Patent ID: 7950723

Claim:
A noise reduction member, comprising: a carrier member having a top wall, a bottom wall and side wall interconnecting the top and bottom walls, wherein: i) the top and bottom wall generally oppose each other; ii) the top wall, the bottom wall and the side wall are each substantially planar; iii) the top wall and the bottom wall extend away, at skew relative to the side wall and cooperatively the top wall, the bottom wall and the side wall form a C-shape and define an internal cavity; iv) the carrier member is formed substantially entirely of a polymeric material and includes a securement flange extending from the sidewall into the cavity; a mass of expandable material located in the cavity of the carrier member, extending along an elongated axis and having a length parallel to that axis, wherein: i) any diameter of the mass of expandable material taken perpendicular to the elongated axis are shorter the dimension; ii) less than 70% of the mass of expandable material prior to expansion is substantially entirely located between the top wall and the bottom wall so that a portion of the expandable material extends beyond at least one edge of the top wall and bottom wall; iii) the mass of expandable material is generally shaped as a polyhedron; iv) the mass of expandable material is configured to volumetrically expand to a volume that is at least 1000% of its original unexpanded volume; a fastener attached to the side wall of the carrier member; wherein the top wall and bottom wall of the carrier provide spaces both above and below the carrier member so that any openings in the vehicle structure located adjacent the spaces will not be covered by the expandable material upon expansion of the expandable material and will remain useful for allowing components to extend into and through the openings and wherein the securement flange of the carrier member extends into the expandable material for assisting in positioning and maintaining the expandable material in a location relative to the carrier member.