| 摘要 |
<p>An expandable baffle (16) for sealing a cavity (24) of an automobile (10) is provided. The baffle (16) includes a thermally expandable sealing material (18) which has an expansion temperature similar to the temperatures achieved in specific stages of the automotive manufacturing processes (e.g., the paint bake stage). The inventive baffle (16) further includes a support (20) for the sealing material (18) which maintains the material at the desired location within the cavity (24) until thermal expansion. The support (20) is formed of a material having a melting point higher than the thermal expansion temperature of the sealing material (18). In one embodiment, the support comprises a pair of solid, spaced-apart sidewalls (26a, 26b) that 'bow' upon expansion of the sealing material (46). In an alternate embodiment, the sidewalls (62a, 62b) include a plurality of openings (64) formed therein through which the sealing material (52) flows during thermal expansion. The inventive baffles (FIGS. 2, 5, 6) are useful for providing noise attenuation and for sealing the cavity (24) from moisture and contaminants while providing a limited degree of structural reinforcement.</p> |
