Patent ID: 8636870

Claim:
A method of reinforcing a cavity, comprising: (a) inserting an insert into a cavity, the insert including a structural reinforcement material attached to a holding area of a carrier, (i) the carrier including a first end with an uncured expansible foam at or near the first end of the carrier, a second end opposite the first end with an uncured expansible foam at or near the second end of the carrier, and the holding area to which the structural reinforcement material is attached between the first end and the second end of the carrier, and (ii) the structural reinforcement material comprising a base material comprising one or more members selected from the group consisting of thermosets, low viscosity thermoplastics with short transition phases, and low melting point metallic alloys, wherein at about standard temperature and pressure (STP), the structural reinforcement material is in a phase selected from the group consisting of solid, formable dough, and mixtures thereof, and the structural reinforcement material transitions to a liquid or substantially liquid phase during heating at an activation temperature; (b) heating the insert to the activation temperature such that the uncured expansible foam at or near the first end of the carrier forms a first physical barrier of expanded structural foam at or near the first end of the carrier, the uncured expansible foam at or near the second end of the carrier forms a second physical barrier of expanded structural foam at or near the second end of the carrier, the structural reinforcement material transitions into a liquid or substantially liquid phase and flows into the cavity, and the first and second physical barriers restrict the flow of the liquid or substantially liquid phase structural reinforcement material from entering areas beyond the first and second physical barriers; and (c) cooling the insert such that the structural reinforcement material solidifies in the cavity and adheres to at least a portion of the cavity thereby reinforcing the cavity.