This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2002-195938 filed Jul. 4, 2002, incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a clip for fixing a sash molding to a door pillar of a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to a clip having a lip for closing a gap between a sash molding and a door pillar.
It is well known to provide an automobile door with a frame extending along the upper edge thereof to receive a door glass, and a sash molding for covering the frame and an edge of the glass. In the example shown in
Although the sash-molding clip 7 shown in
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 03-51616 discloses a structure in which a protruded piece extending over the gap between a sash molding and a door pillar is formed in a glass run (a member for receiving the edge of a movable window glass) to serve as a gasket or packing. This structure is intended to form the glass run extending over a window frame in a specific configuration to close the gap. A sash-molding clip is not used to close the gap. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-186724 discloses an end cap adapted to be inserted into an end portion of a sash molding of an automobile door to close the end portion. This end cap includes a lock portion, and a pillar cover of a door pillar includes a hook for receiving the lock portion. When the end cap is inserted into the molding, the lock portion is positioned adjacent to the door pillar. Then, the hook of the pillar is engaged with the lock portion to maintain the pillar cover in position relative to the sash molding. There is no suggestion of a lip for closing a gap between the sash molding and the door pillar. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-300953 discloses a glass run structure for improving a sealing function and a function of guiding a window glass. This glass run structure is intended to provide a continuous appearance between front and rear doors, but there is no lip to close a gap between the sash molding and a door pillar, nor is there a sash-molding clip to close the gap.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved structure including a clip, capable of fixing an end portion of a sash molding to a door pillar while closing a gap between the sash molding and the door pillar with a lip formed on the clip.
In an embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a clip for a sash molding of an automobile door having an elongated end cap adapted to be inserted into a cavity in an end portion of the sash molding, a fastener adapted to be fixed to a portion of a door pillar extending to the sash molding, and a lip for filling a gap between the sash molding and the door pillar. The fastener and the end cap are made of hard plastic material and integrally molded with each other so that when the end cap is inserted into the sash molding, the fastener is positioned to be fixed to a predetermined region of the door pillar. The lip is made of soft plastic material and is integrally connected to the end cap in a predetermined configuration, by pouring the soft plastic material in its molten state onto a predetermined region of the end cap in a molding die and solidifying the soft plastic material.
Instead of bonding the lip to the sash molding 2 as in the prior art, the lip is connected to the end cap by a molding operation. Thus, the connection strength between the lip and the end cap can be maintained at high levels, and the clip can be formed through a molding process to allow the clip to be mass-produced while maintaining high quality. In addition, the gap between the sash molding and the door pillar can be closed without any skill, merely by inserting the end cap into the end portion of the sash molding and fixing the fastener to the door pillar.
In one embodiment, the above sash-molding clip may include a cover portion of a soft plastic material, which continuously extends from the lip and is integrally connected to an end of the end cap. According to this structure, an ornamental surface of the end cap and the lip can be seamlessly continued to provide an enhanced sealing function of the sash molding end portion and an excellent appearance of the entire end portion.
Preferably, the end cap is formed with a plurality of through-holes receiving the soft plastic material therein, and the soft plastic material received in the through-holes is formed as a plurality of anchors to reinforce the connection between the soft plastic material and the hard plastic material. Each of the through-holes may have an inlet and outlet for the soft plastic material, and the outlet is preferably formed to have a larger diameter than that of the inlet to prevent the anchors from escaping from the through-holes. According to this structure, the lip and the cover portion can be more firmly connected to the end cap.
In the above clip, the hard plastic material is preferably a polycarbonate-based polymer-alloy, and the soft plastic material is preferably a thermoplastic elastomer material (TPE) having high fused adhesion to the hard plastic material. Preferably, the soft plastic material is connected to the end cap along the length and the end of the end cap, and the connection edges of the length and the end of the end cap are formed to define an irregular or erose line to reinforce the connection between the soft plastic material and the hard plastic material. In the above clip, the fastener preferably has an anchor-leg shape protruding from the end cap to be inserted into and fixed to a mounting hole of the door pillar.
The invention will be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred (best mode) embodiment, and wherein:
In the present embodiment, the fastener 18 and the end cap 17 are integrally molded from a hard plastic material.
In the present embodiment, the lip 19 is made of a soft plastic material. The soft plastic material is preferably a thermoplastic elastomer material (TPE), particularly a polyester-base thermoplastic elastomer. This thermoplastic elastomer is advantageous in having high fused-adhesion to the aforementioned PC/PBT alloy. In a process for forming the lip 19, a molding die having a predetermined configuration extending over the width of the door pillar (see the width 11 in
In one embodiment, the sash-molding clip 15 includes a cover portion 23 of the same soft plastic material as the lip 19, which continuously extends from the lip 19 and is integrally connected to an end of the body portion 21 of the end cap 17. Preferably, the molding die for forming the lip 19 has a configuration capable of forming the cover portion 23 which is integrally molded with the lip 19 simultaneously in a common molding process, so that the lip 19 and the cover portion 23 are integrally connected to one another. Thus, the lip 19 and a part of the cover portion 23 serving as an ornamental surface in the sash molding end portion closed by the end cap can be seamlessly continued to provide an enhanced sealing function of the sash molding end portion and an excellent appearance of the entire end portion.
Referring to
As shown in
Further, the longitudinal extending edge of the body portion 21 and the lip support portion 22 of the end cap 17 and the end edge of the body portion 21 are formed to define an irregular or erose line, as illustrated in
In the embodiment shown in
Preferably, in the sash-molding clip of the present invention, the end cap and the fastener form a member integrally molded with plastic material substantially harder than the plastic material of the lip, and the lip is formed by pouring soft plastic material in its molten state onto the integrally molded member. Instead of bonding the lip to the sash molding as in the prior art, the lip is connected to the end cap through anchors and fusion-bonding. Thus, the connection strength between the lip and the end cap can be maintained at high levels, and the clip can be formed through a molding process to allow the clip to be produced in large quantities while maintaining high quality. In addition, the gap between the sash molding and the door pillar can be closed without any skill, merely by inserting the end cap into an end portion of the sash molding and fixing the fastener to the door pillar.
While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that changes can be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2002-195938 | Jul 2002 | JP | national |
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Number | Date | Country |
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3-51616 | May 1991 | JP |
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8-300953 | Nov 1996 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20040006923 A1 | Jan 2004 | US |