GB2271067A

GB2271067A - Abrasion resistant articles

Info

Publication number: GB2271067A
Application number: GB9217809A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Charles Bickley; Neil Murray
Original assignee: STANDARD PROD Ltd; Silent Channel Products Ltd
Current assignee: STANDARD PROD Ltd; Silent Channel Products Ltd
Priority date: 1992-08-21
Filing date: 1992-08-21
Publication date: 1994-04-06
Also published as: GB9217809D0

Abstract

Articles, for instance a glass run channel, have a surface region provided with a fibrous flock 4, the fibres of the flock being coated with a silicone oil or wax or other low friction coating to reduce friction and to increase the resistance to abrasion of the flock. <IMAGE>

Description

ABRASION RESISTANT ARTICLES This invention relates to abrasion resistant articles, including for instance a channel-shaped glass run channel intended in use to guide and support a moving sheet of glazing material, such as found in the windows of doors of a motor vehicle.

It is well known to use as a guide and support for a sheet of glazing material a channel-shaped glass run channel having two opposing side walls and, extending therebetween, a base. With a view to reducing the friction between the edge regions of the sheet of glazing material and the glass run channel, it is known to provide some of the inward facing regions of the glass run channel, in particular the base, with a layer of fibrous flock. Such flock is secured in place by an adhesive and is applied often electrostatically. The flock takes the form of fine fibres which ease the passage of the sheet of glazing material.

However, under certain applications it is possible for the upward and downward movement of the sheet of glazing material to cause serious abrasion of the flock with the consequent result that the edge of the sheet of glazing material then contacts the material from which the base of the glass run channel is formed, with a consequent increase in resistance to the movement of the sheet of glazing material.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a body having a surface region provided with a fibrous flock, the fibres of the flock being coated with a silicone oil or wax or other low friction coating to reduce friction and to increase the resistance to abrasion of the flock.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a guide intended in use to serve as a guide and support for a movable sheet of glazing material, wherein at least part of the surface of the guide intended to be contacted by the sheet of glazing material is provided with a layer of fibrous flock and wherein the fibres of the flock are coated with a silicone oil or wax or other low friction coating to reduce friction and to increase the resistance to abrasion of the flock.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a channel-shaped glass run channel having two opposing side walls and, extending therebetween, a base, wherein at least the base is provided with a fibrous flock intended in use to reduce friction between a sheet of glazing material and the glass run channel, and wherein the fibres of the flock are coated with a silicone oil or wax or other low friction coating intended in use to reduce further the said friction and also to increase the resistance to abrasion of the flock.

Although it may be more convenient for the silicone material be in the form of an oil, it can also be in the form of a wax.

Not only does the silicone oil or wax which is used to coat the flock enhance the resistance to abrasion of the flock but also, by its very nature, it serves as a water repellant, which thus repels water from the flock and thus reduces the likelihood of icing in low temperature environments.

The flock which is coated with the silicone oil or wax or other low friction coating can be present on all internal surfaces of the channel which are likely to be contacted by the sheet of glazing material.

Alternatively, the flock which is coated with the silicone oil or wax or other low friction coating may be provided only in the region of the base of the glass run channel, in which case other lateral surfaces intended to be contacted by the sheet of glazing material may be provided with a slip coating, which can take the form of a urethane product or a silicone product.

In a channel-shaped member, the lateral components which will contact the internal and external faces of the sheet of glazing material can be the two opposing side walls or any lip or limb which extends from one of the walls towards the other wall. The side walls, base and any ribs, lips or limbs extending therefrom can be formed of any one of the numerous conventional material employed for this purpose, and the flock can be formed from, for instance, a polyester or a polyamide.

With regard to the silicone oil, any of the open chain and cyclic organo-silicon compounds containing -SiR20-groups (where R is aryl or alkyl) can be employed, particularly those which are well known to be oils having a low melting point and conventionally used as lubricants. An example of a suitable silicone oil for coating the fibres of the flock is SF99 as marketed by General Electric Silicones, 1 Platicslaan, P.0. Box 117, 4600 AC Bergen, Op Zoom, The Netherlands.

In addition to, or as an alternative to, the use of silicone oil or wax as the lubricant on the fibres of the flock, there can be employed alternative low friction coatings such as resin-based slipcoats, e.g.

Emralon 392 produced by Acheson Colloids Company, Prince Rock, Plymouth PL4 OSP.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a cross-section through a channel shaped 'glass run channel in accordance with the present invention, in the relaxed condition; and Figure 2 is a cross-section through the same channel member as in Figure 1 but in the configuration in which it is held in place by suitable metallic channel members (not shown) in the frame around the window in the door of a vehicle.

Referring to the drawing, the glass run channel member has a first side wall 1 and an opposing second side wall 2, and extending between the side walls 1 and 2 a base 3. Provided on that face of the base 3 which faces into the channel is a flock 4 constituted by fibres which adhere to the base 3 and which are coated with a silicone oil. The fibres of the flock are held to the base of the channel by an adhesive such as Flocklok G7/69D obtainable from Hughson Chemicals.

There is a region 5 of reduced thickness between the base 3 and the wall 1, and a similar region 6 of reduced thickness of the base 3 and the second side wall 2, which assists the side walls 1 and 2 to be moved into the disposition indicated in Figure 2 (when they are held in place in that arrangement by the metallic components making up an outer metallic channel (not shown, for the sake of clarity).. The first side wall 1 has two projecting ribs 7 and 8 whose purpose is to assist in securing the glass run channel within the outer metal channel, and similarly the second side wall 2 has three ribs 9, 10 and 11 whose purpose is to assist in securing the glass run channel member within the outer metallic channel.

That end region of the first side wall 1 remote from the base 3 is provided with an inwardly directed lip 12 (see Figure 2) intended to abut one face of a sheet of glazing material.

That end region of the second side wall 2 remote from the base 3 is provided with a long limb 13 directed towards the base, intended to abut the opposing face of the sheet of glazing material.

A slip coating (not shown) is applied to the inner face of the first side wall 1 and to that face of the lip 12 which is to contact the sheet of glazing material, and also to that face of the limb 13 which is to contact a sheet of glazing material. The slip coating employed here is Emralon 392.

The side walls 1 and 2 and base 3, as well as the ribs, lips and limbs extending therefrom, are formed of EPMD (a copolymer of ethylene, propylene and a diene monomer).

The fibres of the flock applied to the base 3 are formed of a polyester.

The silicone oil used to coat the oils is SF99.

Surprisingly it was found, during extensive tests in a laboratory, that the resistance to abrasion of the fibres of the flock was significantly increased when the fibres were coated with a silicone oil, and that, even over an extended period, there was no significant reduction in this beneficial effect.

During manufacture of the channel shaped glass run channel member of the present invention the silicone oil was applied to the fibres of the flock by spraying.

Claims

1. A body having a surface region provided with a fibrous flock, the fibres of the flock being coated with a silicone oil or wax or other low friction coating to reduce friction and to increase the resistance to abrasion of the flock.

2. A guide intended in use to serve as a guide and support for a movable sheet of glazing material, wherein at least part of the surface of the guide intended to be contacted by the sheet of glazing material is provided with a layer of fibrous flock and wherein the fibres of the flock are coated with a silicone oil or wax or other low friction coating to reduce friction and to increase the resistance to abrasion of the flock.

3. A channel-shaped glass run channel having two opposing side walls and, extending therebetween, a base, wherein at least the base is provided with a fibrous flock intended in use to reduce friction between a sheet of glazing material and the glass run channel, and wherein the fibres of the flock are coated with a silicone oil or wax or other low friction coating intended in use to reduce further the said friction and also to increase the resistance to abrasion of the flock.

4. A glass run channel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the flock which is coated with the silicone oil or wax or other low friction coating can be present on all internal surfaces of the channel which are likely to be contacted by the sheet of glazing material.

5. A glass run channel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the flock which is coated with the silicone oil or wax or other low friction coating is provided only in the region of the base of the glass run channel, with other lateral surf aces intended to be contacted by the sheet of glazing material optionally being provided with a slip coating.

6. A glass run channel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the slip coating is in the form of a urethane product or a silicone product.

7. An invention as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the flock is formed from a polyester or a polyamide.

8. A glass run channel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.