Rigid backbone enhancement for extruded profiles

• US 5,437,124 A
• Filed: 01/26/1995
• Issued: 08/01/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: M & I Heat Transfer Products Limited
• Original Assignee: Schlegel Corporation (GKN PLC)
• Inventors: Ahlfeld, Michael D., Froehlich, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): KANNAN, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US08/378,101
• Time in Patent Office: 187 Days
• Field of Search: 49/479.1, 49/490.1, 49/498.1, 49/475.1, 49/506
• US Class Current: 49/479.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/16 consisting of two or more plastic materials having different physical or chemical properties B60J10/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/21 having corner parts or bends
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/33 characterised by the configuration of the retaining lips
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/80 specially adapted for opening panels, e.g. doors for non-fixed roofs B60J10/90

Abstract

A weatherseal includes a supporting carrier, a body of elastomeric material formed on the carrier, a layer of decorative material disposed on a surface of the body, and a backbone of longitudinally incompressible material disposed between the decorative layer and the carrier for reducing wrinkling of the decorative layer when the weatherstrip is bent on a radius with the decorative layer inside. Another strip disposed adjacent to an irregular carrier eliminates irregularities from the surface of a thin portion of the elastomeric body and improves the appearance of the weatherseal.

Claims

1. A weatherseal comprising a supporting carrier;

a body of elastomeric material formed on the carrier;

a layer of decorative material on a surface of the body;

a backbone strip of longitudinally incompressible material disposed between the decorative layer and the carrier for reducing wrinkling of the decorative layer when the weatherstrip is bent on a radius with the decorative layer inside.

2. The weatherstrip of claim 1 in which the strip comprises a strip of plastic material.

3. The weatherseal of claim 2 in which the strip comprises a strip of thermoplastic material.

4. The weatherstrip of claim 3 in which the thermoplastic material is polypropylene.

5. The weatherstrip of any of claims 2-4 in which the backbone strip has a thickness between about 0.5 mil and 2 mil.

6. The weatherstrip of claim 1 in which the carrier is longitudinally compressible.

7. The weatherstrip of claim 1 in which the carrier is a wire carrier.

8. The weatherstrip of claim 1 in which the carrier is a stamped metal carrier.

9. The weatherseal of claim 1 in which the backbone strip is embedded in the body of elastomeric material.

10. The weatherstrip of claim 1 in which the backbone strip is disposed between the elastomeric material and the carrier.

11. A weatherseal comprising:

a supporting carrier having an irregular surface;

a body of elastomeric material formed on the supporting carrier and having a thickness such that the irregular surface of the carrier would be visible on a surface of the body;

a layer of decorative material on a surface of the body;

a strip of dimensionally stable material disposed between the carrier and the surface of the body to render the irregular surface of the carrier invisible at the surface of the body; and

a backbone strip of longitudinally incompressible material disposed between the decorative layer and the carrier for reducing wrinkling of the decorative layer when the weatherstrip is bent on a radius with the decorative layer inside.

12. A method for forming a wrinkle resistant decorative layer on an elongated weatherstrip having an elastomeric body comprising the steps of providing a carrier for the weatherstrip;

providing a longitudinally incompressible backbone strip;

extruding an elongated body of elastomeric material over the U-shaped carrier and the backbone strip with the backbone strip positioned adjacent the base of the U-shaped carrier and applying a decorative layer to the elongated body on the opposite side of the backbone strip from the U-shaped carrier.

13. The method of claim 12 in which the backbone strip is positioned adjacent the base of the carrier.