Air filled gasket
A foam twin-sheet formed air filled gasket is provided. The foam sheets need not be covered with one or more layers of air impermeable materials before, during or after the twin-sheet forming process. Methods for manufacturing the air filled gaskets are also disclosed.
1. A method of manufacturing an air filled foam gasket, comprising:
removably securing a first thermoformable cross-linked foam sheet in a first frame;
removably securing a second thermoformable cross-linked foam sheet in a second frame;
heating said first thermoformable cross-linked foam sheet and said second thermoformable cross-linked foam sheet in a tool mold; said tool mold including an upper mold tool and a lower mold tool, said upper mold tool having an upper mold tool interior form, said lower mold tool having a lower mold tool interior form, and at least one of said upper and lower mold tool interior forms conforming to a gap;
introducing a vacuum to said tool mold to conform the heated first thermoformable cross-linked foam sheet to said upper mold tool interior form, and the second thermoformable cross-linked foam sheet to the lower mold tool interior form;
thermoforming the first cross-linked foam sheet to the second cross-linked foam sheet and encapsulating ambient air in said gap between the first and the second cross-linked foam sheets to form a gasket having an air filled pocket therebetween with an initial shape formed during thermoforming; and
cooling the gasket following thermoforming such that the air filled pocket substantially maintains the initial shape.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein thermoforming comprises twin sheet processing.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cross-linked foam sheet comprises the same material as the second cross-linked foam sheet.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cross-linked foam sheet comprises a different material from the second cross-linked foam sheet.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cross-linked foam sheet or the second cross-linked foam sheet comprises a closed cell cross-linked polyolefin foam.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cross-linked foam sheet and the second cross-linked foam sheet comprises a sheet selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, and blends thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein cooling comprises allowing the gasket to cool from temperatures used during thermoforming to room temperatures without fans or refrigeration.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein cooling comprises removing the gasket from thermoforming equipment and exposing the gasket to a temperature and a pressure of an indoor manufacturing environment for at least about one hour.