Protective boot for an automotive component

Abstract

A blow molded product which is generally tubular having a first and second open ends, a bellows section intermediate said first and second ends so that the product is flexible, and a skirt adjacent the second end, the skirt having an outer cylindrical outer surface and a lobed inner surface. The bellows section is formed in a blow molding operation and the skirt is formed by injection molding. The final product is formed by thermally fusing the two portions together. This process enables molding of a product with an external surface which may substantially cylindrical with an internal surface which has lobes, or other internal projections or non-cylindrical surface.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A thermoplastic protective boot for an automotive component having an integral bushing comprising: 
 a boot element, said boot element having a first portion with a generally cylindrical outer surface for engaging with a circular clamp; and    a bushing element, said bushing element having a generally cylindrical wall portion with an internal non-cylindrical wall surface for sealing and a plurality of lobed portions, said wall portion having a thickness, said lobed portions projecting inwardly from said wall portion a distance of at least four times said thickness of said wall portion.    
     
     
         2 . The boot of  claim 1  wherein said boot element and said bushing element are formed of different thermoplastic materials.  
     
     
         3 . The boot of  claim 1  wherein said bushing element has three lobes.  
     
     
         4 . The boot of  claim 1  wherein said boot element has a second clamping portion at an opposite end of said boot element from said first portion.  
     
     
         5 . The boot of  claim 1  wherein said boot element has a bellows portion intermediate said first portion and said second clamping portion.  
     
     
         6 . A protective boot assembly for an automobile component comprising: 
 a generally tubular body having first and second open ends, said body having a flexible bellows-shaped portion intermediate said first and second ends, said first end comprising a skirt portion, said skirt portion being defined by a generally cylindrical first wall, said first wall having inner and outer surfaces, said outer surface being generally cylindrical for engaging a circular clamp, said outer surface having a plurality of projections projecting outwardly from said first wall at said first end for retaining a circular clamp, said boot having one or more projections projecting inwardly of said first wall, said second end comprising a neck portion, said neck portion being defined by a generally cylindrical second wall, said second wall having a generally cylindrical outer surface for engaging a circular clamp, said outer surface having a plurality of projections projecting outwardly from said second wall at said second end for retaining a circular clamp; and    two circular clamps, wherein one of said clamps is located around said boot at said skirt portion and one of said clamps is located around said boot at said neck portion and said clamps are retained in place by said projections.    
     
     
         7 . The boot assembly of  claim 6  wherein said inner surface of said first wall comprises a plurality of lobes.  
     
     
         8 . a thermoplastic protective boot for an automotive component which has a non-cylindrical surface, which boot is required to seal against said non-cylindrical surface of said component, by clamping of said boot against said non-cylindrical surface of said component, 
 said boot comprising: 
 a) a boot element having a first portion, said first portion having a generally cylindrical first wall with a generally cylindrical inner surface and a generally cylindrical outer surface, said first wall having a first diameter at said inner surface, and  
 b) an integral bushing element, said bushing element having a generally cylindrical second wall with inner and outer surfaces, said outer surface of said second wall comprising a generally cylindrical surface having a second diameter at said outer surface, said second diameter being approximately equal to said first diameter of said boot element, said inner surface of said bushing element comprising a non-cylindrical sealing surface, said non-cylindrical sealing surface of said bushing element having a plurality of projections extending radially inwardly of said second wall so that said non-cylindrical sealing surface conforms to said non-cylindrical surface of said automotive component; each said projection extending only partially circumferentially around said non-cylindrical sealing surface.  
   
     
     
         9 . The boot of  claim 8  wherein said boot includes a third generally cylindrical wall on said boot element at an opposite end of said boot element from said first wall.  
     
     
         10 . The boot of  claim 8  wherein said boot element and said bushing element are formed of different thermoplastic materials.  
     
     
         11 . The boot of  claim 8  wherein said non-cylindrical sealing surface of said bushing element includes three radially inwardly projecting lobes.  
     
     
         12 . The boot of  claim 8  wherein said boot element includes a bellows portion intermediate said first wall and said third wall.