Weather strip and production method thereof

• US 8,765,041 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Minoura, Hideaki, Takahashi, Kazuhiro, Kubo, Yoshihisa, Kawai, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Katherine
• Assistant Examiner(s): REPHANN, JUSTIN B
• Application Number:
  US13/939,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20130292874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: 494/751, 494/791, 494/901, 494/981, 264/250, 264/255, 264/259, 264/297.2, 264/261, 264/279.2
• US Class Current: 264/250
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14409 Coating profiles or strips by injecting end or corner or intermediate parts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/12 Articles with an irregular circumference when viewed in cross-section, e.g. window profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0053 Producing sealings B29D99/0085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/16 EPM, i.e. ethylene-propylene copolymers; EPDM, i.e. ethylene-propylene-diene copolymers; EPT, i.e. ethylene-propylene terpolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2223/16 EPM, i.e. ethylene-propylene copolymers; EPDM, i.e. ethylene-propylene-diene copolymers; EPT, i.e. ethylene-propylene terpolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2423/16 EPM, i.e. ethylene-propylene copolymers; EPDM, i.e. ethylene-propylene-diene copolymers; EPT, i.e. ethylene-propylene terpolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2623/16 EPM, i.e. ethylene-propylene copolymers; EPDM, i.e. ethylene-propylene-diene copolymers; EPT, i.e. ethylene-propylene terpolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2823/16 EPM, i.e. ethylene-propylene copolymers; EPDM, i.e. ethylene-propylene-diene copolymers; EPT, i.e. ethylene-propylene terpolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/005 for making window frames windows B29L2031/778
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/26 Sealing devices, e.g. packaging for pistons or pipe joints
• 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 10/17 provided with a low-friction material on the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/2335 with joint end members, e.g. abutting ends
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/24 having tubular parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/32 using integral U-shaped retainers
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/82 for movable panels in roofs
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/84 arranged on the vehicle body

Abstract

A method for producing a weather strip including an extrusion molded extrusion molded portion, an injection molded portion which is formed by a molding device having a plurality of mold members and connects both ends of the extrusion molded portions in a straight line shape, a mounting base portion which is mounted on a circumferential edge of an opening of a body or a circumferential edge of an opening/closing member for opening and closing the opening, and a hollow sealing portion which protrudes from the mounting base portion, and is pressed against an opposite member when the opening/closing member for opening and closing the opening is closed.

Claims

1. A method for producing a weather strip including:

an extrusion molded portion;

an injection molded portion which is formed by a molding device having a plurality of mold members and connects one end of the extrusion molded portion in a longitudinal direction of the weather strip and one end of an adjacent extrusion molded portion in the longitudinal direction of the weather strip in a straight line shape;

a mounting base portion which is mounted on a circumferential edge of an opening of a body or a circumferential edge of an opening/closing member for opening and closing the opening; and

a hollow sealing portion which protrudes from the mounting base portion, and is pressed against an opposite member when the opening/closing member for opening and closing the opening is closed,

wherein in a core mold member having a core body for forming an inner peripheral surface of a hollow sealing portion of the injection molded portion, and a holding portion protruding from the core body, in a state in which both ends of the core body in a longitudinal direction of the core body are inserted into a terminal of the hollow sealing portion of the extrusion molded portion when the injection molded portion is formed, the core mold member is positioned at a predetermined position of the molding device such that a connecting width of the injection molded portion in the longitudinal direction of the weather strip is 0.5 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less, the mold member is closed to form a cavity in the molding device, and the cavity is filled with a material of the injection molded portion to form the injection molded portion;

the injection molded portion is provided with a core withdrawing hole, through which the core body is withdrawn by at least the holding portion after the core body is formed, such that a length thereof along a circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the hollow sealing portion is 25% or more and 45% or less of a circumferential length of the inner peripheral surface in a region of the hollow sealing portion except for a sealing surface which is pressed against the opposite member; and

after the injection molded portion is formed and the mold member of the molding device is opened, the core body is withdrawn from the core withdrawing hole, and

wherein among the plurality of mold members, a predetermined mold member opposite to an outer peripheral surface of the core body is provided with a locking protrusion for locking the extrusion molded portion in a state in which both ends of the core body in the longitudinal direction of the core body are inserted into the terminal of the hollow sealing portion of the extrusion molded portion.

2. The method for producing the weather strip according to claim 1, wherein a material of the injection molded portion comprises an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer of 40 IRHD.

3. The method for producing the weather strip according to claim 1, wherein the injection molded portion is disposed such that a predetermined mold member among the plurality of mold members abuts one side of the holding portion in the circumferential direction of the hollow sealing portion and also abuts the core body, and after the cavity is filled with the material, the predetermined mold member is relatively spaced apart from the core mold member to form a portion of the core withdrawing hole.

4. The method for producing the weather strip according to claim 1, wherein the weather strip includes a trim portion which is different than the mounting base portion and is mounted on a circumferential edge of a door opening of the body, and a hollow sealing portion which protrudes from a vehicle outer sidewall portion of the trim portion, and is pressed against the circumferential edge of the door when the door for opening and closing the door opening is closed, and at the time of forming the injection molded portion, the core withdrawing hole, through which the core body is withdrawn by at least the holding portion after the forming of the injection molded portion.

5. The method for producing the weather strip according to claim 1, wherein the weather strip includes the mounting base portion which is mounted on a circumferential edge of a movable roof for opening and closing a roof panel opening of the body, and a hollow sealing portion which protrudes from the mounting base portion, and has a sealing wall which is pressed against the circumferential edge of the roof panel opening when the movable roof is closed, and at the time of forming the injection molded portion, the core withdrawing hole, through which the core body is withdrawn by at least the holding portion after the forming of the injection molded portion, is formed such that the length thereof along the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the hollow sealing portion is 25% or more and 45% or less of the circumferential length of the inner peripheral surface in the region of the hollow sealing portion except for the sealing surface which is pressed against the circumferential edge of the roof panel opening.