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US 8,474,189 B1Granted
Weather strip for use with frame structures having sharp corners
AssigneeIntek Plastics, Inc.
InventorsJames L. Peterson, Joel T. Rhode
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A weather strip for use with a frame structure having a sharp corner, the weather strip comprising a stem portion and a bulb portion secured to a first end of the stem portion, where the bulb portion has a bulb wall comprising a soft thermoplastic elastomeric material.
Claims13
A weather strip comprising:
- a stem portion configured to secure the weather strip to a frame structure, the stem portion comprising a thermoplastic polymer;
- and
- a hollow bulb portion secured to a first end of the stem portion, the hollow bulb portion comprising:
- a bulb wall having an inner-facing surface, and comprising a first thermoplastic elastomer that exhibits a Shore A hardness of 20 or less, and that is selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic vulcanizate material, a styrene-based block copolymer, and combinations thereof;
- and
- an inner coating disposed on at least a portion of the inner-facing surface of the bulb wall, wherein the inner coating comprises a second thermoplastic elastomer that exhibits a lower self adhesion relative to a self adhesion exhibited by the first thermoplastic elastomer of the bulb wall, and wherein the second thermoplastic elastomer of the inner coating has a higher durometer than the first thermoplastic elastomeric material of the bulb wall and the second thermoplastic elastomer having a coefficient of friction of 0.50 or less;
- wherein a continuous segment of the weather strip is configured to be bent for substantial alignment with a corner of a frame structure having an angle ranging from 60 degrees to 100 degrees.
4 more elements
A weather strip comprising:
- a stem portion configured to secure the weather strip to a frame structure the stem portion comprising a thermoplastic polymer;
- and
- a hollow bulb portion secured to a first end of the stem portion, the hollow bulb portion comprising:
- a bulb wall having an inner-facing surface, and comprising a first thermoplastic elastomer having a Shore A hardness of 20 or less, wherein the first thermoplastic elastomer is selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic vulcanizate material, a styrene-based block copolymer, and combinations thereof;
- and
- an inner coating disposed on at least a portion of the inner-facing surface of the bulb wall, the inner coating comprising a second thermoplastic elastomer that exhibits a lower self adhesion relative to a self adhesion exhibited by the first thermoplastic elastomer of the bulb wall, wherein the second thermoplastic elastomer of the inner coating has a higher durometer than the first thermoplastic elastomer of the bulb wall and the second thermoplastic elastomer having a coefficient of friction of 0.50 or less.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.