DEVICE FOR REINFORCING, SEALING OR DAMPING A STRUCTURAL ELEMENT

Abstract

A device for reinforcing, sealing, or damping a structural element in a motor vehicle including a carrier, having a first lateral region and a second lateral region, and a first adhesive for connecting the carrier to the structural element. The first adhesive is arranged on the first lateral region of the carrier. The second lateral region of the carrier is designed in such a way that a second adhesive, which can be pumped or extruded onto the structural element or onto the second lateral region of the carrier, is supported by the second lateral region of the carrier during and/or after its activation.

Claims

1. A device for reinforcing, sealing or damping a structural element in a motor vehicle, comprising: a carrier having a first lateral region and a second lateral region; and a first adhesive for bonding the carrier to the structural element, wherein the first adhesive is arranged on the first lateral region of the carrier; wherein the second lateral region of the carrier is formed in such a way that a second adhesive, which can be pumped or extruded onto the structural element or onto the second lateral region of the carrier, is supported during and/or after the activation of said second adhesive by the second lateral region of the carrier.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first lateral region and the second lateral region of the carrier are arranged substantially opposite one another.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second lateral region has an extent in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the structural element of between 5 and 50 mm.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second lateral region has at least one projection, which projects away from the second lateral region.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the projection is in the form of an elongate rib.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the projection is arranged substantially at an edge of the second lateral region or substantially in a central region of the second lateral region.

7. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second lateral region has one or two or three or four or more than four projections.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier has at least one fastening element for the arrangement of the device in the structural element.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fastening element is arranged on the first lateral region of the carrier.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second lateral region does not have a fastening element.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first adhesive is an expandable adhesive.

12. A system for reinforcing, sealing or damping a structural element in a motor vehicle, the system comprising: a structural element; a device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is arranged in the structural element; and a second adhesive, which is pumped or extruded onto the structural element and/or onto the second lateral region of the carrier.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second adhesive is pumped or extruded onto the second lateral region or onto the structural element in the form of a bead or a plurality of beads.

14. A method for reinforcing, sealing or damping a structural element in a motor vehicle, the method comprising: providing a device as claimed in claim 1; arranging the device on a first constituent part of the structural element; arranging a second adhesive on the second lateral region of the carrier or on a second constituent part of the structural element; joining the first constituent part and the second constituent part of the structural element to form the structural element, wherein the device and the second adhesive are arranged substantially between the first constituent part and the second constituent part; and activating the first adhesive and the second adhesive.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second adhesive is arranged before or after the device is arranged on the first constituent part of the structural element.

Description

[0075] Details and advantages of the invention will be described below on the basis of exemplary embodiments and with reference to schematic drawings,

in which:

[0076] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary illustration of a vehicle body according to the prior art;

[0077] FIGS. 2a and 2b show schematic illustrations of an exemplary device according to the prior art; and

[0078] FIGS. 3a to 6b show schematic illustrations of exemplary systems for reinforcing, sealing or damping a structural element.

[0079] FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate, schematically and by way of example, different variants of a first system 1 for reinforcing, sealing or damping a structural element 12, 14. Here, a device 16 having a carrier 11 and a first adhesive 13.1 arranged on the carrier 11 is arranged in a structural element 12, 14. In this respect, the structural element 12, 14 comprises a first constituent part 12.1, 14.1 and a second constituent part 12.2, 14.2.

[0080] The device 16 is arranged on the first constituent part 12.1, 14.1 of the structural element 12, 14 by a fastening element 5.

[0081] The carrier 11 of the device 16 has a first lateral region 3 and a second lateral region 4. Here, the first lateral region 3 and the second lateral region 4 are arranged substantially opposite one another. The first adhesive 13.1 is arranged on the first lateral region 3 of the carrier. The second adhesive 13.2 is pumped or extruded onto the structural element 12, 14 (FIG. 3a) or onto the second lateral region 4 (FIG. 3b).

[0082] The system 1 is illustrated in a state prior to an activation of the adhesives 13.1, 13.2. In this exemplary embodiment, the two adhesives 13.1, 13.2 are in the form of expandable adhesives. The adhesives 13.1, 13.2 consequently expand during the activation thereof and as a result bridge a gap between the carrier 11 and the structural element 12, 14, with the result that, after the activation of the adhesives 13.1, 13.2, the carrier 11 is connected to the structural element 12, 14 by the adhesives 13.1, 13.2.

[0083] FIGS. 4a to 4c illustrate three variants of a further exemplary and schematically illustrated embodiment. By contrast to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 3a and 3b, a cavity in the structural element 12, 14 in FIGS. 4a to 4c has an elongate region which is difficult to access. As is clear from this exemplary embodiment, the solution proposed here is suitable in particular for also reaching such regions of structural elements that are difficult to access with the second adhesive 13.2.

[0084] In particular, here, the second adhesive 13.2 is applied in such a way that, in regions of joining points of the structural element 12, 14, the second adhesive 13.2 is in contact both with the first constituent part 12.1, 14.1 and with the second constituent part 12.2, 14.2 of the structural element 12, 14, before the second adhesive 13.2 is activated. The result of this is a particularly good sealing and/or reinforcement and/or damping of these regions of the structural element 12, 14 that are difficult to access.

[0085] FIGS. 5a to 5f illustrate, schematically and by way of example, cross sections of a variety of systems 1. It is shown schematically here that the second lateral region 4 of the carrier 11 can have different configurations. On the one hand, an extent of the second lateral region 4 in the longitudinal direction of the structural element 12, 14 can have different configurations. By way of example, this extent is thus smaller in FIG. 5a than in FIGS. 5b to 5f. On the other hand, the configuration of the second lateral region 4 can have different forms. By way of example, one or more projections 6 can be arranged on the second lateral region 4. In this case, these projections 6 can be arranged at an edge of the second lateral region (FIGS. 5c, 5d and 5e) or in a central region of the second lateral region 4 (FIG. 5f).

[0086] The projections 6 can in particular be in the form of elongate ribs.

[0087] It is clear in FIGS. 5a to 5f that the second lateral region 4 of the carrier 11 is configured and arranged in such a way that the second adhesive 13.2 is supported by the second lateral region 4 during and/or after the activation of said second adhesive.

[0088] FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate a further exemplary and schematically illustrated embodiment of a system 1 for reinforcing, sealing or damping a structural element. In this exemplary embodiment, the carrier 11 has a substantially double-walled cross section.

[0089] In FIG. 6a, the second adhesive 13.2 is pumped or extruded onto the structural element 12, 14. In FIG. 6b, the second adhesive 13.2 is pumped or extruded onto the second lateral region 4 of the carrier 11.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0090] 1 System [0091] 3 First lateral region [0092] 4 Second lateral region [0093] 5 Fastening element [0094] 6 Projection [0095] 10 Vehicle body [0096] 12 Carrier [0097] 12 Structural element [0098] 12.1 First constituent part [0099] 12.2 Second constituent part [0100] 13 Adhesive [0101] 13.1 First adhesive [0102] 13.2 Second adhesive [0103] 14 Structural element [0104] 14.1 First constituent part [0105] 14.2 Second constituent part [0106] 16 Device [0107] 21 Edge region