SEALING ELEMENT COMPRISING A COVER STRIP

Abstract

A sealing element including a cover strip, in particular for sealing a window pane at the inlet of a window channel into which the window pane can be retracted. A portion of the sealing element, which portion is to be produced by injection molding, is connected to the cover strip by being molded onto the cover strip. In a corresponding method, the cover strip is preheated such that its shrinkage is matched to the shrinkage of the molded-on material, until the cover strip has cooled down to approximately the ambient temperature.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A sealing element for sealing a vehicle window pane which can be lowered into a shaft, comprising: a cover strip; and an injection molded section connected to the cover strip by being molded onto the cover strip.

13. The sealing element according to claim 12, wherein the cover strip has a vessel-shaped configuration with a vessel space filled by way of molding material of the section.

14. The sealing element according to claim 13, wherein the vessel space is undercut.

15. The sealing element according to claim 13, wherein the cover strip has ends with end walls that delimit the vessel space.

16. The sealing element according to claim 12, wherein the injection molded section a composite part from a thermoplastic and an elastomer.

17. The sealing element according to claim 16, wherein the composite part includes a thermoplastic elastomer.

18. The sealing element according to claim 16, wherein the elastomer provides the connection between the section and the cover strip.

19. The sealing element according to claim 16, further comprising a fastening section made up of the thermoplastic of the section.

20. The sealing element according to claim 12, wherein the cover strip is metal.

21. The sealing element according to claim 20, wherein the metal is aluminum or chromium.

22. A method for manufacturing a sealing element that includes a cover strip, comprising the steps of: arranging the cover strip or a reinforcing insert in a mold chambers and connecting the cover strip or the reinforcing insert to a section of the sealing element by molding on during manufacturing of the section by injection molding.

23. The method according to claim 22, including arranging the cover strip in the mold chamber in a heated state so that shrinkage of the cover strip during to cooling to ambient temperature matches shrinkage of the injection molded section.

24. The method according to claim 23, including preheating the cover strip to from 100 to 250 C.

Description

[0012] In the following text, the invention is described further using exemplary embodiments and the appended drawings which relate to said exemplary embodiments and in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a sealing element according to the invention for sealing a lowerable vehicle window pane on a window shaft,

[0014] FIG. 2 shows a sealing element in accordance with the invention 1 in a cross-sectional view, and

[0015] FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of a cover strip which can be used in a sealing strand according to the invention.

[0016] A sealing element 4 which is shown in cross section in FIG. 2 is arranged at a shaft opening on a vehicle door 1 with a window pane 3 which can be lowered into the shaft in accordance with arrow 2.

[0017] The strand-shaped sealing element 4 comprises an injection molded section 5 which is molded onto a metallic cover strip 6. The cover strip 6 consists of aluminum in the example which is shown.

[0018] The injection molded section 5 is manufactured as a composite part from a thermoplastic (polypropylene (PP) in the example which is shown) and an elastomer (a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) in the present case).

[0019] A part 7 of the section 5, which part 7 consists of thermoplastic, forms a fastening section for plugging onto a vehicle body flange 8 which is formed on the vehicle door 1. An elastomer part 9 which projects from the thermoplastic part 7 forms a sealing tongue which bears via a sliding layer 10 against the window pane 3. A further elastomer part 11 of the section 5 is molded onto the cover strip 6, the thermoplastic part 7 of the section 5 in turn being molded onto the further elastomer part 11.

[0020] On its longitudinal edges, the cover strip 6 has in each case one angled-away portion 12 and 13. End walk are formed at the two ends of the cover strip 6, of which end walk the end wall 14 is visible in FIG. 3. The angled-away portions 12 and 13 and the end walls 14 form an undercut vessel space 15 which is filled by way of the molded-on elastomer material of the elastomer part 11.

[0021] In order to manufacture the sealing strand 3, the cover strip 6 is arranged in a mold chamber of an injection molding die, and the elastomer part 11 of the section 5 which is to be manufactured by way of injection molding is produced in a first injection molding work operation.

[0022] Before the introduction into the mold chamber, the cover strip 6 is heated to a temperature between 100 and 250 C., with the result that it is arranged in the mold chamber in a thermally expanded state. As the cover strip 6 and the elastomer part 11 which is cast onto it cool to approximately room temperature, the cover strip 6 therefore shrinks to the same extent as the elastomer part 11. Stresses and material fractures as a result of different shrinkage are avoided. The cover strip 6 and the elastomer part 11 form a stable composite part. A fixed connection between the elastomer part 11 and the cover strip 6 results firstly by way of the molding of the elastomer material onto the aluminum of the composite strip. Secondly, the positively locking engagement of the elastomer part 11 into the undercut vessel space 15 of the cover strip 6 ensures a stable bond.

[0023] The composite part which is formed from the elastomer part 11 and the cover strip 6 is then arranged in a mold chamber, and the thermoplastic part 7 of the section 5 which is to be manufactured by way of injection molding is produced in a further injection molding work operation. Finally, the elastomer part 9 which forms the sealing tongue is manufactured in a third injection molding work operation.

[0024] It goes without saying that sealing elements which comprise a cover strip might also be used at other locations of a vehicle body than the window shaft which is shown here, for example also on a stationary vehicle window pane.