GB2120712A

GB2120712A - Sealing strips for vehicle bodywork edges

Info

Publication number: GB2120712A
Application number: GB08307910A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Francois Mesnel
Original assignee: Mesnel SA
Current assignee: Mesnel SA
Priority date: 1982-05-25
Filing date: 1983-03-22
Publication date: 1983-12-07
Also published as: ES522629A0; SE8302898D0; DE3317548A1; IT1158924B; SE451120B; IT8353150V0; IT8367363A0; SE8302898L; GB2120712B; ES8600627A1; GB8307910D0

Abstract

A metal core 1 comprising a ribbon is sheathed in plastics or rubber 2 angled or "U-shaped" and the resulting strip is connected to a separately extruded sealing element 4, 15 by fusible (or hot melt) glue 17. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sealing strips for bodywork edges This invention relates to sealing strips for bodywork edges, particularly but not exclusively edges of car door frames.

Up till now, the finishing and sealing of edges of internal openings of bodyworks, especially those around car doors, have usually been effected by complex extruded sealing strips the central metal armature of which is previously cut out in herringbone or similar shape to allow conformation thereof at the time of positioning on the relevant edge.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sealing strip whereby an appropriate conformation may be realised in advance and in a repetitive manner, e.g. at a factory remote from the assembly line where the strip is applied to the edge. A further object is simplified means and methods of positioning the strip on the assembly line which opens up the possibility of automation of this positioning.

With this double objective in view, the invention provides a sealing strip for application to a bodywork edge such as an automobile door frame said strip comprising a metal armature in the form of a band or ribbon, which is either simply angled or is profiled in the shape of a "U", connected to a separately extruded sealing element, by means of hot melt fusible glue.

The previously known central metal armature, which was usually cut out in advance, is replaced by a simple band or a thin metal ribbon which is preferably sheathed with rubber or plastics material. This may then be profiled in the shape of a "U" (that is to say, a channel section) and combined with a sealing element, which was previously extruded separately, the two being finally shaped together by a known system of templates and rollers or pulleys to form a girdle.

The connection of the two ends of the girdles formed in this way is preferably at the lower region relative to the edge, e.g. of a door frame, to which it is to be fitted and there may be auxiliary means, for compensation of length and for locking, disposed in the connection zone.

Alternatively, the central U-shaped metal armature may be replaced by a thin metal ribbon which is simply angled. This results in easier positioning and fixing of the eventual girdles or frameworks by gluing, or by clipping and it would even be possible to have an automatic machine adapted for this purpose.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a small portion of metal ribbon, intended to form the central core of a first embodiment of the sealing strip in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same portion of ribbon, after it has been sheathed in rubber or in plastics material; Fig. 3 is an end view of the same sheathed ribbon after it has been formed into the shape of a "U"; Fig. 4 is an end view of the first embodiment of the sealing strip of the invention, namely the "U" profile in accordance with Fig. 3 combined with a complementary sealing element; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view, to a reduced scale, showing the conformation of the profile of Fig. 4 when used to form a framework or girdle for a car door frame;; Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the zone 6 shown in Fig. 5 showing the overlap of two sheets forming the edge being finished or sealed by the framework or girdle; Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the zone referenced 7 in Fig. 5 showing connection and locking of the framework or girdle; Fig. 8 is a cross-section of this framework or girdle shown in Fig. 5, in zone 7 and to a larger scale; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a small portion of metal ribbon intended to form the central core of a second embodiment of the sealing strip of the present invention; Fig. 10 is a cross-section of the same portion of ribbon, angled or bent adjacent one of its edges;; Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view to a reduced scale, showing one conformation of the ribbon shown in Fig. 10 when used to form a framework or girdle for bordering an automobile door frame, the ends thereof being welded together at a junction zone at the bottom in the drawing; Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 showing another conformation of the ribbon shown in Fig.

10 when used to form a framework or girdle, but in this case the ends thereof are welded together at a junction zone located at the top right hand corner as seen in the drawing; Fig. 1 3 is a cross-section of the completed second embodiment of the sealing strip of the invention comprising the ribbon of Figs. 9 to 12 and a complementary sealing element which is extruded separately and subsequently attached to the ribbon by a fusible or hot melt glue; Fig. 14 is a cross-section showing the sealing strip of Fig. 13 glued onto a door frame of an automobile bodywork; Fig. 1 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a wider metal ribbon intended to form the central core of third embodiment of the sealing strip of the invention;; Fig. 1 6 is a cross-section of the same portion of ribbon after it has been sheathed by plastics material; Fig. 17 is an end view of the same sheathed ribbon after it has been shaped to the desired profile; Fig. 1 8 is a diagrammatic view to a reduced scale, showing the conformation of the profiled ribbon shown in Fig. 17 when used to form a framework or girdle for bordering an automobile door frame, the ends being joined at a junction zone at the bottom; Fig. 19 is a similar view to Fig. 18 of a profiled ribbon in accordance with Fig. 1 7 in which the ends of the framework or girdle remain elastically separated; Fig. 20 is a cross-section of the complete third embodiment of the sealing strip of the invention, namely the profiled ribbon in accordance with Fig.

1 7 combined with a complementary extruded sealing element; and Fig. 21 is a cross-section showing the sealing strip of Fig. 20 fixed or clipped onto the edge of an automobile door frame.

Figs. 1 to 4 illustrate a first embodiment of the sealing strip of the invention and how same is made up. This embodiment includes a pinching profile in the form of a "U" having a central metal armature. It differs from previously proposed sealing strips in that this central armature is no longer cut out in a so-called "herringbone" or similar shapes, but merely consists of a thin metal ribbon of the order of 0.6 millimetre thickness which is advantageously made of aluminium alloy and is of a width appropriate for formation of the "U" (channel section). The ribbon 1 is pre-coated on its two faces with a customary undercoat to allow sheathing thereof, as indicated in Fig. 2, with good adherence, either with rubber or with plastics material such as P.V.C. (polyvinyl chloride), the material being designated by reference numeral 2.After vulcanisation or cooling, the sheathed ribbon is formed into the shape of a "U" (channel section), as shown in Fig.

3, and also combined with auxiliary profiles 3 and 4 which have been extruded separately and are destined to effect the finish and the sealing of the bodywork edge. The aforesaid parts are held firmly together by a fusible "hot melt" glue. The sealing element 4 includes a tubular portion which is advantageously cellular to improve sealing, e.g. of a door in a door frame. The sealing element 4 may be formed by so-called "double extrusion", if it is desired to have a so-called "double hardner" or "bis-hardness" profile. The inextensibility of the element 4 is ensured in known manner by incorporation of a wire 5.

Fig. 5 shows that a suitable length of the profile strip in accordance with Fig. 4 can easily be shaped in the factory and in advance of application to the bodywork edge in known manner, for example by means of shaping rollers or knurling tools against one or more shaping templates to produce repetitively the frameworks or girdles in accordance with Fig. 5. Any specially required conformations, for example to accommodate regions, such as that designated by numeral 6 in Fig. 6, where the free edge of the bodywork opening to be edged is formed by a super-position of two sheets may also be included in the mass-produced girdles or frameworks. The free ends of such girdles are joined, as shown, at a position such as that designated by numeral 7 which will be disposed at a lower region of the door frame so as to be less conspicuous.

Moreover the ends are hidden and held firmly together, at least in the case of a door frame, by being covered in customary manner by an auxiliary profile or nosing which is not shown.

It is easy to understand that the advantage of such frameworks or girdles, particularly for the bordering of frames of automobile doors is that they may be prepared in advance, in the factory, and can be rapidly positioned on the assembly line by virtue of their inherent elasticity. This elasticity is subsequently cancelled out by the simple fact of the mounting in place, followed by a kind of self-keying in the region 7 either by an additional strut or by inherent, additional, elasticity, in this zone, which may be subsequently concealed and improved by the aforesaid covering by nosing.

In a modified embodiment, in accordance with Fig. 7, the elastic locking or holding together of the ends of the girdle in the region 7 of Fig. 5 may be achieved by additional elastic thicknesses 8 and 9 extending beyond the ends of the metal armature 1 which do not themselves meet, these thicknesses 8, 9 mutually butting at 10. In a further modification, the framework or girdle in accordance with Fig. 5 may be formed in two successive operations, firstly only the "U" profile, as shown in Fig. 3, being shaped, the auxiliary sealing elements, particularly the tubular profile including the inextensibility wire 5 being combined therewith at a later stage without in any way changing the original features of the new industrial products thus obtained.

In the second main embodiment of the sealing strip of the invention, as shown in Figs. 9 to 14, the armature is further simplified by consisting of merely a thin metal ribbon 11, again advantageously made of aluminium alloy of the order of 0.6 millimetre thickness. The ribbon 1 is lacquered orjapanned in known manner to ensure good adherance of the hot-melt fusible glue and one of its edges is angled or bent at 12 prior to shaping of same, in known manner, into the form of a framework or girdle, in accordance with Figs.

11 or 12.

The framework or girdle shown in Fig. 11 has its ends welded in the lower region, at 13, whilst that shown in Fig. 1 2 has its ends welded together at a corner 14, shown in this example as the upper right hand corner.

The girdles shaped in accordance with Figs. 11 or 12, are then combined, by gluing (again advantageously with a fusible hot melt glue) with a customary extruded sealing element 15, as is shown in Fig. 1 3.

It will readily be understood that the reinforced joint constituted in this way and shaped in advance into the form of a girdle or a framework, for example, for an automobile door frame, can be positioned in a simple manner which is easy to accomplish by an automatic presentation device or robot. Such a device would be programmed to centre the framework in the door opening 1 6 which has been prepared for this purpose in the bodywork. The fixing of the framework can be easily accomplished by mutual gluing (by a hot melt glue) in the interface 17 and the overall covering of the edges may be made aesthetic by a conventional dressing, for example a vacuumformed dressing, as is shown in dotted lines, in Fig. 14.

In a third embodiment of the sealing strip of the invention, as iilustrated in Figs. 1 5 to 21, a somewhat wider thin ribbon 1 8 is covered with the usual undercoat, in order to ensure adherence, and sheathed in plastics material 19, advantageously P.V.C., by extrusion. The sheathed ribbon is profiled obliquely at 20 while its end 21 is hooked over. The resultant profile is then shaped, previously described, either into the form of a closed girdle welded at the bottom, at 23 as shown in Fig. 1 8 or, into the form of an "open" and elastically deformable framework, as shown in Fig. 1 9.

As previously mentioned, the frameworks shaped in this way, in accordance with Figs. 1 8 or 19, are combined by gluing, advantageously by a hot melt fusible glue, with a customary peripheral sealing element 15, as is shown by Fig. 20.

It will readily be understood that the sealing strips thus constituted and shaped in the form of girdles or framework for automobile door frames still remain easy to position, as has been discussed above. In particular an automatic presentation device would centre the girdle or framework in the opening 1 6 of the bodywork, whilst a supplementary thrust would ensure mutual cogging or clipping, as is shown by Fig.

21, by sliding of the oblique surfaces forming "ramps", the final fixing resulting from the combined effect of friction lips 22 and from the keying of the hooked over edge 21.

It is worth repeating that all the frameworks or girdles simplified in this way, particularly those to be used for edging automobile door frames, are advantageously prepared in advance so as to allow quick and easy positioning thereof, either manually but preferably to a robot on the assembly lines, the actual fixing being ensured, either by gluing or by cogging clipping, or by a combination of these methods, or by other known ones.

Although this is evident, it is furthermore specified that the invention is in no way limited to the sole features and to the sole embodiments explicitly described (merely by way of examples) to elucidate the invention. On the contrary the scope of the invention extends expressly to all the modifications of execution and of application and particularly to those implementing. means and methods which are equivalent to those mentioned with the aim of realising the new industrial products characterising the present invention.

Claims

1. A sealing strip for application to a bodywork edge such as an automobile door frame said strip comprising a metal armature in the form of a band or ribbon, which is either simply angled or is profiled in the shape of a "U", connected to a separately extruded sealing element, by means of hot melt fusible glue.

2. A sealing strip as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metal armature is sufficiently rigid to permit predetermined shaping thereof in accordance with a template and in the form of a girdle, the connection or junction zone of which is disposed in a lower region relative to the edging of a door frame which it is intended to fit.

3. A sealing strip as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that prior shaping of the armature may include all sorts of special features such as shaping to accommodate the superposition of two sheets, and in that the ends of the armature are left unconnected or free to permit the elastic deformations which are necessary for positioning of the armature on the edge.

4. A sealing strip as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterised in that from locking of the strip its after its positioning on the edge is obtained by the combination of systematic shortened of the girdle with a complementary strut, or with complementary elasticity means at the connection zone.

5. A sealing strip as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the simplicity of the armature facilitates its positioning on a bodywork edge such that this may be accomplished by an automatic device, the fixing of the strip to the edge being accomplished at one and the same time by application of a fusible or hot-melt glue.

6. A sealing strip as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that mutual interengagement of the metal armature of the sealing strip and of the automobile door frame, is achieved by virtue of corresponding oblique sections at their respective edges, whilst mutual keying of same is achieved by a combination of elastic friction lips on the sealing element and a hooked end on the armature, both of which are reinforced by gluing.

7. A sealing strip as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that firm connection of free edges of said strip when formed into a framework or girdle is achieved by covering same by a nosing profile.

8. A sealing strip for application to a bodywork edge such as an automobile door frame substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by Figs. 1 to 8, or Figs. 9 to 14, or Figs. 15 to 21 of the accompanying drawings.