The present invention relates to a method of producing a profiled strip consisting of rubber, or the like, the strip having at least one flexurally elastic reinforcing insert and relates to the insert itself. The profiled strip has particular application for use on automotive vehicles. Such a strip includes at least one flexurally elastic reinforcing insert. The insert has at least one continuous web across it and a plurality of rungs defined in the insert and extending away from the web and arranged alongside of each other extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the profiled strip. The insert is produced from at least one metal strip or band. Rubber, or the like strip covering material, is molded around the insert by extrusion.
Known reinforced profiled strips of rubber, or the like, which include a flexible reinforcing insert, are sometimes referred to as skeleton strips. The strips have varied forms and applications, particularly in vehicles. Such profiled strips are used, for instance, as sealing, window-guide, shaft-sealing, edge protection, covering or for similar profiled strip purposes. The profiled strips have flexible, flexurally elastic, reinforcing inserts which are generally of metal.
There are various methods of producing the reinforcing inserts and thus there are different reinforcing inserts. The classic insert is a lattice strip having at least one continuous web of material. On one or both lateral sides of the web, rungs are arranged extending away from the web and alongside of each other. The web and the rungs are formed through window-like openings that are punched out of a strip-shaped starting material.
In another known method, a strip-shaped starting material is slit and then stretched so that, again, windowlike openings are produced from the slits. In the manufacture of profiled strips which are reinforced with reinforcing inserts and which must be subjected to a bending process upon mounting, windowlike stampings or openings have been required in the reinforcing inserts. This enables the profiled strips to be easily bent and assures bonding of the rubber material of the profiled strips through the holes of the stamping. For these reasons, an unsatisfactory quality of the surface of the profiled strip has been tolerated or a satisfactory surface quality of the profiled strip could be obtained by subsequently covering the profiled strip with a textile material, or the like. However, an additional covering requires a considerable expense for manufacture and substantially increased manufacturing costs. The unsatisfactory surface quality and appearance of traditional profiled strips occurs because the rungs of the reinforcing insert, which extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of the profiled strip, are visible on the outside of the body of the profiled strip.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds