Process for production of a seal for the frame of an aperture of the body of an automobile

A method for producing a seal for a frame of an opening in an automobile body, comprising:

• a) providing a grip forming channel section having a U-shaped cross section and made of a thermoplastic material;
• b) providing a tubular sealing element made of a resiliently deformable material, said sealing element being separated from the channel section;
• c) placing first and second portions of the sealing element against first and second portions, respectively, of the channel section, the first and second portions of the sealing element being spaced apart by an intermediate portion thereof, and the first and second portions of the channel section being spaced apart by an intermediate portion thereof, each of said intermediate portions having a respective length;
• d) interposing a packing piece between said intermediate portions to separate said intermediate portions from each other and to form the intermediate portion of the sealing element into a bridge section spaced from and having a length greater than the length of the intermediate portion of the channel section;
• e) bonding the first and second portions of the sealing element to the first and second portions, respectively, of the channel section while maintaining the packing piece between the intermediate portions of the channel section and sealing element to prevent said intermediate portions from being bonded together;
• f) removing the packing piece;
• g) bending the channel section and the sealing element;
• and
• h) bonding the bridge section and the intermediate portion of the channel section together.