| US 7,479,246 B2 | ||
| Overmoulding | ||
| Stehane Muteau, Molsheim (France); and Philippe Fahrner, Molsheim (France) | ||
| Assigned to Zephyros, Inc., Romeo, Mich. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 14, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/152,007. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 0413809.5 (GB), filed on Jun. 21, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0008615 A1, Jan. 12, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. B29C 45/14 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 264—273 [264/218; 264/225; 264/274; 264/319] | 20 Claims |

| 1. A moulding process, comprising:
injection molding an article from a thermoplastic material selected from polyamide or polypropylene, wherein:
i) the article includes channels and one or more traverse holes passing through the article;
ii) the channels are provided on the surface of the article and the channels are defined by the surface of the article and
spaced apart side walls;
iii) the article has a lattice or honeycomb structure with a plurality of interconnecting locations and at least one of the
one or more holes is located at least one of the interconnecting locations;
iv) at least one of the one or more holes passes transversely through the article from one side of the article to another
side of the article;
v) the article has a plurality of spaced apart external surfaces that are separated by open areas and are interconnected at
the interconnecting locations; and
vi) the article includes clips for attachment to an interior wall of the structure to be reinforced prior to activating the
material;
injection overmoulding the material as a layer over part of the surface of an article onto the spaced apart external surfaces
within the mould for forming a moulding as a reinforcement member, wherein:
i) the material is heat activated structural foamable material;
ii) the channels guide the heat activated structural foamable material that is injected to areas of the surface of the article
where the heat activated structural foamable material is to be located;
iii) the one or more holes passing through the article enable the heat activated structural foamable material being injected
to pass through the article to the side remote from a position at which the heat activated structural foamable material is
injected into the mould wherein the heat activated structural foamable material is then guided through the channels over a
substantial portion of the surface of the article while avoiding flow of the heat activated structural foamable material over
other portions of the surface of the article;
iv) the moulding is a baffle or reinforcement configured for an automobile;
v) the injection overmoulding operation employs a single injection point
vi) the other portions of the surface of the article are adjacent the channels;
vii) the article is provided as a high strength plastic moulding;
viii) the reinforcement member has an exterior shape that varies along a length of the reinforcement member as the dimensions
of the cross section of the structure change such that the reinforcement member substantially conforms to the cross section
of the structure that the reinforcement member is designed to reinforce;
ix) the size of the reinforcing member including the heat activated structural foamable material is such that there is a small
clearance between the extremity of the reinforcing member and the interior walls of the structure to be reinforced so that
upon foaming of the heat activated structural foamable material, the heat activated structural foamable material adheres to
the interior walls of the structure to be reinforced;
x) the interconnecting locations are defined by walls defining a interconnecting channel for flow of the heat activated structural
foamable material and wherein the interconnecting channel is provided with a hole passing from one side of the article through
to the other side of the article; and
xi) the one or more transverse holes being filled with the heat activated structural foamable material to form transverse
reinforcing rods.
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