FR2912692A1 - Seal module for door of e.g. motor vehicle, has decorative film covering external surface of module and including external protection layer that is transparent to visible light and that covers decorative layer of film - Google Patents

Abstract

The module (1) has a decorative film (5) covering an external surface of the module. A bent extrudate incorporates the film by laminating the film in contact with a part of the module during extrusion. The film is a stretch laminate including a thermoplastic bonding layer that bonds the film to the module. A decorative layer of the film is in the form of a thin film that covers a thermoplastic substrate. An external protection layer of the decorative film is transparent to a visible light and covers the decorative layer. An independent claim is also included for a method for fabricating a seal module.

Description

SEALING MODULE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

  The present invention relates to a sealing module for a motor vehicle having a decorative surface on the side intended to be turned towards the outside of the vehicle, and a method of manufacturing this sealing module. The invention applies to modules incorporating sealing profiles that can be used in all types of motor vehicles, such as motor vehicles, aeronautical vehicles, rail vehicles or boats.

  In known manner, the external decorative surface type of sealing modules generally incorporate rigid hubcaps (usually metal) which are attached to the outside of the corresponding sealing profiles. Such hubcovers also perform a function of mechanical strength of the assembly, in the case where the sealing profiles receiving them - whether armed or not - are relatively flexible, thus facilitating their mounting on the vehicle. A disadvantage of these rigid hubcaps is that they must follow the dimensional constraints imposed by the vehicle (particularly curvature radii), whether it is sealing profiles forming external lighters, slides, rear seals or outer vertical hubcaps, for example. Another disadvantage of these rigid hubcaps is in the bending operations with stretching or hot bending which are necessary to make such hubcovers compatible with the contour of the corresponding sealing profiles. In the past, it has been sought to replace these rigid hubcaps with flexible hubcaps in the case of the use of rigid sealing profiles, in order to easily conform these hubcaps to the profiles receiving them. Such flexible hubcaps have not given satisfactory results because of mechanical strength problems and also the lack of suitable materials for these hubcaps, including. More generally, it can be noted that the use of embellishers reported has the disadvantage of generating high manufacturing and assembly costs, because of the large number of existing references for the sealing profiles, both for outdoor lighters than backstage, for example.

  The document WO-A-03/012235 discloses a sealing module for a motor vehicle which forms, for example, an external liner and which consists of a sealing profile based on a thermoplastic elastomer integrating by coextrusion on its surface. external, a decorative coating specifically based on an ionomer (ie copolymer of an olefin and a metal salt of an unsaturated carboxylic acid) in order to have a satisfactory scratch resistance. This coating has a thickness ranging from 0.2 mm to 2 mm and it can be applied, after coextrusion, a glazed topcoat to give it a shiny appearance. Mention is also made of the possibility of associating aluminum pigments with this finishing layer, to give it a metallic appearance. A major disadvantage of this sealing profile incorporating an outer coating lies in particular in the relatively high cost of its production which is due to the use of an ionomer, as well as in the relative lack of flexibility of this coating in response to a bending of the profile.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle sealing module incorporating a decorative film which covers an outer surface of this module, which overcomes all of the aforementioned drawbacks. For this purpose, a sealing module according to the invention comprises a curved extrudate incorporating said film by rolling the latter in contact with all or part of the module being extruded, which film is an extensible laminate comprising: a layer thermoplastic adhesion adhesive capable of adhering this film to the module, - a decorative layer in the form of a thin film covering a thermoplastic substrate, and - at least one outer protective layer substantially transparent to visible light and covering said layer of decoration. According to another characteristic of the invention, said curved extrudate is obtained by forming the extrudate previously rolled to give it at least one curved portion.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said decorative film may be a film of metallic appearance, said decorative layer then being metallized. Alternatively, this decorative film may have a matte appearance, for example black or a dark color. By metallized decoration layer, we mean a decorative layer obtained by a metallization process comprising the application of this metal film on said substrate by a technique which may for example consist of a projection (ie spraying), a soaking, a vaporization under empty or electrolytic deposition. According to another characteristic of the invention, the sealing module is of the type comprising a sealing profile optionally provided with an outer trim of plastic and, according to the invention, an interfacial layer made of a rigid thermoplastic material ( for example based on polypropylene) is then provided between the film, on the one hand, and the profile or the trim incorporating said film, on the other hand. In a variant, it will be noted that this interfacial layer could be an integral part of said film, or of the profile or the trim, as the case may be. This rigid interfacial layer has the particular function of conferring the profiled or embellishing incorporating said film improved resistance to marking and deformations of the type shocks and / or scratches.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, said adhesion layer covers said interfacial layer and is thermoactivatable by the latter, said adhesion layer being made of a thermoplastic material for example based on polypropylene, based on a mixture of polyethylene terephthalate and a polyolefin, or based on an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer and non-crosslinked elastomeric phase (TPO). It will be noted that the above-mentioned coextrusion makes it possible to tension the decorative film in a suitable manner while preserving its metallic appearance, and that the extensibility which characterizes this multilayer decorative film allows the subsequent forming of all or part of the sealing module. incorporating without alteration of said film. According to another characteristic of the invention, said film covers said module with a film thickness of less than 300 μm and advantageously of between 150 μm and 200 μm. It will be noted that this reduced thickness for the decorative film contributes to improving the aesthetic appearance of the external surface of the sealing module obtained, in the manner of a metal trim trim.

  Advantageously, in said decorative layer: said substrate is for example based on a polyester or a polypropylene and has a thickness of between 10 μm and 60 μm, and said film is based on at least one metal reflecting visible light, for example chromium, aluminum, silver or an alloy of at least one of these metals, and has a thickness less than 5 pm. Preferably, said film is derived from a projection of microdroplets for example metal on said substrate. Still more preferably, said decor layer comprises a polyester-based substrate and a metal film which is chromium-based (preferably obtained via spray-chromium plating) and has a thickness of less than 2 μm. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, said film is integrated with said sealing profile which it covers and which constitutes said module in the form of a curved extrudate, this profile being for example an external liner armed or not for movable glazing of a door of said vehicle, or a slide for said glazing having at least one curved portion. In this case, this profile is then preferably made essentially of a rigid thermoplastic material, for example based on polypropylene. It should be noted, however, that the material constituting this profile may be more or less rigid, preferably having a Shore D hardness which is greater than 60 for all the applications envisaged, this material being typically chosen to be flexible for a profile forming a slide and more rigid for a profile forming an outer glass liner. According to another embodiment of the invention, said module comprises a sealing profile provided with an outer plastic trim, and this module consists entirely of an extrudate formed by said laminated film on said hubcap, which is itself coextruded with said profile by forming an articulation with the latter. Advantageously, said outer protective layer of said film is based on a fluorinated polymer, such as a polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), or based on a polyester.

  Preferably, the coextruded film according to the invention is such that: said adhesive layer has a thickness of between 100 μm and 200 μm; said layer of decoration has a thickness of between 10 μm and 60 μm; outer protective layer has a thickness between 10 pm and 40 pm. A manufacturing method according to the invention of a sealing module such as that mentioned above comprises: a) a rolling of said extensible laminate film in contact with the sealing profile or the hubcap being extruded to obtain at the outlet of extrusion die, an extrudate blank incorporating said film which adheres to an outer face of said profile or said trim, respectively, then b) a forming of this blank to obtain the profile or the hubcap having a shape adapted to conform to the contour of the vehicle intended to receive the module via one or more curved portion (s) of this module, which is constituted of the profile incorporating the film or comprises the embellisher incorporating this film. According to one embodiment of the invention, the film can be laminated directly in contact with said sealing profile, which then constitutes said module, and said adhesion layer is activated by melting at the outlet of the die an interfacial layer. provided between the profile and the film,

  6 inclusive. Advantageously, the decorative layer of the film is obtained by spraying microdroplets, for example metal, onto the surface of said substrate, preferably in this case chromium microdroplets on a polyester substrate. Also advantageously, the aforementioned step b) is carried out by hot forming in connection with the use of a rigid thermoplastic material for the profile, such as polypropylene. Other characteristics, advantages and details of the present invention will emerge on reading the following description of several examples of embodiment of the invention, given for illustrative and not limiting, said description being made with reference to the accompanying drawings, among which: Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sealing module according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, which consists of a sealing profile incorporating a decorative film on its outer surface, FIG. 1a is a medallion illustrating on a larger scale the film incorporated in the sealing profile of FIG. 1, FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sealing module according to a second embodiment of FIG. invention which consists of an outer hubcap mounted on another sealing profile and incorporating a decorative film on its outer surface FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an outer hub cap sealing module according to a variant according to the invention of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a schematic partial view of a rear side of FIG. a motor vehicle whose rear door is equipped with a sealing module according to the invention of the type of that of Figure 1.

  In what follows, the term axially internal and axially external qualifiers will be used to designate the position of an element of each sealing module inwards and outwards, respectively,

  7 in the axial direction Y of the width of the vehicle. The sealing module 1 illustrated in Figure 1 consists exclusively of a sealing profile 2 forming an outer liner for sliding glazing of a motor vehicle door. In this example, the section 2 forming the liner is made of a rigid thermoplastic material, for example based on polypropylene, and it comprises essentially: - a part 3 forming an unarmed mounting clamp which is attached to a longitudinal edge of a rabbet (not shown) of the bay of this door, and - a flexible sealing lip 4 which extends upwardly the core 3a of the portion 3 and which is intended to bear elastically on an outer face of the glazing. According to the invention, the profile 2 is formed of a laminated extrudate then curved incorporating, by rolling during extrusion, a decorative film 5 of appearance for example metallic on its axially outer surface. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 1a, this film 5 extends over the entire length of the profile 2 and, beneath the lip 4, over the entire height of the axially outer branch 3b of the part 3, so that this laminated film 5 has a reduced thickness and is in close contact with the outer surface of the profile 2. More specifically, the decorative film 5 has a thickness advantageously between 150 μm and 200 μm, and it comprises: a heat-bonding layer; -activable which is capable of adhering the film 5 to the profile 2 and which is based on polypropylene, based on a mixture of polyethylene terephthalate and a polyolefin, or an elastomer thermoplastic olefinic base and elastomer phase non-crosslinked (TPO), a decorative layer for example metallized which is in the form of a thin film covering a thermoplastic substrate for example polyester or polypropylene and which is preferably from a projection of chromium microdroplets on said substrate (in the case of a metal film), and

  At least one transparent protective outer layer which covers this decorative layer and which is based on a fluorinated polymer, such as a polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), or based on a polyester. The aforementioned rolling during extrusion is obtained by passing the film 5 and the profile 2 in a suitable die, it being specified that the film 5 is protected by a removable coating (such as a transparent plastic sheet) upstream of this sector. Note that the implementation of this rolling to join the film 5 with the extrusion section 2 can not alter the appearance, for example metal of this film 5, during its extension which is inherent to its application on the profile 2. The sealing module 1 is finally obtained, after this rolling, by forming the laminated extrudate thus obtained to bend it, so as to give it a shape adapted to conform to the contour of the vehicle intended to receive it . In the case where the section 2 is made of a rigid material, this extrudate is hot-formed, whereas if this section 2 is made of a flexible material, a cold forming is carried out. The sealing module 101 illustrated in FIG. 2 represents another embodiment of the invention which differs from that of FIG. 1, in that the decorative film 105 which is laminated with a portion of the module 101 being processed. extrusion is formed on the axially outer face of an outer trim 106 of plastic which is assembled on a sealing profile 102 also forming an outer liner for sliding glazing. In this example, the profile 102 essentially comprises, in known manner a portion 103 forming a reinforced mounting clamp via a U-shaped frame 103c which is mounted on a longitudinal edge of a rabbet 107 of the doorway, and a flexible lip sealing member 104 which extends upward the web 103a of the portion 103 and which is intended to press on the glazing V. In this embodiment of FIG. 2, the outer trim 106 thus forms a curved extrudate which is obtained by rolling the film 105 on the outer face of the trim 106 being extruded and then forming the latter to bend appropriately. This hubcap 106 is advantageously made of a rigid thermoplastic material, such as

  9 that polypropylene, and the film 105 is of the same type as the film 5 used to cover the sealing profile 2 of Figure 1. The sealing module 201 shown in Figure 3 is also type outer trim 206 , and it represents a variant of the module 101 of Figure 2 which differs essentially from the latter in that the hubcap 206 is here formed integrally with the section 202 by coextrusion. In other words, this sealing module 201 is integrally formed of an extrudate incorporating by rolling the decorative film 205 on the axially outer face of the trim 206, this extrudate having subsequently been shaped to bend it. More specifically, the section 202 is advantageously made of a flexible thermoplastic material and, in this embodiment, it comprises a projection substantially "T" shaped 202a which extends downwardly a flexible sealing lip 202b and which is suitable to cooperate by clipping with two clipping lugs 206a and 206b axially outer and inner of the hubcap 206. These tabs 206a and 206b are provided to grip the top of the "T" formed by the projection 202a, via a hinge 208 which is formed by the junction between the section 202 and the hubcap 206 resulting from the aforementioned coextrusion.

  This embellisher 206 is advantageously made of a rigid thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene, and it has in this example an outer face which is covered with the decorative film 205 and whose upper end forms the axially outer clipping lug 206a of the trim 206, which tab 206a extends substantially at right angles in the axial direction by a branch 206c which is provided with the other axially inner clipping lug 206b and which terminates in the hinge 208 with the profile 202. In the figure 4 is an example of a combination of the sealing module 1 according to Figure 1, which forms an outer liner of a door 10 of a motor vehicle and which consists of the section 2 covered with the decorative film 5 by rolling in progress extrusion, to a body covering 20 disposed behind this module 1 forming a liner and in the continuity of

  10 contour of the latter. In this example, the body covering 20 covers a portion of a vertical trim 11 separating the door 10 and the body 30 of the vehicle, and this covering 20 is advantageously obtained by overmolding a decorative film, such as the laminated film 5 according to the invention which is used here as an insert in an injection mold designed for this purpose, by a thermoplastic material injected into this mold and intended to constitute the vertical trim 11. It can thus obtain an appearance, for example metal surface for the covering 20 of the vertical trim 11 which is similar to that of the adjacent section 2 forming a liner. As an exemplary embodiment of the invention, it is possible to use, for the decorative film 5, 105, 205 which is integrated in each sealing module 1, 101, 201 according to the invention, a laminate marketed by Dorrie. and having the following characteristics: the adhesion layer is based on a mixture of polyethylene terephthalate and a polyolefin, and has a thickness of 125 .mu.m, the decorative layer is obtained by sputtering chromium on a 50 micron thick polyester substrate, and the outer protective layer is based on a polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) sold by Dupont under the name "Tedlar", and has a thickness of 25 .mu.m. It will be noted, however, that the sealing modules according to the present invention are not limited to the use of these materials for each of the layers of the films 5, 105, 205, and that these layers could be based on other thermoplastic polymers and could even include an extra outer layer of protection.

Claims (16)

  1) sealing module (1, 101, 201) for a motor vehicle incorporating a decorative film (5, 105, 205) which covers an outer surface of this module, characterized in that this module comprises a curved extrudate incorporating said film by rolling of the latter in contact with all or part of the module being extruded, which film is an extensible laminate comprising: a thermoplastic adhesion layer able to adhere said film to said module, a decoration layer under the form of a thin film covering a thermoplastic substrate, and at least one outer protective layer substantially transparent to visible light covering said decorative layer. 15   2) sealing module (1, 101, 201) according to claim 1, characterized in that said curved extrudate is obtained by forming the extrudate previously rolled to give it at least a curved portion. 20   3) sealing module (1, 101, 201) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said decorative film (5, 105, 205) is a film of metallic appearance, said decorative layer being metallized.   4) sealing module (1, 101, 201) according to one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a sealing profile (2, 102, 202) optionally provided with an outer cap (106, 206) of plastic , characterized in that an interfacial layer made of a rigid thermoplastic material, for example based on polypropylene, is provided between said film (5, 105, 205), on the one hand, and the profile or embellisher 30 integrating said film, on the other hand, to improve the resistance to deformation of said profile or said hubcap, respectively. 12   5) sealing module (1, 101, 201) according to claim 4, characterized in that said adhesion layer covers said interfacial layer and is thermo-activatable by the latter, said bonding layer being for example based on polypropylene, based on a mixture of polyethylene terephthalate and a polyolefin, or based on an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer and non-crosslinked elastomeric phase (TPO).   6) sealing module (201) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a sealing profile (202) provided with an outer trim (206) of plastic material, characterized in that said module consists of an extrudate formed by said laminated film (205) being extruded on said trim, which is itself coextruded with said profile by forming a hinge (208) therewith.   7) sealing module (1, 101, 201) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said film is derived from a projection of microdroplets on said substrate.   8) sealing module (1, 101, 201) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said film (5, 105, 205) covers said module with a film thickness of less than 300 pm, for example between 150 pm and 200 pm.   9) sealing module (1, 101, 201) according to claims 3 and 8, characterized in that, in said decorative layer: - said substrate is for example based on a polyester or polypropylene and present a thickness of between 10 μm and 60 μm, and said metal film is based on at least one metal reflecting visible light, for example chromium, aluminum, silver or an alloy of at least one of these metals, and has a thickness of less than 5 μm. 13   10) sealing module (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said film (5) is integrated in a sealing profile (2) constituting said module in the form of curved extrudate, which profile is a liner external armed or not for mobile glazing (V) of a door (10) of said vehicle, or a slide for said glazing having at least one curved portion.   11) sealing module (1, 101, 201) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said outer protective layer is based on a fluorinated polymer, such as polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), or based on a polyester.   12) sealing module (1, 101, 201) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in said film (5, 105, 205): -aad adhesion layer has a thickness between 100 pm and 200 pm, said decorative layer has a thickness of between 10 .mu.m and 60 .mu.m, and said protective layer has a thickness of between 10 .mu.m and 40 .mu.m.   13) A method of manufacturing a sealing module (1, 101, 25 201) for a motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises: a) a rolling of said stretchable laminate film (5, 105 205) in contact with the sealing profile or the embellisher during extrusion to obtain, at the exit of extrusion die, an extrudate blank incorporating said film which adheres to an extrusion die. external face of said profile or said trim, respectively, then b) a forming of this blank to obtain the profile or 14 the hubcap having a shape adapted to fit the contour of said vehicle for receiving the module via one or more portion (s) bent (s) of this module, which consists of the profile incorporating the film or includes the embellisher incorporating this film.   14) The manufacturing method according to claim 13, characterized in that said film (5) is laminated directly in contact with said sealing profile (2) then constituting said module (1), and in that one activates said bonding layer by melting at die outlet an interfacial layer provided between said profile and said film, inclusive.   15) A manufacturing method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that said decor layer of said film (5, 105, 205) is obtained by a sputtering of microdroplets for example metal on the surface of said substrate, preferably chromium microdroplets on a polyester substrate.   16) A manufacturing method according to claim 14, characterized in that it implements step b) by hot forming in connection with the use of a rigid thermoplastic material for said profile (2), such as only polypropylene.