GB2641258A

GB2641258A - Baffle for sealing an aperture in a vehicle body panel

Info

Publication number: GB2641258A
Application number: GB2407269.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ford Dan; Harris Robert; Moseley Adam; Parthasarathy Santhosh
Original assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Current assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date: 2024-05-22
Filing date: 2024-05-22
Publication date: 2025-11-26
Also published as: WO2025242742A1; GB202407269D0

Abstract

A baffle 100 for sealing an aperture 212 in a vehicle body panel 210. The baffle comprises a carrier element (110; fig. 1) and at least one expandable element 151 supported on the carrier. The carrier comprises at least one fixation device (120; fig. 1) for fixing the carrier to the vehicle body panel, and a receptacle 134 defined in a front surface, with a receptacle opening facing the front surface and a receptacle chamber extending towards a rear surface of the carrier. The expandable element 151 at least partly surrounds the receptacle opening to form a sealing ring around the receptacle opening once expanded. The expandable element 151 may comprise a thermally expandable material. The carrier may be elongate with the expandable element including an elongate edge portion. Also claimed is a vehicle body 200 including the baffle, a body panel with the panel aperture 212 adjacent the receptacle opening and the seal located around the aperture, and a vehicle component 300 (e.g. a lamp) including a fixing, such as stud bolt 352, extending through the aperture 212 and being received in the receptacle 134 of the baffle.

Description

BAFFLE FOR SEALING AN APERTURE IN A VEHICLE BODY PANEL

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a baffle for sealing an aperture in a vehicle body panel. Aspects of the invention relate to a baffle, to a vehicle body structure, to a vehicle body, and to a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

It is known to provide fixing arrangements for mounting vehicle components to a vehicle body panel. For example, it is known to use a fixing arrangement in the form of a retainer positioned behind the vehicle body panel and an elongate fastener which is connected to the vehicle component and extends through an aperture in the vehicle body panel to be secured by the retainer. Example elongate fasteners include threaded bolts and screws, and ball-studs. However, such fixing arrangements may be difficult to use where the vehicle body panel is positioned close to another vehicle structure or component such that there is insufficient depth behind the vehicle body panel to accommodate the elongate fastener of a conventional fixing arrangement.

It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a baffle, a vehicle body structure, a vehicle body, and a vehicle as claimed in the appended claims.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a baffle for sealing an aperture in a vehicle body panel, the baffle comprising: a carrier element; and at least one expandable element supported on the carrier element. The carrier element comprises at least one fixation device for fixing the carrier element to the vehicle body panel, and a receptacle defined in a front surface of the carrier element. The receptacle has a receptacle opening which faces the front surface and defines a receptacle chamber which extends towards a rear surface of the carrier. The at least one expandable element at least partly surrounds the receptacle opening to form a sealing ring around the opening once expanded.

With this arrangement, the baffle can be sealed against a vehicle body panel adjacent to an aperture in the vehicle body panel such that the at least one expandable element forms a seal around the aperture in the vehicle body panel and the receptacle chamber can receive a fixing arrangement for a vehicle component which extends through the aperture and into the receptacle. This enables a vehicle component to be mounted to the vehicle body panel with a conventional fixing arrangement, such as a stud bolt and associated retainer, even when clearance behind the vehicle body panel is limited all while minimising the transmission of water, dirt, fumes, noise, and the like through the aperture in the vehicle body panel. This contrasts with existing arrangements in which an indent for receiving the fixing arrangement is typically formed in the vehicle body panel in a press and which could result in a tear in the vehicle body panel if deep deformation is required. Such tears can weaken the vehicle body panel and/or permit the transmission of water, dirt, fumes, noise, and the like through the panel. The claimed arrangement may be particularly beneficial for situations in which the surrounding shape of the vehicle body panel is such that a shallow-sided deep indent cannot be provided.

As used herein, the terms "front" and "rear" are used independently of the coordinate system of the vehicle with which the baffle will be used. Instead, the term "front surface" refers to the side of the baffle which is intended to be placed against the vehicle body panel and the "rear surface" is the opposite side of the baffle.

Optionally, the receptacle chamber has a depth of at least 10mm.

With this arrangement, the fixing arrangement is permitted to extend beyond the panel by at least 10mm.

As used herein, the term "depth" refers to the maximum dimension of the receptacle chamber from the front face of the receptacle opening to the rearmost (i.e. rearmost) internal wall of the receptacle chamber.

Optionally, the receptacle chamber may have a depth of at least 12mm, at least 14mm, at least 16mm, at least 18mm, or at least 20mm.

Optionally, the receptacle comprises an annular wall which protrudes from the front surface and extends around the receptacle opening at a location between the receptacle opening and the at least one expandable element.

With this arrangement, the annular wall advantageously enables the front surface of carrier element to be spaced further from the surface of the vehicle body panel while forming a barrier to limit the extent to which the expandable element can pass through the aperture during expansion. It has been found that providing more clearance between the front surface of carrier element and the opposed surface of the vehicle body panel can help to improve sealing performance by ensuring sufficient expansion of the expandable element.

Optionally, the receptacle opening is defined by the annular wall.

In other embodiments, the receptacle opening may be defined by the front surface of the carrier element. In such embodiments, the annular wall may be spaced from the receptacle opening or omitted entirely.

The annular wall may have any suitable height. Optionally, the annular wall may have a height of between 1 mm and 50 mm, for example between 2 mm and 10 mm. In some embodiments, the annular wall has a height of between 5 mm and 8 mm, for example around 5 mm. The annular wall may be configured to abut against, or be positioned at a small distance from, an underside surface of the vehicle body panel. The annular wall may be configured to extend through the panel aperture. In such embodiments, the annular wall may be higher than embodiments in which the annular wall remains on the underside of the vehicle body panel.

As used herein, the term height" refers to the maximum dimension of the annular wall between the surrounding front surface of the carrier element to the front edge of the annular wall in the direction of protrusion, i.e. in the frontward direction.

The annular wall may have any suitable shape. In some embodiments, the annular wall is circular.

Optionally, the receptacle has a circular transverse cross-sectional shape.

With this arrangement, the space envelope of the receptacle on the rear surface can be minimised for a given receptacle chamber volume. This can also allow sufficient clearance between the walls of the receptacle and the exterior surface of a fixing arrangement which also has a circular transverse cross-sectional shape.

In other embodiments, the receptacle may have a polygonal or oval circular transverse cross-sectional shape.

The receptacle may have any suitable configuration. For example, the receptacle may comprise a single interior wall and define a generally dome-shaped receptacle chamber.

Optionally, the receptacle comprises one or more side walls and a rear end wall extending across the one or more side walls to close a rear end of the receptacle chamber.

With this arrangement, the space envelope of the receptacle on the rear surface can be minimised for a given receptacle chamber volume.

Optionally, the at least one fixation device extends from the front surface and is at least partly surrounded by the at least one expandable element.

With this arrangement, the at least one fixation device can extend through, or otherwise engage with, a fixation aperture in the body panel and the expandable element can form a seal around the fixation device to minimise the transmission of water, dirt, fumes, noise, and the like through the fixation aperture.

In other embodiments, the at least one fixation device may be configured to engage with an edge of the vehicle body panel, or which a corresponding fixation device on the rear surface of the vehicle body panel, such that sealing around the fixation device is not required.

The baffle may comprise any suitable fixation device. Optionally, the at least one fixation device comprises at least one resilient clip.

Optionally, the carrier element has an elongate shape and the at least one expandable element comprises an elongate expandable element extending along or adjacent to an edge of the elongate shape.

With this arrangement, the baffle can be used to seal one or more edges of a vehicle body in addition to sealing the aperture in the body panel. For example, the baffle can be located such that the elongate expandable element is adjacent to a gap between an edge of the vehicle body panel and the edge of an adjacent vehicle body structure, such as a structural pillar.

Optionally, the carrier element is a stand-alone component which is intended to seal only the panel aperture and to provide a sealed receptacle in which a fixing arrangement may be received.

The carrier element or support structure of the baffle may be formed from any suitable material or materials and by any suitable method. Optionally, the carrier element is formed from a plastic, for example a polyurethane, a polyamide, a polyester and/or a polyolefins or any combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the carrier element is formed from a polyamide, such as nylon 6, nylon 6.6, nylon 11, nylon 12 or any combination thereof Optionally, the carrier element is an injection moulded carrier element.

The at least one expandable element may comprise a plurality of expandable elements. The plurality of expandable elements may be spaced from each other on the front surface of the carrier element. That is, the plurality of expandable elements may be unconnected, The at least one expandable element may comprise a single continuous element. Advantageously, this enables the expandable element to be provided on the carrier element in a single operation, for example through a single injection port, during manufacture.

The at least one expandable element may be provided on the carrier element using any suitable method. The at least one expandable element may be fixed to the front surface by adhesive. The at least one expandable element may be provided on the carrier element using an injection moulding method. For example, a two-component injection moulding method may be used to form the carrier element and the at least one expandable element. The at least one expandable element may be pre-formed and applied onto the carrier element.

Alternatively, the at least one expandable element may be deposited onto the carrier element. For example, the at least one expandable element may be extruded onto the carrier element.

The carrier element may comprise one or more channels on the front surface in which the at least one expandable element is seated. This may help to reduce the risk of displacement of or damage to the expandable material during transit or handling. It may also help to direct expansion of the expandable material in an upward direction from the front surface of the carrier element.

The expandable element may have any suitable expansion rate. In an illustrative embodiment, the expandable element has an expansion rate of from 300% to 3000%. In another illustrative development, the expandable element has an expansion rate of from 1000% to 2700% or from 1500% to 2500%. Alternatively, the expandable element may have an expansion rate of from 70% to 400%, for example from 100% to 300%.

Optionally, the at least one expandable element comprises at least one thermally expandable element. The expandable element may be formed from a curable thermoplastic material. The term "curable thermoplastic material" denotes a thermoplastic material which is essentially solid at room temperature, has an activation temperature (also termed "decomposition temperature") above ambient temperature at which significant expansion occurs, and which is able to "cure" or undergo cross-linking reactions to result in a stable, expanded material, such as an expanded foam.

With this arrangement, the expandable element can be expanded by heating, for example in a paint-curing oven, such as a cathodic electrocoating oven, used during a conventional automobile manufacturing process.

The thermally expandable element can be considered as a heat-expandable cavity sealer.

The expandable element may have any suitable activation temperature above ambient. The activation temperature may be considered as the decomposition temperature of the expandable element. This may be the temperature at which at least 50% of the expandable compound(s) or blowing agent(s) have decomposed to produce gas, or at which at least 50% of the total expansion occurs. Below the activation temperature, the expandable element is substantially stable. In an illustrative embodiment, the expandable element has an activation temperature of at least 80 degrees C, for example from at least 90 degrees C to at least 150 degrees C. In certain embodiments, at least 50% of the expandable compound(s) decompose under gas release at a temperature of between 170° C. and 230° C. within 10 min. In other embodiments at least 95% of the expandable compound(s) decompose under gas release at a temperature of between 170° C. and 230° C. within 20 min. In an illustrative embodiment, the expandable element expands by around 1800% when held at a temperature of 180° C for 30 minutes.

The thermally expandable element may be formed from an expandable thermoplastic material. The thermally expandable element may be formed from a thermally expandable composition comprising a polymer, such as ethylene-vinyl acetate, and a blowing agent, such as azodicarbonamide. The at least one thermally expandable element may comprise a thermally expandable composition as described in EP4339238-A. A suitable material for the at least one expandable element is available from Sika AG of Baar, Switzerland under the trade name SikaBaffle® 455.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle body structure comprising a vehicle body panel and the baffle of the above aspect, wherein the vehicle body panel has a panel aperture, and wherein the baffle is mounted to the vehicle body panel such that the receptacle opening is adjacent to the panel aperture and the at least one expandable element forms a sealing ring around the panel aperture.

Optionally, the receptacle opening is substantially aligned with the panel aperture.

With this arrangement, the space envelope of the receptacle can be minimised.

The receptacle opening may be smaller than the panel aperture. The receptacle opening may be larger than the panel aperture. The receptacle opening may overlap the entire area of the panel aperture. The receptacle opening may be partially offset from the panel aperture rather than being substantially aligned.

Optionally, the baffle is mounted to the vehicle body panel such that a clearance is provided between a front edge of the receptacle and the vehicle body panel.

With this arrangement, the surface of the vehicle body panel is accessible to liquid after the mounting of the baffle but before expansion of the expandable element, for example during a heat treatment process. Advantageously, this enables the region of the vehicle body panel around the aperture to be covered by a conventional electro-coating ("e-coat") liquid along with the rest of the vehicle body structure, even after the baffle has been installed. This can improve the resistance of the vehicle body panel to corrosion.

Optionally, the clearance is from 0.01 mm to 5mm. Optionally, the clearance is less than 2 mm. For example, the clearance may be from 1 mm to 2 mm.

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle body comprising the vehicle body structure of any of the above aspects, a vehicle component assembly, and a fixing arrangement by which the vehicle component assembly is mounted to the vehicle body panel, wherein the fixing arrangement extends through the panel aperture and is at least partially received in the receptacle of the baffle.

The fixing arrangement may comprise one or more of a retaining clip, a threaded bolt, and a locator pin.

Optionally, the fixing arrangement comprises a stud bolt mounted on the vehicle component assembly and a retainer or "cup sack", mounted on the vehicle body panel around the panel aperture, wherein the stud bolt is engagingly received within the retainer, and wherein the stud bolt and retainer are both at least partially received in the receptacle of the baffle.

The vehicle component assembly may comprise any suitable component or component assembly. Optionally, the vehicle component assembly comprises a lamp assembly, for example a head lamp assembly or rear lamp cluster assembly.

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising the baffle, the vehicle body structure, and/or the vehicle body of any of the above aspects.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination.

That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a front isometric view of a baffle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a rear isometric view of the baffle of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view through the receptacle of the baffle of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a vehicle body structure including the baffle of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a vehicle body including the vehicle body structure of Figure 4 and a vehicle component assembly mounted to the vehicle body structure; Figure 6 shows a front view of a baffle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view through the receptacle of the baffle of Figure 6; Figure 8 shows a front isometric view of a baffle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and Figure 9 shows a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A baffle 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures 1 to 5. A baffle 400 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures 6 and 7. A baffle 700 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying Figure 8. As shown in Figure 9, the baffle 100 is installed in a vehicle 10.

With reference to Figures 1 to 3, there is illustrated a baffle 100 for sealing an aperture in a vehicle body panel. The baffle 100 comprises a carrier element 110 and at least one expandable element 150 supported on the carrier element 110. The carrier element 110 comprises at least one fixation device 120 for fixing the carrier element to the vehicle body panel (see Figures 4 and 5), and a receptacle 130 defined in a front surface 112 of the carrier element 100. The receptacle 130 has a receptacle opening 132 which faces the front surface 112. The receptacle 130 defines a receptacle chamber 134 which extends towards a rear surface 114 of the carrier element 110. The at least one expandable element 150 at least partly surrounds the receptacle opening 132 to form a sealing ring around the receptacle opening 132 once expanded.

The terms "front" and "rear" are used independently of the coordinate system of the vehicle with which the baffle will be used. The term "front surface" refers to the side of the baffle which is intended to be placed against the vehicle body panel and the "rear surface" is the opposite side of the baffle.

The receptacle chamber 134 has a depth D, which may be any suitable value depending on the desired application. In this manner, the receptacle chamber defines a sealed region into which a fixing arrangement for a vehicle component assembly may be received through the receptacle opening 132. In this manner, the fixing arrangement is permitted to extend through and beyond the vehicle body panel to which the baffle is mounted by at least the depth of the receptacle chamber 134. Optionally, the receptacle chamber 134 has a depth of at least 10mm. For example, the receptacle chamber 134 may have a depth of at least 12mm, at least 14mm, at least 16mm, at least 18mm, or at least 20mm. The term "depth" refers to the maximum dimension of the receptacle chamber 134 from the front face 137 of the receptacle opening 132 to the rearmost internal wall 139 of the receptacle chamber 134, as illustrated in Figure 3.

In the illustrated embodiment, the receptacle 130 comprises an annular wall 136 which protrudes from the front surface 112 of the carrier element 110 and extends around the receptacle opening 132 at a location between the receptacle opening 132 and the at least one expandable element 150. As illustrated, the receptacle opening 132 is defined by the annular wall 136. However, it will be understood that the receptacle opening may instead be defined by the front surface 112 and that, in such embodiments, the annular wall may be spaced from the receptacle opening or omitted entirely.

The annular wall 136 has a height H, which may be any suitable value depending on the desired application. For example, the annular wall 136 may have a height of between 1mm and 50 mm. In some embodiments, the annular wall 136 has a height of between 2 mm and 10 mm, for example around 5 mm. The term "height" refers to the maximum dimension of the annular wall 136 in the direction of protrusion from the surrounding front surface 112 of the carrier element 110 to the front edge 137 of the annular wall 136, as illustrated in Figure 3.

In the illustrated embodiment, the receptacle 130 has a circular transverse cross-sectional shape. However, it will be understood that the receptacle 130 may have any suitable shape. For example, the receptacle 130 may have a polygonal or oval circular transverse cross-sectional shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the receptacle 130 comprises a continuous side wall 138 which extends rearwards from the receptacle opening 132 to define the sides of the receptacle chamber 134, and further comprises a rear end wall 139 which extends across the rear end of the side wall 138 to close the rear end of the receptacle chamber 134. As can be seen in Figure 2, the external surfaces of the receptacle 130 may protrude from the rear surface 114 of the carrier element. The side wall 138 extends generally perpendicularly to the front surface 112 of the carrier element 110, subject to manufacturing constraints. For example, subject to the inclusion of a slight draft angle. With this arrangement, the space envelope of the receptacle 130 on the rear surface 114 can be minimised for a given receptacle chamber volume. In other embodiments, the receptacle may comprise a plurality of side walls or may comprise a single interior wall which defines both the side walls and the rear end wall. For example, the receptacle may comprise a single interior wall which defines a generally dome-shaped receptacle chamber.

The baffle 100 comprises at least one fixation device 120 for fixing the carrier element 110 to the vehicle body panel. In the illustrated embodiment, the at least one fixation device 120 is provided in the form of a plurality of resilient clips 121-123 which extend from the front surface 112 and are surrounded by the expandable element 150. The first to third resilient clips 121-123 are configured to engage with fixation apertures in a vehicle body panel to enable the baffle to be mounted to the vehicle body panel. With this arrangement, the clips 121-123 can extend through, or otherwise engage with, a fixation aperture in the body panel and the at least one expandable element 150 can form a seal around the clips 121-123 to minimise the transmission of water, dirt, fumes, noise, and the like through the fixation aperture. The carrier element 110 of baffle 100 has an elongate shape and the resilient clips 121-123 are spaced apart along the length L and/or width W of the carrier element 110 in order to better stabilise the baffle 100 when clipped to the vehicle body panel. The clips 121-123 may have an elongate cross-sectional shape, for example a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape, and be configured to engage with a corresponding elongate clip aperture or slot in the vehicle body panel. In this manner, the clips can be used to locate the baffle 100 in relation to a least one orientation axis.

One or more of the clips can be orientated differently to the others such that, together, the clips can locate the baffle in multiple axes. In the illustrated embodiment, a first clip 121 towards a lower end of the baffle 100 is orientated such that its elongate cross-section extends in a generally vertical direction, a second clip 122 towards an upper end of the baffle 100 is orientated such that its elongate cross-section extends at around 45 degrees to the first clip 121, and a third clip 123 between the first and second clips 122 vertical direction is orientated such that its elongate cross-section extends in a generally horizontal direction. In this manner, the first clip acts to locate the baffle 100 in the correct horizontal position and the third clip acts to locate the baffle in the correct vertical position.

As well as being configured to seal an aperture in a vehicle body panel, the baffle 100 is also configured to form a seal along one or more edges of the vehicle body panel, for example to seal a gap between an edge of the vehicle body panel and the edge of an adjacent vehicle body panel or vehicle body structure, such as a structural pillar. To this end, the carrier 110 is elongate, with a length L and a width W, and has a shape which at least partly conforms with the shape of an edge of the vehicle body panel to which it is to be mounted. In the illustrated embodiment, the carrier element 110 is generally L-shaped. However, it will be understood that the carrier element 110 may have any suitable shape as required. Optionally, the carrier element 110 comprises an arm 116 which extends diagonally between the leg and foot sections of the L-shape to increase the rigidity of the carrier element 110. The carrier element 110 may also comprise at least one stiffening structure 118 to increase the strength and rigidity of the carrier element 110, particularly against bending and/or twisting. The at least one stiffening structure may comprise a peripheral skirt 118 extending from the rear surface 114 around at least part of the perimeter of the carrier element 110, as seen in Figure 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the peripheral skirt 118 extends from the rear surface 114 around the entire perimeter of the carrier element 110, and the arm 116 extends between two spaced apart regions of the peripheral skirt 118 to form a generally triangular shape.

The at least one expandable element 150 comprises a receptacle ring 151 which surrounds the receptacle opening 132 to form a sealing ring around the receptacle opening 132 once expandable. Optionally, the at least one expandable element 150 also comprises a plurality of clip rings 152 which surround the clips 120 to form a sealing ring around the clips 120 once expanded. Optionally, the at least one expandable element 150 also comprises an edge portion 154 which extends along or adjacent to an edge of the carrier element 110. The various parts of the at least one expandable element 150 may be provided as discrete elements which are spaced apart from each other such that the at least one expandable element comprises a plurality of expandable elements. In the illustrated embodiment, the at least one expandable element 150 comprises connector portions 156 by which the various parts of the at least one expandable element 150 are connected to each other. In this manner, the at least one expandable element 150 can be considered as a single element. This can enable the expandable element to be provided on the carrier element in a single, continuous process, and/or through a single port, for example injection port, during manufacture.

The at least one expandable element 150 may be fixed to the carrier element 110 using any suitable technique. For example, the at least one expandable element 150 may be fixed to the front surface using adhesive. In the illustrated embodiment, as best seen in Figure 3, the at least one expandable element 150 is received in a series of channels 115 defined in the front surface 112 of the carrier element. This may help to reduce the risk of displacement of or damage to the expandable material during transit or handling. It may also help to direct expansion of the expandable material in an upward direction from the front surface 112. Optionally, the at least one expandable element 150 is injection moulded onto the carrier element 110. Alternatively, the carrier element 110 may be over-moulded on to the at least one expandable element 150.

The at least one expandable element 150 may comprise any suitable material. For example, the at least one expandable element 150 may comprise a chemically expandable element and/or a moisture expandable element. Optionally, the at least one expandable element 150 comprises a thermally expandable element. Such elements are activated or expanded due to heating. This enables the expandable element 150 to be activated as part of the normal vehicle assembly process, during which the vehicle body is heated in one or more paint-curing ovens. In this manner, the baffle can be mounted to the vehicle body prior to electrocoating and/or painting and the expandable element can be activated in a paint-curing oven, such as a cathodic electrocoating oven, without the need for access to the baffle after installation. The thermally expandable element may be formed from an expandable thermoplastic material. The thermally expandable element may be formed from a thermally expandable composition comprising a polymer, such as ethylene-vinyl acetate, and a blowing agent, such as azodicarbonamide.

Figure 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view through part of a vehicle body structure 200 incorporating the baffle 100. In Figure 4, the at least one expandable element 150 is shown in its unexpanded state. The vehicle body structure 200 includes a vehicle body panel 210 with a panel aperture 212. The baffle 100 is mounted to the vehicle body panel 210 such that the receptacle opening 132 is adjacent to the panel aperture 212 and the receptacle ring 151 of the at least one expandable element 150 forms a sealing ring around the panel aperture 212. Optionally, the receptacle opening 132 may be substantially aligned with the panel aperture 212 as shown. This can facilitate insertion of a fixing arrangement into the receptacle 130 (see Figure 5) and can minimise the space envelope of the receptacle 130. The baffle 100 is mounted to the vehicle body panel 210 such that a clearance C1 is provided between the front edge 137 of the receptacle 130 and the vehicle body panel 210. With this arrangement, the surface of the vehicle body panel is accessible to liquid after the mounting of the baffle 100 and before expansion of the expandable element 150. This enables the vehicle body panel to be coated by a conventional electro-coating ("e-coat") liquid along with the rest of the vehicle body structure, even after the baffle has been installed. This can improve the resistance of the vehicle body panel to corrosion. The clearance C1 may have any suitable value. Ideally, the clearance C1 is large enough to permit liquid flow but small enough to restrict egress of expanding material during expansion of the expandable element 150. For example, the clearance may be from 1 mm to 2 mm. The vehicle body structure 200 may also comprise a further vehicle body panel 220 which is positioned adjacent to the vehicle body panel 210. A gap G may be present between the edge of the vehicle body panel 210 and the further vehicle body panel 220, for example due to manufacturing tolerances and/or complex shaping of either part. The gap G may be sealed by the edge portion 154 of the at least one expandable element 150, once expanded.

Figure 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view through part of a vehicle body 300 incorporating the vehicle body structure 200. In Figure 5, the at least one expandable element 150 is shown in its expanded state. The vehicle body 300 comprises the vehicle body structure 200 of Figure 4, a vehicle component assembly 310, and a fixing arrangement 350 by which the vehicle component assembly 310 is mounted to the vehicle body structure 200. The fixing arrangement 350 extends through the panel aperture 212 and is at least partially received in the receptacle 130 of the baffle 100. The vehicle component assembly 310 may be any suitable component or component assembly. In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle component assembly 310 comprises a lamp assembly, for example a head lamp assembly or rear lamp cluster assembly, having a component housing 312. The fixing arrangement 350 may comprise any suitable fixing arrangement. For example, the fixing arrangement may comprise one or more of a retaining clip, a threaded bolt, and a locator pin. In the illustrated embodiment, the fixing arrangement 350 comprises a stud bolt 352 mounted on the vehicle component assembly 310 -for example engaging with a threaded bore in a rear surface of the component housing 312 and a retainer 354, or "cup sack", mounted on a front surface of vehicle body structure 200 -in this case on a front surface of the further vehicle body panel 220. The retainer 354 extends through a retainer aperture 222 in the further vehicle body panel 220. As will be generally understood, the stud bolt 352 is engagingly received within a bore defined by the retainer 354 and has an enlarged head 353 which resists decoupling of the stud bolt 352 and retainer 354 and deforms the retainer 354 to retain the retainer 354 within the retainer aperture 222.

The vehicle body panel 210 is located directly beneath the further vehicle body panel 220 such that only a small clearance C2 is provided between the two body panels 210 and 220, for example due to space constraints from surrounding components and/or due to forming limitations of the material from which one or both body panels 210 and 220 are formed. The clearance C2 is insufficient to accommodate a conventional fixing arrangement 350, such as the stud bolt and retainer illustrated in Figure 5. The baffle 100 enables the vehicle body panel 210 to be provided with a panel aperture 212 through which the fixing arrangement 350 extends. The at least one expandable element 150 forms a seal around the panel aperture 212 and the receptacle chamber 134 receives the fixing arrangement 350, which extends through the panel aperture 212 and into the receptacle 150. This enables the vehicle component assembly 310 to be mounted to the vehicle body structure 200 with a conventional fixing arrangement 350, such as a stud bolt 352 and associated retainer 354, even when the clearance C2 above the vehicle body panel 210 is limited, all while minimising the transmission of water, dirt, fumes, noise, and the like through the panel aperture 212 in the vehicle body panel.

Figure 6 illustrates a front view of a baffle 400 according to an embodiment. The baffle 400 has a similar structure and operation to the baffle 100 discussed above in relation to Figures 1 to 5 and similar reference numerals are used to denote similar features. The baffle 400 has an elongate shape which is configured to seal along one or more edges of the vehicle body panel, as well as being configured to seal the panel aperture in the vehicle body panel. The outer edge shape of the baffle 400 along which the edge portion 454 of the expandable element 450 is disposed is similar to that of the baffle 100. The carrier element 410 comprises a generally S-shaped spine 413 and has a pair of lateral extensions which extend laterally from the spine 413.

A first lateral extension 417 towards a lower end of the carrier element 410 defines a platform for first clips 421. A second lateral extension 419 towards an upper end of the carrier element 410 defines a platform for a second clip 422. The receptacle 430 is defined in the front surface 412 of the carrier element 410 as defined by the first lateral extension. The at least one expandable element 450 comprises a receptacle ring 451 extending around the receptacle 450 and a clip ring 452 extending around the second clip 422. As best seen in Figure 7, the first clips 421 are incorporated into the receptacle 430.

Figure 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view through part of a vehicle body 600 incorporating a vehicle body structure 500 to which the baffle 400 is mounted. In Figure 7, the at least one expandable element 450 is shown in its unexpanded state. The vehicle body structure 500 and the vehicle body 600 are essentially the same as the vehicle body structure 200 and vehicle body 300 illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 and similar reference numerals are used to denote similar features. The main difference between the two vehicle body structures is that the panel aperture 512 in the vehicle body panel 510 is larger and shaped to accommodate a different type of receptacle and clipping arrangement. Further the first clips 421 are incorporated into the sides of the receptacle 430. To mount the baffle 400, the second clip 422 is inserted into a fixation aperture (not shown) in the vehicle body panel 510 and the front end of the receptacle 430 is inserted through the panel aperture 512 so that the first clips 421 engage against the sides of the panel aperture 512 to hold the baffle 400 in place. The baffle 400 otherwise functions the same as the baffle 100 of Figures 1 to 5.

Figure 8 illustrates a front isometric view of a baffle 700 according to an embodiment. The baffle 700 has a similar structure and operation to the baffle 400 discussed above in relation to Figures 6 and 7 and similar reference numerals are used to denote similar features. Unlike baffles 100 and 400, the baffle 700 is configured to seal only a panel aperture in a vehicle body panel. Thus, the baffle 700 has a circular or oval shape, rather than an elongate shape which is configured to seal along one or more edges of the vehicle body panel. The carrier element 710 performs a similar function to the first lateral extension 417 of baffle 400. To mount the baffle 700, the front end of the receptacle 730 is inserted through the panel aperture so that the first clips 721 incorporated into the sides of the receptacle 730 engage against the sides of the panel aperture to hold the baffle 700 in place. The expandable element 750 is configured to form a seal around the panel aperture once expanded.

Figure 9 illustrates a vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 10 comprises a vehicle body 300 as illustrated in Figure 5. Thus, the vehicle 10 also comprises a vehicle body structure 200 as illustrated in Figure 4, and a baffle 100 as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A baffle for sealing an aperture in a vehicle body panel, the baffle comprising: a carrier element; and at least one expandable element supported on the carrier element, wherein the carrier element comprises at least one fixation device for fixing the carrier element to the vehicle body panel, and a receptacle defined in a front surface of the carrier element, wherein the receptacle has a receptacle opening which faces the front surface, the receptacle defining a receptacle chamber which extends towards a rear surface of the carrier element, and wherein the at least one expandable element at least partly surrounds the receptacle opening to form a sealing ring around the receptacle opening once expanded.
2. The baffle according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle chamber has a depth of at least 10mm.
3. The baffle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the receptacle comprises an annular wall which protrudes from the front surface and extends around the receptacle opening at a location between the receptacle opening and the at least one expandable element.
4. The baffle according to claim 3, wherein the receptacle opening is defined by the annular wall.
5. The baffle according to any preceding claim, wherein the receptacle has a circular transverse cross-sectional shape.
6. The baffle according to any preceding claim, wherein the receptacle comprises one or more side walls and a rear end wall extending across the one or more side walls to close a rear end of the receptacle chamber.
7. The baffle according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one fixation device extends from the front surface and is at least partly surrounded by the at least one expandable element.
8. The baffle according to any preceding claim, wherein the carrier element has an elongate shape and the at least one expandable element comprises an elongate edge portion extending along or adjacent to an edge of the elongate shape.
9. The baffle according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one expandable element comprises at least one thermally expandable element comprising a thermally expandable material.
10. A vehicle body structure comprising a vehicle body panel and the baffle of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the vehicle body panel has a panel aperture, and wherein the baffle is mounted to the vehicle body panel such that the receptacle opening is adjacent to the panel aperture and the at least one expandable element is positioned to form a sealing ring around the panel aperture once expanded.
11. The vehicle body structure according to claim 10, wherein the receptacle opening is substantially aligned with the panel aperture.
12. The vehicle body structure of claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the baffle is mounted to the vehicle body panel such that a clearance is provided between a front edge of the receptacle and the vehicle body panel.
13. The vehicle body structure of claim 10, wherein the clearance is from 1 mm to 2 mm.
14. A vehicle body comprising the vehicle body structure of any of claims 10 to 13, a vehicle component assembly, and a fixing arrangement by which the vehicle component assembly is mounted to the vehicle body structure, wherein the fixing arrangement extends through the panel aperture and is at least partially received in the receptacle of the baffle.
15. A vehicle comprising the baffle of any of claims 1 to 9, the vehicle body structure of any of claims 10 to 13, or the vehicle body of claim 14.