Trailer door seal

Abstract

A one-piece seal is used between the rear doors of a semi-trailer truck and the rear frame of the truck, the seal having a good compression set resistance. The seal is made from multiple extrusion members that are fused, welded, or otherwise integrally, monolithically connected at corner joints to form a central opening. The extrusion members have a sealing profile, or cross-section, that allows for the compression and deflection of a pair of sealing lobes to create inner and outer seals, respectively, between the trailer frame and the door structure at the rear of a semi-trailer truck, as well as between the doors themselves.

1 .- 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A method of producing a door seal, the method comprising:
 procuring a first seal portion holder, the first seal portion holder comprising:
 a first recess defining a longitudinal axis, and 
 a first inner face defining an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the first recess; 
   procuring a second seal portion holder, the second seal portion holder comprising:
 a second recess defining a longitudinal axis, and 
 a second inner face defining a second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the second recess; 
   placing a first seal portion into the first seal portion holder, the first seal portion having a miter-cut end, said step of placing the first seal portion including placing the miter-cut end substantially flush with the first inner face;   placing a second seal portion into the second seal portion holder, the second seal portion having a miter-cut end, said step of placing the second seal portion including placing the miter-cut end substantially flush with the second inner face; and   fusing the first seal portion to the second seal portion.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said step of fusing comprises:
 placing a ribbon between the miter-cut ends of the first and second seal portions; and   heating the miter-cut ends and the ribbon.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, prior to said fusing step, the additional step of:
 moving said first seal portion holder inward toward said second seal portion holder.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the additional step of:
 repeating said fusing step on additional seal portions to create a seal with a closed profile.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the additional seal portions comprise two additional seal portions, and the closed profile defines a rectangular profile. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the additional step of:
 installing the seal onto a door having a profile corresponding to the closed profile.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said step of installing further comprises:
 stretching the seal over edges and corners of the door.   
     
     
         19 . A method of sealing an opening, the method comprising:
 procuring a monolithic, elastically deformable first seal, the first seal comprising:
 a first plurality of seal portions; 
 a first plurality of seal corners, each of the seal corners integrally joining two of the first plurality of seal portions; and 
 the first plurality of seal portions joined by the seal corners to form a closed profile, the first plurality of seal portions cooperating to define at least one sealing lobe extending continuously around a periphery of the first seal; 
   attaching a first one of the first plurality of seal corners to a corresponding first corner of a first door, the first door movable between a closed position and an open position;   stretching one of the first plurality of seal portions to align a second one of the first plurality of seal corners with a corresponding second corner of the first door;   attaching the second one of the first plurality of seal corners to the corresponding second corner of the first door; and   repeating said attaching and stretching steps for the remainder of the first plurality of seal corners such that the first seal fully encapsulates a periphery of the first door.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the additional step of:
 attaching each of the first plurality of seal portions to a corresponding edge of the first door, such that the corresponding edge occupies a space defined by the respective seal portion.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said stretching step comprising stretching the respective seal portion by as little as 3% and as much as 30%. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the additional steps of:
 procuring a monolithic, elastically deformable second seal, the second seal comprising:
 a second plurality of seal portions; 
 a second plurality of seal corners, each of the seal corners integrally joining two of the second plurality of seal portions; and 
 the second plurality of seal portions joined by the seal corners to form a closed profile, the second plurality of seal portions cooperating to define at least one sealing lobe extending continuously around a periphery of the second seal; 
   attaching a first one of the second plurality of seal corners to a corresponding first corner of a second door, the second door movable between a closed position and an open position, the first and second doors adjacent to one another when in their respective closed positions;   stretching one of the second plurality of seal portions to align a second one of the second plurality of seal corners with a corresponding second corner of the second door;   attaching the second one of the second plurality of seal corners to the corresponding second corner of the second door; and   repeating said attaching and stretching steps for the remainder of the second plurality of seal corners such that the second seal fully encapsulates a periphery of the second door.