape and a spherical outer shape. The present invention is not limited to such an embodiment as described above, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0023]

As described above in detail, the void filling material of the present invention, even if the tubular structural component is formed of a pipe or the like, is elastically deformed to be inserted and retained in the void. This has the effect of making it easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where a void filling material according to an embodiment of the present invention is inserted into a tubular structural component.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a void filling material according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a void filling material according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a void filling material according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a void filling material according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a void filling material according to a fifth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 11, 21, 31, 41 ... Void filling material 2 ... Cylindrical structure part 4 ... Void 6 ... expansion part 12 ... protrusion 32 ... branch

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Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A void filling material that expands by heating to fill voids, wherein the void filler is elastically deformed and formed into a shape that can be inserted. 2. The cross-sectional shape of the void is rectangular, and is formed in a plate shape longer than a diagonal line of the rectangle, and is curved so that the void can be inserted into the void. Void filling material. 3. The void filling material according to claim 1, which is formed in a ring shape. 4. The void filling material according to claim 1, which has a plurality of branch portions radially. 5. The void filling material according to claim 1, wherein the outer shape is formed into a spherical shape. 6. The void filling material according to claim 2, further comprising an inflating portion corresponding to the volume of the void.