Patent Application
20220388383
This invention relates to an apparatus for reducing the potential for damage to a cap or bright strip of a weatherstrip assembly, and more particularly to an insert or plug configured for receipt within a cavity of a vehicle outer belt assembly, and associated methods that reduce and/or limit the potential for damage (e.g., denting) to a cap or bright strip of the vehicle outer belt assembly.
Typically, weatherstrip assemblies or weatherstrips are provided on a vehicle to seal around the perimeters of doors and window openings in a vehicle. It is common with many of today's vehicles to enhance the appearance of the weatherstrips, particularly those weatherstrips located about the window openings. For example, along the lower edge of a window opening there is provided a weatherstrip referred to as an outer belt. The outer belt is secured to the vehicle such as through use of an inverted U-shaped mounting portion of a body of the weatherstrip inwardly that includes gripping flanges for engaging the vehicle panel. The mounting portion is oftentimes reinforced with a reinforcing member or carrier such as a metal core that provides additional strength and rigidity to the outer belt. Extending outwardly from a first or inner surface of the body, such as along a first or inner leg of the U-shaped mounting portion, is/are one or more sealing lips configured to slidingly, sealingly engage a surface of the window. A second or outer leg of the U-shaped mounting portion faces outwardly from the vehicle and thus forms a show surface of the weatherstrip. A first shoulder is provided on the second leg adjacent a bight portion of the U-shaped mounting portion and a second shoulder is provided in spaced relation to the first shoulder at or adjacent a terminal end portion of the second leg. The second leg is often configured with a transition region that defines central indented or bent portion so that an angled portion of the second leg generally follows the profile of the vehicle in that region. Extending over the second leg is a cap or bright strip that generally extends along the elongated longitudinal extent of the outer belt, i.e., along the lower edge of the window opening. Upper and lower edges of the cap operatively engage the first and second shoulders to secure the cap in overlying, covering relation with the second leg of the weatherstrip. Thus, the cap and the second leg form an elongated hollow cavity that generally extends the length of the outer belt assembly.
During assembly to the vehicle, or after the vehicle has been assembled, it has been found that the cap can be dented, i.e., deformed inwardly, which is undesirable and unfortunately noticeable. It is common that the cap or bright strip, i.e., a metal such as aluminum or stainless, could be inadvertently marred during assembly or after the weatherstrip has been mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle manufacturer and/or the weatherstrip supplier thus seek a solution to reduce the potential for damage to the weatherstrip, and particularly limit the potential for damage to the cap/bright strip during assembly and/or after the weatherstrip has been mounted on the vehicle.
A need exists for an improved system that resolves at least one or more of the above-described problems, as well as still other features and benefits.
A support or plug is an elongated member having a cross-sectional first dimension that extends between and contacts an indented, transition region of a weatherstrip body and an inner surface of a cap/bright strip.
The plug reduces potential damage to an associated cap of an associated weatherstrip assembly that includes an associated body having a vehicle mounting portion, at least one seal member extending from a first surface of the body, and a second surface of the body including laterally spaced, outwardly facing first and second shoulders and an indented region disposed between the shoulders. The associated cap has first and second edges mounted to the first and second shoulders, respectively, of the body. When the cap is mounted to the body, a central portion of the cap is spaced from the indented, transition region of the body and forms a cavity therebetween extending along a longitudinal dimension of the body that receives the plug therein.
The elongated member has a cylindrical outer surface in one version, and more particularly may include a central opening to form a hollow cylindrical conformation.
In another embodiment, the elongated member is integrally formed with the associated body of the weatherstrip. The elongated member may include a first end integrally joined to the associated body and a bifurcated second end that abuts an inner surface of the cap.
The elongated member may include a rounded protrusion that has a contour dimensioned for mating receipt with the indented, transition region of the body.
The elongated member may include rounded contour surfaces located on either side of the rounded protrusion dimensioned for selective abutment with a gripping region of the second leg and an angled region of the second leg, respectively.
Additional rounded protrusions may be provide and are dimensioned for selective abutment with an inner surface of the cap.
In another embodiment, first and second extending members protrude laterally from opposite regions of the elongated member and dimensioned for receipt in notched contours of the first and second shoulders, respectively.
In still another embodiment, the elongated member includes a recess that matingly receives a central coextruded extension extending from the transition region of the second leg.
A process of forming an elongated member that reduces potential damage to an associated cap of an associated weatherstrip assembly includes dimensioning the elongated member to have a cross-sectional first dimension that extends between and contacts an indented, transition region of the body and an inner surface of the cap.
The forming step may include the extruding the elongated member.
The process may also include providing locating portions on the second leg for receiving a protrusion on the elongated member.
The process of forming another embodiment includes forming lateral extensions on the elongated member that are dimensioned for receipt beneath the first and second shoulders.
The process includes inserting the first lateral extension beneath the first shoulder and subsequently snap fitting the second lateral extension beneath the second shoulder to locate the elongated member in the cavity.
Benefits and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from reading and understanding the following detailed description.
The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific details of different embodiments and should be construed as including all changes and/or equivalents or substitutes included in the ideas and technological scope of the appended claims. In describing the drawings, similar reference numerals are used where possible to refer to similar elements.
The terms “include” or “may include” used in the present disclosure indicate the presence of disclosed corresponding functions, operations, elements, and the like, and do not limit additional one or more functions, operations, elements, and the like. In addition, it should be understood that the terms “include”, “including”, “have” or “having” used in the present disclosure are to indicate the presence of components, features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or a combination thereof described in the specification, and do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or a combination thereof.
The terms “or” or “at least one of A or/and B” used in the present disclosure include any and all combinations of words enumerated with them. For example, “A or B” or “at least one of A or/and B” mean including A, including B, or including both A and B.
Although the terms such as “first” and “second” used in the present disclosure may modify various elements of the different exemplary embodiments, these terms do not limit the corresponding elements. For example, these terms do not limit an order and/or importance of the corresponding elements, nor do these terms preclude additional elements (e.g., second, third, etc.) The terms may be used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, a first mechanical device and a second mechanical device all indicate mechanical devices and may indicate different types of mechanical devices or the same type of mechanical device. For example, a first element may be named a second element without departing from the scope of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, and similarly, a second element may be named a first element.
It will be understood that, when an element is mentioned as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, the element may be directly connected or coupled to another element, or there may be an intervening element between the element and another element. To the contrary, it will be understood that, when an element is mentioned as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there is no intervening element between the element and another element.
The terms used in the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific exemplary embodiments only and are not intended to limit various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
All of the terms used herein including technical or scientific terms have the same meanings as those generally understood by an ordinary skilled person in the related art unless they are defined otherwise. The terms defined in a generally used dictionary should be interpreted as having the same meanings as the contextual meanings of the relevant technology and should not be interpreted as having inconsistent or exaggerated meanings unless they are clearly defined in the various exemplary embodiments.
Turning to
A weatherstrip assembly or weatherstrip 120 is provided and interfaces between the vehicle door opening 104 and perimeter portions of the window 106. In addition to providing an aesthetic transition between the vehicle door 102 and the window 106, the weatherstrip 120 provides a seal between the vehicle interior and the external environment. The weatherstrip 120 may be manufactured and/or assembled as one or more components and generally provides a perimeter sealing function adjacent an A-pillar represented here by mirror sail portion 122, a header portion 124, and a B-pillar portion 126. These three weatherstrip portions 122, 124, 126 may be formed as generally U-shaped components having inner and outer legs interconnected by a base or bight portion that together form a recess that receives respective outer perimeter portions of the window 106 in these regions of the weatherstrip 120 in a window closed position.
Along a lower portion of the window opening 104, the weatherstrip 120 typically includes an inner belt/inner belt portion (not shown) and an outer belt/outer belt portion 130. Thus, as illustrated in
The outer belt 130 of the weatherstrip assembly 120 includes a body 132 formed from an extruded material, e.g., any one or more of conventional elastomer, rubber, or plastic materials used in the industry. The outer belt body 132 is configured to form a mounting portion 134 which in this particular illustrated version includes an inverted U-shaped cross-sectional structure having a first or inner leg 136, a second or outer leg 138, and an interconnecting base 140. Although the particular conformation of these components may vary, it is common for the first leg 136 to have a substantially linear configuration while the second leg 138 includes a linear gripping region 138a and an angled region 138b that extends along an outer surface of the door 102. To facilitate the mounting or attaching of the outer belt 130 to the door 102, inner surfaces of the first leg 136 and the linear gripping region 138a of the second leg 138 may include gripping flanges 142 that frictionally engage a door flange (not shown), again in a manner that is conventionally known in the art so that further discussion herein is unnecessary. To improve the strength and rigidity of the outer belt in the mounting portion 134, the body may include a carrier or support 150 such as a metal or rigid plastic that is encapsulated or at least partially encapsulated by the body material during the extrusion process. It is common for the carrier 150 to be deformed or bent to the desired inverted U-shape and the body material extruded thereover to at least partially or completely encapsulate the carrier. On the other hand, the gripping flanges 142 may be formed from the same material as the remainder of the extruded body or may be a different material that enhances the gripping function. Further, deformable seal protrusions 154 may also be provided at spaced locations along the first and second legs 136, 138 for engagement with the door 102.
At least one seal member, shown here as a pair of the seal lips 160, extends outwardly from a first surface of the body 132. As shown in
Various possible solutions are proposed to address potential damage to the outer belt/bright strip 180. With reference to
In
As shown in
In
The plug 260 of
Lastly, and with reference to
Although these preferred apparatus and preferred processes outline a desired configuration or order of individual steps, one skilled in the art will appreciate that still other combinations of the apparatus features or process steps may be included, some omitted, or possibly another order of one or more steps could be provided.
This written description uses examples to describe the disclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the disclosure. Other examples that occur to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the invention if they have structural elements that do not differ from the same concept or that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the same concept or from the literal language of the claims. Moreover, this disclosure is intended to seek protection for a combination of components and/or steps and a combination of claims as originally presented for examination, as well as seek potential protection for other combinations of components and/or steps and combinations of claims during prosecution.
Although specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include some, none, or all of the enumerated advantages. Although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the figures and description herein, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. Moreover, the operations of the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other components, and the methods described herein may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order.
To aid the Patent Office and any readers of this application and any resulting patent in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicants do not intend any of the appended claims or claim elements to invoke 35 USC 112 (f) unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/196,480, filed Jun. 4, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63196840 | Jun 2021 | US |
