U.S. patent application number 10/934395 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-17 for filling structure.
This patent application is currently assigned to Honda Motor Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Ishikawa, Ryoichi, Shibata, Katsuhiro, Ueki, Mitsuhiko.
Application Number | 20050058787 10/934395 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34269977 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050058787 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ishikawa, Ryoichi ; et
al. |
March 17, 2005 |
Filling structure
Abstract
A filling structure 10 is a structure in which a filling
material 12 having a higher impact energy absorbing performance is
inserted into the inner part of a hollow member 11, and the filling
material 12 so inserted is fixed to the hollow member 11 with an
adhesive layer 13 resulting when the filling material 12 is heated
to expand and is cooled to set thereafter.
Inventors: |
Ishikawa, Ryoichi; (Saitama,
JP) ; Shibata, Katsuhiro; (Saitama, JP) ;
Ueki, Mitsuhiko; (Saitama, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARENT FOX KINTNER PLOTKIN & KAHN, PLLC
Suite 600
1050 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington
DC
20036-5339
US
|
Assignee: |
Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
34269977 |
Appl. No.: |
10/934395 |
Filed: |
September 7, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/34.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C08L 63/00 20130101;
C08L 75/04 20130101; C09J 2475/00 20130101; C09J 2463/00 20130101;
C09J 5/08 20130101; B60R 2019/1813 20130101; B60R 19/18 20130101;
B62D 29/002 20130101; Y10T 428/13 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/034.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 12, 2003 |
JP |
P. 2003-322053 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A filling structure comprising a hollow member and a filling
material filled in the inner part of the hollow member, the filling
material having a higher impact energy absorbing performance,
wherein the filling material is fixed to the hollow member with an
adhesive having a property that the adhesive expands when
heated.
2. A filling structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the
adhesive has a property such that the adhesive melts and expands by
being heated for 10 to 30 minutes at a temperature of 140.degree.
C. to 190.degree. C., and cured after cooling.
3. A filling structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the
adhesive has a property that the adhesive expands in volume by at
least 10% in the process of melting, expanding and curing.
4. A filling structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the
adhesive is a sheet-like adhesive.
5. A filling structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heating
of the adhesive is attained using drying heat applied after
electro-deposition coating.
6. A filling structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the
adhesive is a sheet-like adhesive.
7. A filling structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the heating
of the adhesive is attained using drying heat applied after
electro-deposition coating.
8. A filling structure as set forth in claim 3, wherein the
adhesive is a sheet-like adhesive.
9. A filling structure as set forth in claim 3, wherein the heating
of the adhesive is attained using drying heat applied after
electro-deposition coating.
10. A filling structure as set forth in claim 4, wherein the
heating of the adhesive is attained using drying heat applied after
electro-deposition coating.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a filling structure which
is preferable for application to a vehicle body frame, in
particular, to a bumper, a front side member and a pillar.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In recent years, there have been made attempts to improve
the collision energy absorbing performance at the location of a
certain vehicle body structural member by filling a material having
a superior energy absorbing performance in the inner part of the
structural member such as disclosed in JP-A-8-164869
[0005] The patent literature of JP-A-8-164869 discloses a technique
described in its paragraph [0015] such as to state, "according to
an embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an impact absorbing frame member 5
made up of the frame portion 51 constituted by an angular pipe
stock and an expanded aluminum 52 filled in the inner part thereof
is constructed by adding predetermined amounts of a thickener and
an expanding agent to a molten aluminum or molten aluminum alloy to
be stirred together, and thus produced mixture is put into the
inner part of the frame portion 51 for expansion. ".
[0006] As for a joint condition between the frame portion 51 and
the expanded aluminum 52, it depends on the expansion force of the
expanded aluminum 52. However, since the expanded aluminum 52 is
formed with a porous structure, lots of pores exist in the surface
thereof. Therefore, when the force is applied thereto, the surface
tends to be damaged, and the joining force is decreased, whereby a
gap might be formed between the frame portion 5 and the expanded
aluminum 52 after a long time period of use.
[0007] Namely, according to the structure thereof, any mechanical
bonding of the expanded aluminum 52 to the frame member 51 cannot
be secured to be achieved.
[0008] In addition, snow-melting salt is distributed as a counter
measure against the freezing road surface in cold regions. Under
such an environment or a corrosion environment where the water
containing the snow-melting salt penetrates between the filling
material and the hollow member, there is a possibility that
corrosion might occur in the sheet-steel member where said
corrosion propagates from the inner part of the member, which ends
up being an open hole rust, unless any appropriate corrosion
protection treatment, such as formation treatment, or
electro-deposition coating, is applied to the sheet steel member,
specifically, to the hollow member thereof.
[0009] Furthermore, there is also a possibility that a galvanic
corrosion might be made due to the contact of a non-treated sheet
steel with an aluminum filling material a serious functional
deterioration might occur in the aluminum filling material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] It is an object of this invention to provide a filling
structure which allows a filling material such as expanded aluminum
to be bonded rigidly to a hollow member whereby secures corrosion
resistance thereof.
[0011] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is
provided a filling structure comprising a hollow member and a
filling material filled in the inner part of the hollow member, the
filling material having a higher impact energy absorbing
performance, wherein the filling material is fixed to the hollow
member with an adhesive having a property that the adhesive expands
when heated.
[0012] When used herein, the adhesive denotes polymer resins having
adhesion properties, and among them, an epoxy adhesive and a
urethane adhesive are taken for example.
[0013] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is
provided a filling structure as set forth in the first aspect of
the invention, wherein the adhesive has such a property that the
adhesive melts and expands by heating for 10 to 30 minutes at a
temperature of 140.degree. C. to 190.degree. C., and said adhesive
is cured after cooling treatment.
[0014] In a case where the heating of the adhesive and the drying
of an electro-deposition coating film are carried out
simultaneously in parallel, it is insufficient for said coating
film to be properly dried in the event that the heating is
implemented at a temperature of lower than 140.degree. C. or for a
time period being less than 10 minutes. On the other hand,
temperature of higher than 190.degree. C. is not preferable since
such a higher temperature may change the quality of the coating
film. Further more, in the event that a required time for drying
becomes longer than 30 minutes, productivity of the film comes to
be decreased.
[0015] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is
provided a filling structure as set forth in the second aspect of
the invention, wherein the adhesive has a property that the
adhesive expands in volume by at least 10% in the process of
melting, expanding and curing.
[0016] In the event that the coefficient of volume expansion is
less than 10%, a gap becomes too small at a stage where the filling
material with the adhesive is inserted into the hollow member, and
hence the insertion becomes difficult, decreasing the working
efficiency. Then, it becomes important to secure an appropriate
amount of gap by increasing the volume expansion coefficient.
[0017] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is
provided a filling structure as set forth in the first, second or
third aspect of the invention, wherein the adhesive is a sheet-like
adhesive.
[0018] According to the first aspect of the invention, the filling
material is fixed to the hollow member using the adhesive which
expands when heated. The adhesive firmly sticks to the surface of
the filling material in the process of expansion. Even if there are
a number of pores in the surface of the filling material, the
adhesive is joined properly to the filling material. Similarly, the
adhesive firmly sticks to an inner part surface of the hollow
member in the process of expansion. Even if the inner part surface
of the hollow member is irregular, the adhesive is joined properly
to the hollow member.
[0019] As result, the filling material can be fixed rigidly to the
hollow member.
[0020] According to the second aspect of the invention, since the
adhesive is adopted which has the property that the adhesive melts
and expands by being heated for 10 to 30 minutes at a temperature
of 140.degree. C. to 190.degree. C. and sets when cooled
thereafter, the adhesive is allowed to melt, expand and set in the
process of drying the coating film in a drying oven after the
electro-deposition coating. As a result, there is provided an
advantage that the process of the adhesive can be implemented by
making use of the existing drying oven without providing an
additional heating unit.
[0021] According to the third aspect of the invention, since the
adhesive is adopted which has the property that the adhesive
expands in volume by at least 10%, in a case where an adhesive is
additionally provided in a filling material, so that the filling
material is then inserted into a hollow member, a gap in a
sufficient size can be secured between the hollow member and the
filling material. As a result, a treatment liquid is allowed to
easily flow between the hollow member and the filling material
while a corrosion protection treatment is being carried out so as
to ensure the formation of a film to which the corrosion protection
treatment has been applied, thereby making it possible to secure
the corrosion resistance on the inner part surfaced of the hollow
member.
[0022] According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the
sheet-like adhesive is adopted, the handling of the adhesive
becomes easy, and a required size of adhesive can be affixed to a
required location on the filling material in an easy fashion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a filling structure
according to the invention.
[0024] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by
reference numeral 2 in FIG. 1.
[0025] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the manufacture of the
filling structure of the invention.
[0026] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a hollow member after a
filling material according to the invention has been inserted
thereinto.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] Hereinafter, a best mode for carrying out the invention will
be described based on the accompanying drawings.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a filling structure
according to the invention, and a filling structure 10 is a
structure in which a filling material 12 having a higher impact
energy absorbing performance is inserted into the inner part of a
hollow member 11 whose inner part surface is provided with a layer
to which a corrosion protection treatment is applied, and the
filling material 12 is fixed to the hollow member 11 with an
adhesive layer 13 which results when the filling material 12
expands by being heated and sets thereafter.
[0029] The hollow member 11 is an extruded material produced by
extruding a metallic ingot, a pressed product obtained by applying
a plastic working on a sheet metal with a pressing machine, or a
tubular member obtained in other manufacturing methods. An aluminum
alloy, zinc alloy, iron alloy or other materials can be adopted as
a metal for the sheet metal.
[0030] An expanded aluminum having a bulk density of in the order
of 0.6 g/cm.sup.3 is preferred for use for the filling material
12.
[0031] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by
reference numeral 2 in FIG. 1. Since the bulk density of the
filling material 12 is in the order of in the order of 0.6
g/cm.sup.3, the ratio of void pores 14 is extremely large. Due to
this, there exist a number of cavities 15 . . . in the surface of
the filling member 12. The adhesive layer 13 enters these cavities
15 via the normal corrosion protection treated layer 11a and is
then joined to the filling material 12 rigidly.
[0032] In addition, while, in the event that the hollow member is
an extruded material, there is provided a high flatness, in the
event that the hollow member is produced using the other methods,
minute recessed portions 16 are likely to be generated. These
recessed portions 16 enter the adhesive layer 13, and the adhesive
layer 13 sticks firmly to the hollow member 11.
[0033] As a result, the filling material 12 can be fixed to the
hollow member 11 rigidly by virtue of the existence of the adhesive
layer.
[0034] Next, a method for manufacturing the filled structural
member that is constructed as has been described heretofore will be
described below.
[0035] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the manufacture of the
filled structural member according to the invention.
[0036] In FIG. 3A, the hollow member 11 is prepared. The hollow
member 11 is, for example, an extruded material of aluminum alloy
whose thickness is 1.7 mm (A6063-T5).
[0037] In FIG. 3B, the filling material 12 is prepared.
[0038] In FIG. 3C, sheet-like adhesives 17 . . . are affixed to the
filling material 12.
[0039] The sheet-like adhesive 17 is such as to have a property
that the adhesive melts and expands when heated for 10 to 30
minutes at 140.degree. C. to 190.degree. C. and sets when cooled
thereafter, and the High-modulus Melt Seal Tape No. 5231 (a trade
name) can be adopted therefor.
[0040] In FIG. 3D, the filling material 12 with the sheet-like
adhesive 17 is inserted into the hollow member 11. A
cross-sectional view will be shown next of the hollow member 11
resulting after the filling material 12 with the sheet-like
adhesives 17 has been inserted thereinto.
[0041] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the hollow member after
the filling material has been inserted thereinto, and while there
has been provided no description of this, cross-sectional
dimensions of the hollow member 11 and the filling material 12 and
the thickness of the sheet-like adhesive 17 are determined such
that a gap 18 is allowed to exist between the sheet-like adhesives
17 and the inner part surface of the hollow member 11.
[0042] It can be said that since the gap 18 so exists, the easy
insertion of the filling material 12 with the sheet-like adhesives
17 into the hollow member was attained.
[0043] Note that it is desirable to temporarily fasten the filling
material 12 with temporal fastening bolts 19, 19 in order to
maintain the gap 18.
[0044] Although not shown, the hollow member 11 and the like in
this state are then loaded in the corrosion protection treatment
process for application of a corrosion protection treatment
thereto. As this occurs, since a corrosion protection fluid passes
through the gap 18, a corrosion protection treatment can be applied
uniformly to the exterior and inner part surfaces of the hollow
member 11.
[0045] If needed, coating (in the event that the electrode position
coating was effected as a prime coating, then for an intermediate
coating and/or a finish coating) is applied to the hollow member
11.
[0046] Then, the hollow member 11 is put in the drying oven so as
to be heated for 10 to 30 minutes at the temperature of 140.degree.
C. to 190.degree. C. By this heating, the coating film is dried to
set and the sheet-like adhesive 17 melts and expands, and the
sheet-like adhesive 17 is then allowed to set when cooled
thereafter. The volume of the sheet-like adhesive 17 expands by 10%
or more so as to fill the gap 18.
[0047] The filling structure 10 shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained by
removing the temporal fastening bolts 19, 19 after the cooling has
been completed.
[0048] Note that while the filling structure according to the
invention is preferred for application to vehicle body frames such
as vehicular bumpers, front side beams, pillars and the like, the
application thereof is not limited thereto.
[0049] In addition, according to the first aspect of the invention,
the type of the adhesive (melting temperature, expansion
coefficient, liquid/sheet) can be set arbitrarily.
[0050] According to the second embodiment, the adhesive may be in
the form of liquid or solid, and in the event of solid, the
adhesive may be in the form of sheet or powder.
[0051] The filling structure according to the invention is
preferred for application to the body frames of the vehicle.
* * * * *