BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A sealing, trimming or guiding strip embodying the invention, a tool and method for forming such a strip embodying the invention, and apparatus and methods for providing in situ forming of a loop-shaped sealing strip, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an overhead plan view of the boot/trunk opening of the vehicle body;
FIG. 2 is an overhead plan view of a pre-formed loop-shaped sealing strip of known configuration;
FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the strip of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a cut-away view of the sealing strip of FIGS. 2 and 3;
FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a boot/trunk lid and boot/trunk lid opening of a motor vehicle;
FIG. 6 is a view of part of a sealing strip in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one form of apparatus for forming the seal of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a scrap plan view of part of the apparatus of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of apparatus for forming a loop-shaped strip in situ;
FIG. 10 is a close-up view of part of the apparatus of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a scrap plan view of part of the apparatus of FIGS. 9 and 10;
FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of apparatus of a second embodiment of the invention for forming a loop-shaped seal in situ;
FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of part of the apparatus of FIG. 12; and
FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIGS. 12 and 13 and a motor vehicle body.
In the Figures like elements are generally designated with the same reference numerals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows an overhead plan view of the boot/trunk opening 1 in a motor vehicle body 3. Around the opening a mount or flange 5 is formed where an outer body panel 7 and an inner body panel 9 meet. These body panels 7 and 9 may be joined at the flange 5 by adhesive, spot welding or any other suitable technique. The inner panel 9 is formed from the same sheet of material that forms the rear wings 11 of the motor vehicle 3.
A boot/trunk lid is mounted on the vehicle body 3 for closing the opening 1 in the conventional manner. In order to provide a weather tight seal for the opening 1, a sealing strip 13 (FIG. 2) is mounted over the flange 5 and extends therearound to form a loop.
In order to provide a sealing strip 13 that is in the form of a loop, it is known to form a length of sealing strip to the desired length and to join the opposite ends 13A, 13B thereof using a thermoplastic foil or film 15. A sealing strip having such an arrangement and an apparatus for joining the opposite ends of the sealing strip is disclosed in EP 1284852, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,498, hereby incorporated by reference.
FIG. 3 shows a partial view of the sealing strip 13. The sealing strip 13 comprises extruded plastics or rubber or similar material defining a channel 17 which, in use, embracingly grips the flange 5. The extruded material preferably defines integral gripping lips 19 extending across the interior of the channel 17 from opposite facing sidewalls thereof, these lips 19 frictionally contacting the flange 5 in use to help secure the strip 13 in position thereon. The extruded material defining the channel 17 may be reinforced by a channel-shaped embedded resilient core or carrier 21 such as made of metal or other suitable rigid material. The sealing strip 13 carries a relatively soft sealing part 23 having a hollow chamber extending from the outside of the base and one sidewall of the channel 17. When the sealing strip 13 is mounted on the flange 5, this sealing part 23 is positioned so as to be partially compressed by the closing boot/trunk lid, thus providing a weather seal around the opening 1. A so-called “cosmetic lip” 25 may extend over the outside of the opposite sidewall of the channel 8 for receiving and hiding the edge of a trim panel, although typically such a cosmetic lip 25 will not be provided for a boot/trunk seal (although will typically be provided for a door seal).
FIG. 3 shows in more detail the region of the sealing strip 13 where the foil 15 joins the opposite ends 13A, 13B thereof.
According to a known assembling arrangement, seals in the form of loops as shown in FIG. 2 are supplied to vehicle manufacturers for fitting to flanges 5 around boot/trunk openings 1 during the manufacture of vehicles.
It is advantageous to join the opposite ends 13A, 13B of the seal 13 by foil 15, in contrast to an arrangement where the ends are not joined but simply abut one another or lie adjacent to one another, because this provides a more effective weather seal and an improved appearance.
A problem with this known arrangement arises when it is desired to fit a sealing strip 13 to a boot/trunk opening 1 after the boot lid is fitted to the vehicle body 3. This will be explained in more detail with reference to the perspective view of the rear of the vehicle body 3 in FIG. 5. A pre-formed looped seal 13 cannot be fitted to the flange 5 surrounding the opening 1 when there is an obstruction around the periphery of the opening 1. Such an obstruction might comprise, for example, the hinge arms 27 that attach the boot/trunk lid 29 to the vehicle body 3 and allow angular movement of the boot/trunk lid 29 with respect to the body 3 in order that the boot/trunk opening 1 can be opened and closed.
The hinge arms 27 may be mounted to the boot/trunk lid 29 by bolts or welding and are coupled to the vehicle body 3 by a hinge arrangement (not shown) that allows rotational movement of the boot-trunk lid 29 and hinge arms 27 in the direction of arrows 31.
One arrangement for fitting a seal 13 to the opening shown in FIG. 5 would be to supply the seal 13 as a length of sealing strip where the opposite ends are not joined together (i.e. in un-looped form). The sealing strip 13 can then be threaded behind the hinge arms 27 and fitted to the flange 5. The opposite ends 13A, 13B of the strip 13 will then abut or lie adjacent to one another at some point around the opening 1. As explained above, this is unsatisfactory as it reduces the effectiveness of the weather seal and results in an unattractive visible join or gap between the opposite ends 13A, 13B of the strip 13.
Another potential way of fitting a looped sealing strip in such a situation would be to stretch the sealing strip so that it fits over the boot/trunk lid 29 so that it could subsequently be fitted to the flange 5 despite the presence of hinge arms 27. However, this is generally impracticable. Firstly, there may be other obstructions, such as a hydraulic ram between the boot/trunk lid 29 and the flange 5 which prevent the sealing strip 13 from being fitted to the flange 5. Secondly, even if it is possible to stretch the sealing strip 13 sufficiently to fit it over the boot/trunk lid 29, this is likely to damage the sealing strip and/or break the bond between the ends of the sealing strip and the foil 15. Thirdly, most sealing strips are designed so that they are not stretchable in this manner, and typically include a rigid metal carrier which prevents such stretching.
In accordance with an important feature of the embodiments of the invention, a sealing strip arrangement is provided that has a foil 15 bonded initially to one end 13A (only) thereof. The other end 13B of the strip 13 does not have the foil attached thereto and is available for subsequent bonding to the end 13A having the foil 15 bonded thereto. FIG. 6 shows a view of part of such a strip 13 in accordance with the embodiment of the invention. A first surface 33 of the foil 15 is bonded to the face of the end 13A of the strip 13. The opposite surface 35 of the foil 15 is exposed. Such lengths of sealing strip 13 (with the ends unbonded to one another) can be supplied for fitment to boot/trunk openings 1. The configuration of the strip may be as shown in FIG. 4. The length of the sealing strip 13 can be threaded behind the hinge arms 27. The end 13A of the sealing strip 13 to which the foil 15 is attached can then be bonded, using the foil, to the other end 13B of the sealing strip (where no foil is present). This bonding of the opposite ends 13A, 13B of the strip 13 is performed in situ in the boot opening 1 or by a tool brought to the vicinity of the boot opening 1 in order that the opposite ends 13A, 13B can be bonded together whilst the strip is fitted between the hinge arms 27 and the vehicle body 3. Methods and tools for performing such a bonding operation will be described later.
There will now be described, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 an apparatus for forming a sealing strip with a foil 15 at one end thereof as shown in FIG. 6. The apparatus 36 comprises a retaining device 40 for receiving and clamping end 13A of the sealing strip 13. The retaining device 40 can be opened to receive the sealing strip 13 section and then closed to clamp the section in position, as shown in FIG. 7. A bonding block 38 is provided which faces the end 13A of the sealing strip that emerges from the retaining device 40. The retaining device 40 and bonding block 38 are mounted on slides or similar mechanisms (not shown) so as to be slidable in the directions of the arrows A and B to bring the ends of the clamped sealing profile sections 38,40 towards and away from bonding block 38. A roll 42 of foil 15 is mounted above the retaining device 40 and bonding block 38 by supporting means (not shown).
A heater 48 is positionable between the foil 15 and the strip section mounted in retaining device 40. The heater 48 is mounted on a transporting unit 54, the transporting unit 54 being movable to and fro in the direction of arrows C and D so that the heater 28 can be moved in the direction C into the position shown in FIG. 7 and moved in the direction of arrow D so that it clears the space between the retaining device 40 and the bonding block 38.
The foil 15 may be a thermoplastic foil or film, and for example may be made from a polyolefin material or other suitable thermoplastic material.
Between the roll 42, and the retaining devices 38,40, is provided a perforating unit 60. The perforating unit 60 carries two punch support members 62,64, each shaped similarly to heater 48 and respectively carrying one or more punches 66 and one or more recesses 68 (FIG. 8).
To form the sealing strip of FIG. 6, the end 13A of the strip which is to have the foil 15 bonded thereto, is clamped in the retaining device 40 so that the end 13A protrudes from the retaining device 40 towards the bonding block 38. A length of foil 15 is unwound from the roll 42, generally into the position shown in FIG. 7, where it passes between the punch support members 62,64 and the bonding block 38 and retaining unit 40. The punch support members 62,64 are then moved towards each other in the direction of arrows E,F to punch one or more slits, holes or apertures in the foil 15. The punch support members 62,64 are then moved apart again (into the spaced apart position shown in FIG. 7) so as to be clear of the foil 15. A slit 70 formed by the punch 66 is shown in FIG. 7. As the foil 15 is unwound from the roll 42, the slit 70 moves into the region between the bonding block 38 and the retaining unit 40. The transporting unit 54 is moved in the direction of arrow C so as to bring the heater 48 into the position shown in FIG. 7. The heater is then activated. The heater 48 causes heating of the end of the profile section 13A and the foil 15 (at this stage the slit 70 being in a position corresponding to the hollow chamber of the sealing part 23 of the end 13A of the sealing strip 13).
The transporting unit 54 is then withdrawn in the direction of arrow D so that the heater 48 is clear of the space between the retaining device 40 and the bonding block 38. The retaining device 40 (and/or the bonding block 38) is/are then moved towards each other so as to bring the end 13A of the strip 13 into contact with the side 33 of the foil 15 with a predetermined amount of pressure. The heated foil 15 thus thermally bonds to the end 13A of the sealing profile 13. The retaining device 40 and the bonding block 38 are then moved apart. The foil 15 is cut along its length above and below the sealing portion 13 in order to allow the part of the foil now attached to the sealing strip 13 to be separated from the remainder of the foil attached to the roll 42. The sealing strip 13 (with a portion of the foil 15 attached thereto) can then be removed from the retaining unit 40. The excess foil material can then be cut away around the periphery of the sealing strip 13 so that there is only foil 15 present over the end face of the strip 13.
The foil 15 on the roll 42 may be plain foil, without any slits or holes or other apertures therein, these being formed immediately prior to the bonding operation by the punch 66 and the movement of the punch support members 62,64.
Clearly, there can be more than one punch 66 and one matching recess 68, so as to produce a required plurality of slits, holes or other apertures.
The punching action, to form the slits, holes or other apertures in the foil 15, could take place before or after the heating action, although it preferably takes place before the heating action, as described above.
As described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the holes or other apertures are formed in the foil 15 by a mechanical punching operation. Instead, however, the holes or other apertures could be formed by other suitable non-mechanical means, such as by a jet of air or gas or by an electrical spark arrangement.
The thus formed sealing strip 13 with the foil 15 attached to end 13A thereof can then be supplied for fitting to a boot/trunk opening 1. As mentioned above, the presence of the foil 15 facilitates a bonding of the end 13B of the sealing strip to the end 13A of the sealing strip when the sealing strip 13 is fitted around the hinge arms 27 or other obstructions.
When the sealing strip 13 is formed into a loop, it will have a similar appearance to a known loop sealing strip shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
The through slit or slits 70 provided in the foil 15 in the region of the hollow chamber 23 enables, in the finished joint, air to pass from one side of the foil 15 to the other as shown by arrows X and Y in FIG. 3. Therefore, the slits 70 prevent a build up of pressure across the foil 15 in the event of compression of the strip 13. Such compression may take place during fitting of the strips onto the vehicle body and/or in use when the strip 13 is compressed by the closing boot/trunk lid 29. Any such build up in pressure could tend to cause bursting of the foil 15 and rupture of the joint. The slits reduce this risk by allowing air to pass from one side of the foil 15 to the other.
It will be appreciated that the slit or slits 70 could be replaced by slots or other holes, apertures or cut outs. Instead, the foil could be rendered air or gas permeable in some other way.
FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 show a first embodiment of a tool 80 suitable for bonding the ends 13A and 13B of the strip 13 together with the strip is positioned in situ in the boot opening and threaded behind the hinge arms 27. It will be appreciated that the sort of apparatus disclosed, for example, in EP1284852 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,498) is not suitable for performing such an operation because: (1) that apparatus is for bonding a foil simultaneously to both ends of the sealing strip, and (2) that apparatus is not portable and cannot be used on a sealing strip that is treaded behind the hinge arms 27.
The tool 80 is sized such that its base 82 can pass through the boot/trunk opening 1 in the vehicle body 3 and rest on the floor of that opening 1. The base 82 accommodates a power supply 83 for powering a heater 84. Above the base 82 a C-shaped opening is formed in the sidewalls 86 of the tool 80. A first mounting plate 88 extends between the sidewalls at the base of the C-shaped opening and a second mounting plate 90 extends between the sidewalls at the top of the C-shaped opening. The second mounting plate 90 has a hole formed therethrough through which the heating end 92 of the heater 84 extends. On the first mounting plate 88 two retaining devices 94,96 are provided. These retaining devices are of similar configuration to the retaining device 40 described with reference to FIG. 7.
As can be seen in more detail in FIG. 10, the retaining device 94 includes a first section 98 and a second section 100 pivotally attached thereto at hinge 102. The end 13A of the sealing strip 13 (with the foil 15 bonded thereto) is positioned in an appropriately-shaped recess in the first section 98 so that the end 13A protrudes slightly from the first section 98, as best seen in FIG. 11. The second section 100 (also having an appropriately-shaped recess) is then lowered onto the first section 98 to clamp the end 13A of the sealing strip 13 in position, using the handle 104. The second retaining device 96 has a similar configuration to the first retaining device 98, with like elements being designated with the same reference numeral. The opposite end 13B of the sealing strip 13 is mounted in the second retaining device 96 in a similar manner to the manner in which the end 13A is mounted in the first retaining device 94. However, the second retaining device 96 differs from the first retaining device 94 in that it is mounted to the first mounting plate so as to be slidably movable in the direction of arrows G and H (FIG. 11).
With the ends 13A and 13B of the strip 13 clamped in respective retaining devices 94,96, the heating end 92 of the heater 84 is slid in the direction of arrow I into the position shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 so that it lies between the ends 13A and 13B. The heating device 84 then generates hot air which is emitted from outlets in the heating end 92 and heats the ends 13A and 13B of the strip 13 and the foil 15 attached to end 13A. The heating end 92 is then slid in the direction of arrow J so as to be clear of the space between the retaining devices 94 and 96. The second retaining device 96 is then slid in the direction of arrow G in order to bring the end 13B of the seal 13 into pressurized contact with the foil 15 mounted on the end 13A of the sealing strip 13. The first sections 100 of the retaining devices 94,96 can then be opened (to the position shown in FIG. 10) and the sealing strip 13 (now formed in a continuous loop) can be removed from the tool 80. The tool 80 can then be removed from the boot/trunk opening 1.
Advantageously, when the heating end 92 is moved into position between the retaining devices 94,98 the heating function is automatically activated. Likewise, when the heating end 92 is moved away from the space between the retaining devices 94,96, it is automatically deactivated.
The thus formed looped strip 13 can then be fitted to the flange 5 by any suitable means.
The sealing strip 13 may have the general form described in GB 2212844, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,549, hereby incorporated by reference, where the sidewalls of the channel are splayed apart so as to enlarge the mouth of the channel and easing its application onto the mounting flange. The sealing strip 13 can then be securely fitted to the flange 5 by using a suitable tool for pressing the sidewalls of the channel together, such as a tool disclosed in EP 1115589, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,388 hereby incorporated by reference, or EP 0497048, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,741 hereby incorporated by reference. However, it should be noted that such tools are not suitable for fitting a strip to a flange in the region of an obstruction such as hinge arms 27. In the region of the hinge arms, the sealing strip may be securely fitted to the flange 5 using the tool disclosed in our co-pending patent application No. GB 0514295.5 entitled “Fitting of Flexible Strips” filed on 12th Jul. 2005.
The heating end 92 of the heater 84 may provide heat other that by emission of hot air. For example, a heating element which generates radiant heat may be used.
FIGS. 12,13 and 14 show a second embodiment of apparatus 110 for joining the opposite ends 13A,13B of the strip 13 when it is positioned in situ in the region of the boot opening 1 and mounted around the hinges arms 27. As best seen in FIG. 14, the apparatus comprises a C-shaped frame 112. The lower limb 114 of the frame 112 lies generally parallel to the ground 113 in use and has wheels or rollers 115 fitted thereto to allow the frame 112 to roll along the ground 113. The lower limb 114 of the frame 112 is configured so as to be slidable in the space between the ground 113 and the underside of the vehicle body 3. The upper limb 116 of the frame 112 extends generally parallel to the lower limb 114 and is spaced apart therefrom by connecting limb 118. The upper limb 116 is sized and configured to enter the boot/trunk opening 1. On the upper surface of the upper limb 116 is carried a sealing strip joining device 120. Conveniently, the frame 112 is moved along the ground 113 in order to bring the joining device 120 into a position in the boot/trunk opening 1. This enables the ends 13A and 13B of a seal 13 positioned so that it is threaded behind the hinge arms 27 to be bonded together to form a continuous sealing loop in situ.
The joining device comprises first and second strip retaining devices 122, 124. A first section 126 of the first retaining device 122 is fixed to the upper limb 116. A second section 128 is pivotally attached to the first section 126 in order to allow the sections 128,126 to be separated and the end 13A of the seal (with the foil 15 attached thereto) to be mounted securely in a recess in the retaining device 122. The second retaining device 124 has similarly configured first and second sections 126,128 for clamping the opposite end 13B of the sealing strip 13. However, the first section 126 of the second retaining device 124 is slidable in the direction of arrows K and L (FIG. 13). The handles 130, 132 of the respective retaining devices 122,124 allow the retaining devices 122,124 to be opened and closed. Further the handle 132 of the second retaining device 124 provides for rotation of mounting bar 134 to which heating elements 136 are mounted.
When the ends 13A and 13B of the sealing strip 13 are mounted in the retaining devices 122 and 124, the handle 132 is rotated in order to cause corresponding rotation of the mounting bar 134. This brings the heating elements 136 into a position between the opposite ends 13A and 13B of the sealing strip and heats those ends. The heating elements 136 are then pivoted away from the gap between the retaining devices 122 and 124 (into the position shown in FIG. 13), whereafter the second retaining device 124 is slid towards the first retaining device 122 in order to bring the end 13B of the sealing strip 13 into contact with the foil 15 attached to the end 13A of the sealing strip 13. After a short time, the now bonded ends 13A,13B of the sealing strip are removed from the retaining devices 122,124. The thus formed looped sealing strip 13 can then be mounted to the flange 5 of the boot/trunk opening 1. Tools of the type referred to above can be used to fit the sealing strip 13 to the flange 5 in the manner described above.
The foil 15 used in any of the embodiments may be of any suitable type for ensuring an effective bond, taking into account the material and characteristics of the sealing profile 13. It may, for example, have a melting point of between 120 and 130° C. The apparatus and method described can provide a very quick curing joint (in four to five seconds) and which is immediately capable of withstanding loads. The need for vulcanization is avoided.
Although the embodiments described have referred to the fitting of sealing strips to the opening 1 of a boot/trunk of a motor vehicle 3, it should be appreciated that the invention is also applicable to the fitting of sealing strips around other openings, such as door openings. The hinges that attach the door to a door frame of a vehicle may provide an obstruction in the door opening similar to the hinge arms 27 of the boot opening 1 described above.
It should further be appreciated that, although the arrangements described above are particularly advantageous when it is not possible to supply and fit a pre-formed looped sealing strip (by virtue of the presence of obstructions such as hinge arms 27 or other hinges), the apparatus and methods described could of course be used to fit a sealing strip around an opening and to form that sealing strip into a loop even when no obstruction is present.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
Patent Application
20080096003
