GB2201711A

GB2201711A - Sealing and trimming strips

Info

Publication number: GB2201711A
Application number: GB08705013A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Erich Weimar
Original assignee: Draftex Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Laird Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 1987-03-04
Filing date: 1987-03-04
Publication date: 1988-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 2007-03-04
Also published as: FR2611621B1; GB8705013D0; DE3800262A1; ES1004311U; IT8809336A0; ES1004311Y; GB2201711B; IT1222200B; FR2611621A1; DE3800262C2

Description

A 1 S EALING AND TRIMMING STRIPS The invention relates to sealing,

trimming and finishing strips, particularly for use in motor vehicles such as for sealing around door openings and other openings therein.

According to the invention, there is provided a sealing or trimming strip for sealing or trimming around an opening closable by a closure member, comprising shaped relatively soft material having a relatively rigid insert and defining a relatively rigid locking formation on an external surface of the strip, and means providing a mating locking formation for holding the strip in position peripherally of the opening so that the relatively soft material provides the required sealing or trimming function.

According to the invention, there is also provided a sealing arrangement for an opening closable by a door, comprising longitudinally extending shaped soft sealing material in the form of a complete ring sized to match the periphery of the door opening and containing a relatively rigid insert which defines in the external surface of the strip a locking formation of predetermined shape, this locking formation being sized 2201711 X 2 to mechanically interlock with a mating locking formation in and extending around the periphery of the door whereby the locking formations interlock to hold the strip in position around the periphery of the door so that it moves with the closing door into sealing engagement with the surround of the opening.

According to the invention, there is further provided a sealing arrangement for sealing around an opening in a motor vehicle body closable by a door, comprising a sealing strip of closed ring-form made of relatively soft shaped sealing material in which is embedded a relatively rigid continuous metal insert defining a locking formation on and running along the inner periphery of the ring, the inner peripheral size of the locking formation being sized to match a mating locking formation on the peripheral surface of the door, the inner periphery of the locking formation of the strip and the outer periphery of the door being such that the sealing strip and its insert have to be stretched slightly until the locking formation on the strip engages and interlocks with the mating locking formation on the door so as to hold the sealing strip in position.

According to the invention, there is still further provided a method of sealing around an opening in a 5:

1 3 motor vehicle body closable by a door, in which a sealing strip of closed ring-form is produced from relatively soft shaped sealing material in which is embedded a relatively rigid continuous metal insert defining a locking formation on and running along the inner periphery of the ring, the inner peripheral size of the locking formation being sized to match a mating jocking formation on the peripheral surface of the door, and in which the ring is placed on the periphery of the door from the inside surface thereof, the inner periphery of the locking formation of the strip and the outer periphery of the door being such that the sealing strip and its insert have to be stretched slightly until the locking formation on the strip engages and interlocks with the mating locking formation on the door so as to hold the sealing strip in position.

Sealing strips embodying the invention and for use in motor vehicle body construction, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings In which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a door for a vehicle; and Figure 2 is a section on the line II-II of Figure 1.

i 4 As shown in Figure 1, a front door 4 for a motor vehicle is illustrated. This is made up, in the normal way, from front and rear pressings 5 and 6 (see Figure 2 also) which are welded together by means of a flanged joint 8 which runs around the periphery of the door.

As shown in Figure 2, the door carries a sealing strip 10. This is made from extruded plastics or rubber material and extends longitudinally around the complete periphery of the door to form a closed "ring". As shown in Figure 2, the sealing strip in this example is extruded to take the form of a generally tubular part 12 having lips 14 and 16 and a base 18. It is not necessary for the extruded material to have the same hardness throughout the cross section. For example, the tubular part 12 could be made of sponge or foamed or cellular material while the lips and base could be made of unfoamed material.

As also shown in Figure 2, a relatively rigid insert 20 is embedded within the extruded material. As shown in Figure 2, the insert 20 is of right-angled configuration having a portion extending within the base 18 of the extruded material and an approximately right angled portion extending upwards into the region of the lips 14 and 16. At the corner between the two portions of the 1 t insert, the insert extends into a shoulder 22 formed in the extruded material. The insert 20 is advantageously m. ade of metal such as aluminium. It is preferably solid metal in order to provide the necessary rigidity. However, it could instead be perforated or formed with slits or slots so long as the necessary rigidity is preserved.

Advantageously, the insert 20 is placed in position within the extruded material by a known cross-head extrusion process. The extrusion process produces a longitudinal strip of the cross-section shown in Figure 2 and this is then cut to the necessary length, formed into the required "ring" form and the two ends joined together. This will involve pre-forming the metal insert into the necessary configuration. Mitred corner joints may be formed as necessary.

I?uring assembly of the motor vehicle body, the takes the complete ring and applies it onto from the rear or inside surface of the door assembler the door so as to force it over the rear panel 6 (see Fig. 2) so that the shoulder 22 engages within a shallow channel 24 formed in the peripheral surface of the panel 6. This, together with the rigidity produced by the embedded insert 20, holds the sealing strip firmly in position on 6 the door periphery.

In use, the closing door carries the sealing strip into contact with the door frame 26 surrounding the door opening, the door frame being engaged by the tubular part 12 of the seal which is thus partially compressed to provide a draught and weatherproof seal, this process being aided by the sealing lip 14.

In this way, therefore, a relatively rigid ring-form sealing strip can be produced, sized and configured to fit the shape of the periphery of a vehicle door and can be relatively easily fitted in position by a single operation, the sealing strip then being effectively held in position on the door by a mechanical interlock action. The relative rigidity given to the sealing strip by the embedded insert 20 enables the sealing strip to be more easily handled. The ring-form sealing strips are particularly suitable for fitment to vehicle doors by means of robots.

Other forms of mechanical interlock could be used. For example the shoulder 22 could be arranged to interlock with the heads of pins fixed at intervals in the door periphery 6. Instead, the door could be formed with a ridge instead of the channel 24 and this ridge could 1 V t 11 7 interlock with a channel formed in the base of the strip 10 and strengthened by the insert 20. In each case, the ring-form strip has to be stretched slightly during the fitting operation to enable interlocking to take place.

0189S X 8

Claims

I. A sealing or trimming strip for sealing or trimming around an opening closable by a closure member, comprising shaped relatively soft material having a relatively rigid insert and defining a relatively rigid locking formation on an external surface of the strip, and means providing a mating locking formation for holding the strip in position peripherally of the opening so that the relatively soft material provides the required sealing or trimming function.
2. A strip according to claim 1, in which the strip is in the form of a closed ring for extending around the entire periphery of the opening, the insert and the locking formation of the strip extending likewise.
3. A strip according to claim 1 or 2, in which the mating locking formation is a locking formation on the closure member.'
4. A strip according to any preceding claim, in which the locking formation on the strip. is a protruding shoulder and the mating locking formation is a channel.
5. A strip according to any preceding claim, in which k 1 9 the insert is relatively rigid metal.
6. A srip according to any preceding claim in which the relatively soft material is extruded material and the Insert is embedded within the extruded material by a cross-head extrusion process.
7. A sealing arrangement for an opening closable by a door, comprising longitudinally extending shaped soft sealing material in the form of a complete ring sized to match the periphery of the door opening and containing a relatively rigid insert which defines in the external surface of the strip a locking formation of predetermined shape, this locking formation being sized to mechanically interlock with a mating locking formation in and extending around the periphery of the door whereby the locking formations interlock to hold the strip in position around the periphery of the door so that it moves with the closing door into sealing engagement with the surround of the opening.
8. An arrangement, according to claim 7, in which the periphery of the door defines a surface running around the door and transverse to the general plane of the door, this surface being formed with a channel therein running around the door periphery and constituting the mating locking formation, and in which the soft material defines a base part for seating on the transverse surface of the door adjacent the said channel and a protruding part in which is embedded at least part of the said insert and which is shaped so as to engage within the channel so as to constitute the locking formation of the sealing strip.
9. An arrangement according to claim 8, in which the strip defines a hollow substantially tubular part on and running along and integral with the base and one or more lips integral with the tubular part and engaging a part of the door extending substantially perpendicularly to the said surface.
10. A sealing arrangement for sealing around an opening in a motor vehicle body closable by a door, comprising a sealing strip of closed ring-form made of relatively soft shaped sealing material in which is embedded a relatively rigid continuous metal insert defining a locking formation on and running along the inner periphery of the ring, the inner peripheral size of the locking formation being sized to match a mating locking formation on the peripheral surface of the door, the inner periphery of the locking formation of the strip and the outer periphery of the door being such that the i If
11 sealing strip and its insert have to be stretched slightly until the locking formation on the strip engages and interlocks with the mating locking formation on the door so as to hold the sealing strip in position.

ll. A sealing strip, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
12. A sealing arrangement for sealing around a door closable by an opening, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. A method of sealing around an opening in a motor vehicle body closable by a door, in which a. sealing strip of closed ring-form is produced from relatively soft shaped sealing material in which is embedded a relatively rigid continuous metal insert defining a locking formationon and running along the inner periphery of the ring, the inner peripheral size of the locking formation being sized to match a mating locking formation on the peripheral surface of the door, and in which the ring is placed on the periphery of the door from the inside surface thereof, the inner periphery of the locking formation of the strip and the outer periphery of the door being such that the sealing strip and its insert have to be stretched slightly until the _f X 1 locking formation on the strip engages and interlocks with the mating locking formation on the door so as to hold the sealing strip in position.

4:

1 1
14. A method of fitting a sealing strip around the periphery of an opening in a motor vehicle body which is closable by a door, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

0189S Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66/71 High Holborn, London WCIR 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent. Con. 1/87.