Vehicle sunroof seal assembly

Abstract

Sunroof frame members are sealed together by using a two-shot molding process. A first frame member includes a seal molded along a portion of a first mount interface. The seal presents an exposed engagement surface that is pressed against an adjoining frame member to provide a sealed sunroof frame. The method of sealing sunroof frame members together includes the steps of molding the first frame member in a pre-formed mold, indexing the mold, molding the seal into the first frame member while in the mold, and securing a second frame member to the first frame member such that the seal is sandwiched between the first and second frame members.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A vehicle sunroof seal assembly comprising: 
 a first frame member mounted to a vehicle structure along a first portion of a vehicle roof opening and having a first mount interface;    a second frame member mounted to the vehicle structure along a second portion of the vehicle roof opening and having a second mount interface positioned in an overlapping relationship to said first mount interface; and    a seal molded into a portion of one of said mount interfaces and presenting an exposed engagement surface for engaging said other of said mount interfaces to seal said first frame member to said second frame member.    
     
     
         2 . An assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said first frame members is a plastic corner piece and said second frame member is an aluminum extrusion.  
     
     
         3 . An assembly as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said seal extends across a width of said first frame member, and then extends along a length of said frame member.  
     
     
         4 . A method of sealing sunroof frame members together comprising the steps of: 
 (a) molding a first frame member from a first material in a mold;    (b) molding a seal from a second material onto the first frame member while in the mold or extruding a seal onto the first frame member outside of the mold    (c) securing a second frame member to the first frame member such that the seal is sandwiched between the first and second frame members.    
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4  wherein step (c) includes providing the second material as a material that is different than the first material.