Dual-material self-bonding lip seal

Abstract

The invention is concerned with a unitary seal comprising a support section formed of a high modulus, i.e., rigid high impact strength plastic and a sealing section formed of an elastomeric material, the support and sealing section being directly bonded together without the use of an adhesive therebetween to form the unitary seal. Such a seal may take the form, for example, of a collar of the high modulus rigid plastic with an interior sealing lip of the elastomeric material within the collar and directly bonded thereto. In another sense the invention comprises a process for forming such a unitary seal. The process of the invention comprises contacting a surface portion of the support section directly with a surface portion of the sealing section, under sufficient pressure to assure a pressed contact therebetween, with the sections at a temperature of 50.degree. C - 400.degree. C for a time sufficient to cause bonding between the contacting surface portions to form the unitary seal.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.