| 摘要 |
<p>A thermally flowable sealant (10) for sealing floor pan cavities (73) of motor vehicles is provided. The sealant (10) is vacuum-formed from a thermoplastic material utilizing a mold configured to provide a sealant (10) whose overall size and shape corresponds to that of the cavity (73) to be sealed. The formed sealant (10) is flexible and has a high tensile strength and a viscosity of at least about 2 x 104 cP when heated to a temperature of about 325 °F. In use, the sealant (10) is disposed within the subject cavity (73) where it is maintained by gravity during the various stages of the manufacturing process. When the sealant (10) is exposed to heat (e.g., such as during the powder bake stage of the automobile manufacturing process), it begins to flow under the force of gravity and in some embodiments moderately expand into the various crevices of the floor pan (71) structure forming the cavity (73) so as to seal the cavity (73).</p> |
