Anti-flutter Baffle With Thermal Expansion Sealant
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The transportation industry faces challenges with vibration and read-through issues due to the use of thinner materials and the need to connect dissimilar materials, which are not adequately addressed by existing baffling and sealing methods.
Innovation Solution
A baffle assembly comprising a carrier with a resinous sealant that expands thermally, a rim portion free of sealant, and fasteners to secure internal and external vehicle components, minimizing vibration and read-through by using a polymeric material that can be activated by heat to expand and seal cavities effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If thinner materials are used for light-weighting, then weight is reduced, but vibration and read-through issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The baffle is divided into distinct functional segments: a rigid carrier structure for mechanical support and attachment, and a separate resinous sealant layer for vibration damping and sealing. This segmentation allows each part to optimize its specific function while working together to solve the overall problem of vibration control in thin panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite construction by combining a rigid carrier (made from materials like metal or rigid plastic) with a resinous sealant material that has viscoelastic properties. This composite structure leverages the strengths of each material: the carrier provides structural integrity while the resinous material provides vibration damping, achieving both light-weighting and vibration reduction.
2Ease of manufacture
If dissimilar materials are connected to reduce weight, then material efficiency is improved, but attachment reliability and vibration control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The resinous sealant material serves as an intermediary between dissimilar materials (e.g., metal panels and plastic components). This intermediary layer provides adhesive bonding while simultaneously offering viscoelastic damping properties that reduce vibration and prevent read-through, solving both attachment reliability and vibration control issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes parameter changes in the resinous sealant material, specifically its viscoelastic properties that allow it to change from a relatively rigid state during attachment to a more compliant state under vibration, thereby maintaining strong bonds between dissimilar materials while damping vibrations effectively.
3Reliability
If sealant is applied to the rim portion, then sealing is improved, but fastener functionality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies sealant only to specific local areas of the carrier - specifically the interior portion where sealing is needed - while deliberately leaving the rim portion free of sealant. This localized application ensures that fasteners can be installed through the rim without interference from sealant material, while still achieving effective sealing in the interior portion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The baffle assembly effectively reduces vibration and read-through in transportation vehicles by providing a secure and sealed connection between dissimilar materials, enhancing the structural integrity and reducing the negative effects of lightweighting efforts.
Implementation Method 1
a resinous sealant that includes a polymer that is adapted for thermal expansion upon activation by heat
Implementation Method 2
The resinous material may be such that it can be melted for injection molding at a first temperature, and thereafter be activated by heating at an activation temperature above the first temperature for causing it to expand
Data Source
AI summary
A baffle assembly for use in a transportation vehicle, comprising a carrier including an interior portion that includes a plurality of walls extending upward, a rim portion that extends to substantially surround the interior portion and a fastener that extends upward from the rim portion in the same direction as the plurality of walls. The baffle also includes a resinous sealant that includes a polymer that is adapted for thermal expansion upon activation by heat that is located on at least a portion of the interior portion wherein the rim portion is substantially free of any sealant.