Patent Application
20060000181
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicular weatherseals and, more particularly, to a vehicular weatherseal including a lock strip for securing a U-shaped flange engaging channel to a vehicle flange and, more particularly, to a lock strip that forms one of a sealing surface or a trim surface.
2. Description of Realted Art
U.S. Pat. No. 2,637,880 discloses a self-sealing window strip, wherein a mounting strip receives a peripheral edge of two adjacent windows and a locking strip is disposed along a lateral edge of the window strip, between the peripheral edges of the windows, to engage the window strip with the windows.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,492,566 discloses a connector strip for engaging peripheral edges of a pair of windows, wherein the connector strip includes a wedge for engaging a lateral portion of the connector strip.
However, these devices are constructed to accommodate glass panes of a known thickness, wherein variation between individual panes is insignificant. The locking strip has also been used in connection with a protection strip for mounting on a flange. These prior devices can accommodate only a predetermined flange thickness and cannot accommodate varying thickness of the flange along a length of the seal. In addition, the prior devices do not provide for a locking strip that cooperates with sealing or trimming functions of the weatherseal.
The need exists for a weatherseal that can employ a variable capacity flange engaging channel to operably engage a variety of flange thicknesses. The need also exists for such a weatherseal that can be readily installed. A further need exists for a lock strip actuated weatherseal, wherein the lock strip cooperates with an existing seal or trim portion. A need also exists for a locking strip that can provide a sealing or a trimming function of a vehicular weatherseal.
The present invention provides a weatherseal that can operably engage a variety of flange thicknesses without requiring additional components or installation procedures.
The weatherseal provides a variable “width” flange engaging channel actuated by a lock strip, wherein the lock strip can also function as a sealing surface, such as in a glass run channel or as a trim portion cooperating with the weatherseal or an adjacent portion of the vehicle.
The present invention provides a weatherseal body including (i) a flange engaging channel having a first closed end and a pair of projecting legs sized to receive a portion of the flange, an outer surface of the first closed end including a spreader jaw and (ii) a panel contacting member extending a traverse distance from one of the projecting legs for contacting the spaced panel ; and a lock strip forming an exposed surface of the flange engaging channel, the lock strip having (i) a locking tab for cooperatively engaging the spreader jaw to secure the flange engaging channel to the flange and (ii) a gap closing lip extending a distance transverse to one of the projecting legs.
In one configuration, the weatherseal is a glass run assembly having a U-shape flange engaging channel and the panel contacting member is an inverted U-shape window receiving channel. A closed end of the flange engaging channel includes a spreader jaw, and the lock strip is hingedly connected to the weatherseal to be moveable between an uninstalled position and a flange engaging-installed position. The lock strip includes a locking tab sized to be received in the spreader jaw to clamp the flange engaging channel to the vehicle flange. The lock strip also includes a sealing lip as the gap closing lip, wherein the sealing lip projects to be at least partially located within the window receiving channel.
In an alternate configuration, the weatherseal includes the U-shape flange engaging channel and the panel contacting member, such as a sealing member, projecting from an outside surface of the flange engaging channel. The lock strip is sized to locate the locking tab within the spreader jaw and the gap closing lip terminating at a position spaced from the flange engaging channel. The gap closing lip can also overlie a portion of the sealing member. It is further contemplated the lock strip can be hingedly connected to a portion of the sealing member and the gap closing lip be a trim lip projecting from the flange engaging channel.
Referring to
The term weatherseal 10 includes, but is not limited to, extrusions, moldings, trim, trim pieces, edge pieces, weatherseals and seals. In the motor vehicle industry, the weatherseal 10 is suitable for use in many areas including, but not limited to, door seals, roof rails, deck lids, trunk lids, back window seals, belt line seals, fixed window seals, windshields, front hood seals, hood-to-cowl seals, sun roof seals and moveable window seals. In particular, the present weatherseal 10 finds particular application in a glass run assembly, for engaging, guiding and sealing with a panel 14, or as a vehicle body seal which provides an interior trim function.
The panel 14 can be any of a variety of materials and does not limit the present invention. For example, the panel 14 can be glass, metal or a composite, which is painted, surface treated or bare. In the operating environment, the panel 14 can be brought repeatedly into and out of engagement with the weatherseal 10. The engagement of the panel 14 and the weatherseal 10 can result from motion of the panel relative to the weatherseal. Alternatively, the weatherseal 10 can be moved relative to the panel 14. It is also contemplated the weatherseal 10 can be located about a fixed panel 14 such as a front or rear window. It is also understood the panel 14 can be a trim piece of the vehicle, such as an interior trim piece.
Although not limiting the scope of the invention, it is anticipated the weatherseal 10 can be cooperatively employed with a vehicle 12, such as a vehicle having a front door and a rear door, wherein a flange 16 (shown in
The weatherseal 10 includes a weatherseal body 20 and a lock strip 80. The weatherseal body 20 includes a flange engaging channel 40 and a panel contacting member 25. The panel contacting member 25 can be a sealing member or a trim member. That is, the panel contacting member 25 can form a sealed interface with the panel 14 or “trim out” a portion of vehicle to provide a finished exposed surface, which does not form a sealed interface. Typically, the panel contacting member 25 is a sealing member such as a bulb or a window receiving channel, and is transversely spaced from the flange engaging channel 40 along a length of the flange engaging channel. It is understood the panel contacting member 25 can be a static seal or a dynamic seal. The weatherseal body 20 can include one, two or more panel contacting members 25. Thus, each leg of the flange engaging channel 40 can include at least one panel contacting member 25, wherein the panel contacting members are sealing members, trim members or a combination thereof.
Referring to
The flange engaging channel 40, in cross section, is defined by an interior leg 42, a flange channel closed end 44 and a transition leg 46 projecting from the closed end 44. The window receiving channel 60, forming the panel engaging member 25, has a cross section defined by the transition leg 46, a window channel closed end 64 and an exterior leg 62 projecting from the window channel closed end. The window channel closed end 64 provides a connection of the transition leg 46 to the exterior leg 62. Depending upon the length of the transition leg 46, the transition leg can form a common leg of the flange engaging channel 40 and the window receiving channel 60 or can define a separate channel forming length corresponding to the respective interior leg 42 or exterior leg 62. The interior leg 42 includes a free end 41, and the exterior leg 62 includes a free end 61.
The flange channel closed end 44 connects the interior leg 42 to the transition leg 46 and has a generally curvilinear cross section. However, it is understood the flange channel closed end 44 can be curvilinear or faceted. An outside surface of the flange channel closed end 44 includes a spreader jaw 50 sized to cooperatively engage a locking tab 82 of the lock strip 80. Generally, the spreader jaw 50 terminates at a hinge 52. In one configuration, the spreader jaw 50 extends through a substantial thickness of the closed end 44 of the flange engaging channel 40, such that the hinge 52 is defined by the remaining thickness of the flange channel closed end 44. The spreader jaw 50 defines a pair of spaced legs moveable between a loaded position retaining the locking tab 82 so as to secure, or clamp the flange engaging channel 40 with the flange 16 and an unloaded position free of the locking tab so as to allow the flange to be inserted within the flange engaging channel. The spreader jaw 50 can be any of a number of cross-sectional profiles including, but not limited to, generally circular, oval, triangular, rectangular, curvilinear or faceted.
The flange engaging channel 40 can include one or more gripping fins 48 on an inside surface of the channel for firmly securing the weatherseal 10 to the vehicle 12, such as the flange 16. The gripping fins 48 can be formed by the variety of materials known in the art, such as thermosets or thermoplastics, including a sponge or foamed material of reduced density. The number, sizing and spacing of the gripping fins 48 can be selected in view of the anticipated flange thickness and variations to be accommodated. Further, the gripping fins 48 can be of the same, a harder or a softer material than the remainder of the flange engaging channel 40. It is also contemplated, the gripping fins 48 can include two or more portions of differing durometer materials. The gripping fins 48 are optional and can be eliminated, as the engagement of the lock strip 80 and the flange engaging channel 40 can be selected to operably retain the flange engaging channel on the flange 16 without requiring the gripping fins.
In the glass run configuration, the exterior leg 62 of the panel contacting member 25, can include a sealing lip or fin 68 that projects into the window receiving channel 60 to contact the panel 14 as the panel is located within the window receiving channel. The sealing lip 68 can be any of a variety of polymeric materials including thermoplastics and thermosets. However, to enhance recyclability of the weatherseal 10, it has been found beneficial to employ a thermoplastic, such as a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV). The sealing lip 68, gripping fins 48 and surface layer (if employed) can be formed from a softer, more resilient TPE, for example Santoprene®, having a hardness in the range of 40 to 90 and preferably approximately 70 according to the Shore A scale.
The weatherseal 10 and preferably the flange engaging channel 40 are formed without structural metal. That is, at least the flange engaging channel 40 does not require a metal carrier or metal reinforcement for providing sufficient rigidity to perform the required functions.
It is understood the weatherseal body 20 can include metal in the form of a filler, trace amounts or colorants, and particularly those amounts that do not inhibit subsequent recycling of the polymer material. Such metal is in contrast to the structural metal sufficient to reinforce the flange engaging channel 40 or the window receiving channel 60 or provide structural rigidity or integrity of the channels 40 and 60.
Referring to
The lock strip 80 is moveable relative to the flange engaging channel 40 between an open, uninstalled position and a locked (installed) position. Thus, the weatherseal 10 is moveable between an open, uninstalled position and an installed (flange engaging) position.
As seen in
The lock strip 80 includes the projecting locking tab 82 and a gap closing lip 90. The gap closing lip 90 can extend from the weatherseal body 20 to provide a sealing surface or a trim surface. For example, in the configuration of FIGS. 2 and 3, the gap closing lip 90 is configured as sealing lip 84. The locking tab 82 is sized to be received and retained in the spreader jaw 50. Preferably, the locking tab 82 corresponds to the shape of the spreader jaw 50 to be operably engaged with the spreader jaw. The locking tab 82 can also include the reinforcing member 45, as seen in
The sealing lip 84 configuration of the gap closing lip 90 terminates at a free end 85, the free end being sized to be at least partially disposed within the window receiving channel 60, shown in
The sealing lip 84 can have a varying cross-sectional thickness, depending upon the material of the lock strip 80 and the intended operating parameters. The location of the free end 85 and the sealing lip 84 within the window receiving channel 60 is at least partially determined by the intended operating configuration of the weatherseal 10. The lock strip 80 is configured to locate the locking tab 82 intermediate the hinge 88 and the free end 85.
The spreader jaw 50 and the locking tab 82 are sized to move the legs 42 and 46 from a spread (splayed) position (
Referring to
In this configuration, the lock strip 80 is sized to overlie a portion of the sealing member 70 (panel contacting member 25) and the closed end 44 of the flange engaging channel 40 and the gap closing lip 90 projects from the transition leg 46, such that the free end 85 of the gap closing lip and hence lock strip is spaced from the transition leg. Thus, the lock strip 80 includes the gap closing lip 90 functioning as a trim portion, or flap, extending from the flange engaging channel 40 and generally located between ends of the legs of the flange engaging channel. In the construction shown in
The cooperation of the lock strip 80 and the spreader jaw 50 is as set forth in the prior embodiment.
Referring to
As shown in
The lock strip 80 can be hingedly connected to the sealing member 70 (the panel contacting member 25). The hinged connection can be formed as an integral connection, wherein the lock strip 80 is formed at least substantially concurrently with the flange engaging channel 40. Alternatively, the lock strip 80 can be hingedly connected to the flange engaging channel 40 after formation of both the lock strip and the flange engaging channel.
The weatherseal body 20 is formed of a polymeric material, and preferably a polymeric material having sufficient rigidity to perform the intended functions. A material that has been found suitable is a structural grade polypropylene. It is understood that comparably rigid thermoset materials can be employed. However, use of thermoset materials requires additional processing steps for recycling of the thermoset materials. In contrast, thermoplastic materials can be readily remelted and reconfigured into subsequent products.
The weatherseal body 20 can be formed from a number of different plastic materials, for example, thermoplastics and thermoplastic elastomers TPEs. Depending on the hardness, TPEs are sometimes categorized as thermoplastics and sometimes as elastomers. For purposes of this invention, no such distinction will be made, and hard and soft grades of plastic will all be referred to as TPEs. Preferably, the entire weatherseal body 20 and the lock strip 80 are formed of recyclable materials, thereby permitting the assembly to readily recycled, without requiring separation of components.
TPEs are commercially available in several different brands and types. Each type can be obtained in different grades having different properties such as hardness, tensile strength, compression, elongation, thermal stability and colorability. Selection of the appropriate TPE for a particular application depends on a suitable combination for such properties. Types of TPEs that are particularly useful are styrenic block co-polymers, rubber polyolefin blends, elastomeric alloys, thermoplastic alloys, thermoplastic elastomeric alloys, thermoplastic isomers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyvinyl chlorides and blends thereof.
Styrenic block copolymers are commercially available in many types and grades within types. For example, Kraton® from Shell Chemical Co. is based on block copolymers of styrene with a diene or an olefin pair, ethylene-butylene. The diene can be isoprene or butadiene.
The rubber-polyolefin blends or thermoplastic polyolefins (TPOs) are blends of various polyolefins with ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) or ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer (EPDM). Suitable polyolefins include polypropylene and various types of polyethylene. Copolymers of propylene and ethylene and blends of TPOs can also be used. TPOs are also useful as modifiers of other TPEs.
Alloying is an interactive combination of two or more materials to give a material having better properties than those of the corresponding blend. Thermoplastic alloys are available with properties enabling them to be painted. Thermoplastic elastomeric alloys and elastomeric alloys (EAs) are composed of synergistic mixtures of two or more polymers that have been treated to give them properties different from simple blends of the major constituents. The two types of elastomeric alloys are melt processable rubbers (MPRs) and thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs).
EA-MPRs are a category of TPEs made of a highly plasticized, single phase combination of a chlorinated polyolefin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and an acrylic ester mixture in which the rubber phase is highly crosslinked, for example, Alcryn® from E. I. du Pont Nemours, Inc. EA-TPEs are made of a rubber/plastic polymer mixture in which the rubber phase is fully crosslinked.
The plastic phase of a TPV is commonly a polyolefin especially polypropylene, and the rubber phase is often an ethylene-propylene elastomer. A particularly useful TPV, suitable for windows seals, is formed from polypropylene and EPDM rubber and is commercially available in several grades as Santoprene® from Monsanto Chemical Co.
Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) are formed by copolymerization of diisocyanates with long-chain diols and short-chain diols. TPUs are available commercially in a number of types and grades, for example, Texin® from Mobay Corporation, Estane® from B. F. Goodrich Co., Pellethane® from Dow Chemical Corp. and Q-Thane® from K. J. Quinn and Co., Inc.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) based TPEs are also suitable for window seals and are available in different grades and blends with other TPEs and rubbers. P-Valloy is one such material available from GBIE (Gerry Bareich Import Export Inc.) of Canada.
Thermoplastic ionomers are polymers containing interchain ionic bonding which affords tough, durable, transparent thermoplastics, for example, Surlyn® from E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Inc.
The weatherseal body 20 can be formed of a substantially rigid TPE. A rigid TPE, for example a polypropylene, preferably has a hardness in the range of 40 to 85 (preferably 70) Shore D.
The weatherseal body 20 can be encompassed, partially covered or encapsulated by an additional polymeric material forming a surface layer. The surface layer can be formed of a variety of materials such as a TPE having a lower hardness than the backbone. However, in view of the benefits of reduced weight, encapsulation by the surface layer is optional.
The hard and soft TPEs of the weatherseal body 20 are readily processed and fabricated, for example, by extrusion or molding and are particularly amenable to coextrusion and molding of one or more TPEs of different durometer values. The TPEs are readily colored to match the vehicle either by incorporating pigment or by painting. Directly paintable TPE's have a high surface energy material blended into the base polymer to accept water based paints without any pretreatment. Various hardnesses of this material are available from Ferro Corporation.
The TPEs can be made with a high gloss finish, for example, a Class A finish or a gloss of at least 60 numerical value when measured at a 60° angle with a gloss meter, which is substantially higher than can be obtained with an EPDM rubber seal. It is desirable that the TPE meets the exterior weathering cycle per SAE J1960 with minimum change in color or gloss.
In installation of the weatherseal 10, the lock strip 80 is initially in the open, uninstalled position, such that the interior leg 42 and the transition leg 46 are slightly splayed and the spreader jaw 50 is unloaded. The splayed flange engaging channel 40 is disposed over the flange 16 of the vehicle 12. The lock strip 80 is moved to the installed position so as to dispose the locking tab 82 in the spreader jaw 50. As the locking tab 82 is disposed into the spreader jaw 50, the interior leg 42 is urged towards the transition leg 46 and the gripping fins 48 in the flange engaging channel 40 compress on the flange 16. A varying thickness of the flange 16 is at least partially accommodated by the sizing of the gripping fins 48.
As the lock strip 80 is disposed in the installed position, the gap closing lip 90 (the sealing lip 84 in this configuration) of the lock strip is located within the window receiving channel 60 (the panel contacting member 25). Preferably, the sealing lip 84 of the lock strip 80 is between the exterior leg 62 and the transition leg 46.
In a preferred construction, the splay of the flange engaging channel 40 is independent of the size of the window receiving channel 60. That is, the relative spacing of the exterior leg 62 and the transition leg 46 is independent of the position of the lock strip 80. The lock strip 80 thus controls the splay spacing of the interior leg 42 relative to the “fixed” relationship of the transition leg 46 to the window receiving channel closed end 64 and to the exterior leg 62.
Manufacture
The weatherseal 10 is formed by extruding lengths of the weatherseal body 20 and the lock strip 80. For example, in the glass run assembly configuration, the channels 40 and 60, and the sealing lips 68 (if employed) are simultaneously extruded, coextruded or extruded with the weatherseal body 20 to intimately bond to the weatherseal body and preclude non-destructive separation. While it is preferable that the materials are selected such that sufficient bonding is obtained by the heat during formation, it is understood that adhesives can be used to supplement or augment the construction.
While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
