Panel-Shaped Members with Strips Joined to Them, and Associated Methods

Abstract

A windscreen glass (10) is secured in position adjacent a body panel (12) of a windscreen opening in a motor vehicle body by a bead of suitable adhesive (14), such as extruded material. In order to provide a seal between the edge (10A) of the window glass (10) and the body panel (12), a strip (16) made of suitable resilient flexible material is secured to the surface of the window glass (10) by means of bonding material (20), preferably polyurethane, which is injected or otherwise placed into an open-mouthed channel (18C) in the strip (16) and thus adheres both to the material of the strip (16) and to the adjacent surface of the window glass (10). The strip (16) has a flexible sealing lip (18B). The polyurethane material (20) may be injected from a longitudinal end of the channel (18C). In a modification, the polyurethane material (20) may be injected through an opening through the window glass (10).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to panel-shaped members with strips joined to them, and associated methods. Strip arrangements embodying the invention, to be described in more detail below by way of example only, can be used in motor vehicle body construction, such as for sealing purposes relating to vehicle windows and for similar applications in vehicles.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, there is provided a panel-shaped member and strip combination, the strip defining a region in which is received bonding material which secures the strip to a surface of the member, the bonding material being covered by the strip, with a primer optionally applied to the surface of the member before the application thereto of the bonding material.

According to the invention, there is further provided a method of joining a panel-shaped member to a strip, comprising the step of forming a recessed region in a surface of the strip and placing bonding material in the region which secures the strip to a surface of the member, the bonding material being covered by the strip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Window arrangements comprising windscreen glass panels with strips secured to them and embodying the invention, and methods according to the invention of making such arrangements, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a motor vehicle body incorporating one or more of the strips;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through an edge of the windscreen opening of the vehicle body shown in FIG. 1, showing one of the strip arrangements;

FIG. 3 a shows a modification to the arrangement of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 b shows a further modification to the arrangements of FIGS. 2 and 3a;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section on the line IV-IV of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 corresponds to FIG. 4 but shows a modification.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 2 shows the windscreen glass 10 of the vehicle body shown in FIG. 1, and the adjacent body panel 12 defining part of the windscreen opening. The windscreen glass 10 is secured in position, to the body panel 12, by a bead of suitable adhesive 14, such as extruded material. Instead, however, the glass 10 may be the glass of another window (e.g. side or rear window) in the vehicle body in which case the body panel 12 will define the appropriate window opening.

In order to provide a seal between the edge 10A of the windscreen glass 10 and the body panel 12, a sealing strip shown generally at 16 is provided. The strip 16 is made of suitable resilient and flexible material 18, such as plastics, rubber or thermoplastic elastomer material. It is extruded or moulded to have a body portion 18A and a sealing lip 18B and to define a hollow channel 18C with a re-entrant mouth 18D.

The strip 16 is secured to the windscreen glass 10 by means of suitable bonding material 20 such as polyurethane material. The material 20 fills the channel 18C and extends through the mouth 18D to adhere firmly to the surface of the windscreen glass 10. The material 20 in the channel 18C mechanically interlocks the strip 16 to the glass 10. Instead or in addition, the material 20 may adhere to the material of the strip 16.

During manufacture, the strip 16 is mounted in position on the outside surface of the windscreen glass 10. Polyurethane bonding material (PU) 20 is then injected (or otherwise placed) into the channel 18C from one end of the strip 16 so as to fill the channel and the mouth 18D and thus to hold the strip 16 firmly position as the bonding material solidifies.

Preferably, a suitable primer is applied to help secure the polyurethane material to the glass and/or the strip 16.

The surface of the windscreen glass 10 may be curved, and thus the strip 16 may correspondingly curved.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sealing strip 16 may also include an external decorative part 22 such as made of metal or other material presenting bright external finish. The decorative part 22 may be clipped into position, with its distal edges extending into recesses in the strip 16, as illustrated.

In a case where the surface of the windscreen glass 10 is slightly curved, the strip 16 may be held in a matchingly curved configuration during the manufacturing process, such as by a suitable jig, and the decorative part 22 is correspondingly curved and secured onto the sealing strip 16. The sealing strip 16, with the decorative part 22 secured to it, is thus held in the required curved configuration and is mounted on the windscreen glass 10 using the polyurethane or other bonding material 20 in the manner described.

FIG. 3 a shows a modification to the arrangement of FIG. 2. In FIG. 3a, the sealing lip 18B is omitted. Instead, a seal between the edge of the windscreen glass 10 and the frame 12 is provided by other means, such as by the seal shown at 24. Alternatively, the seal 24 can be omitted altogether. Means defining a groove for collecting rain water may be provided.

Advantageously, the channel 18C is shaped to provide longitudinal recesses 18E having relatively narrow mouths and enlarged inner regions 18F (see FIG. 3a), which provide improved mechanical interlocking between the PU bonding material 20 and the body portion 18A.

Again, a primer can be applied to help secure the PU material to the glass and/or the strip 16.

In another modification, however, the strip 16 (with the decorative part 22 omitted) can be secured to the inside surface of the windscreen glass 30 in the same manner as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 3 b shows a further modification in which parts corresponding to parts in FIGS. 2 and 3a are similarly referenced. As shown in FIG. 3b, the strip 18A is secured (in the same manner as described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3a to the surface of the edge 10A of the glass 30. A primer can advantageously be used here also.

FIG. 4 shows the window glass 30 of the rear quarter light window of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1. In this case, the window glass 30 is held in position within the rigid window frame 32 carried by the upper part of the rear door of the vehicle by means of a fixture 34. The fixture 34 comprises a head 36 integral with a screw-threaded part 38 which extends through a hole 40 in the window frame 32 and threadedly engages a hollow bore 42 in a mounting block 44 secured to the inside surface of the window glass 30. The mounting block 44 may be made of any suitable material and is securely attached, as by adhesive, to the window glass 30. The underside of the head 36 of the fixture 34 bears against the inside surface of the window frame 32 and thus secures the window glass in position. A bead of sealing and/or adhesive material 46, which may be extruded, may also be present for providing additional sealing and securing action between the mounting block 44 and the window frame 32.

In order to provide a seal between the edge of the window glass 30 and the window frame 32, a sealing strip 48 is provided, which can be extruded or moulded from suitable resilient flexible material, such as plastics, rubber or thermoplastic elastomer. The strip 48 is formed to provide an open channel 48A having a mouth 48B.

In use, the strip 48 is placed along the edge of the window glass 30, and suitable bonding material 49, preferably polyurethane material, is injected (or otherwise placed) into the channel 48A from one end of the strip 48, so as to fill the channel and extend through the mouth 48B, adhering to the surface of the window glass 30. The material 49 in the channel 48A mechanically interlocks the strip 48 to the glass 30 so as to hold the strip firmly in position. Instead or in addition, the material 49 may adhere to the material of the strip 48.

Again, a primer can be used to help secure the PU material to the glass and/or the strip 48.

This process may be carried out before or after the window glass 30 is fixed to the window frame by the fixture 34.

FIG. 5 shows a modification to the arrangement of FIG. 4, and parts in FIG. 5 corresponding to those in FIG. 4 are similarly referenced.

In the arrangement of FIG. 5, however, a hole 50 is provided (shown dotted) which extends through the window glass 30 and the corresponding region of the mounting block 44. The sealing strip 48 is placed over the edge of the window glass 30, so that the hole 50 opens into the mouth 48B of the channel 48A. The polyurethane or other bonding material 49 can thus be injected into the channel 48A through the hole 50. More than one such hole can be provided. Again, a primer can be used in the manner already explained.

The windscreen 10 or the quarter light 30 can be made of polycarbonate or similar material instead of glass.

However, although the foregoing description has related to the securing of a sealing strip to the translucent or transparent member of a window opening, it could instead relate to the securing of a strip to some other panel-shaped member not for a window opening—such as, for example, a closure member for an opening.

Claims

1. A panel-shaped member and strip combination, the member having a surface, the strip defining a region, a bonding material, the bonding material being disposed in the region to secures the strip to the surface of the member the bonding material being covered by the strip, and optionally comprising a primer applied to the surface of the member before the application thereto of the bonding material.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein bonding material is polyurethane material.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the strip comprises a surface in contact with the surface of the member, and the region is a channel in the material of the strip, the channel being connected to the surface of the strip which is in contact with the surface of the member.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the channel comprises a narrowed mouth connecting the channel to the said surface of the strip

5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein the channel comprises sides and inwardly directed wall portions, the sides of the channel being connected to the narrowed mouth by the inwardly directed wall portions which extend to the mouth in directions inclined away from the said surface of the strip to provide a mechanical interlock between the material of the strip and the bonding material.

6. The combination according to claims 3, wherein the bonding material is injected into the channel or groove from at least one end thereof.

7. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the panel-shaped member comprises an aperture, the bonding material being injected into the channel through said aperture in the panel-shaped member

8. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the panel-shaped member is or includes an edge surface thereof.

9. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the panel-shaped member comprises at least a partial surround, and the strip comprises a sealing portion extending therefrom for sealing against said at least partial surround of the panel-shaped member.

10. The combination according to claim 9, further comprising a decorative part and wherein the strip carries the decorative part.

11. The combination according to claim 10, wherein the decorative part is clipped to the strip.

12. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the panel-shaped member is made of transparent or translucent material.

13. The combination according to claim 8, wherein the panel-shaped member is made of transparent or translucent material for a window and the surround is part of the frame of a window opening.

14. A method of joining a panel-shaped member to a strip comprising the step of forming a recessed region in a surface of the strip to be secured to a surface the member, and placing bonding material in the region, securing the strip to the member with the bonding material being covered by the strip.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the bonding material is polyurethane material.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the region is a channel in the material of the strip, the channel being connected to the surface of the strip which is in contact with the surface of the member.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the channel is connected to the surface of the strip by a narrowed mouth.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the sides of the channel are connected to the narrowed mouth by inwardly directed wall portions which extent to the mouth in directions inclined away from the said surface of the strip to provide a mechanical interlock between the material of the strip and the bonding material.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the placing step comprises the step of injecting the bonding material into the channel from at least one end thereof.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the placing step comprises the step of injecting the bonding material into the channel through at least one aperture in the panel-shaped member.

21. A panel-shaped member and sealing strip combination, the member having a surface, the sealing strip being formed of a material, having a surface which is in contact with the surface of the member, and defining a region, a bonding material, the bonding material being disposed in the region to secure the sealing strip to the surface of the member, the bonding material being covered by the sealing strip, the region being a channel in the material of the sealing strip, the channel having a narrowed mouth connecting the channel to the surface of the sealing strip.

22. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the bonding material adheres to the strip.

23. The combination according to claim 21, wherein the bonding material adheres to the strip.

24. The method according to claim 14, wherein the bonding material adheres to the strip.

25. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a second primer, the second primer being disposed between the bonding material and the strip.

26. The combination according to claim 21, further comprising a primer disposed between the bonding material and the strip.

27. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of disposing a primer between the bonding material and the strip.