Extruded seal carrier and method of use

An enclosure comprising:

• a housing including a first housing piece and a second housing piece, the first housing piece defining an opening having a perimeter, the first and the second housing pieces mounting together to cover the opening, the housing defining a first enclosure channel that extends around the perimeter of the opening, the first enclosure channel including at least one primary channel section interconnected by at least one junction section;
• and
• a sealing arrangement positioned within the first enclosure channel for forming a seal between the first and the second housing pieces around the perimeter of the opening, the sealing arrangement including at least one carrier section each defining first and second elongate carrier channels, the at least one carrier section being positioned in the at least one primary channel section, the sealing arrangement also including at least one first volume of sealant material positioned within the first elongate carrier channel and at least one second volume of sealant material positioned within the second elongate carrier channel, the sealing arrangement further including at least one third volume of sealant material positioned within the at least one junction section of the first enclosure channel, the third volume of sealant material being in communication with the first and the second volumes of sealant material, wherein when the first and the second housing pieces are mounted together the first and the third volumes of sealant material form a first seal with the first housing piece that extends continuously around the perimeter of the opening, and the second and the third volumes of sealant material form a second seal with the second housing piece that extends continuously around the perimeter of the opening.

A method for making a sealing apparatus, the sealing apparatus comprising a carrier that is elongated along a carrier axis, the carrier defining a first carrier channel that is elongated along the carrier axis and that has a first seal-access side, the carrier also defining a second carrier channel that is elongated along the carrier axis and that has a second seal-access side;

• a first volume of sealant material contained within the first carrier channel, the first volume of sealant material being accessible from the first seal-access side of the first carrier channel, the first volume of sealant material being elongated along the carrier axis;
• and a second volume of sealant material contained within the second carrier channel, the second volume of sealant material being accessible from the second seal-access side of the second carrier channel, and the second volume of sealant material being elongated along the carrier axis;
• the method comprising:
• extruding the first and the second volumes of sealant material into the first and the second carrier channels.

A method for installing a sealing apparatus within an enclosure channel of an enclosure, the enclosure comprising:

• a housing including a first housing piece and a second housing piece, the first housing piece defining an opening having a perimeter, the first and the second housing pieces mounting together to cover the opening, the housing defining the enclosure channel that extends around the perimeter of the opening, the enclosure channel including at least one primary channel section interconnected by at least one junction section;
• and the sealing apparatus comprising:
• a carrier that is elongated along a carrier axis, the carrier including a first seal-access side and a second seal-access side, the first and the second seal-access sides facing in different directions;
• and sealant material carried by the carrier, the sealant material being accessible from the first seal-access side and the second seal-access side of the carrier, the sealant material being elongated along the carrier axis and the sealant material of the sealing apparatus being a first volume of sealant material;
• the method comprising:
• positioning at least one of the carriers within the at least one primary channel sections of the enclosure channel, wherein the first volume of sealant material has been pre-installed within the at least one carrier prior to the positioning of the at least one carrier within the at least one primary channel section;
• and
• injecting at least one second volume of sealant material into the at least one junction section of the enclosure channel after the at least one carrier has been positioned within the at least one primary channel section of the enclosure channel.