WO2006007502A1

WO2006007502A1 - Insulation process

Info

Publication number: WO2006007502A1
Application number: PCT/US2005/023031
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel R. Fronek; Michael P. Daniels; David J. Yarusso
Original assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Co
Current assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Co
Priority date: 2004-07-01
Filing date: 2005-06-29
Publication date: 2006-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 2007-01-01
Also published as: BRPI0512906A; EP1765640A1; KR20070037633A; JP2008505005A; CN1980816A; CA2572460A1

Abstract

A process for insulating a vehicle comprises providing a vehicle (for example, an automobile, truck, train, boat, ship, or aircraft) with an insulation system comprising a plurality of location-interchangeable, insulation articles that are substantially identical in size and shape.

Description

INSULATION PROCESS

STATEMENT OF PRIORITY This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application No.

60/584,584 filed July 1, 2004, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

This invention relates to processes for providing thermal and/or acoustic shielding to, for example, transportation vehicles such as aircraft.

BACKGROUND

Thermal and/or acoustic insulation is widely employed in a variety of applications. Such insulation provides enhanced comfort and improved efficiency in certain common vehicle uses (for example, in air conditioning and acoustically insulating automobiles) and is critical to the proper operation of other vehicles (for example, in maintaining a temperature gradient in high-flying aircraft).

The insulation installed in many of today's vehicles must meet very stringent thermal and acoustic insulation requirements. As a result, the insulation material is often tightly packed into constricted areas and around many objects to ensure maximum insulation. The insulation must also perform under a wide range of environmental conditions. These demands are particularly strict in the design of aircraft, which regularly undergo dramatic temperature, pressure, and humidity changes.

Complicating the process of insulating vehicles is the fact that their shells often contain numerous obstructions (for example, pipes, stringers, tubes, and structural ribs) that the insulation material must be fitted around. The insulation also needs to be removable to permit inspection, maintenance, and repair (for example, inspection for corrosion and other problems). Thus, to accommodate obstructions and to enable easy removal, the insulating material is, particularly in the aircraft industry, generally custom cut to size and fitted with a custom cover to form a customized insulation blanket.

Such production methods are highly labor intensive and slow, and the resulting customized blankets ("custom parts") typically must be assigned individual part numbers that require tracking during manufacture and storage. At the time of installation in a vehicle, the custom parts must then be matched with the locations within the vehicle that correspond to the custom parts in size and shape. Since a typical large passenger jet aircraft, for example, can have over 1300 differently-sized and/or differently-shaped pieces of insulation, the costs of such customization and its accompanying tracking can be substantial.

SUMMARY

Thus, we recognize that there is a need for vehicle insulation processes (and, in particular, processes for insulating aircraft) that make use of insulation articles that can be easily manufactured and installed (for example, without the need for tracking systems to match customized articles to particular locations within a vehicle), and that can be easily removed from the vehicle (for example, to enable article repair or replacement and/or vehicle maintenance or repair). Briefly, in one aspect, this invention provides such a process, which comprises providing a vehicle with an insulation system comprising a plurality of location- interchangeable, insulation articles that are substantially identical in size and shape. The vehicle can be, for example, an automobile, truck, train, boat, ship, or aircraft (preferably, an aircraft; more preferably, a commercial aircraft; most preferably, a commercial jet that has a passenger capacity of at least about 100).

As used herein, "location-interchangeable" means that the insulation articles can be used in more than one location within a vehicle and are not customized in size or shape to match surfaces (or spaces) that have particular sizes and shapes. Rather, the articles are of a standard size and shape, such that a plurality (that is, at least two) of the articles can be used (instead of a single, larger, customized article) to collectively cover surfaces (or fill spaces) of varying shapes and sizes. The articles are "substantially identical" in size and shape (that is, sufficiently identical in size and shape, in accordance with typical manufacturing tolerances, to enable the substitution of one for another in carrying out the process of the invention). The insulation system can further comprise other components (for example, insulation articles of a limited number of other standard shapes and/or sizes). When the vehicle is an aircraft, the insulation system is preferably provided to at least a major portion of the interior surface of the exterior skin of the aircraft, or to at least a major portion of the exterior surface of the interior compartments of the aircraft. Alternatively, one or more of the interior panels of the aircraft can comprise a plurality of the articles.

It has been discovered that vehicle insulation systems and processes can be simplified by using a "building block" approach in which a plurality of insulation articles of a single standard shape and size are used to build up larger patterns having shapes that correspond with those of the various spaces to be insulated. This eliminates the need for a multitude of customized insulation articles, as well as the need for expensive and time- consuming tracking systems for article manufacture, storage, and installation. Furthermore, since the insulation articles are of a standard shape and size, they can be readily available to meet insulation repair and/or replacement needs. The articles can retain the removability characteristics of the customized articles, and, thus, at least some embodiments of the process of the invention meet the need for more cost-effective vehicle insulation processes that enable both easy installation and easy removal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Insulation Articles

Insulation articles that can be used in carrying out the process of the invention include any of the materials (for example, fiberglass) and/or articles (for example, insulation blankets) that can be used to provide thermal and/or acoustic shielding. The insulation articles can comprise, for example, fibrous insulation, foam insulation, vacuum-based insulation, glass bubble-based insulation, or combinations thereof. Preferably, the insulation articles comprise fibrous insulation, vacuum-based insulation, or combinations thereof (more preferably, the articles comprise vacuum-based insulation).

Such materials can be manufactured by known methods. Suitable fibrous materials include, for example, fiberglass and the melt blown fibers comprising polypropylene that are commercially available from 3M Company of St. Paul, MN under the trade designation THINSULATE. Fibrous insulation can be provided in the form of a lofty non- woven layer or mat in which the fibers are entangled with or bonded to each other. Such mats can be prepared according to conventional techniques such as melt blowing, air laying, or carding. The mats can be made with thermobonding fibers and exposed to heat to cause the thermobonding fibers to soften and bind at least some of the fibers together.

An example of a useful lofty nonwoven mat is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,067 (Carey et al.), the description of which is incorporated herein by reference. As described therein, the mat consists of a combination of entangled staple fibers and bonding staple fibers where the bonding fibers have, for example, a core of polyethylene terephthalate surrounded by a sheath of an adhesive polymer formed from isophthalate and terephthalate esters.

Other known insulation constructions can also be utilized including, for example, the thermally insulating sheet material described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,222 (Jonnes), the description of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The insulation articles used in the process of the invention can be in the form of a panel or a mat or bat of insulation material, or, alternatively, the articles can optionally further comprise protective layers or even a protective casing or bag (for example, comprising polymer film) that substantially or even fully encloses the insulation material. The layers and/or bag can be either flexible, semi-rigid, or rigid. The insulation material can optionally be treated (for example, with silicones or fluorochemicals as topical treatments or polymer melt additives) to increase its hydrophobicity.

The insulation articles can comprise one or more layers of insulation material. In addition, other materials and layers conventionally found in insulation blankets can be included. For example, the article can further comprise one or more high-temperature resistant materials (including, for example, materials that are resistant to flame propagation and/or flame penetration), one or more adhesive compositions or films, one or more scrims (for example, woven or nonwoven material or netting), one or more water repellent coatings, one or more intumescent additives or coatings, one or more reflective films (for example, for controlling radiant energy), and one or more polymer films (which can optionally be metallized), as well as flame retardants, antistatic agents, anti-mildew agents, and the like.

The above-described insulation articles can be manufactured by known methods and can further comprise one or more attachment devices for use in attaching the articles to each other and/or to the vehicle. Useful attachment devices include adhesives (for example, pressure-sensitive adhesives or non-tacky adhesives), re-closable fasteners (for example, hook and loop fasteners), mechanical interlocks (for example, tongue and groove, buttons and button holes, snaps, and shaped "puzzle-like" edges or structures), clips, pins, and the like, and combinations thereof. The attachment devices are preferably an integral part of the article, but separate attachment devices can be utilized, if desired. The articles can be of any shape and size that facilitates coverage of a vehicle surface. Representative examples of usefully shaped articles include spherical articles and "two-dimensional" panels or sheets or thicker versions thereof (three-dimensional "solids") that are, for example, square (six faces), rectangular (six faces), triangular (five faces), hexagonal (eight faces), octagonal (ten faces), doughnut-shaped, and the like. The particular shape and size of the articles that are chosen for carrying out the process of the invention will vary, depending, for example, upon the size of the vehicle and its surface configurations. However, rectangular shapes (rectangular solids) can sometimes be preferred, due to their versatility.

Insulation System and Process

Although the process of the invention utilizes the above-described primary insulation articles (or "building blocks") of a single shape and size to "build up" a thermal and acoustic insulation system, useful insulation systems can further comprise other components such as supplementary insulation articles of a limited number of other standard shapes or sizes. For example, large open sections of a vehicle (preferably, an aircraft) can be insulated using the primary insulation articles, and smaller areas can be insulated using smaller supplementary insulation articles. The shapes can be selected for optimum packing geometry to allow installation around surface protrusions with minimal or no gaps. Preferably, the supplementary insulation articles are of the same shape as the primary insulation articles (differing only in size). The supplementary insulation articles can be differently-shaped, however, although the insulation system generally contains no more than about 100 different shapes in total (preferably, no more than about 50; more preferably, no more than about 20; most preferably, no more than about 10). The insulation articles of each particular shape can vary in size, but the total number of sizes of each different shape generally does not exceed about 100 (preferably, does not exceed about 50; more preferably, does not exceed about 20; most preferably, does not exceed about 10).

The vehicle can be provided with the insulation articles in any desired manner (for example, by bringing the articles in or on the vehicle or one or more of its components, for example, by placement, application, or attachment). Thus, the insulation articles can, for example, be attached to the vehicle and/or to each other to form the insulation system. This can be accomplished using any attachment device that is capable of use with the materials comprising the insulation articles and with the vehicle surface. For example, the insulation articles can be coated with a first adhesive that will adhere only to itself and will release when pulled upon. Such an adhesive generally cannot aggressively bind dirt or other contaminants. A second adhesive can be used to attach the insulation articles to the vehicle surface. Alternatively, mechanical or re-closable fastening systems can be used to attach the articles to each other, and an adhesive can be used to attach the articles to the vehicle surface. When the insulation articles are in the form of panels or sheets, they can be laid down, for example, in an overlapping manner similar to the manner in which roofing shingles are laid down. Such overlap can reduce thermal and acoustic leakage at the joints between the insulation articles and increase the insulating properties of the system. This approach can facilitate installation in confined spaces and enable desirable thermal and acoustic properties to be achieved in such spaces. For such a system, adhesive can be used on one side of the panels or sheets for attachment both to the vehicle surface and to other panels or sheets. Mechanical or re-closable fasteners can also be used to hold each sheet to the one below.

In addition to the foregoing methods, numerous other possible methods of providing the vehicle with the articles can be envisioned by the skilled artisan. The insulation process of the invention is particularly useful in insulating aircraft by providing (for example, applying or attaching) the insulation system to an area anywhere between and including (i) the interior surface of the exterior skin of the aircraft and (ii) the exterior surface of the interior compartments of the aircraft (including the underside of the floor of the passenger compartment). The insulation articles can be designed to be flexible enough to push around irregular shapes on the aircraft surface or can simply be positioned to allow wire penetrations, etc. For insulating the aircraft frame, the insulation articles can be designed to be sufficiently stiff yet elastic to enable them to be snapped into place over the frame. Such insulation articles can insulate the frame and also provide attachment sites for the remainder of the insulation system.

Examples

Objects and advantages of this invention are further illustrated by the following examples, but the particular materials and amounts thereof recited in these examples, as well as other conditions and details, should not be construed to unduly limit this invention.

Insulation Articles

Fiberglass Insulation Articles

Fiberglass insulating material in the form of Orcotek™ Strip Blankets (fiberglass batting with an insulation covering film, available from Orcon Corporation, Union City, California) is used to prepare fiberglass insulation articles. The dimensions of each article are marked onto the top surface of the insulation covering film of the Orcotek™ Strip Blankets and then cut out. The cut edges are then sealed using Orcotape™ OT-54W (a pressure sensitive, reinforced metallized polyvinyl fluoride tape, available from Orcon Corporation, Union City, California) to provide fiberglass insulation articles.

Vacuum-Based Insulation Articles

Vacuum-based insulation articles are prepared by vacuum sealing a core of INSTILL foam (a micro-cellular, open-cell polystyrene foam available from Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan) within a Mylar™ SBL barrier film (a multilayer, polyester-based film having a metallized coating and heat sealable layers, available from Dupont Teijin Films™, Hopewell, Virginia). A vacuum chamber equipped with a thermal sealing means is employed for this purpose, with the vacuum being approximately 0.05 Torr. A desiccant is incorporated into each individual article.

Attachment Devices

Various attachment devices are employed to attach the insulation articles to a vehicle to be insulated: Hook and Loop

3M™ Scotchmate™ Hook and Loop Reclosable Fasteners (for example, 3M™ Scotchmate™ Reclosable Fastener SJ3530 (Hook) and 3M™ Scotchmate™ Reclosable Fastener SJ3531 (Loop), available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minnesota) are used. The hook or loop system is attached to the insulation articles by stitching or by using a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). The corresponding (or mating) loop or hook is attached to the vehicle using a PSA.

Pressure Sensitive Adhesives

Natural rubber-based adhesives, synthetic rubber-based adhesives, and acrylic- based adhesives are used, including 3M™ Adhesive Transfer Tape 468MP (comprising an acrylic type of adhesive, available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minnesota).

The following examples are carried out using each possible combination of the various insulation articles and attachment devices described above.

Example 1 Vehicle Insulation Process Using Abutting Insulation Articles

An area of a vehicle measuring 3 meters long by 1 meter wide is provided with insulation articles having a rectangular geometry. The insulation articles are placed in an abutting arrangement, with no overlap and in a single layer. The thickness of the insulation articles is selected to meet the performance requirements of a desired application.

The rectangular insulation articles are of three different sizes, measuring 1 meter long by 1 meter wide, 1 meter long by 0.5 meter wide, and 0.5 meter long by 0.5 meter wide. Thus, the area is insulated by attaching 3, 6, or 12 insulation articles, respectively, to the area using attachment devices. Combinations of insulation articles of the different sizes are used to insulate an adjacent area of the same dimensions (3 meters long by 1 meter wide). Example 2

Vehicle Insulation Process Using Overlapping Insulation Articles

Example 1 is repeated with the modification that the insulation articles are positioned in an overlapping configuration (that is, a "shingled" relationship analogous to the laying of roof shingles). Attachment devices are employed to attach the insulation articles to the vehicle to be insulated and/or to the other insulation articles.

The referenced descriptions contained in the patents, patent documents, and publications cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety as if each were individually incorporated. Various unforeseeable modifications and alterations to this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. It should be understood that this invention is not intended to be unduly limited by the illustrative embodiments and examples set forth herein and that such examples and embodiments are presented by way of example only, with the scope of the invention intended to be limited only by the claims set forth herein as follows:

Claims

We Claim:

1. A process comprising providing a vehicle with an insulation system comprising a plurality of location-interchangeable, insulation articles that are substantially identical in size and shape.

2. The process of Claim 1, wherein said vehicle is selected from the group consisting of automobiles, trucks, trains, boats, ships, and aircraft.

3. The process of Claim 1, wherein said vehicle is an aircraft.

4. The process of Claim 1 , wherein said insulation system further comprises at least one insulation article that differs from said location-interchangeable, insulation articles in shape and/or size.

5. The process of Claim 1, wherein said insulation system further comprises at least one insulation article that differs from said location-interchangeable, insulation articles in size but not in shape.

6. The process of Claim 3, wherein said insulation articles are provided to at least a major portion of the interior surface of the exterior skin of the aircraft, or to at least a major portion of the exterior surface of the interior compartments of the aircraft.

7. The process of Claim 3, wherein at least one of the interior panels of the aircraft comprises a plurality of said insulation articles.

8. The process of Claim 1 , wherein said insulation articles have a rectangular shape.

9. The process of Claim 1, wherein said insulation articles comprise a material selected from the group consisting of fibrous insulation, foam insulation, vacuum-based insulation, glass bubble-based insulation, and combinations thereof.

10. The process of Claim 9, wherein said material is selected from fibrous insulation, vacuum-based insulation, and combinations thereof.

11. The process of Claim 10, wherein said material is vacuum-based insulation.

12. The process of Claim 1, wherein said insulation article is an insulation blanket.

13. The process of Claim 1, wherein said insulation articles further comprise at least one attachment device.

14. The process of Claim 13, wherein said attachment device is selected from the group consisting of adhesives, re-closable fasteners, mechanical interlocks, clips, pins, and combinations thereof.

15. The process of Claim 13, wherein said attachment device is an integral part of said insulation article.

16. A process comprising providing an aircraft with an insulation system comprising a plurality of location-interchangeable, insulation articles that are substantially identical in size and shape, said articles being rectangular in shape, and said articles comprising vacuum-based insulation and at least one attachment device that is an integral part of said article.

17. The process of Claim 16, wherein said aircraft is a commercial aircraft.

18. The process of Claim 17, wherein said commercial aircraft is a commercial jet that has a passenger capacity of at least about 100.