Surface treated particulated polymeric matrix for forming an exposed surface of a weatherseal

Abstract

A weatherseal having a particulated matrix, wherein different sections of the matrix are subjected to different surface treatments, thereby providing corresponding different characteristics, such as coefficient of friction, texture, surface roughness or appearance.

1 . A vehicular weatherseal, comprising: 
 (a) a weatherseal body; and    (b) a particulated polymeric matrix defining a surface of the weatherseal body, the particulated polymeric matrix including a multitude of surface roughness forming particles, the particulated polymeric matrix having a first section defined by a first surface treatment to locate the particles relative to a surface of the matrix to define a first average surface roughness and a second section having the particles located relative to the surface of the matrix to define a different second average surface roughness.    
     
     
         2 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the first section has a first coefficient of friction and the second section has a different second coefficient of friction.  
     
     
         3 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the first section has a first surface texture and the second section has a different second surface texture.  
     
     
         4 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the first section has a first surface gloss and the second section has a different second surface gloss.  
     
     
         5 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the first section has a first reflectivity and the second section has a different second reflectivity.  
     
     
         6 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the weatherseal body is formed of the particulated polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         7 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the particulated polymeric matrix is a tape.  
     
     
         8 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the particles are one of ceramic, mineral, thermoplastic and thermoset.  
     
     
         9 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the particulated polymeric matrix is one of a thermoplastic and a thermoset.  
     
     
         10 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the particles are at least one of polyethylene, UHMW polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, cross linked polyethylene, cross linked UHMW polyethylene, cross linked polypropylene and cross linked polyamide.  
     
     
         11 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the first surface treatment is an as formed condition of the matrix.  
     
     
         12 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the particulated polymeric matrix extends along a continuous length of the weatherseal body.  
     
     
         13 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 12 , wherein the second surface treatment extends along a continuous length of the particulated polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         14 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 12 , wherein the second surface treatment extends along intermittent lengths of the particulated polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         15 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the particulated polymeric matrix extends along intermittent lengths of the weatherseal body.  
     
     
         16 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 15 , wherein the second surface treatment extends along each intermittent length of the particulated polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         17 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 15 , wherein the second surface treatment extends along selected intermittent lengths of the polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         18 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 1 , wherein the weatherseal body and the particulated polymeric matrix include surface roughness forming particles.  
     
     
         19 . A vehicular weatherseal, comprising a polymeric matrix having a surface roughness defined by a multitude of surface roughening particles in the polymeric matrix, the polymeric matrix including a surface treated first section having a first coefficient of friction and a second section having a different second coefficient of friction.  
     
     
         20 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , wherein the first section has a first surface texture and the second section has a different second surface texture.  
     
     
         21 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , wherein the first section has a first surface gloss and the second section has a different second surface gloss.  
     
     
         22 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , wherein the first section has a first reflectivity and the second section has a different second reflectivity.  
     
     
         23 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , further comprising a weatherseal body, wherein the weatherseal body is formed of the particulated matrix.  
     
     
         24 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , wherein the polymeric matrix is a tape.  
     
     
         25 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , wherein the particles are one of ceramic, mineral, thermoplastic and thermoset.  
     
     
         26 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , wherein the polymeric matrix is one of a thermoplastic and a thermoset.  
     
     
         27 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , wherein the particles are at least one of polyethylene, UHMW polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, cross linked polyethylene, cross linked UHMW polyethylene, cross linked polypropylene and cross linked polyamide.  
     
     
         28 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , wherein the first section has a first surface gloss and the second section has a different second gloss.  
     
     
         29 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , wherein the first section is an as formed condition of the matrix.  
     
     
         30 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , further comprising a weatherseal body, wherein the polymeric matrix extends along a continuous length of the weatherseal body.  
     
     
         31 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 30 , further comprising a weatherseal body, wherein the first section extends along a continuous length of the weatherseal body.  
     
     
         32 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 30 , further comprising a weatherseal body, wherein the first section extends along intermittent lengths of the weatherseal body.  
     
     
         33 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , further comprising a weatherseal body, wherein the polymeric matrix extends along intermittent lengths of the weatherseal body.  
     
     
         34 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 33 , wherein the first section extends along each intermittent length of the polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         35 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 33 , wherein the first section extends along selected intermittent lengths of the polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         36 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 19 , further comprising a weatherseal body, wherein the weatherseal body and the polymeric matrix include surface roughness forming particles.  
     
     
         37 . A vehicular weatherseal, comprising a particulated polymeric matrix, a first section of the polymeric matrix having a given coefficient of friction, gloss, reflectivity and average surface roughness and a second section of the polymeric matrix having at least one of a different coefficient of friction, gloss, reflectivity and average surface roughness.  
     
     
         38 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 37 , wherein the first section has a first surface texture and the second section has a different second surface texture.  
     
     
         39 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 37 , further comprising a weatherseal body, wherein the weatherseal body is formed of the particulated matrix.  
     
     
         40 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 37 , wherein the particulated polymeric matrix is a tape.  
     
     
         41 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 37 , wherein the particles are one of ceramic, mineral, thermoplastic and thermoset.  
     
     
         42 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 37 , wherein the polymeric matrix is one of a thermoplastic and a thermoset.  
     
     
         43 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 37 , wherein the particles are at least one of polyethylene, UHMW polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, cross linked polyethylene, cross linked UHMW polyethylene, cross linked polypropylene and cross linked polyamide.  
     
     
         44 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 37 , further comprising a weatherseal body, wherein the polymeric matrix extends along a continuous length of the weatherseal body.  
     
     
         45 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 44 , further comprising a weatherseal body, wherein the first section extends along a continuous length of the weatherseal body.  
     
     
         46 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 44 , further comprising a weatherseal body, wherein the surface treated first section extends along intermittent lengths of the weatherseal body.  
     
     
         47 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 37 , further comprising a weatherseal body, wherein the polymeric matrix extends along intermittent lengths of the weatherseal body.  
     
     
         48 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 47 , wherein the surface treated first section extends along each intermittent length of the polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         49 . The vehicular weatherseal of  claim 47 , wherein the first section extends along selected intermittent lengths of the polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         50 . A method of making a vehicle weatherseal for forming a sealed interface with a panel of the vehicle, the method comprising surface treating at least one selected area of a particulated matrix to change at least one of an average surface roughness, coefficient of friction, gloss and reflectivity of the selected area of the particulated matrix.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein surface treating includes at least one of embossing, electrically stimulating, grinding, brushing, burnishing, impacting, rolling and calendaring the polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising forming the particles from at least one of a thermoplastic and a thermoset.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising forming the particles from at least one of polyethylene, UHMW polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, cross linked polyethylene, cross linked UHMW polyethylene, cross linked polypropylene and cross linked polyamide.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising extruding the polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising extruding a substrate to support the polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising surface treating intermittent lengths of the particulated matrix.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising surface treating a continuous length of the particulated matrix.