GB2184398A

GB2184398A - A sealing, trimming or guiding strip

Info

Publication number: GB2184398A
Application number: GB08531490A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Kruschwitz
Original assignee: Draftex Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Laird Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 1985-12-20
Filing date: 1985-12-20
Publication date: 1987-06-24
Also published as: GB8531490D0; IT1215057B; IT8609543A0; ES1001212Y; GB2184398B; DE3641653C2; FR2591971B1; DE3641653A1; FR2591971A1; ES1001212U

Abstract

The strip has a metal carrier 6 covered with extruded material 5, the carrier 6 being made of carrier elements 8 which may be connected to each other by short connecting links and in order to avoid this, a strip-like member 20, preferably made of metal, inserted into the material 5 during the initial extrusion process to cover over the gaps between the elements 8 and avoids the "ribbing" effect. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to sealing, guiding and finishing strips The invention relates to sealing, guiding and finishing strips. Such strips may be used in motor vehicle body construction, for example, though are not limited to such use. When used for motor vehicle body construction, they may be used to trim and seal around vehicle body openings, such as door and luggage and engine component openings, or they may be used for receiving and securing window glass such as windshield or windscreen glass or retractible window glass.

According to the invention, there is provided a sealing, trimming or guiding strip, comprising extruded resilient material in which is embedded a metal core or carrier made up of transversely directed carrier elements positioned at intervals along the length of the strip with gaps between them, and including an unapertured member positioned within the plastics material and running along the length of the strip between the carrier elements and an outside surface of the extruded material, whereby to bridge over the gaps between the adjacent carrier elements and prevent the forms of the latter appearing through the extruded material.

According to the invention, there is also provided a channel-shaped trimming, sealing or guiding strip, comprising a channel-shaped metal core or carrier made up of side-by-side U-shaped elements spaced apart along the length of the strip and covered with extruded channel-shaped plastics or rubber material which also defines gripping lips running along the inside walls of the channel, and including a generally flat and thin metal strip-like member running along the length of one wall of the channel and embedded within the extruded material between the carrier elements and a corresponding outside surface of the extruded material so as to bridge over the gaps between the spaced-apart carrier elements and obscure the forms of the carrier elements from external view.

According to the invention, there is still further provided a window channel arrangement for receiving a retractible window glass, comprising a series of side-by-side arranged generally S-shaped metal elements which are spaced apart along the length of the strip so as to define two side-by-side channels facing in opposite directions and covered with correspondingly shaped extruded material, on said channel being for embracing mounting on a flanged joint or the like running around a window opening and the other said channel being for receiving the window glass, the outer wall of the said other channel having embedded within the extruded material a generally flat strip-like member running along the length of the channel and positionecfwithin the extruded material between the carrie,elements and the outside surface of the extruded material, so as to obscure from external view the form of the elements.

Trimming, sealing and guiding strips embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through one of the sealing strips; Figure 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but with part of the material broken away to reveal the embedded metal carrier; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the carrier shown in Fig. 2; and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view through a window channel embodying the invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, the sealing strip has a channel-shaped part 4 in cross-section which is made of channel-shaped plastics or rubber material 5 in which is embedded a channelshaped metal core or carrier 6. As shown where the material 5 is partially broken away in Fig. 2, the metal carrier 6 in this example is made up of a series of side-by-side U-shaped elements 8 interconnected by inclined connecting links 10. Other forms of metal carrier may be used instead. Fig. 3 shows another form of carrier made up of U-shaped elements and interconnected by short horizontal links 10. Instead, the carrier may be made up of elements similar to the elements 8 in Fig. 3 but which are entirely separated, that is, for example, the links 10 are arranged to break during manufacture of the strip. Instead, the carrier 6 may be made of wire looped to and fro across the width of the channel.

The purpose of the carrier is to add strength and resilience to the strip.

As shown in Fig. 1, the material 5 is formed with integral gripping lips 12,14. In this example, there are two relatively large lips 12,14 on one inside wall of the channel and four relatively smaller lips 14 on the opposite inside wall of the channel. However, other arrangements of gripping lips may be used.

Attached to one outside wall of the sealing strip is a soft hollow tubular sealing section 16 which is in this example integrally extruded with the material 5 but is of foamed or cellular construction.

In operation, the sealing strip is mounted around a door opening in a motor vehicle body so that the channel-shaped part 4 embraces the flanged joint which runs around the vehicle opening. The metal carrier 6 helps to ensure that the strip is grippingly secured to the flanged joint, and the gripping lips 12,14 make frictional contact with the sides of the flanged joint and help to secure the sealing strip in position.

The strip may be manufactured by a known cross-head extrusion process in which the metal carrier 6 is passed into a cross-head extruded and covered with the plastics or rubber material 5 which is extruded over it. This extrusion process may be carried out with the metal carrier 6 in a generally flat or planar form, the covered carrier then being bent into channel form.

The tubular sealing section 16 (Fig. 1) may be manufactured separately and secured in position on one outside wall of the channel, by means of adhesive.

The extrusion process described above is arranged to extrude the gripping lips 12 and 14 integrally with the channel-shaped material 5.

The extrusion process may be arranged so that the gripping lips 12 and 14 are of softer consistency than the remainder of the extruded material. This increases the frictional grip on the flanged joint.

The form of metal carrier 6 illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 are such that there are inevitable gaps at regular intervals along the length of the sealing strip, each such gap being defined between two adjacent carrier elements 8 and partly bridged across by the links 10. The result of the alternating elements and gaps is that a "ribbing" effect may be visible along the outside of the wall 18 (Fig. 1) of the sealing strip. In the words, the form of the carrier elements 8 (and links 10) may be visible through the extruded material, giving a somewhat unsightly appearance.

Therefore, in order to avoid this, a relatively hard longitudinally extending generally flat and unapertured strip-like member 20 (see Fig. 1) is placed within the material 5 and on the outside of the carrier 6 so as to "bridge over" the gaps between the elements 8 and prevent their forms, and the forms of the links 10, from being visible from externally of this strip. In this way, the "ribbing" effect is overcome. The strip-like member 20 may take any suitable form. Advantageously, it is made of aluminium or similar material. It is placed in position by being inserted into the cross-head extruder at the same time as the metal carrier 6 is inserted so as to be covered, like the carrier 6, with the extruded material and held in the appropriate position. For clarity, the member 20 is omitted from Fig. 2.

The strip-like member 20 need not be made of metal. It could, for example, be made of hard plastics or other synthetic material.

Whatever its material, however, it is sufficiently flexible to permit the sealing strip to follow curves in the door opening to which it is fitted.

It will thus be apparent that the inclusion of the strip-like member 20 provides a significant improvement in external appearance.

Fig. 4 shows a window guide channel arrangement for a motor vehicle body window opening. As shown, the arrangement comprises two integral parts, a gripping part 35 and a glass mounting channel 36. The gripping part 35 defines a relatively narrow channel 38. In use, the mounting arrangement is fitted onto the vehicle body so that the channel 38 embraces the mounting flange or flanged joint which runs around the window opening. In this way, therefore, the glass mounting channel 36 is fixedly positioned adjacent to the mounting flange and in the intended plane of the window opening.

The arrangement includes a metal carrier 40 which is of inverted U-form in the region of the gripping channel 38 but with one leg of the U extended sideways and outwardly as shown at 40A and terminating in a distal portion 40B which is directed upwardly (as shown in the Figure), parallel to the legs of the main U-portion.

The metal carrier 40 may take any suitable form. For example, it may comprises a plurality of separate elements, each of the generally S-shaped form shown in Fig. 4 and having a depth of a few millimetres, these elements being arranged side-by-side along the compiete length of the mounting arrangement and separated by small gaps. Instead, however, the individual elements of the carrier may be integrally joined by short interconnecting links, such as shown at 10 in Fig. 3, one of which is shown at 42 in Fig. 4. These connecting links may be arranged so as to join each leg of the U form with the corresponding legs of the adjacent elements-or possibly so as to join only one leg of the U of each element to the corresponding legs of the adjacent elements. However, other forms of carrier are possible.In each case, however, the elements of the carrier will alternate, along thelength of the arrangement, with the gaps between them.

The metal carrier 40 is embedded in suitable flexible material 44. Advantageously, the material 44 is extruded material, such as extruded plastics or rubber material. The extrusion process preferably uses a cross-head extruder such as described above.

The extrusion process forms gripping lips 46,48 within the gripping channel 48. These press against the mounting flange in use and help to secure the mounting arrangement on the flange and to prevent draughts and water seepage. Although the drawing shows two such lips, there may be greater or lesser numbers of lips and there may be a lip or lips on both sides of the channel 48.

Within the window channel 36, a leaf section 50 is mounted in position, such as by being glued in position, and preferably made of rubber or plastics. The section 50 is in this example formed with two leaves 52 and 56.

Surfaces of the leaves 52 and 54 and of the outer wall of the channel 36 are flocked as shown dotted at 58 and 60. As shown, flocked layer 58 extends up to a shoulder 62.

The remaining outer surface of the gripping part 35 may be embossed with an ornamental pattern as shown dotted at 64.

In order to prevent the forms or shapes of the carrier elements, and their connecting links, from being visible through the extruded material 44 on the outside of the arrangement, that is, when viewed in the direction of the arrow A, a strip-like member 20, corresponding to the strip-like member 20 shown in Fig. 1, is inserted, during the extrusion process, in such a position within the extruder that it covers the gaps between the carrier elements of the carrier, Therefore, again any "ribbing" effect is avoided.

The strip-like members 20 need not be flat but could be corrugated (with their corrugations running across the width of the strip-like member). The corrugations enable the thickness of the member 20 to be less than would otherwise be the case, but yet give it sufficient strength.

If the strip-like member 20 is made of metal, then it is advantageously covered with a suitable bonding agent before it is fed into the extruder. The bonding agent helps to ensure that the extruded material properly bonds to it.

Claims

1. A sealing, trimming or guiding strip, comprising extruded resilient material in which is embedded a metal core or carrier made up of transversely directed carrier elements positioned at intervals along the length of the strip with gaps between them, and including an unapertured member positioned within the plastics material and running along the length of the strip between the carrier elements and an outside surface of the extruded material, whereby to bridge over the gaps between the adjacent carrier elements and prevent the forms of the latter appearing through the extruded material.

2. A strip according to claim 1, in which the strip-like member is made of metal and coated with a bonding agent to aid its bonding to the extruded material.

3. A strip according to claim 1 or 2, of channel-shaped form.

4. A strip according to claim 3, in which a soft sealing part is carried by one outside wall of the channel, and in which the strip-like member is embedded in the opposite wall of the channel.

5. A strip according to claim 3 or 4, in which the extruded material is extruded to define one or more gripping lips running along inside walls of the strip.

6. A channel-shaped trimming, sealing or guiding strip, comprising a channel-shaped metal core or carrier made up of side-by-side U-shaped elements spaced apart along the length of the strip and covered with extruded channel-shaped plastics or rubber material which also defines gripping lips running along the inside walls of the channel, and including a generally flat and thin metal strip-like member running along the length of one wall of the channel and embedded within the extruded material between the carrier elements and a corresponding outside surface of the extruded material so as to bridge over the gaps between the spaced-apart carrier elements and obscure the forms of the carrier elements from external view.

7. A strip according to claim 6, including a tubular sealing part mounted on the opposite wall of the channel.

8. A strip according to claim 6, in which the said opposite wall of the strip is extended so as to define a second channel running alongside the first-mentioned channel but facing in the opposite direction, the second channel being defined by further extruded material in which is embedded a correspondingly extended part of the carrier.

9. A window channel arrangement for receiving a retractible window glass, comprising a series of side-by-side arranged generally Sshaped metal elements which are spaced apart along the length of the strip so as to define two side-by-side channels facing in opposite directions and covered with correspondingly shaped extruded material, one said channel being for embracing mounting on a flanged joint or the like running around a window opening and the other said channel being for receiving the window glass, the outer wall of the said other channel having embedded within the extruded material a generally flat strip-like member running along the length of the channel and positioned within the extruded material between the carrier elements and the outside surface of the extruded material, so as to obscure from external view the form of the elements.

10. A sealing or trimming strip, substantially as described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A window channel, substantially as described with reference to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.