SEALING STRIP The present invention relates to sealing strips intended to be arranged on wings, i.e. swingable, slidable or otherwise movable members such as doors or windows, for closing an opening, or parts co-operating with such wings. The sealing strips are primarily intend for the purpose of sealing or insulating against cold, heat, draught, wind, airborne pollutants, vermin, but may also be used for vibration dampening or sound insulation. Although the sealing strips are primarily intend to be used in connection with wings in buildings, such as doors or windows, it may also be used in vehicles, machines, white goods, fan installations etc. In particular, the present invention relates to an elongate elastomeric sealing strip that comprises a longitudinally extending sealing member that is integrally associated with a base section, which sealing member is essentially hollow in cross-section and which base section is essentially planar and has a bottom surface that is essentially tangential in relation to the circumference defined by the cross-sec- tion of the sealing member.
Sealing strips of this general kind are previously known to quite some extent in the art. For instance, sealing strips with cross-sections or profiles generally resembling to a capital "P" is presently used as draught or wind excluders for windows and doors. The straight portion of the P profile serves to anchor the sealing strip to the wing or the frame, while the curved portion provides the main part of the actual sealing.
It would be desirable to be able to provide an elongate elastomeric sealing strip of said general kind, which sealing strip provides for improved sealing properties while not requiring increased elastomeric raw material per produced length unit of the sealing strip, or, expressed in an alternative way, to be able to provide such a sealing strip that provides for comparable sealing properties while requiring less elastomeric raw material per produced length unit of the sealing strip. It would in particular be desirable to provide an elongate elastomeric sealing strip that provides such sealing properties regarding draught and/or wind exclusion in relation to door and windows in buildings.
The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide such an elongate elastomeric sealing strip.
CONFIRMATION C0F¥
This problem is solved by an elongate elastomeric sealing strip, one general embodiment of which is defined by appended claim 1. More particularly, this general embodiment comprises an elongate elastomeric sealing strip comprising a longitudinally extending sealing member that is integrally associated with a base sec- tion, said sealing member being essentially hollow in cross-section and said base section being essentially planar; said base section having a bottom surface that is essentially tangential in relation to the circumference of the cross-section of the sealing member, said hollow cross-section having a first wall thickness and a first diameter that is perpendicular to said bottom surface and a second diameter that is parallel to said bottom surface, where the sealing strip comprises at least one flange that is thinner than said first wall thickness; said at least one flange is integrally associated with the sealing member; said at least one flange protrudes outwards from the hollow sealing member from a position above said second diameter at an angle that diverges from said first diameter and said second diameter; and said at least one flange ex- tends, when the sealing strip is in an unladened state, beyond an upper tangential line to the hollow cross-section of the sealing member, which upper tangential line is parallel to said bottom surface.
In one embodiment said at least one flange protrudes along a line that coincides with a tangent to said hollow cross-section. In the present application, the concept of "circumference" as well as
"hollow" is intended to refer to any tube cross-section defined by two essentially parallel wall contours that are continuously curved and joined to define a single area, such as, for instance, a circle, an oval, or an egg shape. The hollow cross-section has a first diameter that is perpendicular to the bottom surface and a second diameter that is parallel to the bottom surface.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention said sealing member is essentially circular in cross-section.
In one embodiment of the invention the wall thickness of said at least one flange decreases in the protruding direction. The inventive sealing strip is preferably made of EPDM (Ethylene-
Propylene-diene terpolymer), EPM (Ethylene-Propylene Copolymer), SBR (Styrene-
Butadiene Rubber), PVC (Polyvinylchloride), EVA (Ethylene Vinylacetate Copoly- mer), or thermoplastic elastomer.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the sealing strip is made of EPDM. The inventive sealing strip is preferably made of cellular rubber, such as expanded, foamed, or sponge rubber, preferably expanded rubber as the closed cellular structure of expanded rubber makes it impervious to water.
In one embodiment of the invention the sealing strip comprises two flanges that are thinner than said first wall thickness; said flanges are integrally associ- ated with the sealing member; said flanges protrude outwards from the hollow sealing member from positions above said second diameter at angles that diverges from said first diameter and said second diameter; said flanges protrude outwards from the hollow sealing member in diverging directions; and in that said flanges extend, when the sealing strip is in an unladened state, beyond an upper tangential line to the hol- low cross-section of the sealing member, which upper tangential line is parallel to said bottom surface.
The inventive sealing strips may be provided with a self-adhesive layer for mounting. They may also be tacked or glued into place by means of separately provided adhesive. Alternatively, they may also be stapled or pinned to the substrate surface.
Preferably, the hollow sealing member has an essentially circular cross- section, having an outer diameter of from about 3 to 25 mm, preferably from about 4 to 10 mm, in particular from about 4 to 9 mm.
The wall thickness of the hollow sealing member is may be from about 1 to 4 mm, preferably from about 1 to 2 mm, in particular from about 1 to 1.5 mm.
The planar base section may have a width of from about 2 to 25 mm, preferably from about 5 to 15 mm, in particular from about 8 to 10 mm.
The flange(s) may protrude outwards from the hollow sealing member at an angle of from at least about 0 up to 180 degrees, preferably from about 0 to 90 degrees, in particular from about 30 to 60 degrees, all in relation to the bottom surface.
The sealing strip according to the present invention provides numerous advantages, in particular regarding sealing properties, but also regarding the production of the sealing strip.
The flange provides for improved flexibility of the sealing strip in rela- tion to unevenness in the confronting surfaces between which it is applied. This means that the sealing properties of the present sealing strip in relation to varying clearances between confronting surfaces is improved in relation to prior art sealing strips. In addition, the relative small wall thickness of the flange provides for even more improved flexibility of the sealing strip in relation to such unevenness. The seal- ing strip of the invention provides better sealing characteristics at lower compressions than do the prior art sealing strips. The sealing properties are particularly improved for situations where the system of the sealing strip and the confronting surfaces is subjected to wind or draught, especially in situations where the confronting surfaces are put in motion in relation to each other. The sealing strip may be manufactured by extruding a continuous length of elastomeric material from a conventional extruder, which includes a die formed in the shape of the cross-section of the sealing strip. Uncured polymer is fed into the extruder, which forces the material out from the extruder in the desired configuration. The uncured, extruded sealing strip is drawn through a vulcanizer in a conventional manner. The sealing strip will cure due to the temperature of the vulcanizer. As the sealing strip proceeds from the vulcanizer, it will be cut into desired lengths and then processed as appropriate for each application.
Multiple sealing strips may be extruded simultaneously and in parallel through one die; this is because the width of the cross-section of the present sealing strip is well defined, without any parts protruding in lateral direction.
As the present sealing strip require less material than comparable prior art sealing strips, the curing time will be considerably shorter, and thus the energy consumption per produced length unit will be lower. The reduced material and energy consumption implies reduced environmental impact. Additional objects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description that follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is side elevational view of one embodiment of the sealing strip of the invention mounted on a first surface and prior to contacting a second confronting surface;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the operative position in which the second confronting surface has contacted the sealing strip;
FIG. 3 is side elevational view of another embodiment of the sealing strip of the in- vention mounted on a first surface and prior to contacting a second confronting surface; and
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the operative position in which the second confronting surface has contacted the sealing strip.
Referring to FIG. 1, sealing strip 10 has a base 30 that extends the full length of the sealing strip. A longitudinally extending rib 35 forms part of and run along base 30. The base 30 has a bottom surface 40, the width of which is adapted to separately provided adhesive strips for bonding sealing strip 10 to the first 80 of two confronting surfaces. Rib 35 provides convenient points for attaching mounting clips. Alternatively, base 30 can be provided with means to be received within a mounting track of one of the confronting surfaces.
Sealing strip 10 has a deforming sealing member, designated generally as 20, which protrudes outwardly from base 30 for sealing contact with the second of the confronting surfaces (90 in FIG. 2). Sealing member 20 includes a wall 22 integrally formed with base 30, which wall 22 defines, in the depicted embodiment, a circular hollow interior 24. A first diameter 50 of the circular hollow interior 24 is perpendicular to bottom surface 40, while a second diameter 60 of it is parallel to bottom surface 40. A longitudinally extending flange 70 protrudes outwards from sealing member 20, and extends along the entire length of the sealing strip 10. Flange 70 protrudes along a line between first diameter 50 and second diameter 60. As seen in
Fig 1, flange 70 protrudes, when the sealing strip is in an unladened state, above the upper tangential line of hollow sealing member 20. Longitudinally extending flange 70 extends along the entire length of sealing strip 10.
As seen in Fig. 2, flange 70 is deformed inwardly toward the first 80 of the confronting surfaces when the second confronting surface 90 is brought into contact with and pressed against sealing strip 10.
Referring to FIG. 3, sealing strip 100 has a base 300 that extends the full length of sealing strip 100. A longitudinally extending rib 350 forms part of and run along base 300. Sealing strip 100 has a deforming sealing member, designated generally as 200, which protrudes outwardly from base 300 for sealing contact with the second of the confronting surfaces (900 in FIG. 2). Sealing member 200 includes a wall 220 integrally formed with base 300, which wall 220 defines, in the depicted embodiment, a circular hollow interior 240. A first diameter 500 of the circular hollow interior 240 is perpendicular to said bottom surface, while a second diameter 600 of it is parallel to said bottom surface 400.
Two longitudinally extending flanges 700 and 750 protrude outwards from sealing member 200, and extend along the entire length of sealing strip 100. Flanges 700 and 750 protrude along lines between first diameter 500 and second diameter 600. As seen in Fig 3, flanges 700 and 750 protrude, when the sealing strip is in an unladened state, above the upper tangential line of the hollow sealing member 200.
The longitudinally extending flanges 700 and 750 extend along the entire length of sealing strip 100.
As seen in Fig. 4, flanges 700 and 750 are deformed inwardly toward the first 800 of the confronting surfaces when the second confronting surface 900 is brought into contact with and pressed against sealing strip 10. In this embodiment, an air duct 950 is defined between flanges 700, 750 and the second confronting surface 900. This air duct 950 provides additional thermal insulation properties.