Insulating element

Abstract

The invention relates to an insulating element for insulating a structural element in a motor vehicle, comprising: a carrier having an intermediate wall, a first side wall and a second side wall, the walls of the carrier extending along a common longitudinal axis, and the carrier having an H-shaped cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the first side wall and the second side wall are respectively arranged on one end portion of the middle wall. The insulation element further comprises an expandable material which is arranged between the side walls and arranged on the two sides of the middle wall. And at least one securing element disposed both through the carrier and through the expandable material and substantially perpendicular to the intermediate wall of the carrier.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an insulation element for insulating a component in a motor vehicle and to a method for producing such an insulation element. Background Art

[0002] In many cases, components, such as bodies and / or frames of vehicles and conveyances, in particular water or land or air vehicles, have structures with cavities in order to achieve a lightweight structure. However, these cavities cause various problems. Depending on the type of cavity, it must be sealed to prevent the ingress of moisture and dirt, which can lead to corrosion of the component. It is often also desirable to significantly strengthen the cavity and therefore the component, but keep the weight low. It is often also necessary to stabilize the cavity and therefore the component in order to reduce noise that would otherwise be transmitted along or through the cavity. Many of these cavities have irregular shapes or narrow dimensions, making them difficult to seal, strengthen and damp correctly.

[0003] Therefore, in particular in automobile construction and in aircraft and boat construction, sealing elements (English: baffles) are used to seal and / or acoustically isolate cavities, or reinforcing elements (English: reinforcers) are used to reinforce cavities.

[0004] exist Figure 1 Schematically, the body of a motor vehicle is shown in FIG. The body 10 has different structures with cavities, such as columns 14 and beams or support bodies 12. Such structural elements 12, 14 with cavities are usually sealed or reinforced with insulating and / or reinforcing elements 16. These elements 16 are usually produced using a two-component injection molding method.

[0005] A disadvantage of the sealing and / or reinforcing elements known to date is that individually adapted elements must be produced for each body shape and each body cavity, so that a new injection mold is required for each application. This leads to high development and production costs and is disadvantageous in particular in smaller vehicle series.

[0006] For this reason, sealing elements that are not produced using the two-component injection molding method have already been proposed. For example, WO 2016 / 176459 A1 discloses a method in which an activatable material is extruded onto a carrier. However, this solution has the disadvantage that the activatable material often expands in an undesirable manner or does not expand in a targeted manner, and the connection between the carrier and the activatable material is often not sufficiently strong. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved insulating element for insulating components in motor vehicles which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and which should offer economic advantages, in particular in small series production, and should reduce the development and production costs of the insulating element overall and should allow targeted and efficient expansion of activatable materials.

[0008] This object is firstly achieved by an insulating element for insulating a structural element in a motor vehicle, the insulating element comprising: a carrier having a middle wall, a first side wall and a second side wall, the walls of the carrier extending along a common longitudinal axis, and the carrier having an H-shaped cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, in which the first side wall and the second side wall are respectively arranged on one end of the middle wall; an expandable material, which is arranged both between the side walls and on both sides of the middle wall; and at least one fixing element, which passes through both the carrier and the expandable material and is arranged essentially perpendicular to the middle wall of the carrier.

[0009] The core idea of ​​the invention is in particular that, by shaping the carrier, on the one hand, the expandable material is better connected to the carrier, in that the side walls effectively prevent the expandable material from sliding sideways during expansion. On the other hand, the expansion direction is also more accurately defined by this shaping, in that the side walls guide the expandable material in the desired direction during expansion.

[0010] Another advantage of the carrier shape proposed here is that the side walls mechanically protect the expandable material. This is particularly important when transporting, storing or installing the insulation element.

[0011] The term "insulating element" or "insulating" or "insulating" includes within the scope of the invention elements or structures or method steps for isolating and / or sealing and / or insulating structural elements. These different characteristics of such insulating elements can occur individually or in combination with each other.

[0012] Insulation elements

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the intermediate wall has at least one penetration.

[0014] The advantage of this design of the intermediate wall is that the connection between the carrier and the expandable material is further improved by connecting the expandable materials on both sides of the intermediate wall through the through-holes, thereby generating a mechanical interlock between the expandable material and the carrier, so that the expandable material is less likely to fall off the carrier.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, the intermediate wall has a plurality of openings which are spaced apart from one another (in particular at regular intervals) in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment, the at least one aperture is circular, oval or elliptical.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the plurality of apertures is arranged substantially centrally on the intermediate wall along the longitudinal axis.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment, the side walls are designed in a mirror-symmetrical manner to one another.

[0019] The advantage of this design of the side wall is that the insulating element can be installed with the first side wall facing upwards and with the second side wall facing upwards without causing other expansion characteristics, thereby eliminating or reducing operating errors during installation.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the side walls have a substantially C-shaped or U-shaped cross section, the open sides of which are each oriented toward the other side wall.

[0021] The advantage of this embodiment is that the expandable material in the corner regions of the insulation element is also protected against mechanical influences and a targeted expansion vertically away from the intermediate wall is also possible.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the expandable material includes a first expandable material and a second expandable material, and the intermediate wall of the carrier is disposed between the first expandable material and the second expandable material.

[0023] In one exemplary embodiment, the first expandable material and the second expandable material consist of the same chemical composition.

[0024] In an alternative embodiment, the first expandable material and the second expandable material do not consist of the same chemical composition. In particular, the materials may differ in their expansion ratios.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, a cross-section of the first expandable material perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is smaller than a cross-section of the second expandable material perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

[0026] The advantage of this embodiment is that the expansion on the side of the insulation element facing away from the structural element to which it is fixed by the fixing element can be formed stronger than on the side facing the structural element. Therefore, the expandable material can be used more economically.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, the first expandable material and the second expandable material are connected to each other through the at least one through-portion.

[0028] The advantage of this embodiment is that the connection between carrier and expandable material can be further improved thereby.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment, the insulation element has at least two fastening elements for fastening the insulation element to the structural element.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one fastening element is designed as a nail with a barb.

[0031] Expandable materials

[0032] In principle, a variety of different materials can be used as expandable materials, which can be foamed. The material can have or not have reinforcing properties. Usually, expandable materials expand by heat, moisture or electromagnetic radiation.

[0033] Such expandable materials usually have chemical or physical blowing agents. Chemical blowing agents are organic or inorganic compounds that decompose under the influence of temperature, humidity or electromagnetic radiation, wherein at least one of the decomposition products is a gas. Physical blowing agents can be used, for example, compounds that convert into a gaseous aggregate state when the temperature rises. Thus, both chemical and physical blowing agents are able to produce foam structures in polymers.

[0034] Preferably, the expandable material is thermally foamed, using a chemical foaming agent. Suitable chemical foaming agents are, for example, azodicarbonamide, sulfonyl hydrazide, bicarbonate or carbonate. Suitable foaming agents can also be purchased from Akzo Nobel in the Netherlands under the trade name Expancel® or from Chemtura in the United States under the trade name Celogen®. The heat required for foaming can be introduced by an external heat source or an internal heat source, such as an exothermic chemical reaction. The foamable material can preferably be foamed at a temperature of ≤250°C, in particular 100°C to 250°C, preferably 120°C to 240°C, preferably 130°C to 230°C.

[0035] Suitable expandable materials are, for example, one-component epoxy resin systems that do not flow at room temperature, which especially have increased impact toughness and contain thixotropic agents, such as aerosols or nanoclays. Such epoxy resin systems, for example, contain 20 to 50% by weight of liquid epoxy resins, 0 to 30% by weight of solid epoxy resins, 5 to 30% by weight of toughness modifiers, 1 to 5% by weight of physical or chemical foaming agents, 10 to 40% by weight of fillers, 1 to 10% by weight of thixotropic agents and 2 to 10% by weight of heat-activated hardeners. Suitable toughness modifiers are reactive liquid rubbers, core-shell polymers and similar systems known to technicians based on nitrile rubber or polyether polyol polyurethane derivatives.

[0036] Likewise suitable expandable materials are one-component polyurethane compositions containing blowing agents, which are mixed with crystalline polyesters containing OH groups and other polyols, preferably polyether polyols, and polyisocyanates with blocked isocyanate groups. The melting point of the crystalline polyester should be ≥50° C. The isocyanate groups of the polyisocyanates can be blocked, for example, with nucleophiles such as caprolactam, phenol or benzoxazoline. In addition, blocked polyisocyanates, for example, such as are used in powder coating technology and are commercially available from Degussa GmbH, Germany, for example under the trade names Vestagon® BF 1350 and Vestagon® BF 1540, are also suitable. So-called encapsulated or surface-deactivated polyisocyanates known to the skilled person and described, for example, in EP 0 204 970 are also used as isocyanates.

[0037] Furthermore, two-component epoxy resin / polyurethane compositions containing a blowing agent, such as are described, for example, in WO 2005 / 080524 A1, are also suitable as expandable materials.

[0038] Furthermore, ethylene vinyl acetate compositions containing a blowing agent are also suitable as expandable materials.

[0039] Likewise suitable expandable materials are sold, for example, under the trade names SikaBaffle® 240, SikaBaffle® 250 or SikaBaffle® 255 by the American company Sika and are described in US 5,266,133 and US 5,373, 027. Such expandable materials are particularly preferred for the present invention.

[0040] A preferred expandable material with reinforcing properties is for example the material sold by the American company Sika under the trade name SikaReinforcer® 941. This material is described in US 6,387,470.

[0041] In an exemplary embodiment, the expandable material has an expansion ratio of 800% to 5000%, preferably 1000% to 4000%, more preferably 1500% to 3000%. The advantage of expandable materials with such expansion ratios is that reliable sealing or insulation of structural elements against liquids and sound can be achieved thereby.

[0042] In one exemplary embodiment, the expandable material is configured as a temperature inducing material.

[0043] This has the advantage that the oven can be used to bake the varnishing liquid in order to expand the expandable material and thus insulate the cavity. Therefore, no additional work steps are required.

[0044] Carrier

[0045] The carrier can be made of any material. Preferred materials are plastics, in particular polyurethanes, polyamides, polyesters and polyolefins, preferably high-temperature-resistant polymers such as polyphenylene ether, polysulfone or polyethersulfone, which are also in particular foamed; metals, in particular aluminum and steel; or grown organic materials, in particular wood or other (pressed) fiber materials or glassy materials or ceramic materials; in particular such foamed materials; or any combination of these materials. Particularly preferably, polyamides, in particular polyamide 6, polyamide 6,6, polyamide 11, polyamide 12 or mixtures thereof are used.

[0046] The carrier can be produced by different methods. In a first embodiment variant, the carrier is produced by an injection molding method. In a second embodiment variant, the carrier is produced by an extrusion method. In a third embodiment variant, the carrier is produced by an additive manufacturing method.

[0047] Manufacturing method

[0048] The task mentioned at the beginning is also solved by a method for manufacturing an insulating element for insulating a structural element in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: providing a carrier, the carrier having a middle wall, a first side wall and a second side wall, the walls of the carrier extending along a common longitudinal axis, and the carrier having an H-shaped cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, in which the first side wall and the second side wall are respectively arranged on one end of the middle wall; extruding a first expandable material onto a first side of the middle wall of the carrier; and extruding a second expandable material onto a second side of the middle wall of the carrier.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, the extrusion of the first expandable material and the extrusion of the second expandable material are performed simultaneously in a co-extrusion process.

[0050] The advantage of such a procedure is that the expandable material can thereby be arranged on the carrier in one working step.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment, the carrier is formed by extrusion.

[0052] An advantage of this method is that both the carrier and the expandable material are produced by extrusion, so that the entire insulation element can be produced in an efficient manner and in one production line.

[0053] In one exemplary embodiment, at least one aperture is punched into the intermediate wall of the carrier after the carrier has been shaped.

[0054] The advantage of this method is that it enables a connection of the expandable material through the intermediate wall, thereby improving the connection between the carrier and the expandable material.

[0055] In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing element is manually driven through the expandable material and through the intermediate wall of the carrier.

[0056] In an alternative embodiment, the fixing element is mechanically driven through the expandable material and through the intermediate wall of the carrier.

[0057] In one exemplary embodiment, the fastening element is guided through a breakthrough in a central wall of the carrier. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] The details and advantages of the present invention are described below with the aid of exemplary embodiments and with reference to the schematic drawings. The drawings are as follows:

[0059] Figure 1 An exemplary view showing a vehicle body;

[0060] Figure 2 a schematic diagram showing an exemplary insulation element; and

[0061] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing an exemplary vector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] exist Figure 2 , an insulation element 1 is shown schematically and exemplarily in a cross-sectional view. The insulation element 1 has a carrier 2, an expandable material 3 and a fixing element 4. The expandable material 3 comprises a first expandable material 3.1 and a second expandable material 3.2, which are arranged on both sides of a central wall of the carrier 2. The fixing element 4 is driven through the carrier 2 and the expandable material 3. In the installed state (not shown), the fixing element 4 is also inserted into a structural element of the vehicle body through an opening provided for this purpose.

[0063] exist Figure 3 Schematically and exemplarily, a carrier 2 is shown in FIG. The carrier 2 comprises an intermediate wall 2.1, a first side wall 2.2 and a second side wall 2.3. The side walls 2.2, 2.3 have a C-shaped or U-shaped cross section and are designed mirror-symmetrically to each other. The intermediate wall 2.1 has a plurality of circular through-holes 6. The walls 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 of the carrier 2 extend along a longitudinal axis 5. Here, these walls 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 form an H-shaped cross section in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 5.

[0064] Reference numerals list

[0065] 1 Insulation element

[0066] 2 carrier

[0067] 2.1 Middle wall

[0068] 2.2 First side wall

[0069] 2.3 Second side wall

[0070] 3. Expandable Materials

[0071] 3.1 The first expandable material

[0072] 3.2 Second expandable material

[0073] 4Fixing elements

[0074] 5 Longitudinal axis

[0075] 6Through

[0076] 10 Body

[0077] 12 Structural elements

[0078] 14 Structural elements

[0079] 16 Sealing or reinforcing elements

Claims

1. An insulating element (1) for insulating a structural element in a motor vehicle, the insulating element (1) comprising: - a carrier (2), the carrier having a middle wall (2.1), a first side wall (2.2) and a second side wall (2.3), the walls (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) of the carrier extending along a common longitudinal axis (5), and the carrier (2) having an H-shaped cross section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (5), in which the first side wall (2.2) and the second side wall (2.3) are respectively arranged on one end of the middle wall (2.1); - an expandable material (3), which is arranged between the side walls (2.2, 2.3) and on both sides of the middle wall (2.1); and - At least one fixing element (4) which passes through both the carrier (2) and the expandable material (3) and is arranged substantially perpendicular to the intermediate wall (2.1) of the carrier (2).

2. The insulation element (1) according to claim 1, wherein The intermediate wall (2.1) has at least one penetration (6).

3. The insulation element (1) according to claim 2, wherein: The intermediate wall (2.1) has a plurality of through-openings (6) which are spaced apart from one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis (5), in particular spaced apart from one another at regular intervals in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

4. The insulation element (1) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The at least one through-portion (6) is circular, oval or elliptical.

5. The insulation element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The side walls (2.2, 2.3) are designed in a mirror-symmetrical manner to one another.

6. The insulation element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The side walls (2.2, 2.3) have a substantially C-shaped or U-shaped cross section, the open sides of which are oriented towards each other side wall (2.2, 2.3).

7. The insulation element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The expandable material (3) comprises a first expandable material (3.1) and a second expandable material (3.2), and the intermediate wall (2.1) of the carrier (2) is arranged between the first expandable material (3.1) and the second expandable material (3.2).

8. The insulation element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The cross section of the first expandable material (3.1) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (5) is smaller than the cross section of the second expandable material (3.2) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (5).

9. The insulation element (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein: The first expandable material (3.1) and the second expandable material (3.2) are connected to each other through the at least one through-portion (6).

10. The insulation element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The insulating element (1) has at least two fixing elements (4) for fixing the insulating element (1) to a structural element, and / or at least one of the fixing elements (4) is designed as a nail with a barb.

11. Method for producing an insulation element (1) for insulating a component in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: A carrier (2) is provided, the carrier having a middle wall (2.1), a first side wall (2.2) and a second side wall (2.3), the walls (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) of the carrier extending along a common longitudinal axis (5), and the carrier (2) having an H-shaped cross section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (5), in which the first side wall (2.2) and the second side wall (2.3) are respectively arranged on one end of the middle wall (2.1); extruding a first expandable material (3.1) onto a first side of the intermediate wall (2.1) of the carrier (2); and A second expandable material (3.2) is extruded onto a second side of the intermediate wall (2.1) of the carrier (2).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The extrusion of the first expandable material (3.1) and the extrusion of the second expandable material (3.2) are carried out simultaneously in a co-extrusion process.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The carrier (2) is formed by extrusion and / or after the carrier (2) has been formed, at least one aperture (6) is punched into the intermediate wall (2.1) of the carrier (2).

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