Patent ID: 7784186

Claim:
A method for forming a member and using the member for sealing, baffling or reinforcement to a structure of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising: providing a carrier material, the carrier material being a film with a first surface and a second surface; co-extruding expandable material upon the first surface of the carrier material; co-extruding expandable material upon the second surface of the carrier material; cutting the expandable materials and the carrier material thereby forming the member to include a carrier having a first surface with a first mass of expandable material disposed thereon and a second surface with a second mass of expandable material thereon, the first mass separated from the second mass by a thickness of the carrier; the member includes an intermediate portion between a first side portion and a second side portion; forming slits in the first side portion to form the first side portion into a plurality of sections; extending at least one mechanical fastener through an opening in at least one of the plurality of sections; installing the member into the cavity of the structure of an automotive vehicle including extending the at least one mechanical fastener into an opening of the structure of the vehicle wherein, upon installation, a first section of the plurality of sections extends in a first direction and a second section of the plurality of sections extends in a second direction generally opposite the first direction such that the carrier substantially divides the cavity of the structure into a first space and a second space; and expanding the masses of expandable materials to substantially fill a portion of the cavity of the automotive vehicle and to substantially entirely span a cross-section of the cavity.