A WEATHER STRIP AND A REINFORCING LAYER FOR USE IN MAKING THE SAME

Abstract: A weather strip comprising a profiled strip (10) made from rubber or plastics has a reinforcing layer (13) fastened to one side surface (12) thereof by means of an adhesive layer (17). A further adhesive layer (18) is applied to the outer surface of the reinforcing layer and is protected by a protective layer (14), until the weather strip is to be used. When the weather strip is fastened to a wooden structure which is treated with a wood preserving substance, such substance is inclined to migrate into the profiled strip (10) and to deteriorate the material thereof. Similarly, solvent or plasticizer from the profiled strip (10) may migrate into the wooden structure and give rise to discoloration thereof. This is prevented thereby that the reinforcing layer includes a metal foil (15) which is preferably part of a laminate which also comprises plastic layers (16).

Description: A weather strip and a reinforcing: layer for use in making the same. The invention relates to a weather strip of the type used i. a . for weather proofing windows , doors , and the like and comprising a strip-shaped body member made from an elastic material, and a substantially inextensible reinforcing layer having one surface thereof adhered to the body member, the opposite surface of the reinforcing layer being provided with an adhesive layer . By means of this adhesive layer the weather strip may be adhered to the position of use, which may, for example, be a window or door frame . The known weather strips of the above type normally comprise a fabric which is made from glass fibres and which prevents undue stretching or elongation of the elastic strip-shaped body member which is normally made from plastics or rubber , such a neoprene, EPD , or foamed poly inyichlόride . Prior to use of the weather strip the adhesive layer provided on the outer surface of the reinforcing layer is normally protected by a removable protective layer, for example in the form of silicone treated paper. When weather strips of the above type are fastened to doors , windows , or other wooden structures , which have been treated with a conventional wood-preserving composition, this composition may migrate through the adhesive and reinforcing layers and into the strip-shaped elastic body member, which may cause that the body member material may swell, or eventually deteriorate in another manner. Furthermore, solvents or plasticizers included in the material, from which the elastic strip-shaped body member is made , may migrate through the reinforcing and adhesive layers and into the material of the basic structure to which the weather strip is fastened, which may cause discoloration of the surface of the basic structure. The elastic strip-shaped body member is often made by extrusion, and in connection with this extrusion process paraffin or another friction reducing agent may be applied to the surface of the body member. In the course of time this friction reducing agent may tend to migrate through the reinforcing layer and into the adhesive layer arranged on the outer surface thereof , whereby the adhesive layer may become ineffective . The above problems are solved by the present invention which is characterized in that the reinforcing layer comprises a metal foil. Such a metal foil effectively prevents that substances from the basic structure on which the weather strip is mounted, migrate into the elastic strip-shaped body member, and that substances from that body member migrate through ' the reinforcing layer and into the adhesive layer, or into the structure to which the weather strip is fastened. In principle, the said metal foil may be of any suitable metal, such as copper, but for the sake of costs, it is normally preferrred to use an aluminium foil. This aluminium foil must be thick enough partly to cause the barrier effect desired and partly suitably to contribute to the tensile strength of the reinforcing layer. Dependent on other components included in the reinforcing layer the thickness of the aluminium foil may suitably be 20 - 100 μ . In itself a metal foil Is relatively fragile, and therefore it may easily become damaged during production of the weather strip . In order to make the metal foil less sensible to the stresses to which it is exposed during production of the weather strip , the metal foil is preferably included in the reinforcing layer in the form of a laminate which comprises one or more layers of plastics in addition to the metal foil. Thus , the metal foil is preferably coated with a layer of plastics on both sides . If such a laminate of metal foil and plastics does not impart the desired strength to the reinforcing layer, this strength may be increased by incorporating a suitable reinforcement. Such reinforcement may, for example, be a fiber reinforcement included in at least one of the layers of plastics in - the reinforcing layer. The plastics included in the reinforcing layer may be of any suitable type, such a polyester. o_-.?ι The invention also relates to a reinforcing layer for use in the production of the above weather strip , and the reinforcing layer according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises a metal foil. This reinforcing layer may possible be provided with an adhesive layer on one or both sides thereof , and may then be pressed against and thereby fastened to one side of an elastic strip-shaped body for forming a weather strip . The reinforcing layer may suitably also comprise a protective layer covering at least one of the adhesive layers . The invention will now be further described with reference to the drawings , in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a section of a weather strip according to the invention with the various layers of the weather strip partly separated, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the weather strip shown in Fig. 1 in an enlarged scale , and Fig. 3 diagrammatically illustrates an apparatus for the production of a reinforcing layer for use in a weather strip according to the invention . The weather strip shown in Fig. 1 comprises a profiled strip 10 of an elastic plastics or rubber material, for example neoprene, EPDM, or foamed poly vinylchloride . The profile of the strip 10 is substantially U-shaped, whereby a channel or groove 11 is defined in one side surface of the strip . The strip may , however, have any other suitable profile . A reinforcing layer 13 is adhered to the side surface 12 of the profiled strip 10 positioned opposite to the the channel 11 , and this reinforcing layer 13 may be covered by a protective layer 14, which may , for example , be a plastic film or * paper, such as silicone treated paper. ~ As illustrated in Fig. 2 , the reinforcing layer 13 is a laminate consisting of a metal foil 15 , preferably an alumini__m foil, and plastic layers 16 positioned on both sides of the metal foil. These layers of plastics which may , for example , be polyester, serve to protect the metal foil against mechanical damage during the production of the weather strip . The reinforcing laver 15 is _c...?r adhered to the side surface 12 of the strip 10 by means of an adhesive layer 17, and an adhesive layer 18 is also applied to the outer surface of the reinforcing layer. The protective layer 14 is adhered to the reinforcing layer 13 by means of this latter adhesive layer 18. Fig. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a method of providing the reinforcing layer 13 with two adhesive layers 17 and 18 and with the protective layer 14. In this method the protective layer 14 in the form of a web is passed from a supply reel 19 over two supporting rollers 20 so that the web-formed protective layer, which may conveniently be paper having a silicone coating applied to both sides thereof, extends substantially horizontally between these two supporting rollers . A liquid adhesive flows from an adhesive container 21, via a supply tube 22 to an adhesive application funnel 23 extending substantially ± the total width of the web , and the outlet opening or mouth of the funnel is positioned • immediately above the horizontal part of the web-formed protective layer 14. Thus , an adhesive layer 18 is applied to the upper surface of the protective layer 14 in the total width thereof, and this adhesive layer may be smoothened by means of a scraper or doctor blade so as to obtain a substantially uniform thickness . The reinforcing 13 layer which is preferably a laminate of an aluminium foil and plastic layers as mentioned above, is in the form of a web and is passed from a supply reel 25 downwardly towards the web 14 and is brought into contact with the adhesive layer 18. An adhesive layer is also applied to the upper surface of the web-formed reinforcing layer 13 from the container 21 via a supply tube 2δ, and an application funnel 27, and the adhesive is smoothened to a substantially uniform thickness by means of a doctor blade or scraper 28. The composite web 29 thus produced consists of the reinforcing layer 13 and the protective layer 14 adhered thereto by means of the adhesive layer 18 , and the adhesive layer 17, which has been applied to the upper surface of the reinforcing layer. This composite web 29 is rolled up on a roller 30. The composite web 29 may later be fastened to profiled strips 10 by means of the adhesive layer 17 in a conventional manner for producing complete weather strips . The profiled strips 10 may be in the form of separated strips or of several interconnected strips positioned side by side . In the first mentioned case the roller 30 is cut into a plurality of rollers with a suitable width, before the strips and the web 29 are united. However, in the latter case, the composite web 29 may be applied to the interconnected profiled strips 10 as a whole , and thereafter the finished weather strips may be separated by cutting . The adhesive used in the adhesive layers 17 and 18 may be of any type conventionally used for this purpose. However, the adhesive is preferably applied in a hot condition . Therefore , the plastic layers 16 in the reinforcing layer 13 is preferably of a material which may stand up to relatively high temperatures for a shorter ' period of time, for example polyester. The adhesive layers 17 and 18 may suitably be applied with a thickness of 100 - 150 μ . When a weather strip as that shown in Figs . 1 and 2 is to be used, the protective layer 14 is removed so that the adhesive layer 18 becomes exposed. Thereafter, the weather strip is fastened to a suitable supporting structure, such as a window frame, a door frame, or another wooden structure, which has possibly been treated with a wood preserving substance . The metal foil 15 included in the reinforcing layer 13 effectively prevents the wood preserving substance from migrating from the supporting structure into the profiled strip and thereby to deteriorate the rubber or plastic from which it is made . Similarly , the metal foil 15 prevents substances , such as solvents , plasticizers , or paraffin to migrate from the profiled strip 10 into the adhesive layer 18 and thereby to make this layer ineffective , and/or to migrate into the structure to which the weather strip is fastened and thereby the discolour the same .

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A weather strip comprising an elongated body member (10) made from an elastic material, and a substantially inextensibie reinforcing layer (13) having one surface thereof adhered to the body member, the opposite surface of the reinforcing layer being provided with a layer (18) of an adhesive, characterized in that the reinforcing layer (13) comprises a metal foil (15) . 2. A weather strip according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal foil (15) is an aluminium foil. 3. A weather strip according to claim 2 , characterized in that the thickness of the aluminium foil is 20 - 100 μ - 4. A weather strip according to any of the claims 1 - 3 , characterized in that the metal foil (15) in the reinforcing layer (13) is laminated' ith one or more layers (16) of plastics . 5. A weather strip according to claim 4, characterized in that the metal foil (15) is coated with a layer of plastics (16) on both sides . 6. A weather strip according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that at least one of the layers of plastics in the reinforcing layer is reinforced by fibres . 7. A reinforcing layer for use in making a weather strip according to any of the claims 1 - 6, characterized in that it comprises a metal foil (15) . 8. A reinforcing layer according to claim 7 , characterized in that the metal foil is an aluminium foil with a thickness of 20 - 100 μ . 9. A reinforcing layer acording to claim 7 or 8 , characterized in that the metal foil (15) is incorporated in a laminate containing one or more layers (16) of plastics . 10. A reinforcing layer according to claim 9 , characterized in that the metal foil (15) is coated with a layer (16) of plastics on both sides .

Inventors: KALNAES POVL
Applicants: KALNAES POVL, KISO KEMI AS
Application year: 1981
Main classification: E06B7
IPC codes: E06B7