Process for producing linear profiles

• US 8,728,367 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Lay, Reiner, Wynen, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLLSCHLAGER, JEFFREY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/811,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20100276845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 264/139
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/02 Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mouldcold vulcanisation B29C35/18 ; vulcanising tyres, presses therefor B29D30/0601
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/10 for articles of indefinite length
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/12 Articles with an irregular circumference when viewed in cross-section, e.g. window profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/304 specially adapted for bringing together components, e.g. melts within the die
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0023 improving electric conduction
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/305 Wipers

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing extruded profiled elements (3) from an elastomer material. In said method, the extruded profiled element (3) is formed from the elastomer material in a first step, the extruded profiled element (3) is entirely or partly surrounded by a thermoplastic material, the elastomer material that is surrounded by the thermoplastic material is cured, and the thermoplastic material is finally removed again once the elastomer material has been cured.

Claims

1. A process for producing linear profiles (3) for a wiper rubber from an elastomer material, the profiles having at least one wiping edge (5), the process comprising the following steps:

a. molding of the linear profile (3) from the elastomer material,

b. complete or partial sheathing of the linear profile (3) by a thermoplastic material,

c. vulcanizing the elastomer material sheathed by the thermoplastic material, and

d. removing the thermoplastic material after vulcanizing the elastomer material,

wherein the complete or partial sheathing is sufficient to avoid deformation of the wiping edge (5) until the elastomer material has been completely vulcanized,

wherein the thermoplastic material has been selected from polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyamide, and high-molecular-weight polyethylene having an average molecular weight of from 500,000 g/mol to 1,000,000 g/mol, and

wherein the thermoplastic material does not enter into any adhesive bonding with the elastomer material.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the linear profile (3) is molded via an extrusion process.

3. The process as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the complete or partial sheathing of the linear profile (3) by the thermoplastic material takes place during the extrusion of the linear profile (3).

4. The process as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that a coextrusion process is used for the molding of the linear profile (3) and for the complete or partial sheathing of the linear profile (3).

5. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the thermoplastic sheathing material (9, 11, 13) is reused after removal.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the elastomer material for the linear profile (3) has been selected from natural rubber, butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, urethane rubber, nitrile rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, cis-1,4-polyisoprene rubber, silicone rubber, methyl-silicone rubber having fluorine groups, and mixtures of the same.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the thermoplastic material is nylon-6.

8. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the thermoplastic material is electrically conductive, and the thermoplastic material can therefore be used as resistance heating system for the vulcanization process.

9. The process as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the thermoplastic material comprises at least one electrically conductive filler.

10. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the elastomer material is vulcanized by heat from the sheathing made of the thermoplastic material.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one substance that reduces coefficient of friction is added to the thermoplastic material, and migrates to the surface of the linear profile (3) made of the elastomer material.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the linear profile (3) for the wiper rubber is in the form of double strip (1).

13. The process as claimed in claim 10, wherein the thermoplastic material serves as a heat store.