Automotive weatherstrip and method for molding the same

Abstract

When a sealing portion at the end portion of an extruded weatherstrip is cut out by a fixed length and a main body and a lip are set on a metal mold for die forming, concave portions 13 and 14 are formed, from the lower surface and side surface, on the main body 11 to be set on the metal mold, and are latched, respectively, with convex portions of the metal mold to restrict movement, whereby a problem in external appearance caused by movement and a bend of a part including the lip due to a molding pressure is eliminated.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a weatherstrip to be attached to the periphery of an automobile door and, particularly, to a weatherstrip 10 having a die-forming portion to be attached to corner portions A and B of an automobile door as shown in FIG. 1 and a method for molding the same.

[0002] FIG. 2 shows an example of a weatherstrip to be attached to a roof portion on the periphery of an automobile door, which comprises a hollow main body 3 to be attached still to an outer peripheral end face 2a of a doorframe with a clip or a double-sided adhesive tape, a hollow sealing portion 4 which press-contacts with a door opening margin of a car body for sealing when the door is closed, and a lip 5 protruding on an outer peripheral limb 2b of the doorframe, wherein by extending the lip 5 to the doorframe end on the center pillar side, external appearance of a corner portion at the center pillar upper end where a die-forming portion is attached is improved.

[0003] When such a die-forming portion to be attached to a corner portion is molded, the end portion of an extruded weatherstrip 6 is cut out by a fixed length from the end excluding the lip 5, then an extension 5a of the lip 5 protruding from the main body 3 is set on a metal mold, and a die-forming portion 7 as shown in FIG. 4 is molded by die forming. In the drawing, reference numeral 8 denotes a sealing portion to be connected to the sealing portion 4, and reference numeral 9 denotes a shielding portion which is die-formed for an improvement in external appearance of the end face.

[0004] When the aforementioned die-forming portion 7 is molded, the extension 5a of the lip 5 set on the metal mold easily moves and shifts in the lateral direction due to a molding pressure and, therefore, does not stay at a predetermined position. As a result, a problem in external appearance such that the lip line is curved in a molded product easily occurs. Such a problem occurs more easily as a depressing pressure by the mold becomes smaller.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention is made to solve the above problem and it is an object thereof to provide a weatherstrip and a method for molding the same wherein when a sealing portion of the weatherstrip is cut out by a fixed length from the end and a die-forming portion is molded with the remaining part including a lip set on a metal mold, the part including the lip set on the metal mold is prevented from moving due to a molding pressure, whereby a problem in external appearance caused by a movement and a bend of the lip due to a molding pressure can be eliminated.

[0006] A weatherstrip according to the present invention comprises a general portion which is extrusion-molded and to be attached to a roof portion of a doorframe and a die-forming portion which is integrally molded with this general portion and to be attached to a corner portion.

[0007] The general portion has a hollow sealing portion which press-contacts with a door opening margin of a car body for sealing when the door is closed and a lip protruding on an outer peripheral limb of a doorframe, and a die-forming portion which is integrally molded with an extension of a part including the lip of the general portion and is to be attached to a corner portion, and this die-forming portion has an extension which is integrally molded with an extension of a part of the general portion including the lip portion and laterally extends to the doorframe end and a sealing portion which is integrated with the sealing portion of the general portion and has a shape along the corner portion. Moreover, position restricting means to the metal mold composed of concave portions and/or convex portions are provided on the extension of the part including the lip.

[0008] According to the present invention, when an extension of a part of an extruded molding including a lip is set on a metal mold and die forming is carried out, concave portions and/or convex portions of the extension are latched with convex portions and/or concave portions of the metal mold, whereby the position is restricted and a contact area with the metal mold is increased, resulting in an increase in frictional resistance. Therefore, the extension of the part including the lip is prevented from moving not only in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction but also in the longitudinal direction, thus it becomes possible to make the extension stay at a predetermined position.

[0009] The position restricting means of the present invention restrict movement in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the extension set on the metal mold as mentioned above, however, it is desirable that such a restriction in movement is imposed not only in the right and left direction but also in the up-and-down direction. Therefore, it is desirable that the concave portions and/or convex portions are formed not only in the up-and-down direction but also in the lateral direction.

[0010] In a method for molding a weatherstrip according to the present invention, the end portion of an extruded molding having a hollow sealing portion, a lip protruding on an outer peripheral limb of a doorframe, and position restriction means to a metal mold composed of concave portions and/or convex portions is cut out by a fixed length from the end excluding a part including the lip and position restricting means. Thereafter, the part remaining including the lip and position restricting means after cutting is attached and set on a metal mold by latching the concave portions and/or convex portions of the position restricting means with convex portions and/or concave portions of the metal mold. Then, a die-forming portion is molded by injecting a molding material of, for example, ethylene-propylene diene rubber (EPDM) into the metal mold.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a side view of an automobile,

[0012] FIG. 2 is a view showing a weatherstrip to be attached to a roof portion,

[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an extrusion-molded weatherstrip whose end portion has been cut out by a fixed length excluding a lip thereof,

[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a die-forming portion integrally molded with a weatherstrip of a general portion,

[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an extrusion-molded weatherstrip according to the present invention, and

[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a weatherstrip having a die-forming portion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0017] FIG. 5 shows a weatherstrip 10 of a general portion formed of an extrusion molding, to be attached to a roof portion of a doorframe. As shown in FIG. 2, this weatherstrip 10 comprises: a main body 11 to be attached still to an outer peripheral end face 2a of a doorframe with a clip or a double-sided adhesive tape, a lip 12 protruding on an outer peripheral limb 2b of the doorframe, and a hollow sealing portion 13 which press-contacts with a door opening margin of a car body for sealing when the door is closed, and on the main body 11, a concave portion 14 which serves as a position restricting means is formed upwards from the side to be attached to the outer peripheral end face 2a of the doorframe and a concave portion 15 which similarly serves as a position restricting means is formed sideways from the side surface on the lip side.

[0018] In die forming, the end portion of the extrusion-molded weatherstrip 10 shown in FIG. 5 is cut out by a fixed length from the end excluding the main body 11 and the lip 12, that is, the sealing portion 13 is cut out up to a position illustrated by the solid lines. The dotted line portion shows the portion cut out. Thereafter, the main body 11 extending from the sealing portion 13 and an extension E of the lip 12 are attached and set on a metal mold by latching the concave portions 14 and 15 of the main body 11, respectively, with a convex portion of the metal mold, then a molding material is injected for molding. FIG. 6 shows a die-forming portion 16 integrally molded with the extrusion-molded weatherstrip 10, and this die-forming portion 16 comprises: a sealing portion 17 (in this sealing portion 17, a hole for extracting the central core to mold the sealing portion 17 has been formed, though this is unillustrated) to be connected to the sealing portion 13 and extension 18 which includes a shielding portion 18a formed, integrally with this sealing portion 17, on the end of the above extension E for an improvement in external appearance of this end face and laterally extends to the doorframe end in a manner integrally formed with the above extension E.

[0019] According to the present embodiment, in die forming, the main body 11 and lip 12 set on the metal mold are restricted in terms of movement in the lateral (right and left) direction by latching of a convex portion of the metal mold into the concave portion 14, and in terms of movement in the up-and-down direction, by latching of another convex portion of the metal mold into the concave portion 15, and are also depressed by the metal mold in a condition where a contact area with the metal mold has been increased by the convex portions of the metal mold latched into both concave portions 14 and 15, respectively, therefore, a frictional resistance to the metal mold is increased and movement in the longitudinal direction is also restricted.

[0020] Although the present invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments thereof, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that various alterations and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention which is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automotive weatherstrip to be attached around the periphery of a door of an automobile comprising: a general portion formed of an extruded molding to be attached to a roof portion of the doorframe, having a hollow sealing portion 13 which press-contacts with a door opening margin of a car body for sealing when the door is closed and a lip 12 protruding on an outer peripheral limb 2b of a doorframe and a die-forming portion which is integrally molded with this general portion and is to be attached to a corner portion 16, and this die-forming portion 16 has an extension 18 which is integrally molded with an extension E of a part of the general portion including the lip portion 12 and laterally extends to the doorframe end and a sealing portion 17 which is integrated with the sealing portion 13 of the general portion and has a shape along the corner portion, wherein position restricting means to the metal mold composed of concave portions 14 and 15 and/or convex portions are provided on the extension E of the part including said lip 12.

2. A method for molding an automotive weatherstrip in which the end portion of an extruded molding having a hollow sealing portion 13, a lip 12 protruding on an outer peripheral limb of a doorframe, and position restriction means to a metal mold composed of concave portions 14 and 15 and/or convex portions is cut out by a fixed length from the end excluding a part E including the lip 12 and position restricting means 14 and 15, then the part E remaining including the lip 12 and position restricting means 14 and 15 after cutting is attached and set on a metal mold by latching the concave portions 14 and 15 and/or convex portions of the position restricting means with convex portions and/or concave portions of the metal mold, thereafter, a die-forming portion 14 is molded.