GB2388866A

GB2388866A - Sealing or guiding arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2388866A
Application number: GB0320186A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bernard Renzo; Nathalie Lepre; Philippe Durand
Original assignee: Gencorp Property Inc
Current assignee: Gencorp Property Inc
Priority date: 1999-06-03
Filing date: 1999-06-03
Publication date: 2003-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 2019-06-03
Also published as: CN1353652A; JP2003502179A; PL352160A1; AU5095300A; GB0320186D0; GB2388866B; MXPA01012300A; EP1181165A1; GB9912930D0; CZ20014138A3; BR0011252A; WO2000076797A1; GB2350640B; GB2350640A

Abstract

A sealing or guiding arrangement such as for a window in a vehicle comprises an elongate channel formed by two longitudinally extending components 24, 26 which are produced simultaneously by injection moulding which also produces a flexible region 48 extending between and integrally connecting the two components 24, 26. Each of the components 24, 26 has a cross section corresponding to part of the channel. The flexible region 48 allows the components 24, 26 to be folded from a configuration during injection moulding in which side walls 30 of the channel are splayed apart and substantially co-planar to a configuration for use in which the side walls 30 of the channel are substantially parallel. The cross sectional shape of each component 24, 26 may vary along its length and each component 24, 26 may be bent or curved to define a bend or curve in the sealing or guiding arrangement. At least one of the components 24, 26 may include a formation which may form a lip 34 along the inside of a wall 30 of the channel. The shape of the lip 34 may vary along its length. One of the components 24, 26 may include a formation 36 on the inside of the base 32 of the channel. The formations 34, 36 may be softer than the rest of the components 24, 26.

Description

SEALING OR GUID - G ARRANGEMENTS

The invention relates to sealing or guiding arrangements. Embodiments of the invention to be described in more detail below, by way of example only, are in the form of window frames and sealing and guiding channels for window glass, all for use in motor vehicle body construction, particularly for mounting in the upper part of vehicle doors. However, sealing or guiding arrangements embodying the invention can be used in many other applications. According to the invention, there is provided a longitudinally extending sealing or guiding arrangement, comprising two components each extending along the length of the arrangement and each forming a respective longitudinal part of the arrangement and in crosssection each having the shape of a respective part of a channel, the two components being produced simultaneously by injection-moulding which also produces a flexible longitudinal region extending between and integrally connecting the two components whereby to permit the two components to be hingedly folded from a configuration during the injection-moulding process in which the side walls of the channel are splayed apart and substantially coplanar to a configuration after the injection-moulding process in which the side walls of the channel are substantially parallel.

Window frames and window glass guiding and sealing channel arrangements embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure I is a side view of a motor vehicle body; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing two components of one of the channel arrangements; Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a perspective view showing part of the two components of Figure 2 when assembled together; Figure 6 is a perspective view showing another part of the two components of Figure 2 when assembled together; Figure 7 corresponds to Figure 2 but shows two components of a modified window channel arrangement;

( Figure 8 is a perspective view of part of the two components of Figure 7 when assembled together; Figure 9 is a cross section through part of another of the channel arrangements during a stage in its manufacture; and Figure 10 corresponds to Figure 9 but shows a later stage in manufacture.

Figure 1 shows a motor vehicle 10 having, in this example, four doors of which two referenced 12 and 14, on one side of the vehicle are visible in the Figure. In the normal way, the upper part of each door forms a window opening 15 which has a frame 16 with a sharp corner 17. A pane 18 of window glass can be raised into the window opening 15 from the lower part 20 of the door to close the window and can be lowered into the lower part of the door to open the window. To facilitate this movement of the window pane and its sealing, the frame 16 includes a sealing and guiding channel.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, the sealing and guiding channel arrangement can be formed as two components 24,26 (Figure 2), each component being generally in the shape of the window frame] 6 and having a cross-section corresponding to part of the sealing and guiding channel, so that the two components 24,26 form the channel when brought together. Preferably, the two components 24,26 are produced by injection- moulding from suitable elastomeric or plastomeric material. Each component

comprises a zone A which, when the components are brought together and mounted on the vehicle door, is aligned with the "A" pillar of the vehicle and then runs along the top of the window opening, and a zone B which is aligned with the ''B" pillar of the vehicle.

Because the components 24 and 26 are produced by injection-moulding, the zones A and B are formed integrally in each component.

Each component 24,26 may be shaped, in cross-section, to match a respective side of the sealing and guiding channel and a part of the base thereof. Such a configuration is shown in the sectional views of Figures 3 and 4 which respectively represent cross-sections of the zones and B of the component 24. It will be appreciated that the cross-sectional shapes of the zones of the component 26 would correspond to, but be the mirrorimages of, the cross-sections shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figures 3 and 4 show that the cross-sectional shape of the component 24 is not the same in each of the zones A and B. and the same is true for the component 26.

Figure 3 shows that, in zone A, the component 24 has a side wall 30, a base part 32 and a lip 34 integrally extending from the channel side wall 30. In addition, the component 24 has a lip 36 extending along the base part 32. The configuration of the corresponding region of component 26 is the same except that it does not have the lip 36.

Figure 4 shows that the component 24 in zone B has the same general configuration as

shown in Figure 3 except that the lip 36 is omitted, and the configuration of the corresponding part of the component 26 is the same.

In addition, injection-moulding more easily enables the cross-sectional shape to be vaned along the length of the channel. Where channel parts are produced by extrusion as explained above, each part will have the same cross-sectional shape along its length. In order to reduce the number of extruded parts, there will be an incentive to use the same cross-sectional shape along a length of the channel when ideally, the cross-sectional shape should be varied along this length.

Furthermore, it may be necessary to have other local modifications to the shape of the channel, such as providing bends or curves or cut-outs or other small variations in shape to match local variations in the shape of the vehicle bodywork or window frame. When extrusion is used to produce the channel, these variations must be carried out by separate postextrusion operations, such as involving cutting or over-moulding or the addition of other parts (including the corner parts mentioned above). Again, these post-extrusion operations are time-consuming and labourintensive and are completely avoided by the use of injection-moulding.

Advantageously, the surfaces of the lips 34,34 and 36, which come into contact with the window glass 18, are covered with flock or other suitable low-friction material. Using a suitable process, the flock can be applied during the injection-moulding operation, such

as by using a flocked tape. Instead, the parts to be covered with flock can be produced separately and then inserted into the mould for incorporation into the components 24,26 during the moulding operation. A further possibility is to produce flocked parts separately which can be attached to the injection-moulded parts after completion of the injection moulding process, such as by mechanically interlocking them with the injection-moulded part or attaching them by glueing or welding.

The two injection-moulded components 24,26 can be secured together to form the complete channel by any suitable method, such as by Clueing, welding, over-moulding, clipping or interlocking.

However, it may not be necessary to secure the two components 24,26 together. For example, where the window frame 16 comprises a rigid metal channel with its channel mouth facing peripherally inward of the window opening, the two components 24,26 can be inserted into the channel of the window frame and fimnly held there by the resilience of the material of the components.

In an important modification, however, a separate rigid window frame 16 is not used.

The functions of the rigid window frame and the sealing and guiding channel are combined. Thus, the two components 24,26 are produced by the injection-moulding process so that the channel side walls 30,30 and the base parts 32,32 are sufficiently strong and rigid to form the window frame, the lips 34 and 36 being more flexible, of

course. When the two components 24,26 are joined together, in any suitable way as discussed above, they forth both the window frame and the sealing and guiding channel.

Advantageously, the two components 24,26, when attached together such as in any of the ways discussed above to form the sealing and guiding channel for the window glass, can be supplied in this forth to the vehicle manufacturer together with the window glass mounted between them and in the channel, the whole being supplied to the vehicle manufacturer as a single unit ready for fitting into the vehicle door. Such a single unit thus replaces several separate units which must be supplied to the vehicle manufacturer using present-day extruded products. These several different components must be delivered and stored separately, accounted for separately, handled separately within the factory, and then assembled together onto the vehicle, thus involving substantial time and labour and thus expense.

Figure 7 shows a modification, in which the components 24,26 respectively include outer and inner waist belts 42 and 44. Waist belt 42 is simultaneously produced with the component 24 during its injectionmoulding process and waist belt 44 is simultaneously produced during the injection-moulding process which produces component 26. Figure 8 shows the cross-sectional shapes of the waist belts 42 and 44' which are integrally connected to the respective components 24,26 so as to leave a gap 46 between them through which the window glass 18 slidably moves. Figure 8 shows that the cross-

sectional shapes of the waist belts 42 and 44 differ significantly from the cross-sectional

shapes of the remainder of the components 24,26. Each has a wall portion 45 and a lip 46. However, there is no difficulty in producing these different cross-sectional shapes by the injection-moulding process. Where sealing and guiding channels are produced by extrusion, it is of course essential to produce the waist belts separately in order to be able to produce the required different shapes. They must then be fitted to the vehicle separately, or joined to the extruded window channel by a difficult and expensive joining operation. Various modifications may be made.

For example, it is not necessary for each of the components 24,26 to be in the form of a respective half-channel - as illustrated in Figures 3 to 7 for example. One component could comprise one channel side wall and the whole of the base of the channel, with the other component simply comprising the other channel side wall. Other configurations are of course possible.

It is also possible to vary the stiffness of the window channel around the periphery of the window opening so that the window glass is held more tightly in some positions than in others. It may be desirable to achieve this requirement in order to control the mode of vibration of the window glass in response to acoustic energy. By stiffening the support of the window glass at predetermined positions around the window frame, the transmission of acoustic energy through the window glass, from outside the vehicle to

l inside the vehicle, can be minimised, as explained in more detail, for example, in European Specification No. 09088G7.

Figure 9 shows a modification, in which the two components 2-,26 are simultaneously produced in the same injection mould. By means of bimaterial injection-moulding, a more flexible hinge part 48 is moulded between the two components 24,26 and not only joins them together but, after removal from the mould, enables the two components to be folded into the required channel shape (Figure 10). Instead, mono-material injection-

moulding can be used, the flexibility of the hinge part being obtained by reducing the thickness of the material in this region. Figures 9 and 10 show the configuration of the components 24,26 along the zone A (see Figure 2), that is, for fitting along the "A" pillar of the vehicle and along the top of the windcw opening. Along the zone B. the lip 36 is omitted, which is easily achieved by the injection-moulding operation.

Although the invention has been described above as a window glass sealing and guiding arrangement, it may also be used in other applications to provide sealing or guiding functions such as, for example, to provide a seal for a door or other opening where a particular cross-sectional shape is required. Such a shape can be provided by injection moulding two components which together provide the required cross-sectional shape. I

Claims

CI,AIMS

1. A longitudinally extending sealing or guiding arrangement, comprising two components each extending along the length of the arrangement and each forming a respective longitudinal part of the arrangement and in cross-section each having the shape of a respective part of a channel, the two components being produced simultaneously by injection-moulding which also produces a flexible longitudinal region extending between and integrally connecting the two components whereby to permit the two components to be hingedly folded from a configuration during the injection-moulding process in which the side walls of the channel are splayed apart and substantially coplanar to a configuration after the injection-moulding process in which the side walls of the channel are substantially parallel.

2. An arrangement according to claim I, in which the cross-sectional shape of the components varies along their lengths so that the two components define a cross-sectional shape for the arrangement which varies along its length.

3. An arrangement according to claim I or 2, in which each of the two components is bent or curved such that they define a bend or curve in the arrangement.

4. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, including longitudinally extending mounting means for receiving the components.

5. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which at least one of the components includes a formation extending at least partway therealong which forms a lip along the channel and mounted on an inside side wall thereof.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, in which the shape of the lip varies along its length.

7. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which at least one of the components includes a formation extending at least partway therealong such that the formation forms an abutment extending along the inside of the channel on its base.

8. An arrangement according to any one of claims 5 to 7, in which the or each formation is softer than the remainder of the components.

9. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the parts of the two components which define the channel are shaped so that the channel follows at least part of the periphery of a window opening and the channel sealingly and guidingly receives a pane of window glass for the opening.

I 0. A sealing and guiding arrangement, substantially as described with reference to Figures 9 and, O of the accompanying drawings.