METHOD FOR PRODUCE A SEALING PROFILE AND SEALING PROFILE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a sealing profile according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a sealing profile.

[0002] It is known from practical experience to form plastic sealing profiles for sealing a vehicle door against the door opening in a car body. These profiles, in addition to a sealing section, also have a clamping section with a metal reinforcement made of steel or aluminum. The metal reinforcement is embedded in the plastic and thus protected from external influences. However, if the extruded sealing profile is shortened or cut to length, corrosion can occur at the cut surfaces, necessitating additional corrosion protection measures. Furthermore, the metal reinforcement, which must be removed, complicates the recycling of such sealing profiles.

[0003] From US 6 874 281 B2 a sealing profile for a motor vehicle is known in which a U-shaped clamping section is formed not from a metal insert, but from an extruded plastic profile.

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a sealing profile which is cost-effective and enables particularly simple manufacturing and recycling.

[0005] This task is accomplished by forming the clamping section from at least one extruded clamping profile made of rubber, at least partially cross-linking the rubber of the clamping profile through vulcanization, and then subjecting the clamping section to an extrusion process in which at least one sealing section made of rubber is co-extruded onto the clamping section. Subsequently, the sealing section is co-cross-linked through vulcanization, with several separate clamping profiles being fed into the extrusion process of the at least one sealing section. The result is a plastic sealing profile that is particularly easy to manufacture and, due to the co-extrusion of the sealing section onto the at least partially cross-linked clamping section, exhibits a particularly stable connection between the clamping section and the sealing section.

[0006] After extrusion, the clamping profile preferably consists entirely of plastic or rubber. No further reinforcing materials are required; in particular, no metallic reinforcing material such as a metal insert is used, thus simplifying subsequent recycling.

[0007] Preferably, the rubber of the clamping section and / or the sealing section can be a synthetic rubber, in particular EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber).

[0008] Particularly good attachment of the sealing profile to a vehicle body, as well as a good seal, can be achieved by comprising a hard plastic, especially with a hardness of at least 40 Shore D, for the clamping section and / or a soft rubber, especially sponge rubber, with a hardness of at most 70 Shore A, for the sealing section. Particularly preferably, the hard plastic of the clamping section has a hardness of 50 Shore D and / or the sealing section a hardness of 60 Shore A.

[0009] The clamping section can be provided with at least one contact lip made of a softer material, in particular with a hardness of no more than 70 Shore A. A hardness of 60 Shore A for the at least one contact lip is particularly preferred.

[0010] Before the sealing section is extruded onto the clamping section, longitudinally offset separation points, in particular slots, can be introduced into the clamping profile of the clamping section, which preferably consists exclusively of plastic or rubber. The separation points can have a fixed and / or varying spacing along the longitudinal direction of the clamping section.

[0011] Furthermore, longitudinally adjacent separation points in the cross-section of the clamping section can be arranged at different locations, particularly on opposite sides of the clamping profile. This results in particularly good flexibility of the clamping section transversely to the longitudinal direction.

[0012] According to the invention, several separate clamping profiles made exclusively of plastic or rubber are fed into the extrusion process of the at least one sealing section. The clamping profiles can be fed into the extrusion process at fixed intervals and / or at varying intervals. This allows for optimal adjustment of the flexibility of the sealing profile transversely to the longitudinal direction and also of the holding force of the sealing profile on a body panel.

[0013] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the aforementioned process steps are carried out in a single production line. This reduces storage costs and allows, for example, the residual heat from the vulcanization of the clamping section to be advantageously used in the vulcanization of the sealing section.

[0014] In order to make it particularly easy to provide a large number of sealing profiles for different vehicle types, it may be possible to manufacture the clamping section with a uniform cross-section and to extrude sealing sections with different cross-sections onto the clamping section as needed.

[0015] During the vulcanization of the rubber of the clamping section and / or the rubber of the sealing section, the corresponding rubber is preferably heated to at least 100 °C.

[0016] Furthermore, a sealing profile, particularly for sealing a vehicle door against a door opening in a vehicle body, is also claimed, comprising a clamping section and at least one sealing section. The clamping section and the at least one sealing section comprise one or more vulcanized rubbers.

[0017] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a first embodiment of a sealing profile with a clamping section and a sealing section in a stepped section; Fig. 2 a perspective view of a clamping profile of the clamping section of Figure 1 Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a clamping section, and Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the sealing section of Figure 1 .

[0018] In Figure 1Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a sealing profile 1 in a sectional section. The sealing profile 1 comprises a clamping section 2 and a sealing section 3. The sealing section 3 is formed by an extruded tubular profile with a hollow chamber 4. Preferably, the sealing section 3 can be made, at least partially, of sponge rubber, in particular with a hardness of 60 Shore A.

[0019] Clamping section 2 is formed by several spaced-apart clamping profiles, of which clamping profiles 5a and 5b are numbered here. Clamping profiles 5a and 5b were manufactured by separating individual elements from a corresponding extruded profile made exclusively of plastic or rubber. As the Figure 1Each clamping profile 5a, 5b has a U-shaped retaining arc 6 in cross-section. From a free end of one of the legs of the U-shaped retaining arc 6, contact lips 7a, 7b extend into a cavity enclosed by the retaining arc 6. The contact lips 7a, 7b are made of a softer material, preferably sponge rubber, particularly with a hardness of 60 Shore A.

[0020] The sealing profile 1 can be held against a fold 8 of a vehicle body, shown schematically here, by means of the contact lips 7a, 7b. When the U-shaped retaining bracket 6 of the clamping section 2 is attached, the contact lips 7a, 7b are elastically deformed, thereby clamping the fold 8 between the contact lips 7a, 7b and the opposite leg of the U-shaped retaining bracket 6.

[0021] The sealing section 3 additionally includes a cover section 9, which extends in cross-section over the clamping section 2 or the clamping profiles 5a, 5b and also at least partially along the opposite leg of the retaining arch 6, thus protecting it from external influences and concealing it visually.

[0022] In Figure 2 is a perspective view of the clamping profile 5a from Figure 1 As shown there, the leg of the U-shaped retaining arch 6 opposite the contact lips 7a, 7b can have two retaining lugs 10a, 10b on its inner side, which are preferably also made of foam rubber, in particular with a hardness of 60 Shore A. The retaining lugs 10a, 10b, together with the contact lips 7a, 7b, enable a particularly secure fastening of the clamping profile 5a to the Figure 1The fold 8 shown is reached. The retaining lugs 10a, 10b are preferably arranged at or below the level of the contact lips 7a, 7b.

[0023] The clamping profile 5a, like the others in Figure 1 The clamping profiles shown are formed by cutting them from an extruded profile, particularly one made of EPDM. As with the other embodiments, the legs of the U-shaped clamping profile consist exclusively of a plastic or rubber. Because the clamping profiles of the Figure 1By spacing the clamping profiles of the sealing profile 1 shown along its longitudinal axis, a particularly high degree of flexibility is achieved. The spacing of the clamping profiles can be a fixed value or vary along the longitudinal direction of the sealing profile 1. For example, in a section of the sealing profile 1 that will later be positioned in an area of ​​the body with a smaller radius, a larger spacing between the clamping profiles can be provided to achieve maximum flexibility. Similarly, in an area where a particularly high holding force of the sealing profile 1 on the seam 8 or the vehicle body is required, the spacing between the clamping profiles can be reduced, so that a higher holding force is achieved by using a greater number of clamping profiles per unit length.

[0024] In Figure 3A perspective view of a second embodiment of a clamping section 2' is shown. In contrast to the previously described embodiment, no separate clamping profiles were cut from an extruded profile; instead, the extruded profile, formed exclusively from a plastic or rubber, constitutes the clamping profile of the clamping section 2'. However, longitudinally offset separation points in the form of slots, numbered 11a and 11b, are incorporated into the clamping section 2'. The slots 11a and 11b preferably extend in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the extruded clamping profile of the clamping section 2', with two slots preferably provided in each plane that completely pierce the legs of the U-shaped retaining arc 6 and the contact lips 7a and 7b.In the illustrated embodiment, a connection to the adjacent area of ​​the clamping section 2' exists only in the region of the base of the U-shaped retaining bracket 6, which connects the legs. This allows for particularly high flexibility of the clamping section 2' transversely to its longitudinal direction, despite the one-piece construction. In alternative embodiments not shown, the slots may be arranged asymmetrically and / or offset from each other longitudinally in the opposite legs of the U-shaped retaining bracket 6. The remaining aspects of the embodiment are described below. Figure 2 Identical features are marked with the same reference symbols.

[0025] In Figure 4 is a perspective view of sealing section 3 of Figure 1 shown. Sealing section 3 is produced by extruding a rubber, with clamping profiles corresponding to the extrusion process shown in Figure 2shown separate clamping profile 5a and / or a one-piece clamping profile corresponding to the clamping section 2' according to the embodiment in Figure 3 The sealing section 3 is thus extruded onto the clamping profiles or the clamping section, each clamping profile comprising a rubber that is already at least partially cross-linked through vulcanization. This results in a particularly stable connection between the clamping section or the clamping profiles and the sealing section. In a subsequent step, the sealing section is then also cross-linked by applying heat and vulcanization. If necessary, the clamping section or the clamping profiles are also fully cross-linked in this process.

[0026] In the manufacture of the sealing profile, several separate clamping profiles can therefore be used according to the Figure 2 and / or a continuous clamping profile as a clamping section according to the Figure 3are fed into the extrusion process of sealing section 3. With a typically constant extrusion speed, the distance between the individual clamping profiles can be adjusted by the feed speed. Preferably, production takes place in a single production line, meaning that the clamping section is produced by extruding a rubber, in particular EPDM, the rubber is at least partially cross-linked by vulcanization, and then, depending on the application, individual clamping profiles are produced according to... Figure 2 separated or separation points according to Figure 3 The material is introduced, and the resulting one-piece or multi-piece clamping profile is then immediately fed into the extrusion process of the sealing section. The subsequent vulcanization of the sealing section and, if applicable, the clamping section, also preferably takes place in the same production line.

[0027] In the illustrated embodiments, the hose profile of the sealing section, which surrounds the hollow chamber 4, is arranged laterally on one of the legs of the U-shaped retaining arc 6 of the clamping section 2, 2', in particular on the leg opposite the contact lips 7a, 7b. Such a design is particularly well suited for door seals of a motor vehicle. To further improve the connection of the sealing section 3 with the clamping section 2, 2', a retaining projection 12 can be provided on the sealing section 3, which engages the end of one of the legs of the U-shaped retaining arc 6, in particular the leg opposite the contact lips 7a, 7b.

[0028] Instead of the one in Figure 4In the sealing section 3 shown, a sealing section with a different cross-section can also be extruded onto the clamping section 2, 2'. This allows for particularly easy adaptation of the sealing profile 1 to different vehicle types. Furthermore, the clamping section can also be made of different materials, preferably plastic or rubber, but preferably without containing any metal. Reference symbol list:

[0029] 1 Sealing profile 2, 2' Clamping section 3 Sealing section 4 Hollow chamber 5a, 5b Clamping profiles 6 U-shaped retaining arch 7a, 7b Mounting lips 8 Rebate 9 Cover section 10a, 10b Retaining lugs 11a, 11b Separation points 12 Retaining projection

Claims

1. Method for producing a sealing profile (1), in particular a sealing profile (1) for sealing off a vehicle door with respect to a door opening of a vehicle body, wherein the sealing profile (1) comprises a clamping portion (2) and at least one sealing portion (3) and the clamping portion (2, 2') is formed by at least one extruded clamping profile (5a; 5b) composed of a rubber, characterized in that the rubber of the clamping profile (5a; 5b) is at least partially cross-linked by vulcanization, the clamping portion (2; 2') is fed to an extrusion process in the following step, in which extrusion process the at least one sealing portion (3) is extruded onto the clamping portion (2; 2') from a rubber and subsequently the sealing portion (3) is cross-linked by vulcanization, wherein multiple separate clamping profiles (5a; 5b) are fed to the extrusion process of the at least one sealing portion (3).

2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the rubber of the clamping portion (2; 2') and / or of the sealing portion (3) is a synthetic rubber, in particular EPDM.

3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the clamping portion (2; 2') comprises a hard plastic, in particular having a Shore D hardness of at least 40, and / or the sealing portion (3) comprises a soft rubber, in particular foam rubber having a Shore A hardness of at most 70.

4. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one contact lip (7a; 7b) composed of a relatively soft material, in particular having a Shore A hardness of at most 70, is provided on the clamping profile (2'; 5a; 5b).

5. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that longitudinally offset separation points (11a; 11b), in particular slits, are formed in the clamping portion (2') prior to the sealing portion (3) being extruded on.

6. Method according to Claim 5, characterized in that the separation points (11a; 11b) have a fixed and / or different spacing in the longitudinal direction.

7. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the clamping profiles (5a; 5b) are fed to the extrusion process of the at least one sealing portion (3) with a fixed spacing to one another and / or with a different spacing to one another.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method steps are carried out in a single production line.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clamping portion (2; 2') is produced with a uniform cross section and, according to requirement, sealing portions with different cross section are extruded onto the clamping portion (2; 2').

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rubber of the clamping portion (2; 2') and / or the rubber of the sealing portion (3) are / is heated to at least 100°C during vulcanization.

11. Sealing profile (1), in particular for sealing off a vehicle door with respect to a door opening of a vehicle body, having a clamping portion (2; 2') and having at least one sealing portion (3), wherein the clamping portion (2; 2') and the at least one sealing portion (3) in each case comprises one or more vulcanized rubbers, characterized in that the clamping portion (2) comprises multiple separate clamping profiles (5a; 5b).