Bladder system for reinforcing a portion of a longitudinal structure

Abstract

A bladder system and method for reinforcing at least a portion of a structural member, including a flexible barrier member for dividing at least a portion of the structural member being reinforced into one or more sections; and a reinforcement material for filling one or more sections bounded by the flexible barrier member. The reinforcement material filling one or more sections of the structural member can be a pumpable polymeric material, and the flexible barrier member can be a polymeric material.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of reinforcing at least a portion of a structure of an automobile frame during initial assembly, the method comprising:
 providing a structure; 
 supporting a flexible barrier member along a portion of the an automobile frame structure during the initial assembly of the automobile for dividing the area of the structure into one or more sections; and 
 filling one or more of the sections of the structure with a thermally activated expandable polymeric reinforcement material, wherein the flexible barrier member retains the reinforcement material in a desired location and wherein the reinforcement material substantially assists in increasing the strength and stiffness of the structure. of reinforcement within the automobile frame; and 
 exposing the reinforcement material to an external heat source at a temperature ranging from approximately 93° C. to approximately 204° C. for thermally activating expansion of the reinforcement material, wherein the reinforcement material substantially assists in increasing the strength and stiffness of the automobile frame structure. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the flexible barrier member is a polymeric material. 
     
     
       3. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the flexible barrier member is an inflatable membrane. 
     
     
       4. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the flexible barrier member is fabricated of an adhesive material. 
     
     
       5. The method as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the inflatable membrane is inflated by filling the interior portion thereof with a reinforcement material. 
     
     
       6. The method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the inflatable membrane is inflated by filling the interior portion thereof with a pumpable substance. 
     
     
       7. The method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the reinforcement material filling the flexible barrier member is a heat activated material. 
     
     
       8. The method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the reinforcement material filling the flexible barrier member is cured by a change in ambient conditions. 
     
     
       9. The method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the reinforcement material filling the flexible barrier member comprises a multiplicity of pellets. 
     
     
       10. The method as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the inflatable membrane is inflated by filling the interior portion thereof with a gas or liquid substance. 
     
     
       11. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material filling one or more sections of the structure being reinforced is a pumpable material. 
     
     
       12. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material filling one or more sections of the structure being reinforced is a polymeric material. 
     
     
       13. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material filling one or more sections of the structure being reinforced is a heat activated material. 
     
     
       14. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement matter is a two component substance reactive at ambient conditions. 
     
     
       15. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material filling one or more sections of the structure being reinforced is cured by a change in ambient conditions. 
     
     
       16. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material filling one or more sections of the structure being reinforced is a multiplicity of pellets. 
     
     
       17. A method of reinforcing at least a portion of a hollow cavity, the method comprising:
 providing a structure defining a hollow cavity;   inserting a flexible barrier member within the cavity for dividing the cavity into one or more sections; and   filling one or more sections of the cavity with a reinforcement material wherein the reinforcement material substantially assists in increasing the strength and stiffness of the structure.   
     
     
       18. A bladder system for reinforcing at least a portion of a structural member, comprising:
 a flexible barrier member for dividing at least a portion of a structure to be reinforced into one or more sections; and   a reinforcement material for filling one or more sections bounded by the flexible barrier member, wherein the sections filled by the reinforcement material can be internal or external of the flexible barrier member and wherein the reinforcement material substantially assists in increasing the strength and stiffness of the structure.   
     
     
       19. A bladder system, as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the structure being reinforced is a portion of an automobile frame. 
     
     
       20. The bladder system as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the reinforcement material filling one or more sections of the longitudinal structure is a pumpable material. 
     
     
       21. The bladder system as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the flexible barrier member is a polymeric material. 
     
     
       22. A bladder system for reinforcing at least a portion of a structure having an open center, comprising:
 a flexible barrier member for dividing a cavity into one or more sections; and   a reinforcement material for filling one or more sections bounded by the flexible barrier member, wherein the reinforcement material substantially assists in increasing the strength and stiffness of the structure.   
     
     
       23. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible barrier includes perforations to allow a small portion of the reinforcement material to flow onto an exterior surface of the flexible barrier. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible barrier comprises a structural adhesive. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible barrier has an integrated neck portion. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 25, wherein the neck portion has an end portion for coupling the flexible barrier to a fluid pumping system for filling the interior of the flexible barrier. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible barrier has end portions joined by a center portion. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible barrier comprises two opposing movable end portions supported by a rod. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 1, further comprising securing the flexible barrier member in position by securing a neck portion of the flexible barrier member to an adjacent surface defining an opening in the frame structure with an adhesive. 
     
     
       30. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible barrier is coated with an adhesive material. 
     
     
       31. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible barrier includes an integrally formed neck as part of an end portion of the flexible barrier. 
     
     
       32. The method of claim 31, wherein the neck portion extends directionally along the length of the frame. 
     
     
       33. The method of claim 1, wherein, during the filling step, the thermally activated expandable polymeric reinforcement material is a liquid, and upon curing becomes a thermoset material. 
     
     
       34. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to curing, the thermally activated expandable polymeric reinforcement material is a pellet, and upon curing becomes a thermoset material. 
     
     
       35. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible barrier member includes two single flexible sheets spaced a distance apart. 
     
     
       36. A method of reinforcing at least a portion of a hollow cavity, the method comprising:
 inserting a flexible barrier member within a cavity of a structure for dividing the cavity into one or more sections, the flexible member including two movable end portions supported by a rod; and   filling one or more sections of the cavity with a pellet reinforcement material; and   curing the pellet reinforcement material to cause the movable end portions to slide along the rod in opposite directions, wherein the reinforcement material substantially assists in increasing the strength and stiffness of the structure.   
     
     
       37. A method of reinforcing at least a portion of a hollow cavity, the method comprising:
 inserting a flexible barrier member into a cavity of a structure from an open end of the structure;   inflating the flexible barrier member with a fluid under pressure;   filling one or more sections of the cavity with a thermally activated expandable polymeric reinforcement material; and   activating the thermally activated expandable polymeric reinforcement material to fill the cavity, wherein the reinforcement material substantially assists in increasing the strength and stiffness of the structure wherein:   (i) the filling step includes pumping thermally activated expandable polymeric reinforcement material into a neck portion of the flexible member that extends in the longitudinal direction of the structure; and   (ii) the fluid under pressure is introduced through another neck portion of the flexible barrier.   
     
     
       38. The method of claim 37, wherein the activating step includes exposing the reinforcement material to a temperature ranging from approximately 93° C. to approximately 204° C. for activating expansion of the reinforcement material and forming a structural foam, and wherein upon expansion the structural foam reinforcement material substantially assists in increasing the strength and stiffness of an automobile frame structure. 
     
     
       39. The method claim 1, wherein the flexible barrier member is formed of a polymeric material.