Abstract:
A seal for doublewide or multi-section manufactured homes that creates “semi-rigid” or “semi-stiff” flanges on sides of a covered sealing foamed material. The “semi-rigid” or “semi-stiff” flanges are created by simulating lamination of top and bottom halves of a flexible polymer sheet on sides of the sealing foamed material. Thereby, eliminating rolling and curling of the ends of the flanges. Furthermore, the lamination creates a seamless (solid) vapor barrier between the foamed material and the longitudinal side of the flexible polymer sheet.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of a previous application by the same inventors bearing U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/880,221, filed, Jun. 11, 2001, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/645,149, filed Aug. 24, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,179, issued Jun. 12, 2001), which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/428,860, filed Oct. 28, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,312, issued Aug. 29, 2000), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/999,198, filed Dec. 29, 1997 (now abandoned), which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/684,997, filed Jul. 22, 1996 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,146, issued Feb. 24, 1998). Applicants claim the benefit, under 35 U.S. Code, Section 120, of the following U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/880,221, filed, Jun. 11, 2001; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/645,149, filed Aug. 24, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,179, issued Jun. 12, 2001); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/428,860, filed Oct. 28, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,312, issued Aug. 29, 2000); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/999,198, filed Dec. 29, 1997 (now abandoned); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/684,997, filed Jul. 22, 1996 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,146, issued Feb. 24, 1998). The entirety of each of these previous applications is incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full below. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to a process for sealing doublewide manufactured homes and modular homes sections together and especially to a process of making a sealing material having a thick foamed polymer material wrapped with a flexible polymer material to create a solid vapor barrier.  
           [0004]    2. General Background  
           [0005]    Manufactured homes are those in which a home or building is manufactured at a central location or factory where it can then be loaded onto a tractor-trailer and hauled to a purchaser&#39;s home site. At the home site, the manufactured home can be mounted onto a prepared foundation. Manufactured homes, in contrast to custom homes, have the advantages of mass production at one factory site where they can obtain the benefits of volume purchasing, more efficient assembly through standard jigs, fixtures, and machinery, and can have a more advanced engineering design. One of the problems with manufactured homes has been in making a home of a size and shape that can be hauled over a highway. This limits the width of the home and thus limited the homes to smaller elongated units. To overcome this limitation, double wide manufactured homes were developed which use a pair of manufactured home sections, each of which can be the same size as on manufactured home but without one wall so that doublewide manufactured home sections can be individually hauled to a home site where the two sections can be brought together and attached to form a manufactured home which does not have the customary elongated shape of a typical manufactured home. This allows for larger homes which can have additional design features to make the home look more like a custom home.  
           [0006]    In recent years, doublewides have become increasingly popular but have also had various problems attached with them including the proper attachment of the doublewide sections together to form one unit which attachments must appear seamless and at the same time need to be well sealed from the exterior weather elements. Common doublewides today are attached together and are caulked around the perimeter of the attaching centerline or, alternatively, are shot with an expanding polymer caulk to seal the perimeter. One of the difficulties is sealing a pair of doublewides is that the seam around the attached sections tends to vary in width on the outside so that conventional caulk is not always satisfactory and expanding foam tends to weather and does not always give a weatherproof seal.  
           [0007]    The present invention improves the sealing in doublewide manufactured homes along the perimeter of the attached sections which not only gives a good seal against the weathering elements but also will not deteriorate in the manner of other materials currently being used.  
           [0008]    Prior art sealing strips for forming a variety of seals but not seals for manufactured home doublewides, can be seen in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,348 to Hast, for a sealing strip which has a cylindrical shape having a resilient core of foamed plastic surrounded by a foil of PVC or polyethylene and an outer covering of textile fabric and in which the outer covering and the foil are attached together to form a flange which also has a adhesive strip attached thereto. The L. N. Williams et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,967 and R. A. Footner U.S. Pat. No. 3,413,389, each teach a method of making a sealing strip using a polyvinyl foam having a polyvinyl resin skin outer layer. In the Burkhalter U.S. Pat. No. 2,827,280, a resilient bumper is made of a cylindrical rubber resilient core having a tubular sheath closure and which are attached together with a grommet therebetween. These prior art seals are not suitable for use in sealing doublewide sections which requires a much thicker sealing strip with greater flexibility and with a more flexible cover in order to be able to give a seal with wide variations in the spacing between the double wise sections at different points around the perimeter of the assembled doublewide home.  
           [0009]    In an attempt to create a solid vapor barrier between the polypropylene and the foam, ultrasonic frequency bonding was used to bond the layers of the flanges. While the layers were somewhat bonded, a solid vapor barrier was not achieved. In a second attempt to create a solid vapor barrier, a heat adhesive was used to bond the flange layers together. Such a heat adhesive has proven successful.  
           [0010]    It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a process of sealing doublewide manufactured home sections together with a selected sealing material custom formed for sealing doublewides which can be rapidly attached to one section of the doublewide before the doublewide sections are attached together. A polyurethane polymer of approximately 1.2 density is enclosed with a polypropylene which is attached with one edge folded over the other and bonded or laminated together to form laminated “semi-stiff” flanges giving greater strength to the flanges.  
           [0011]    A further object is to provide a seel with a peel-off self-adhesive layer on the bottom of the flanges and/or base layer thereof to adhesively affix the seal to one section rapidly.  
         SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
         [0012]    Broadly, the present invention contemplates a seal for a doublewide or multi-sectioned manufactured home comprising: a means for sealing sections of the manufacture home; and, a means for covering said sealing means wherein the covering means is divided into a bottom section and a top section. The seal further includes a means for affixing the sealing means to the bottom section of the covering means, and laminating the top section to the bottom section on sides of the sealing means to form first and second semi-stiff flanges extending along side of said sealing means.  
           [0013]    The present invention contemplate a seal with first and second seamless and solid vapor barriers between the bottom section and the top section at bottom longitudinal sides of the sealing means.  
           [0014]    The present invention still further contemplates a seal that includes a means for self-adhesively affixing a bottom surface of said bottom section to a support surface during installation.  
           [0015]    Additionally, the present invention contemplates a method of forming a seal for a doublewide or multi-sectioned manufactured home comprising the steps of: applying molten glue layer along an upper surface of a base of polypropylene; bonding an elongated foamed polymer core along a longitudinal center of said base via said molten glue layer; wrapping a portion of the polypropylene over said base and said foamed polymer core; simultaneously with the wrapping step, bonding said polypropylene to remaining portions of said base to form first and second semi-stiff flanges extending along side of said foamed polymer core.  
           [0016]    The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the drawings, the description given herein, and the appended claims.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0017]    For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are given like reference numerals and, wherein:  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a process of attaching doublewide manufactured home sections in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken through the sealing material used in the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a roll of sealing material having the end being rolled off of a spool for measuring and cutting;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a doublewide manufacturing home section having the present sealing material attached;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 is a partial side elevation of a pair of doublewide sections being brought together;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of sealing material for sealing doublewide manufactured homes;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken through sealing material of FIG. 6;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of second embodiment of sealing material for sealing doublewide manufactured homes;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken through sealing material of FIG. 8; and,  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a process of making the sealing material in accordance with the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0028]    Referring now to the drawing and in particular FIGS.  1 - 5 , a process of sealing a pair of doublewide manufactured home sections together is illustrated in which the first step is selecting the sealing material of FIG. 1. The selected material, as shown in FIG. 2, is a foamed polymer, such as polyurethane, having a 1.2 density to allow greater flexibility in conforming to a sealing shape. In FIG. 2, the cross-section shows that the foamed polymer  12  has an approximately square shape and has a cover  13  wrapped therearound. The cover is made of a polypropylene, which may have an ultraviolet blocking material incorporated therein. The polypropylene has the advantages of being a very flexible material resistant to weathering elements and not subject to the break-up that might result to the polyurethane foam  12 . In addition, it can be sewn together and provides the needed flexibility since the cover  13  is not attached to the foam  12  but is merely wrapped therearound with the edges attached together.  
         [0029]    As seen in FIG. 2 one folded edge  14  of the material  13  has a second folder edge  19  and has been folded over and around the two edges  15  of the material  13 , after being wrapped around the foamed polyurethane core  12 . The attachment of the flexible wrapping material in this manner provides a flange  16  having six layers of polypropylene covering material which is sewn with the stitches  17  through the six layers which thereby seals the material around the foamed polymer core  12  and holds the flange together with one stitched line located adjacent the foamed core material  12 . This material can advantageously be prepared in large or smaller quantities and can then be packaged on large spools or drums  18 , as shown in FIG. 3, where the material  11  can be reeled off the drum  18  where it can be measure and cut in accordance with the step  20  of the process of FIG. 1.  
         [0030]    Once the material is cut from the spool  18 , the flange  16  can be stapled through the six layers of the flange to the attaching wall section  20  of a doublewide manufactured home section  22 , which is shown in FIG. 4 supported on a pair of I-beams  23 . The sealing strip  11  is attached around the perimeter of the doublewide section  22  so that when a pair of doublewide sections  22  and  24  are attached with the sealing material therebetween.  
         [0031]    The doublewide sections  22  and  24  are brought together while supported on an I-beam  23  and are attached together to form one doublewide manufactured home. The attachment of the sealing material strip  25  to the doublewide section can be accomplished in any way desired but powered staplers provide a convenient means and, because of the strength of the polypropylene formed in six layers in the flange, a secure attachment can be accomplished.  
         [0032]    The seal can be attached at the factory or on site during the assembly of the doublewide sections  22  and  24  where the seals are conventionally added to the doublewide sections. The attaching of the doublewide sections strip  26  can be rapidly accomplished and because of the thickness of the foamed polyurethane  12  forming the sealing material and because of the amount of air incorporated into the polyurethane to provide a density of 1.2. The polyurethane can be compressed and expanded with great flexibility over wide variations into the sealing gap. The polyurethane foamed material may be of a thickness of 2.54 centimeters or greater. The seal tends to seal any space between the doublewide sections from a very tight fit up to a 3.8 centimeter space to thereby tightly seal between the doublewide sections to prevent the intrusion of weather elements as well as to block the ingress of insects or the like.  
         [0033]    Turning now to FIGS. 6 and 7, a second embodiment of the sealing material  30  is illustrated having a foamed polymer material  31 , such as a polyurethane having a 1.2 density to allow great flexibility in conforming to a sealing shape. The foamed polymer  31  is covered with a flexible skin  32  made of a polypropylene having an ultraviolet blocking material incorporated therein. The skin  32  is formed, such as to have a folded flange  33  on one side and a folded flange  34  on the other side thereof. The skin  32  has a base  35  forming a bottom of the folded flanges  33  and  34  and a top skin  36 , a pair of side skins  37 . The flange  33  has a top flange portion  38  and the flange  34  has a top flange portion  40 . The folded flange portions  33  and  34  are held in the folded position by sewing the upper and lower flange portions together with a thread  41  but can also be hold together with an adhesive which is flexible when cured. The seal  30  can then be stapled through both flanges for sealing the area between a doublewide and holding the foamed polymer  31 .  
         [0034]    The sealing material  30  can be easily manufactured by having a piece of foamed polymer material  31  which can be of a generally square shape as illustrated, covered with a loose flexible sleeve of polypropylene, which is considerably larger than the perimeter of the foamed cover material  31 , such that the material can be folded down to form a flexible but tight skin over the foamed polymer  31  and the slack material forming two equal flanges  38  and  40  of folded polymer material which can then be sewn together so that the flexible skin tightly fits around the foam center  31  while providing two reinforced flanges. The flanges can be used for stapling both sides of the seal to one side of a doublewide manufactured home.  
         [0035]    It should be clear that the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 improves the ease of manufacturing of a sealing material and at the same time, provides a greater support of the material to the doublewide by having a reinforced flange on either side which can be stapled on both sides. However, the present invention should not be limited to the forms shown which are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.  
         [0036]    Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, the third embodiment of the sealing material  130  is shown. The sealing material  130  includes a foamed polymer material  131 , such as a polyurethane having a 1.2 density to allow great flexibility in conforming to a sealing shape. The foamed polymer  131  is covered with a flexible skin  132  made of a polypropylene having an ultraviolet blocking material incorporated therein. The skin  132  is formed, such as to have a folded semi-rigid flange  133  on one side and a folded semi-rigid flange  134  on the other side thereof. The skin  132  has a base  135  forming the bottom sheeting of the folded semi-rigid flanges  133  and  134  and a top skin  136  forming a pair of side skins  137  and the top flange portion  138  and  140  of flanges  133  and  134 , respectively.  
         [0037]    The semi-rigid flange  133  has a top flange portion  138  and the flange  134  has a top flange portion  140 . The top flange portion  138  of semi-rigid flange  133  and the top flange portion  140  of flange  134  are affixed to the top surface of the bottom sheeting (base  135 ) by molten glue. The molten glue layer  121  stiffens the flexible skin  132  so that the flanges  133  and  134  are “semi-rigid” or “semi-stiff.” 
         [0038]    The terms “semi-rigid” and “semi-stiff” means that the material does not collapse or bend under gravity. However, the semi-rigid flanges  133  and  134  will flex. The “semi-rigid” and “semi-stiff” properties are created by the three layers, the top flange portions  138 ,  140 , the base  135  and the molten glue layer  121 , the molten glue layer  121  bonding the top flange portions  138 ,  140  to the base  135  on opposite sides of the foamed polymer material  131  wherein seamless (solid) vapor barriers  141 ,  142  are created between the base  135  and the skin  132  on opposite sides of the foamed polymer material  131 .  
         [0039]    The terms “semi-rigid” and “semi-stiff” means that the material does not collapse or bend under gravity. However, the semi-rigid flanges  133  and  134  will flex.  
         [0040]    In this embodiment, the foamed polymer material  131  is affixed to the bottom sheeting (base  135 ) via the molten glue so that it is stationary and does not shrink.  
         [0041]    In operation, when applying the sealing material  130  to mate a doublewide manufactured home or multi-section manufactured home, staples are stapled through both flanges  133  and  134  to holding or affixing the foamed polymer  131  between sections of the doublewide or multi-section manufactured home, thus sealing the mated centerline connection.  
         [0042]    Because the flanges  133  and  134  are “semi-rigid” or “semi-stiff,” the application of the sealing material  130  is quick and easier whereby, the “semi-rigid” or “semi-stiff” property serves to maintain the flanges  133  and  134  radiating straight out from the base of the foamed polymer material  131 . Moreover, because the top flange portions  138 ,  140  are bonded to the base  135 , the longitudinal edges of the top flange portion  140  and the base  135  do not generally curl or roll (as does flange portions  38  and base  35 ) which would require the installer to mat down the curled edges to properly staple the flange  134 . Furthermore, the “semi-rigid” or “semi-stiff” properties creates a “semi-rigid” or “semi-stiff” base  135  that lays flat on a support surface (whether horizontal or vertical) to position the sealing material  130  about the centerline joining sections.  
         [0043]    As can be readily seen the flanges  133  and  134  are laminated in that they includes a portion of base  135 , a portion of the molten glue layer  121  and a portion of the top flange portions  138 ,  140 .  
         [0044]    Furthermore, the flat “semi-still” flange  133  or  134  can be quickly secured to one of the sections of the doublewide or multi-section manufactured. An when affixing the other flange to the other section, the base  135  and such flange lie flat and are ready to be affixed.  
         [0045]    Referring also to FIG. 10, the method of making the sealing material  130  begins with the Step  200 . Step  200  includes folding back the polypropylene. Step  200  is followed by Step  210  where the molten glue is applied to the upper surface of base  135 . Step  210  is followed by Step  220  where the foam material  131  is bonded to the center of the upper surface of base  135  via the molten glue. Step  220  is followed by Step  230  where the flexible skin  132  is wrapped around the base  135  to form the flange  133 , flange  134  and cover foam material  131 . During the wrapping and bonding applying pressure to the flexible skin  132  along the bottom sides of the foam material&#39;s base creates the seamless solid vapor barriers  141  and  142  as the flexible skin  132  adheres to base  135  via the molten glue layer  121 .  
         [0046]    The process described above laminates the flanges  133  and  134  to create the “semi-rigid” and “semi-stiff” properties. Furthermore, the portion of the base  135  having the foam material  131  has a likewise “semi-stiff.” 
         [0047]    Referring also to FIG. 9, optionally, Step  230  may be followed by Step  240  (shown in phantom) where the peel-off self-adhesive  139  is secured to the bottom surface of base  135 . Therefore, when installing the sealing material  130 , the peel-off-cover  161  of the peel-off self-adhesive  139  is removed and the self-adhesive  139 , a layer on the bottom surface of base  135 , affixes the sealing material  130  to the centerline of mated sections. On the other hand, the peel-off self-adhesive  139  can be used to affix the sealing material  130  to the centerline without the need for stapling (stapling is not necessary with the optional peel-off self-adhesive  139  on the bottom of the flanges, but is necessary without it).  
         [0048]    The Step  200  may be preceded by the following steps: selecting a portion of polypropylene forming the skin  132 ; dividing the portion of skin  132  substantially in half about the longitudinal center into a top (half) skin  136  and a bottom half, the bottom half forming the base  135 ; and, folding back the top (half) skin  136 .  
         [0049]    It should be noted that the Step  210  of applying molten glue includes heating the molten glue in a liquid to 280 degrees Fahrenheit (280° F.).  
         [0050]    Because many varying and differing embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirement of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.  
         [0051]    What is claimed as invention is: