Air filled gasket

Abstract

A foam twin-sheet formed air filled gasket is provided. The foam sheets need not be covered with one or more layers of air impermeable materials before, during or after the twin-sheet forming process. Methods for manufacturing the air filled gaskets are also disclosed.

1 . An article of manufacture, comprising:
 a foam gasket including a first foam layer twin-sheeted to a second foam layer;   the first foam layer and the second foam layer including an air filled pocket encapsulated around a periphery of the air filled pocket by the first and the second foam layers.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the first foam layer comprises the same material as the second foam layer. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the first foam layer comprises a different material from the second foam layer. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first foam layer or the second foam layer comprises a closed cell cross-linked polyolefin foam. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first foam layer and the second foam layer comprises a sheet selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, and blends thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the gasket is free from additional layers of air-impermeable materials on outer surfaces of the first foam layer and the second foam layer. 
     
     
         7 . A method of manufacturing an air filled foam gasket, comprising:
 thermoforming a first foam sheet to a second foam sheet;   encapsulating air between the first and the second sheet to form a gasket having an air filled pocket with an initial shape formed during thermoforming; and   cooling the gasket following thermoforming such that the air filled pocket substantially maintains the initial shape.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein thermoforming comprises twin sheet processing. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first foam sheet comprises the same material as the second foam sheet. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first foam sheet comprises a different material from the second foam sheet. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first foam sheet or the second foam sheet comprises a closed cell cross-linked polyolefin foam. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first foam sheet and the second foam sheet comprises a sheet selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, and blends thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein cooling comprises allowing the gasket to cool from the temperatures used during thermoforming to room temperatures without fans or refrigeration. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein cooling comprises removing the gaskets from thermoforming equipment and exposing the gaskets to a temperature and a pressure of an indoor manufacturing environment for at least about one hour. 
     
     
         15 . A foam air filled gasket manufactured by removably securing a first thermoformable cross-linked foam sheet in a first frame;
 removably securing a second thermoformable cross-linked foam sheet in a second frame;   heating said first thermoformable cross-linked foam sheet and said second thermoformable cross-linked foam sheet in a tool mold; said tool mold including an upper mold tool and a lower mold tool, at least one of said upper and lower mold tools having an interior form conforming to a gap;   introducing a vacuum to said tool mold to conform the heated first thermoformable cross-linked foam sheet to said upper mold tool part interior form, and the second thermoformable foam sheet to the lower mold tool interior form;   thermoforming the first cross-linked foam sheet to the second cross linked foam sheet and encapsulating ambient air in said gap between the first and the second cross linked foam sheets to form a gasket having an air filled pocket therebetween with an initial shape formed during thermoforming; and   cooling the gasket following thermoforming such that the air filled pocket substantially maintains the initial shape.