Reinforcing element

Abstract

A reinforcing element for reinforcing structural elements in vehicles includes: a support having at least one reservoir, which has an outlet opening; an adhesive, which is arranged in the reservoir; and a dispensing element having a separating element and a propulsion element; wherein, when the propulsion element is actuated, the separating element is moved through the reservoir, with the result that the adhesive is dispensed from the reservoir through the outlet opening.

Claims

1. A reinforcing element for reinforcing structural elements in vehicles, said reinforcing element comprising: a support having at least one reservoir, wherein the reservoir has at least one outlet opening; an adhesive, which is arranged in the reservoir; at least one expandable element, which is arranged on the support; and at least one dispensing element having a separating element and a propulsion element, wherein the separating element is arranged in the reservoir and separates the adhesive from the propulsion element, and wherein the separating element is arranged substantially opposite the outlet opening; wherein, when the propulsion element is actuated, the separating element is moved through the reservoir, with the result that the adhesive is dispensed from the reservoir through the outlet opening.

2. The reinforcing element according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir is arranged in an interior of the support, and/or wherein a direction of movement of the separating element is orthogonal with respect to a longitudinal axis of the support.

3. The reinforcing element according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir has a substantially constant cross section along the direction of movement of the separating element.

4. The reinforcing element according to claim 3, wherein the constant cross section of the reservoir is square or rectangular or polygonal or oval or round or irregularly shaped.

5. The reinforcing element according to claim 1, wherein the separating element is flexible, and/or wherein the separating element is designed as a film.

6. The reinforcing element according to claim 1, wherein the separating element is rigid, and/or wherein the separating element is formed from plastic, and/or wherein the separating element is substantially flat.

7. The reinforcing element according to claim 1, wherein the propulsion element comprises expandable material.

8. The reinforcing element according to claim 7, wherein the expandable material has an expansion rate of at least 500% or of at least 1000% or of at least 1500% or of at least 2000%.

9. The reinforcing element according to claim 1, wherein the propulsion element comprises a compression spring.

10. The reinforcing element according to claim 1, wherein the propulsion element comprises a shape memory material.

11. The reinforcing element according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive when activated is substantially non-expandable.

12. The reinforcing element according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is configured as injection-mouldable material.

13. The reinforcing element according to claim 1, wherein the expandable element is arranged in such a way that a flowing motion of the adhesive is restricted by expansion of the expandable element.

14. A system of a reinforced structural element comprising a structural element having a cavity; and a reinforcing element according to claim 1; wherein the reinforcing element is arranged in the cavity of the structural element.

Description

(1) Details and advantages of the invention will be described below on the basis of exemplary embodiments and with reference to schematic drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary illustration of a body;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary illustration of a reinforcing element in a structural element according to the prior art;

(4) FIGS. 3a to 3e show schematic illustrations of an exemplary reinforcing element;

(5) FIGS. 4a and 4b show schematic illustrations of an exemplary system of a reinforced structural element;

(6) FIGS. 5a to 5d show schematic illustrations of an exemplary system of a reinforced reinforcing element; and

(7) FIGS. 6a to 6d show schematic illustrations of an exemplary system of a reinforced structural element.

(8) A first variant embodiment of a reinforcing element 16 or of a system 1 of a reinforced structural element 12, 14 is illustrated in FIGS. 3a to 4d. In this exemplary embodiment, an expandable material is used as a propulsion element 6.

(9) The support 11 is first of all illustrated in FIG. 3a. In this example, the support 11 has three reservoirs 2, which are arranged adjacent to one another along a longitudinal axis 15 of the support 11. Moreover, an expandable element 7 is arranged on the support 11.

(10) The same support 11 is then illustrated in FIG. 3b, although the reservoirs 2 are then filled with adhesive 3.

(11) In FIG. 3c, a separating element 5 is arranged on each reservoir 2 filled with adhesive 3. In FIG. 3d, the propulsion element 6, which in this exemplary embodiment comprises expandable material, is arranged on the separating elements 5. In this variant embodiment, the expandable material is distributed in a sheet-like manner over all three reservoirs 2.

(12) In FIG. 3e, the same reinforcing element 16 as in FIG. 3d is illustrated, but from a different angle of view. In this illustration, the outlet openings 8 of the reservoirs 2 are visible. The outlet openings 8 are each situated substantially opposite the separating elements 5, thus enabling the adhesive 3 to be dispensed through the outlet openings 8 by a movement of the separating elements 5 through the reservoirs 2.

(13) In FIGS. 4a and 4b, the reinforcing element 16 according to FIGS. 3d and 3e is arranged in a structural element 12, 14. In FIGS. 4a and 4b, the system 1 is shown in a sectional illustration. FIG. 4a shows the system 1 in a state before activation of the propulsion element, and FIG. 4b shows the system 1′ after activation of the propulsion element 6, i.e. with the activated propulsion element 6′. The separating element 5 and the propulsion element 6 together form the dispensing element 4.

(14) From these two illustrations in FIGS. 4a and 4b, it can be seen how the adhesive 3 is dispensed from the reservoir 2 by the dispensing element if the propulsion element 6 is activated and the separating element 5 is moved through the reservoir 2, with the result that the adhesive 3 is dispensed from the outlet openings 8 and brought into a region between the support 11 and the structural element 12, 14, where the adhesive 3 can bond the reinforcing element 16 adhesively to the structural element 12, 14.

(15) Another exemplary embodiment of a system 1 having a reinforcing element 16 in a structural element 12, 14 is illustrated in FIGS. 5a to 5d. In contrast to the illustrative embodiment shown in FIGS. 3a to 4d, the propulsion element 6 in this exemplary embodiment comprises compression springs.

(16) Another alternative exemplary embodiment of a system 1 and of a reinforcing element 16 in a structural element 12, 14 is illustrated in FIGS. 6a to 6d. In this exemplary embodiment, the propulsion element 6 comprises a shape memory material.

(17) In this specific exemplary embodiment, the shape memory material is designed as a shape memory wire, which is stretched over a movable hoop. If the temperature is then increased, the shape memory wire shortens, thereby moving the hoop downwards. The movement of the hoop also moves the separating elements 5 downwards, with the result that they perform a movement through the reservoir and thereby dispense the adhesive 3 from the reservoir 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(18) 1 System 2 Reservoir 3 Adhesive 4 Dispensing element 5 Separating element 6 Propulsion element 7 Expandable element 8 Outlet opening 10 Body 11 Support 12 Structural element 13 Expandable adhesive 14 Structural element 15 Longitudinal axis 16 Reinforcing element