US 11,691,490 B2 · Seal assembly

Abstract

A seal assembly includes a body portion defining a mounting channel for receiving a vehicle flange. A base of the body portion defines an outer surface of the body portion with the outer surface defining a first axis of curvature adapted to correspond with a contour of the flange. The seal assembly further includes a sealing lip portion co-extruded with the body portion and defining a notch having a notch configuration, an element disposed in the notch and pre-formed to have an element configuration corresponding to at least a part of the notch configuration, and a molding material molded to a back surface of the element, secured to the sealing lip portion within the notch, and extending across the notch, with the element and the molding material defining a contour lip portion that in combination with the sealing lip portion defines an external sealing lip of the seal assembly.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A seal assembly adapted to be coupled to a flange of a vehicle with the flange having a contour, said seal assembly comprising:

at least one body portion having a base and first and second legs spaced from one another and extending from said base, with said base, said first leg, and said second leg defining a mounting channel for receiving the flange of the vehicle and said base defining an outer surface of said at least one body portion with said outer surface defining a first axis of curvature adapted to correspond with the contour of the flange of the vehicle;
at least one sealing lip portion co-extruded with said at least one body portion with said sealing lip portion defining a notch having a notch configuration;
an element disposed in said notch with said element having front and back surfaces and pre-formed to have an element configuration corresponding to at least a part of said notch configuration;
and
a molding material molded to said back surface of said element, secured to said at least one sealing lip portion within said notch, and extending across said notch, with said element and said molding material defining a contour lip portion that in combination with said at least one sealing lip portion defines an external sealing lip of said seal assembly.

2 more elements

A method of manufacturing a seal assembly adapted to be coupled to a flange of a vehicle with the flange having a contour with said method utilizing a mold having a mold cavity, said method comprising the steps of:

co-extruding at least one body portion having a base and first and second legs spaced from one another and extending from the base, with the base, the first leg, and the second leg defining a mounting channel for receiving the flange of the vehicle and the base defining an outer surface of the at least one body portion with the outer surface defining a first axis of curvature adapted to correspond with the contour of the flange of the vehicle;
co-extruding at least one sealing lip portion with the at least one body portion to form a co- extruded product;
cutting a notch in the at least one sealing lip portion of the co-extruded product with the notch having a notch configuration;
forming an element having an element configuration and front and back surfaces with the element configuration corresponding to at least part of the notch configuration;
positioning the element inside the mold cavity of the mold;
disposing the co-extruded product into the mold cavity such that the notch is positioned about the element;
and
injecting a molding material into the notch against the back surface of the element to secure the element in the notch such that the element and the molding material define a contour lip portion that in combination with the at least one sealing lip portion defines an external sealing lip of the seal assembly.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Seal assembly

Life of this patent

Seal assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19