Adhesive joint and adhesion process

Abstract

An adhesive joint of a first hollow profile to a second hollow profile, and a method of producing such an adhesive joint. The second hollow profile is surrounded in an overlapping region by the first hollow profile, and a core connected to the first hollow profile is arranged in the overlapping region inside the first hollow profile and the second hollow profile. An expandable structural adhesive is arranged between the core and the inner face of the second hollow profile.

Claims

1. An adhesive joint, comprising: a first hollow profile; a second hollow profile surrounded in an overlapping region by the first hollow profile, the second hollow profile having bores at the overlapping region; a core insert connected to the first hollow profile, and arranged in the overlapping region inside the first hollow profile and the second hollow profile; and an expandable structural adhesive moveable from a non-expanded state in which the expandable structural adhesive is arranged at an outer face of the core insert, to an expanded state in which the expandable structural adhesive is to pass through the bores, contact an inner face of the first hollow profile, and thereby connect the core insert, the first hollow profile and the second hollow profile to each other.

2. The adhesive joint of claim 1, wherein the core insert has a base body with a diameter that corresponds to an internal diameter of the first hollow profile.

3. The adhesive joint of claim 2, wherein the base body has a through-hole to permit a drainage of liquids.

4. The adhesive joint of claim 3, further comprising an expandable foam arranged on the base body, and which seals the through-hole in the base body.

5. The adhesive joint of claim 2, wherein the base body has spacer lugs which permit a predetermined vertical spacing between the second hollow profile and the base body.

6. The adhesive joint of claim 1, wherein the core insert has a neck with a diameter that is less than an internal diameter of the second hollow profile.

7. The adhesive joint of claim 6, wherein the neck extends parallel to the inner faces of the second hollow profile or tapers in a conical manner.

8. The adhesive joint of claim 6, wherein the first hollow profile, the second hollow profile, and the neck of the core insert have a same cross-sectional profile.

9. A method to produce an adhesive joint between a first hollow profile and a second hollow profile, the method comprising: applying an expandable structural adhesive to an outer face of a core insert; arranging the core insert in the first hollow profile to at least temporarily connect the core insert in the first hollow profile; arranging the second hollow profile in a free channel spatially between the core insert and the first hollow profile; and expanding the expandable structural adhesive from a non-expanded state on the core insert, to an expanded state in which the expandable structural adhesive is to pass through bores in the second hollow profile, contact an inner face of the first hollow profile, and thereby connect the core insert, the first hollow profile, and the second hollow profile to each other.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the expandable structural adhesive is expanded via a thermal process.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the expandable structural adhesive is expanded via a chemical reaction.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising, after arranging the core insert in the first hollow profile, and before expansion of the expanding structural adhesive, conducting a cathodic dip coating process on the core insert, the first hollow profile, and the second hollow profile.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the core insert has a base body with a diameter that corresponds to an internal diameter of the first hollow profile.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, applying an expandable foam to the base body, and then expanding the expandable foam, after arranging the core insert in the first hollow profile.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising, applying an expandable foam to the base body, and then expanding the expandable foam, after arranging the core insert in the first hollow profile.

16. A joint, comprising: a first hollow profile; a second hollow profile configured for insertion in the first hollow profile to define an overlapping region and a first space between the first hollow profile and the second hollow profile, the second hollow profile having bores at the overlapping region; a core insert arranged in the second hollow profile too define a second space between the core insert and the second hollow profile; and an adhesive, configured for application to an outer face of the core insert, and which is moveable from a non-expanded state at the core insert, to an expanded state to pass through the bores, fill the first space and the second space, contact an inner face of the first hollow profile, and thereby connect the core insert, the first hollow profile, and the second hollow profile to each other.

17. The adhesive joint of claim 16, wherein the core insert has a base body with a diameter that corresponds to an internal diameter of the first hollow profile.

18. The joint of claim 16, further comprising an expandable foam, which is expandable from a non-expanded state on the base body, to an expanded state to extend through a central opening of the base body, on an upper face of the base body, and the inner face of the first hollow profile.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments will be illustrated by way of example in the drawings and explained in the description below.

(2) FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) illustrate a side, sectional view of an adhesive joint and a top view corresponding to the section A-A before expansion of the structural adhesive.

(3) FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) illustrate a side, sectional view of an adhesive joint and top view corresponding to the section A-A after expansion of the structural adhesive.

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed view of the adhesive joint of FIG. 1(a) at the region around the bores, in accordance with embodiments.

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed view of the adhesive joint of FIG. 2(a) at the region around the bores, in accordance with embodiments.

(6) FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) illustrate a side, sectional view of an adhesive joint and a top view corresponding to the section A-A, with an expanding foam before the expansion of the structural adhesive and the expanding foam, in accordance with embodiments.

(7) FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) illustrate a side, sectional view of an adhesive joint and a top view corresponding to the section A-A, with an expanding foam after the expansion of the structural adhesive and the expanding foam, in accordance with embodiments.

(8) FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) illustrate a side, sectional view of an adhesive joint (with rectangular profiles) and a top view corresponding to the section A-A before expansion of the structural adhesive, in accordance with embodiments.

(9) FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) illustrate a side, sectional view of an adhesive joint (with rectangular profiles) and a top view corresponding to the section A-A after expansion of the structural adhesive, in accordance with embodiments.

(10) FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) illustrate a side, sectional view of an adhesive joint corresponding to the section A-A and a plan view, in accordance with embodiments.

(11) FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of the adhesive joint of FIG. 9(a).

(12) FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of a core, in accordance with embodiments.

DESCRIPTION

(13) In FIGS. 1 and 2, an adhesive joint in accordance with embodiments of a first round hollow profile 1 to a second round hollow profile 2. The second hollow profile 2 is surrounded in an overlapping region by the first hollow profile 1, before the expansion of the structural adhesive 4 (FIG. 1) and after the expansion thereof (FIG. 2). In the overlapping region, inside the first hollow profile 1 and the second hollow profile 2, a core 3 is inserted into the first hollow profile 1. The structural adhesive 4, now in an expanding state, is arranged between the core 3 and the inner surface or face of the second hollow profile 2, the expanding structural adhesive 4 having been applied to the outer surface or face of the core 3.

(14) As illustrated in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the second hollow profile 2 has a plurality of bores 5 in the overlapping region so that the structural adhesive 4 in the expanded state swells up through the bores 5 so as to press against the inner face of the first hollow profile 1. Thus, the structural adhesive 4 is located both in an intermediate space between the outer hollow profile 1 and the inner hollow profile 2, and between the inner hollow profile 2 and the core 3, as well as in the bores 5 connecting the spaces.

(15) The core 3 has a base body 6 with a shape or cross-section that corresponds to the shape or cross-section of of the first hollow profile 1. The base body 6 also has a diameter that corresponds to the internal diameter of the first hollow profile 1. Thus, the base body 6 substantially forms a flat disk and serves to secure the core 3 in the outer hollow profile 1. The base body 6 has a through-hole 7 which, in particular, serves to permit draining of liquids from the component. Thus, liquids which have been introduced by cathodic dip coating, for example, may be drained before, during and after producing the adhesive joint.

(16) The core 3 additionally has a neck 10 that extends from the base body 6. The neck 10 has a diameter that is less than the internal diameter of the second hollow profile 2. The neck 10 extends parallel to the inner faces of the second hollow profile 2. The first hollow profile 1, the second hollow profile 2 and the core 3 and/or the neck 10 of the core 3, therefore, form concentric circles spaced apart from one another, in which in each case intermediate spaces are filled up between the circles by expanding structural adhesive 4 (FIG. 2(b)).

(17) The base body 6 of the core 3 has spacer lugs 9 in order to ensure a predetermined vertical spacing between the second hollow profile 2 and the base body 6 which may also be filled up with structural adhesive 4. The position of the spacer lugs is particularly clearly visible in FIG. 11.

(18) As illustrated by arrows in FIG. 3, the expanding structural adhesive 4 enters through the bores 5 into the intermediate space between the second hollow profile 2 and the first hollow profile 1, and fills up said intermediate space (FIG. 4).

(19) As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, an expanding foam 8 is arranged on the base body 6 of the core 3. The expanding foam 8, which has been originally applied to the lower face of the base body 6, passes during the expansion thereof, through a central opening of the base body 6 and extends onto the upper face of the base body 6. The expanding foam 8 is located both on the core 3 and on the inner face of the first hollow profile 1. The expanding foam 8 in the expanded state also seals the through-hole in the base body 6.

(20) FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate an embodiment with rectangular profiles for the first hollow profile 1, the second hollow profile 2, and the neck 10 of the core 3.

(21) As illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 11, an adhesive joint in accordance with embodiments is provided in which the first hollow profile 1 is part of an all-encompassing component which forms a plurality of channels. The core 3 and/or the base surface 6 thereof have projections which extend downwardly and which bear against the inner faces of the first hollow profile 1. The core 3, when the structural adhesive 4 has been applied, is illustrated three-dimensionally in FIG. 11.

(22) The term coupled or connected may be used herein to refer to any type of relationship, direct or indirect, between the components in question, and may apply to electrical, mechanical, fluid, optical, electromagnetic, electromechanical or other connections. In addition, the terms first, second, etc. are used herein only to facilitate discussion, and carry no particular temporal or chronological significance unless otherwise indicated.

(23) Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad techniques of the embodiments may be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while the embodiments have been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the embodiments should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification, and following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(24) 1 First hollow profile 2 Second hollow profile 3 Core 4 Structural adhesive 5 Bore 6 Base body 7 Through-hole 8 Expanding foam 9 Spacer lug 10 Neck