Paintable seal system

• US 6,620,501 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zephyros, Inc.
• Original Assignee: L&L Products Inc.
• Inventors: Kassa, Abraham, Bradley, Renee
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): BANNAPRADIST, LISA M
• Application Number:
  US09/923,138
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 277/630, 428/355.R, 428/343, 428/221, 428/480
• US Class Current: 428/355.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/162 the carrier being a laminate constituted by plastic layers only
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/304 the adhesive being heat-activatable, i.e. not tacky at temperatures inferior to 30°C
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2423/00 Presence of polyolefin
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2467/006 in the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/29 Laminated material metallised plastics C09J7/22
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2843 including a primer layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2852 Adhesive compositions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31786 Of polyester [e.g., alkyd, etc.]

Abstract

A system for sealing a plurality of panels including a multiplayer seal having a barrier portion and an adhesion portion.

Claims

1. A multilayer seal adapted for placement on the paintable surface of a substrate comprising:

(a) an adhesion portion that softens and flows when heated to temperatures typically encountered in automotive priming and painting operations; and

(b) a barrier portion substantially retaining said adhesion portion within the surface of the substrate when said seal is heated to temperatures typically encountered in automotive priming and painting operations, wherein said barrier portion includes a crystalline layer located substantially between a first amorphous layer and a second amorphous layer wherein;

i) both the first amorphous layer and the second amorphous layer are at least partially formed of a polyethylene terephthalate material; and

ii) both the first amorphous layer and the second amorphous layer have a thickness that is about one eighth of the thickness of the crystalline layer and the crystalline layer is about two thirds of the entire barrier portion.

2. The seal of claim 1, wherein said adhesion portion includes an ethylene copolymer.

3. The seal of claim 1, further comprising a layer of primer and a urethane based coating.

4. The seal of claim 1, wherein the barrier portion includes a polyester.

5. The seal of claim 1, wherein the adhesion portion is coextruded with the trilaminate barrier portion.

6. The seal of claim 5, wherein the adhesion portion is formed of a melt flow adhesive.

7. The seal of claim 6, wherein the adhesion portion includes an ethylene copolymer.

8. The seal of claim 7, wherein the ethylene copolymer is an ethylene methacrylate.

9. A multilayer seal adapted for placement on the paintable surface of a substrate comprising:

(a) an adhesion portion that softens and flows when heated to temperatures typically encountered in automotive priming and painting operations, wherein the adhesion portion includes a substantial amount of ethylene methacrylate, an amount of adhesion promoter, an amount of curing agent, an amount of reactive polymer and an amount of filler;

(b) a barrier portion substantially retaining said adhesion portion within the surface of the substrate when said seal is heated to temperatures typically encountered in automotive priming and painting operations, said barrier portion including a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer wherein;

i) the first layer and the third, layer are formed of an amorphous plastic material that includes a polyethylene terephthalate material and a filler selected from the group consisting of isophthalate copolymer, barium sulfate, propylene, silica, carbon black and titanium dioxide; and

ii) the second layer is a crystalline plastic material located substantially entirely between the first layer and the third layer; and

(c) a primer/surfacer coating substantially covering the barrier portion;

wherein the adhesion portion adheres to the barrier portion with a peel strength of greater than about 70 lb./in. and wherein the barrier portion and adhesion portion cooperatively provide the seal with a tensile strength of at least about 4500 kPa.

10. The seal of claim 9, further comprising a urethane based coating.

11. The seal of claim 9, wherein both the first layer and the third layer have a thickness that is about one eighth of the thickness of the second layer such that the second layer is about two thirds of the entire barrier portion.

12. The seal of claim 9, wherein the barrier portion includes a polyester.

13. The seal of claim 9, wherein the adhesion portion is coextruded with the trilaminate barrier portion.