GB2304772A

GB2304772A - Reinforcing carrier for vehicle seal

Info

Publication number: GB2304772A
Application number: GB9518398A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philippe Sans
Original assignee: Draftex Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Laird Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 1995-09-08
Filing date: 1995-09-08
Publication date: 1997-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 2015-09-08
Also published as: FR2738609B1; GB2304772B; ITFI960206A1; IT1286828B1; FR2738609A1; GB9518398D0

Abstract

A channel-shaped reinforcing metal carrier 20, for a vehicle sealing, trimming or finishing strip, comprises a plurality of U-shaped elements 20A,20B,20C... arranged next to each other so as to define the channel. Each element is connected to an adjacent element by two connecting links, one of which 22 lies in the base of the channel, and the other 24 connects corresponding legs of adjacent elements. The positions of the connecting links alternate along the length of the carrier with each leg of each of the elements is connected to the corresponding leg of the next element in one direction along the length of the channel but not connected to the corresponding leg of the next adjacent element in the opposite direction along the channel. The connecting links 22 in the base of the channel are offset to one side of the centre line of the base of the channel, and each of them is positioned closest to the legs of each pair of adjacent elements which are not connected by one of the other elements.

Description

REINFORCING CARRIERS FOR SEALING, TRIMMING AND FINISHING STRIPS The invention relates to reinforcing carriers for sealing, trimming and finishing strips. Reinforcing carriers embodying the invention, and to be described in more detail below by way of example only, may be of channel-shape and used for reinforcing channel-shaped sealing, trimming and finishing strips such as for sealing, trimming or finishing purposes around openings in motor vehicle bodies.

According to the invention, there is provided a channel-shaped reinforcing metal carrier for a channel-shaped sealing, finishing or trimming strip, comprising a plurality of U-shaped elements arranged next to each other along the length of the channel so as to define the channel, the elements of each pair of adjacent elements being connected to each other by first and second connecting means, each first link lying in the base of the channel and each second link connecting one leg of one of the elements with a corresponding leg of the other element of the pair, each leg of each element being connected to the corresponding leg of the next adjacent element in one direction along the channel by a respective second link but being unconnected to the corresponding leg of the next adjacent element in the opposite direction along the channel, the first connecting links being offset in relation to the centre line along the base of the channel, the first connecting link connecting each pair of adjacent elements being offset in relation to that centre line so as to be closest to the legs of that pair of elements which are not connected by a second connecting link.

Reinforcing carriers embodying the invention, and for reinforcing channel-shaped sealing, trimming and finishing strips used 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 perspective view of a sealing, trimming and finishing strip incorporating one of the carriers; Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the carriers; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the carrier of Figure 2 at a stage during its manufacture.

The door seal shown in Figure 1 comprises a channel-shaped gripping section 10 and a sealing section 12 which, in the form shown in Figure 1, is of hollow tubular form.

The gripping section 10 comprises extruded flexible material 14, such as plastics or rubber material, in which is embedded a reinforcing metal carrier 16 to be described in ore detail below.

As shown in Figure 1, the extruded material 14 provides integral gripping lips 18 which extend inwardly of the channel from the opposite inside side walls.

The gripping lips 18 may be extruded to have the same or a different hardness from the channel-shaped material 14; it may be advantageous for the gripping lips 18 to be made of softer material.

The sealing section 12 is in the form of a hollow tube made of soft flexible material, such as cellular or foamed rubber for example. It may be formed separately from the extruded material 14 and adhesively or otherwise secured to the gripping section afterwards. Instead it may be co-extruded with the material 14.

In use, the seal of Figure 1 is mounted to extend around a door opening in a motor vehicle body. The door opening is defined by a flange where the inner and outer body panels of the vehicle come together at the door opening and are welded together. The flange lies in the general plane of the opening and the gripping section 10 is mounted on it. The gripping lips 18 make frictional contact with the sides of the flange and firmly secure the gripping section 10 in position.

In this way, the sealing section 12 is mounted to extend around the door opening on the outwardly directed face of the flange 20.

Thus, when the door closes, it compresses the sealing section 12 and forms a seal against air, dust, moisture and sound.

Figure 2 shows the form which the carrier 16 takes. It is made of metal and comprises inverted U-shaped elements 20A,20B,20C...

Each element 20A,20B,20C... is joined to the next adjacent element by two connecting links 22,24. Each connecting link 22 lies in the inverted base of the carrier. Each connecting link 24 joins the legs of an adjacent pair of elements 20A,20B,20C...

The positions of the elements 22,24 alternate along the length of the carrier. Thus, considering element 20B, one of its legs is connected to the corresponding leg of element 20A by a connecting link 24, but is not connected to the corresponding leg of element 20C. On the opposite side of the channel, the leg of element 20B is not connected to the corresponding leg of element 20A but is connected, by a respective link 24, to the corresponding leg of element 20C. The inverted base of element 20B is connected to the inverted base of elements 20A and 20C by respective connecting links 22. The connecting link 22 which connects elements 20B and 20A is positioned closest to the legs of those elements which are not connected by a connecting link 24.Similarly, the connecting link 22 connecting the connecting links 20B and 20C is positioned closest to the legs of those elements which are not connected by a link 24.

The carrier 20 may be made from metal such as steel or aluminium.

It is produced from a longitudinal strip of metal. It may be manufactured by a stamping process which stamps slots in the longitudinal strip to produce the form shown in Figure 3. The slotted blank shown in Figure 3 may then be formed into the channel-shape as shown in Figure 2.

Instead, the initial longitudinal strip may be formed with thin slits positioned where the slots are shown in Figure 3, each slit being formed by cutting through the metal but with the edges of the slit substantially in contact with each other. Thereafter, the slitted blank is thinned-down along one or more longitudinally extending paths along the strip, such path or paths being aligned along the strip with a path or paths including unslit portions of the blank. The thinning-down process causes the metal of the strip to expand lengthwise, so as to convert the slits into slots, thus producing a form similar to that shown in Figure 3. The thinning-down process may be carried out by passing the slitted strip through the bight of pairs of appropriately positioned rollers. This use of a thinning-down to produce the carrier is advantageous in that it does not involve stamping out, and thereby wasting, portions of the metal blank.

The metal carrier may be embedded in the extruded plastics or rubber material 14 (Figure 1) using a known form of cross-head extruder. The carrier may be passed into the extruder either before or after it has been converted from the flat form shown in Figure 3 into the channel-shaped form shown in Figure 2.

Claims

1. A channel-shaped reinforcing metal carrier for a channelshaped sealing, finishing or trimming strip, comprising a plurality of U-shaped elements arranged next to each other along the length of the channel so as to define the channel, the elements of each pair of adjacent elements being connected to each other by first and second connecting means, each first link lying in the base of the channel and each second link connecting one leg of one of the elements with a corresponding leg of the other element of the pair, each leg of each element being connected to the corresponding leg of the next adjacent element in one direction along the channel by a respective second link but being unconnected to the corresponding leg of the next adjacent element in the opposite direction along the channel, the first connecting links being offset in relation to the centre line along the base of the channel, the first connecting link connecting each pair of adjacent elements being offset in relation to that centre line so as to be closest to the legs of that pair of elements which are not connected by a second connecting link.

2. A carrier according to claim 1, in which the connecting links are integral with the elements.

3. A sealing, trimming or finishing strip, comprising a reinforcing carrier according to claim 1 or 2 embedded in channel-shaped plastics or rubber material.

4. A strip according to claim 3, including a soft seal running along and attached to the plastics or rubber material on the outside of the channel.

5. A channel-shaped reinforcing metal carrier for a sealing, trimming or finishing strip, substantially as described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.