Abstract:
A physical barrier for sealing an orifice in a panel member is presented. The physical barrier includes a carrier that has one or more locating pins mounted on it. The pins are adapted to locate the carrier in the orifice. The physical barrier also includes a sealing material attached to the carrier. Also included is a method of installing the physical barrier into an orifice of a panel member.

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/992,502, filed Nov. 19, 2001, now U. S. Pat. No. 6,691,468. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to devices and methods for sealing orifices in panel members. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Physical barriers are commonly used to seal orifices in certain objects, such as panel members in motor vehicles, buildings, household appliances, etc. These barriers normally are used to prevent physical materials, fluids, and gases, such as environmental contaminants, fumes, dirt, dust, moisture, water, etc., from passing through the orifice. For example, an automotive panel, such as a door panel, typically has several orifices in the sheet metal, which are created for various reasons during manufacturing. Further, various structural components of automobile bodies have a variety of orifices, hollow posts, cavities, passages and openings that can allow contaminants into the passenger compartment. These holes, orifices, and cavities are typically barricaded with duct tape, butyl-based plastic patches, and sealing plugs made from foam, rubber, or some other material. Another known physical barrier for cavities involves introducing a foam product or a fiberglass matting to fill in the cavity. 
   Known barriers, however, are unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons. Sealing plugs, which were a step forward over other barriers, utilize snap-fit clips to hold the plug in place, i.e., in an orifice of a panel member. However, snap-fit clips on a sealing plug, without more, are insufficient because the clips cannot produce a contaminant-tight seal between the plug and the panel member. To overcome this, a sealer material, such as compressible rubber, adhesive, caulk or mastic, has been used in combination with a carrier to form the sealing plug. The sealer material may create a contaminant-tight seal between the carrier and the panel member. 
   With the introduction of the sealer material, however, new drawbacks arise. Often the sealer material needs to be activated in order to form a contaminant tight seal. Such activation may be in the form of mixing two components together or physical kneading of the material. This can be labor intensive, as well as placing a time limit on the installation process because the barrier must be placed in the orifice during the relatively limited active period of the sealer material. Furthermore, known sealer materials have not been able to protect against prolonged exposure to contaminants, but only against intermittent exposure to contaminants. This is a particular problem with respect to water. 
   Installation of known snap-fit barriers has also been problematic because installation of such barriers exactly in the center of the orifice has been difficult. Once the barrier is placed askew in the orifice, the presence of the sealer material prevents the barrier from centering itself. For the same reason, it is also difficult for the installer to center the barrier. 
   This skewed or off-center installation of the barrier creates two problems. First, it places unequal strain on the snap-fit clips that hold the barrier in place. This tends to lead to failure of one or more of the clips, which results in a leaky seal. To overcome this type of failure, stiffer snap-fit clips, which require more force to flex, are required. This in turn increases the force needed to install the barrier into the orifice to such a degree that a person cannot perform installation without mechanical assistance. Thus, force-multiplying tools or machines are required to install the barrier. The use of tools or machines to install these barriers increases the complexity and cost of the installation process beyond that which is economical. 
   Second, off-center installation increases the number of failed seals. Known sealer materials cannot compensate for off-center installation. Off-center installation can lead to gaps between the panel member and the carrier that are not filled by the sealer material. Thus, the size of the barrier must be closely matched to the size of the orifice to ensure that there are no gaps between the carrier and the panel member. Therefore, expensive precision manufacturing techniques are required in the formation of the orifice and the carrier to ensure that the barrier cannot be installed incorrectly, i.e., off-center. 
   Consequently, the inventor hereof has recognized a need for a physical barrier that overcomes one or more of these problems. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a physical barrier for sealing an orifice in a panel member. The physical barrier includes a carrier that has one or more locating pins mounted on it. The pins are adapted to located the carrier in the orifice. The physical barrier also includes a sealing material attached to the carrier. The present invention also includes a method of installing the physical barrier into an orifice of a panel member. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a physical barrier of the present invention as it is being installed into a panel member with an orifice. 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a carrier with a sealer material of a physical barrier according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross-section of a snap-fit clip used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  shows a cross-section of a guide pin used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   As seen in  FIG. 1 , a panel member  2  includes an orifice  4 . Orifice  4  has a perimeter where panel member  2  ends and orifice  4  begins. Orifice  4  receives a physical barrier  10  that includes a carrier  12  and sealer material  14 . As seen more clearly in  FIG. 2 , attached near the edge of carrier  12  are generally flexible snap-fit clips  16  and generally rigid locating pins  18 . Clips  16  and pins  18  are roughly perpendicular to the main body  20  of carrier  12 . Pins  18  maybe taller than or equal in height to clips  16 . 
   Carrier  12  may also include a wall  22 , which may be set to the interior of clips  16  and pins  18 . Carrier  12  may also include one or more ribs  24 , which help give main body  20  structural stiffness. In one useful embodiment, a rib  24  is placed such that a pin  18  is located near either end of the rib, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   Carrier  12  also includes a lip  26  that defines the perimeter of carrier  12 . The perimeter defined by lip  26  is larger than the perimeter of orifice  4 . Lip  26  is set to the exterior of clips  16  and pins  18 . Lip  26  may be continuous around the entire perimeter of the carrier or lip  26  may have one or more discontinuities  27 . Discontinuities  27  may be use to introduce sealer material  14  onto carrier  12 . 
   As best seen in  FIG. 3 , each clip  16  has a peak  28 . These clip peaks  28 , when taken as a group, generally define a shape that will fit inside orifice  4 . Put another way, peaks  28  define a perimeter, called a clip peak perimeter, which is smaller than the orifice perimeter. In this way, all peaks  28  will be easily insertable into orifice  4  during installation. 
   On its body  30 , each clip has a clip face  32 . These faces  32 , when taken as a group, generally define a clip face perimeter that is slightly larger than the clip peak perimeter, and the same size or smaller than the orifice perimeter. Thus, clip faces  32  may or may not abut panel member  2  when physical barrier  10  is properly installed. 
   Between peak  28  and clip face  32 , each clip  16  has a wedge shaped head  34 . Head  34  faces lip  26  as opposed to wall  22  and causes body  30  of clip  16  to flex as carrier  12  is installed into orifice  4 . Head  34  prevents the incidental displacement of carrier  12 . The distance between head  34  and carrier  12  is at least the lip height  36  plus the thickness of panel member  2 . Other suitably shaped snap-fit clips may also be used in the present invention. 
   As best seen in  FIG. 4 , each pin  18  has a peak  38 . These pin peaks  38 , when taken as a group, generally define a shape that will fit inside orifice  4 . Put another way, peaks  38  define a pin peak perimeter that is smaller than the orifice perimeter. In this way, all pin peaks  38  will be easily insertable into orifice  4  during installation. 
   Between peak  38  and a base  40 , each pin  18  has a guiding surface  42 . At base  40 , guiding surfaces  42 , when taken as a group, define a base perimeter which is the same size as the orifice perimeter. Guiding surfaces  42  face lip  26  as opposed to wall  22 . Thus, the base perimeter is larger or the same size as the clip face perimeter of clips  16  such that guiding surfaces  42  abut panel member  2  when physical barrier  10  is properly installed. Pins  18  make a smooth transition from peak  38  to base  40 . Thus, the peak perimeter of pins  18  is smaller than the base perimeter of pins  18 . 
   Clips  16  and pins  18  align so as to mimic the shape of orifice  4 . For example, if orifice  4  has a straight portion, then clips  16  and pins  18  form a straight line. If orifice  4  has an arcuate portion, then clips and pins  18  form an arc that has the same curvature as the orifice. 
   Clips  16  and pins  18  may be arranged in a generally alternating pattern such that one pin is located between a pair of clips. Preferably, to securely hold barrier  10  in place, an equal number of clips  16  and pins  18  are utilized. Each pin  18  may be associated with two clips  16 ; one on its “right” and one on its “left,” where right and left are relative. The number of clips and pins on a carrier may be chosen based on the size and shape of the orifice, as well as the desired amount of redundancy in clips to ensure that failure of one or more clips does not compromise the physical barrier. For round orifices, an alternating arrangement of clips and pins may be sufficient. For polygonal orifices, a pair of pins and a clip per side may be sufficient. This configuration is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
   In an alternate embodiment, one or more pins  18  may locate carrier  12  by being received in an receptacle adjacent to or near orifice  4 . In this embodiment, seating the pin in the receptacle properly locates the carrier within the orifice. 
   The spacing between clips  16  and pins  18  is not critical, however, it is preferred that clips  16  and pins  18  are equally distributed along the perimeter of carrier  12  for round orifices or along the sides of the carrier for polygonal orifices. 
   Sealer material  14  is preferably located between clips  16  and wall  22 , but may be located all around clips  16 . Also, sealer material  14  is preferably located between pins  18  and wall  22 , between pins  18  and lip  26 , and under pins  18 . However, sealer material  14  may also be utilized in less than all of these locations. 
   The sealer material  14  of barrier  10  may be any known sealing material, but preferably one that expands upon activation. One useful type of expandable material is a heat activated foam. While a heat activated foam is preferred, it is to be understood that the invention may be practiced with other types of foams which are, for example, chemically activated. While the use of clips  16  is preferred, the present invention could also be implemented without clips  16  where sealer material  14  adhesively attaches carrier  12  to panel member  2 . 
   The use of the present invention is now described. Barrier  10  is inserted into orifice  4 . Because the perimeter of carrier  12  is larger than the orifice perimeter, lip  26  ensures that carrier  12  is not over inserted into orifice  4 . Pins  18  insure that carrier  12  is centered and not twisted. 
   Specifically, since pins  18  are rigid, as barrier  10  is inserted into orifice  4 , guiding surfaces  42  of pins  18  guide carrier  12  to the center of orifice  4 . Only after carrier  12  is mostly centered are bodies  30  of clips  16  required to flex. Carrier  12  is then seated such that guiding surfaces  42  at base  40  of pins  18  abut panel member  2 . Depending on the clip face perimeter, clip faces  32  may also abut panel member  2 . 
   By centering carrier  12 , the maximum amount of strain all clips  16  have to endure is significantly reduced. This reduces the strength of clips  16  that are needed to properly install barrier  10 , which in turn reduces the amount of force needed to install barrier  10 . Thus, force-multiplying tools or machines are not needed to install the barriers of the present invention. 
   The alternating arrangement of clips  16  and pins  18  also helps reduce the amount of strain clips  16  have to endure. By placing at least one pin  18  on either side of clip  16 , the carrier  12  is prevented from being installed in a twisted manner. Namely, clips  16  will never engage panel member  2  without guiding surfaces  42  of the two adjacent pins  18  also engaging panel member  2 . The simultaneous engagement of guiding surfaces  42  and clips  16  prevents undue strain on clips  16 . Because the clip and pin peak perimeters are smaller than the orifice perimeter, all clips  16  and pins  18  are insertable into orifice  4 . Furthermore, because pins  18  are taller than clips  16 , pins  18  enter orifice  4  first during installation, thus assuring that guiding surfaces  42  of pins  18  will center barrier  10  in orifice  4 . 
   After carrier  12  is installed, sealer material  14  is activated to create the seal between carrier  12  and panel member  2 . Wall  22  acts as a directional aid for sealer material  14 , such that when sealer material  14  is activated, wall  22  helps direct sealer material  14  toward clips  16  and pins  18 , and thus panel member  2 . Expanded sealer material  14  adheres carrier  12  to panel member  2  surrounding orifice  4 . 
   The use of expandable foam has several advantages over conventional sealer materials. Orifice  4  need not be formed using precision manufacturing techniques because the expandable foam will fill the available space. Any gaps between carrier  12  and panel member  2  will be filled by the expanding foam, thus creating a contaminant tight seal. The expanding foam also allows for a reduced number of sizes of barriers to be produced, because one barrier could be used to block several closely sized orifices. Furthermore, the seal produced by the use of expandable foam withstands prolonged exposure to contaminants, particularly water. 
   In this use of expandable foam, imperfect expansion of the foam can be tolerated, as can imperfect placement of the foam because as the foam expands, wall  22  will directs it toward clips  16 , pins  18  and panel member  2  to help ensure a contaminant tight seal. 
   Heat expandable foams have another advantage when used in the automotive industry. Heat expandable foams allow for the elimination of an installation step because almost all automobiles have paints or coating that are heat dried. This eliminates the need for a separate activation step to seal the orifice. 
   Carrier  12  may be made of conventional materials, with the only consideration being the activation conditions for sealer material  14 . Thus, carrier  12  must be able to maintain its physical rigidity at the activation conditions. For example, when using a heat activated sealer material, carrier  12  should not melt at temperatures used in the chosen heat source. In the vehicle coating and paint area, the carrier should withstand temperatures normally utilized in the paint and coating drying ovens. While metals may be used, plastics are preferred because of the reduced weight and reduced amount of force needed to install a plastic carrier as compared to a metal carrier. One useful plastic material is nylon. 
   While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.