Method and device for applying adhesive-backed weatherstrip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724986-B2
Application number	US-201314647276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2013
Priority date	Nov 29, 2012
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A device for applying an adhesive-backed elongated seal (e.g., a weatherstrip seal) to a surface of a substrate. The device comprises a release liner removal tool having a stripper portion. The stripper portion comprises a spacer and a release liner guide surface. The spacer has a leading edge, an angled trailing edge, a central axis and a thickness profile that separates the adhesive on the back of the seal from the substrate surface while allowing the body of the seal to contact the substrate surface, when the stripper portion is positioned between the seal and the surface. The angled trailing edge has a transverse radius of curvature allowing the release liner to be removed from the adhesive, bent-backwards-over the trailing edge, and pulled-off along a portion of the guide surface, while the seal is adhered along its length to the surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for applying an adhesive-backed weatherstrip to a substrate surface, where the weatherstrip comprises a weatherstrip body having a length and backed by a layer of adhesive that is protected by a release liner, said device comprising a release liner removal tool having a stripper portion comprising:
a weatherstrip spacer having a length, a leading edge, an angled trailing edge, a central axis and a thickness profile that is operatively adapted to separate the weatherstrip adhesive from the substrate surface while allowing the weatherstrip body to contact the substrate surface, when said stripper portion is positioned between the weatherstrip and the substrate surface; and
a release liner guide surface,
wherein said angled trailing edge has a longitudinal axis defining an obtuse angle with the central axis of said weatherstrip spacer, and a transverse radius of curvature operatively adapted to allow a trailing length of the release liner to be removed from the layer of adhesive, bent-backwards-over said trailing edge and onto at least a portion of said release liner guide surface, after said weatherstrip spacer is positioned behind a corresponding portion of the attached release liner of the weatherstrip.

2. The device according to claim 1 further comprising:
at least one release liner gap spacer for maintaining a gap between a portion of the release liner guide surface facing the substrate surface and a corresponding portion of the substrate surface such that the release liner can be easily pulled through the gap.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said release liner removal tool further comprises a tool base with at least one guide roller operatively adapted for controlling the lower edge of the weatherstrip body.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said central axis runs longitudinally along the length of said spacer.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said weatherstrip spacer comprises a leading spacer lip forming said leading edge.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness profile of said weatherstrip spacer is wedge-shaped.

7. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a release liner guide structure comprising a release liner guide channel defined by opposite release liner guide rails running laterally on either side of a portion of said release liner guide surface forming a bottom of said guide channel.

8. The device according to claim 1 further comprising:
at least one weatherstrip actuator roller mounted to said release liner removal tool, each said weatherstrip actuator roller being operatively adapted to contact so as to advance said release liner removal tool along the length of the weatherstrip body.

9. The device according to claim 8 further comprising:
at least one weatherstrip actuator motor for driving the rotation of said at least one weatherstrip actuator roller and thereby advance said release liner removal tool along the length of the weatherstrip body, and said at least one weatherstrip actuator motor being mounted to said release liner removal tool.

10. The device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a biased slide rail connecting said release liner removal tool to said at least one weatherstrip actuator roller such that said release liner removal tool can slide forward and backward along said slide rail, when forced to do so as said at least one weatherstrip actuator roller moves along the length of the weatherstrip body.

11. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one weatherstrip nip roller mounted to said at least one weatherstrip actuator roller such that the weatherstrip and at least a desired portion of the substrate surface can be disposed between said at least one weatherstrip actuator roller and said at least one weatherstrip nip roller such that the layer of adhesive on the back of the weatherstrip can be pressed against so as to adhere to at least the desired portion of the substrate surface.

12. The device according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a biasing mechanism for biasing said at least one weatherstrip nip roller and said at least one weatherstrip actuator roller toward one another, while allowing said at least one weatherstrip nip roller and said at least one weatherstrip actuator roller to be forced apart enough to allow the weatherstrip and at least the desired portion of the substrate surface to be disposed therebetween.

13. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one release liner pulling roller and at least one actuator motor for driving said at least one release liner pulling roller so as to pull a trailing length of the release liner over said angled trailing edge, across at least a portion of said release liner guide surface and away from the weatherstrip.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein said at least one release liner pulling roller frictionally engages the trailing length of the release liner.

15. The device according to claim 13 , wherein said at least one release liner pulling roller is a spool on which the trailing length of the release liner is wound up.

16. A combination of said device according to claim 1 and an adhesive-backed weatherstrip, with said weatherstrip comprising a layer of adhesive attached to the back of a weatherstrip body, wherein the layer of adhesive is protected by a release liner attached thereto, and said stripper portion is operatively adapted for being disposed between the attached release liner on said weatherstrip body and the substrate surface on which said layer of adhesive is to be bonded.

17. The combination according to claim 16 , wherein said release liner on said layer of adhesive has a central longitudinal axis, and the central axis of said weatherstrip spacer runs generally in line with or parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said layer of adhesive.

18. A method of applying an adhesive-backed weatherstrip to a substrate surface using the device according to claim 1 .

19. A substrate having a surface, with an adhesive-backed weatherstrip applied to the substrate surface according to the method of claim 18 , with the substrate surface being a body surface of a vehicle.

20. The substrate according to claim 19 , wherein the substrate is a door of the vehicle.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Gabel Mark R
• Belknap Benjamin D

Classifications

• B60J10/34

  using adhesives · CPC title

• B60J10/45

  Assembling sealing arrangements with vehicle parts · CPC title

• B23P19/047 Primary

  for flexible profiles, e.g. sealing or decorating strips in grooves or on other profiles by devices moving along the flexible profile (hand tools therefor B25B27/0092) · CPC title

• B25B27/0092 Primary

  Tools moving along strips, e.g. decorating or sealing strips, to insert them in, or remove them from, grooves or profiles (machines therefor B23P19/047) · CPC title

• B60J10/80 Primary

  specially adapted for opening panels, e.g. doors (for non-fixed roofs B60J10/90) · CPC title