BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Details and further advantages of the weatherstrip assembly in accordance with the invention read from the following description of preferred example embodiments as merely shown diagrammatically in the corresponding drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a motor vehicle
FIG. 2 is a cross-section as taken along the line II in FIG. 1 through a first embodiment of the weatherstrip assembly in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-section as shown in FIG. 2 showing how a trim strip is fitted to a weatherstrip;
FIG. 4 is a cross-section through a second embodiment of a weatherstrip assembly in accordance with the invention, and
FIG. 5 is a cross-section through a third embodiment of a weatherstrip assembly in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a motor vehicle 10 provided with a door 11 comprising a frame 12. Arranged within the frame 12 is a powered window pane 13. The window pane 13 is sealed by a weatherstrip 20 comprising a sealing section 21 and a fastener section 22, as evident from FIGS. 2 and 3. The fastener section 22 is secured to a flange 14 of the door 11. For this purpose the fastener section 22 comprises a recess 30 mounted on the flange 14. Arranged in the recess 30 are retaining lips 31 which connect the fastener section 22 additionally positively to the flange 14. The fastener section 22 is further strengthened in the region of the recess 30 by a carrier 32 made of plastics or metal. Cross-sectionally the carrier 32 is approximately U-shaped and serves to endow the fastener section 22 made of an elastomer, for example TPE, with adequate rigidity to ensure a satisfactory fastening to the flange 14.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 there is illustrated in addition how the sealing section 21 fabricated by co-extrusion together with the fastener section 22 features sealing lips 33 in sealing contact with the window pane 13. The sealing lips 33 are provided with a flock coating 34 which reduces the friction when the window pane 13 is powered.
Arranged at an outer surface area of the weatherstrip 20 is a trim strip 40 made, for example, of aluminum. The trim strip 40 comprises at the one end a first hook section 41 and at the other end a second hook section 42. These hook sections 41, 42 are positively connected to the fastener section 22. For this purpose the fastener section 22 is provided with a retaining segment 23 which is pivotable from a first position I into a second position 11, again as evident from FIGS. 2 and 3. In the fitted condition of the trim strip 40 the first hook section 41 latches to a first contact surface area 24 of the fastener section 22, whereas the second hook section 42 positively connects a second contact surface area 26 of the retaining segment 23. The first contact surface area 24 and second contact surface area 26 are formed by recesses 27, 28 of the fastener section 22. In addition, adjoining the retaining segment 23, the fastener section 22 is provided with a recess 25 which is opposite the second contact surface area 26 in permitting pivoting of the retaining segment 23 from the first position I to the second position II.
To fit the trim strip 40 the second hook section 42 is inserted into the recess 28 in contact with the second contact surface area 26. Referring now to FIG. 3 there is illustrated how the retaining segment 23 is then pivoted against the effect of a restoring force from the first position I into the second position 11. The resulting displacement of the trim strip 40 enables the first hook section 41 to be introduced into the recess 27 in contacting the first contact surface area 24. Because of the restoring force the retaining segment 23 then returns from the second position 11 to the first position I resulting in the hook sections 41, 42 being connected to the contact surface areas 24, 26 both positively and non-positively. The non-positive connection materializing from the inherent restoring force of the retaining segment 23 is boosted by a tensioning force produced by the supporting lips 29 supporting the trim strip 40 between the first contact surface area 24 and second contact surface area 26. The tensioning force results from deformation of the supporting lips 29 occurring on latching of the first hook section 41 to the first contact surface area 24, as evident from FIG. 2. Contributing in addition towards a satisfactory fastening of the trim strip 40 to the weatherstrip 20 is a retaining lip 35 arranged in the region of the recess 27, as partly encloses the first hook section 41 when the fastener section 22 is mounted on the flange 14 in thus preventing the first hook section 41 from becoming detached from the first contact surface area 24. Apart from this, the retaining lip 35 prevents the trim strip 40 from contacting the flange 14 in enhancing the visual appeal in the transition from the trim strip 40 to flange 14. In addition, the elastically deformable retaining lip 35 ensures that fabrication tolerances are compensated in the transition from the trim strip 40 to flange 14.
Referring now to FIG. 4 there is illustrated an embodiment which differs from that of the weatherstrip assembly as described above mainly by how the retaining segment 23 is configured which now features a curved second contact surface area 26 so that it snags the second hook section 42 in thus contributing towards an effective positive connection between the second hook section 42 and retaining segment 23.
Referring now to FIG. 5 there is illustrated a further embodiment of the weatherstrip assembly in which the retaining segment 23 is configured as an elastically deformable lip for relatively facilitated positive connection to the second hook section 42.
The embodiments as described above are characterized by a relatively low force as needed for securing the trim strip 40 to the weatherstrip 20. The main reason for this is the retaining segment 23 being pivotable from the first position I into the second position 11 in counteracting a restoring force. The retaining segment 23 permits simultaneous positive and non-positive connection of the trim strip 40 and fastener section 22 in satisfying the demands for a relatively high withdrawal force and a tolerance in keeping with production requirements. On top of this, the hook sections 41, 42 permit a relatively low-profile configuration of the trim strip 40 in thus achieving enhanced visual appeal. Last but not least, the retaining lip 35 likewise contributes towards the visual appeal by compensating tolerances between the trim strip 40 and flange 14.
Patent Application
20080012242
