Abstract:
A weather strip seal for an automotive vehicle is provided. The weather strip seal includes a first extrusion of elastomeric material forming a sealing wing for sealing a first structure of the vehicle with respect to a second structure of the vehicle. The weather strip seal also includes a second ionomer material which is connected onto the first surface of the sealing wing and forms a thin layer thereon.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the present invention is that of weather strip seals and decorative trim for automotive vehicles. More particularly, the field of the present invention is that of a sealing strip co-extrusion that combines the functions of a sealing strip with a decorative trim extruded directly onto a sealing surface of a sealing wing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Automotive vehicles have an exterior sheet metal, plastic or fiberglass body with a plurality of body panels. Virtually all automotive vehicles have movable and/or fixed windows in their side doors. Accordingly, there is a requirement for various designs of weather stripping to seal gaps between one body panel structure and another body panel structure or a body panel structure and a movable or fixed window. 
     The sealing requirements for a weather strip typically bring about a usage of materials such as EPDM, TPV or TPR rubber or a thermoplastic material. These materials typically have a durometer between 40 and 90 Shore A to allow the material to properly seal. When the weather strip is being applied to seal a movable structure such as a window, flocking or other low friction coating must be utilized. 
     Because most sealing strips are black due to the high amounts of carbon black used to mix the sealing material, decorative exterior trim is often utilized on automotive vehicles to conceal the sealing strip from view. The decorative trim is pigmented to blend, match, or contrast with the color of the vehicle body panels. Typically the decorative trim needs a glossy finish. Accordingly, most automotive trim strips are made of material with a high durometer, that being a harder material than the EPDM, TPV or TPR material. 
     When sealing a movable structure from the interior of the vehicle such as a window, a different problem is presented. A weather strip which seals the window from the interior of the vehicle will have a sealing wing which makes contact with the interior side of the window. To allow for proper sealing, the sealing wing typically is fabricated from the afore described EPDM rubber, TPV or TPR material having a durometer between 40 and 90 Shore A. Additionally the sealing wing will have flocking or a low friction coating added thereon. These materials, flocked or not flocked, are often difficult or expensive to provide in any color other than black. Even if such sealing materials are pigmented to another color, they do not present a glossy finish. It is desirable to provide a weather strip having a sealing wing that can seal an interior surface of the vehicle (such as a movable window) while at the same time provide a glossy finish seen from the exterior of the vehicle which may be optionally color matched with the body panels of the vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To make manifest the above-noted and other desires, the present invention is brought forth. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention brings forth a weather strip seal for an automotive vehicle. The weather strip seal has a carrier reinforcement. A first elastomeric material is extruded onto the carrier forming a retention portion and a sealing wing extending from the retention portion. The first elastomeric material may be a TPR, a TPV, or an EPDM rubber. Connected with the retention portion and also formed by the first elastomeric material is a sealing wing having a first surface for sealing with respect to a second movable structure by contacting the second movable structure with the first surface of the sealing wing. A second ionomer material layer is co-extruded onto the first surface of the sealing wing. The ionomer material forms a low friction layer and is held between 50 and 300 microns on the sealing wing. The low friction layer also has a gloss level between 20 and 90 degrees and has a durometer of 30 Shore A to 57 Shore D, making it harder than the first elastomeric material. Due to the thinness of the ionomer, the ionomer material can act as a seal. Due to the intrinsic properties of the ionomer material, a high gloss finish is provided which can be color coordinated with either the exterior body panels or the interior trim of the vehicle as desired. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a weather strip seal for an automotive vehicle having a thin layer of ionomer material for the sealing surface. It is an object of the present invention to provide a weather strip seal for an automotive vehicle having a low friction, glossy surface which can be used to seal a movable structure such as a window, from the interior of the vehicle. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a weather strip seal according to the present invention installed in the environment of a rear door of an automotive vehicle. 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along lines  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a method of forming a seal according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a rear door  11  having an extendable window panel  13  has a door opening  15  provided by a B-pillar portion of the window frame  17 . The B-pillar portion  17  is joined to a header portion  19  and a C-pillar portion  21 . The C-pillar portion  21  extends downward and has an intersection (not shown) with the belt line  9  of the door. In the rear door  11 , the rear border of the window opening is provided by a division post  29 . The B-pillar portion  17  has a channel seal  31  which connects with a header seal  85 . The header seal  85  is joined with a division post seal  33 . Radially inward from the seals  31 ,  33 ,  85  is a seal  70  according to the present invention. The seal  70  extends from the belt line  9  adjacent to B-pillar  17 , the header  19  and the C-pillar  21  back to the belt line  9 . The seal  70  extends through intersecting corner transition areas  41  and  43  and extends behind the division post  29 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the seal  70  has a retention portion  40 . The retention portion  40  has a U-shaped metal reinforcement  44 . The retention portion  40  has an exterior leg  46  and an interior leg  48 . The retention portion legs  46 ,  48  extend from a juxtaposed retention base portion  47 . The retention portion  40  is pressed over (or as shown in FIG. 2 pressed upwards onto) a descending flange  51  which is a rigid structure provided by the upper frame  53  of a header portion of the door window opening frame. To help retain the retention portion  40  on the rigid structural flange  51  the retention portion  40  has interior extruded barbs  54  and  58 . The seal  70  has a sealing wing  60  connected to the retention portion  40  and has extending therefrom the base portion  47 . The sealing wing  60  typically will be extruded with the retention portion  40  and will have a durometer between 40 and 90, preferably 70 Shore A. The sealing wing  60  has a first surface  61  for sealing against the glass panel  27 . 
     Connected on the first surface  61  is a thin layer of a second ionomer material  63 . The ionomer material  63  (the thickness of the material being exaggerated for illustration purposes) is between 50 and 300 microns. The ionomer material is harder than the elastomeric material which forms a sealing wing. The ionomer material will typically have a durometer between 30 Shore A to 57 Shore D. The ionomer material also allows the sealing wing to have a gloss level between 20 and 90 degrees. The gloss level may be enhanced by film forming as later described. Ordinarily the ionomer is too hard to achieve a proper seal. However, the thinness of the ionomer combined with its soft backing provided by the remainder of the sealing wing allows the ionomer to function properly as a sealing material. Additionally, in many applications the ionomer provides a low friction surface which does not require the utilization of a low friction coating or flocking. 
     The seal  70  also has a concealment wing  71 . The concealment wing  71  is connected to and extends from the retention base portion  47  and is more adjacent to the leg  48  which is opposite the glass panel  27 . The concealment wing  71  has a second surface  75  which is generally continuous with the first surface  61 . Accordingly surface  75  provides two aesthetic functions. The first function is to conceal the carrier portion leg  48  from the view of an occupant of the vehicle. The second function is to provide a colored surface which can be pigmented to coordinate with or match the exterior or interior colors of the vehicle. If desired, the extrusion of the sealing wing  60  retention portion  40  and concealment wing  75  can be pigmented to match the color of ionomer material  63 . 
     Typically the sealing wing  60  and concealment wing  71  will be a common extrusion with the retention portion  40 . The seal  70  also has a close out lip  80 . The close out lip  80  aids in the retention of a header seal  85 . The header seal  85  has a flocked sealing wing  87  which also seals the extreme upper interior surface of the movable glass panel  27 . Additionally the header seal  85  has an exterior flocked sealing wing  89  which seals an exterior side of the glass panel  27 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, a coil  200  of stainless steel or other suitable carrier material is provided. The coil is run through a series of forming rollers  201  to form the desired shape. The carrier is then brought through an extrusion die  203  which is fed by an EPDM or other suitable elastomeric material extruder forming the retention portion  40  and sealing wing  60 . The ionomer material is fed into an extrusion die  210  to form the thin layer of ionomer material  63 . The extrusion is then passed through a curing oven  206 . A polyester film  214  is added onto the ionomer to enhance its glossy appearance. After passage through the curing oven  206 , the extrusion is run through a cooling bath  208 . The film  214  is cut to length by a cutter at cutter station  216  and is removed before the extrusion is installed in the vehicle. 
     Although the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations which fall within the spirit and broad scope of the accompanying claims.