JPH0248220A - Edge guard with nonmetallic body - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve the easiness of mounting and the durability in an edge guard for an automobile door by constituting the edge guard by a nonmetallic body having a curved base part to be fitted onto the protruding end of an object rear edge and a leg part, and an outer layer to be fitted to a recessed part formed on the body outer surface. CONSTITUTION: An edge guard 100 is formed of a nonmetallic body 102 and an outer layer 104. The body 102 is formed of a curved base part 106 and leg parts 108, 110, and the curved base part 106 is fitted onto the protruding end in the rear edge of a door or the like, and the leg parts 108, 110 are engaged with both side surfaces in the rear edge of the door. A recessed part 112 consisting of an undercut 114 extending along the base part 106 from the outsides of the leg parts 108, 110 is formed on the surface of the body 102, and the outer layer 104 is mounted thereto. Thus, the outer layer 104 covers the body outer surface along the base part 106, and the connecting part between the base party 105 and the leg parts 108, 110. According to this structure, the mounting is facilitated, and the durability can be improved.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to edge guards for use on the edges of objects such as automobile doors.

The edge guard that covers the rear edge of the door is not only decorative, but also
It also serves as a protection against other objects when opened.

Applicants have made improvements to non-metallic edge guards. This edge guard has foil for decoration (
Although it may have a foil or film, it is called non-metallic as a whole.

Conventional non-metallic edge guards are difficult to install, especially on contoured edges, and - once installed, may not hold up satisfactorily over the same lifespan as an automobile. Furthermore, it is difficult to fit the non-metallic edge guard in such a way that it does not interfere with the opening in the door frame when the door is closed.

The present invention is directed to new and useful improvements in non-metallic edge guards over conventional non-metallic edge guards. These improvements and satisfactory installation.

It concerns the ability to preserve, decorate and protect.

[Preferred embodiment]

Like numbers refer to like parts in the various drawings.

Edge guard 100 consists of a non-metallic body 102 and a thin outer layer 104 applied to at least the outer surface of the body. The body has a curved base 106 and legs 108, 110 extending on either side thereof to provide an edge guard with a U-shaped or V-shaped cross section that is open to varying degrees. In some figures, the legs are of different lengths, and in other figures they are of the same length.

The body has a recess, generally designated 112, in the outer layer 104.
It is formed to have the same thickness as that. In some embodiments, the recess comprises an undercut 114, in other embodiments a slot 116, and in still other embodiments, a combination of both.

Generally, the undercut 114 extends along the outer substantial portion of at least one of the legs and partially along the base.

The slot is formed in either the inner or outer surface of the body near the outer end of the leg and is at an angle to the length of the leg. Figures 1 to 22 show various patterns of undercuts 11.
4 and slot 116 are shown.

The outer layer 104 occupies the entire area of the recess, and if a slot is formed, the edges of the outer layer are inserted into the slot. Therefore, the outer layer 104 covers the outer surface of the main body along at least a portion of the base and the joints between the base and the legs. The outer layer also maintains the same height as the main body 102 when finished.

The edge guard of this embodiment is of essentially uniform thickness throughout the legs and curved base. However, in other embodiments, the curved base is thinner, such as in the example of FIG. Thin walls tend to fit well, especially when the base extends over 180°, but even if the base is smaller than that in Figure 1, as shown in Figure 22, it is still effective. It is advantageous from this point of view. In some cases, the thickness gradually tapers from the end of the proximal leg to the center of the base.

FIGS. 23 to 26 show an example of the method for manufacturing the edge guard of the present invention. The material P of body 102 is extruded as a flat plastic strip from a conventional plastic extruder 200 with the desired recess geometry. outer layer 1
04 is rolled out from a roll of Mylar M and combined with the main body 102 in a joining process 202. The mating is formed into the desired shape in a forming step 204, for example as shown in FIG. 25 when viewed from the longitudinal end. Preferably, an adhesive is applied to the recesses in the bonding step 208 to help bond the parts together, but while the body is still hot leaving the extruder, the heat and properties of both materials will allow for adequate bonding without the adhesive. can do. The illustrated method is preferred, although not the only method. For example, the body can be extruded directly into the final shape, to which an outer layer can be applied.

Various plastic materials can be used for the body.

However, PvC applications have certain advantages and will be most widely used. They may also be colored as desired, extruded into different cross-sectional shapes and attached with standard accessories, and there are adhesives available.

The outer layer 104 is both decorative and functional.

The outer layer can be of various colors that match or contrast with the color of the body 102. The outer layer is also p
It adds protection characteristics not found in the VC itself. The use of materials such as polyethylene or PVF for the outer layer 104 provides durability and toughness.

FIG. 28 shows an example of the PVF outer layer 104, and FIG. 29 shows an example of Mylar. Mylar is clear and contains a metal foil inside, giving Edge Guard a metallic appearance.

FIG. 30 shows the edge guard 100 attached to the edge of an automobile door 300. When the edge is sharply contoured, the U
It may be desirable to have a shaped or V-shaped notch.

This edge guard has the ability to conform to the edge to which it is attached, but largely lacks self-retention. Therefore, it is preferable to apply adhesive to the inner surfaces of one leg and the curved base to adhere the edge guard to the edge.

FIG. 33 shows a U-shaped embodiment similar to FIG. However, the outer layer 104 only covers the vicinity of the joint between the outer leg and the curved base. The body is formed with an undercut and slot 116 for receiving the outer layer;
The slot is very shallow. In fact, it is not even necessary to profile the extrusion die for the slot. Rather,
While the body is still somewhat hot, it is sufficient to press the ends of the outer layer firmly or make them sticky. Once the body 102 is fully assimilated, the slots 116 thus created can retain the outer layer from peeling off.

Various combinations of heat, pressure, and adhesives can be used to bond outer layer 104 and body 102, as described above. The combination depends primarily on the particular materials of the outer layer and body.

The outer layer 104 is fabricated as a metal foil enclosed within a transparent plastic and placed on the outside of the trailing edge of the vehicle door to provide a metallic appearance. Or,
By placing the other leg 110 on the outside of the edge,
The color of the main body 102 can be seen.

Therefore, one edge guard can be used in a two-color appearance, saving money and providing different presentation effects.

In this embodiment, the leading edge of the rear door may move inward when the door is opened, and this inward movement is accompanied by some forward motion component. If an edge guard such as the embodiment of FIGS. 34-38 is attached to the rear edge of the front door with the legs 108 outward, it will not be struck by the front edge of the rear door when the rear door is opened. The edge guard is specially shaped where the inner leg 110 meets the base 106 to provide clearance for rear door rotation. That is, the code M(
The minimum thickness extends from the area shown in Fig. 34) to the area where it joins the inner leg over an arc of about 45°. Its outer surface is tangent to a small curvature R'. The wall gradually becomes thicker from the midpoint M of the base to the outer leg.

FIG. 36 shows an embodiment of the gap section with a flat chamfer 60 (spanning about 45 degrees), 110 being the inner leg.

Other decorative effects can also be achieved by applying the outer layer 104 to the recess 112, as shown in FIGS. 35 and 37.

FIG. 38 shows an embodiment with symmetrical chamfers 60, 60 on both sides.

39-44 illustrate an example in which the recess 112 begins at the midpoint of the base 106 and covers the outer surface.

Outer layer 104 extends along the outer surface and covers at least a portion of the outer leg.

In Figure 39, the outer surface of the inner leg assumes the color of the body itself. The appearance exhibited by the outer leg is that of the outer layer. The outer legs may be given a metallic appearance as described above.

Because the edge guard of Figure 39 is symmetrical, it can be used on either the right or left door.

Furthermore, by reversing the inner and outer legs, the color of the main body can be shown outside the vehicle.

FIG. 40 has an even different appearance because the outer layer 104 ends short of the outer end of the leg.

FIG. 41 is similar to FIG. 40, except that an outer stopper slot 116 is formed.

FIG. 42 shows an example in which the outer layer 104 is fitted into a recess starting from the midpoint of the base and extending to both legs. This allows the appearance of both sides of the Edge Guard to be different.

Figures 43 and 44 show similar but different embodiments to Figure 42.

The edge guard shown in Figure 45 can have a body formed from any suitable transparent plastic. Adhesive is applied to the inner surface of the inner leg for retention, preferably up to the joint, but the outer leg is free of adhesive.

The adhesive means may be double-sided tape made of plastic foam or cloth. When you close a door, what you see is the outside surface. Therefore, although it is painted a specific color, if the outer legs of the edge guard are made transparent, the paint color will not be affected.

It is not common to color the edge guard to contrast with the door, but metallic or chrome colors are sometimes preferred. In particular, there is something called a blackout function.

This is accomplished in the embodiment of FIG. 45 by covering the adhesive-containing inner leg and half of the curved base with an outer layer 104.

If you want to show the paint color of the door, just put the legs 108 on the outside. If you want a blackout, just do the opposite.

Although specific embodiments have been described above, it goes without saying that the principles of the present invention are equally applicable to other embodiments.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 22 are end views of various embodiments of the Edge Guard according to the present invention, as viewed from the longitudinal end; FIGS. 23 to 26 are views showing an example of the manufacturing method of the Edge Guard; Figure 27 is a diagram showing one step in the method, Figure 28 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 28-28 in Figure 27,
FIG. 29 is a diagram of a modification of FIG. 28; FIG. 30 is a partial view showing a typical installation example of the edge guard; FIGS. 31 and 32 are diagrams of a modification of the edge guard that facilitates installation. FIGS. 33 to 45 are diagrams showing other embodiments of the edge guard. FIG, 1 FIG, 3 FfG, f3 FIG, 2 FIG, 4 FIG, 14 FIG, 7 FIG, I 1 FIG, 8 FIG, +2 FIG, 22 FIG, 32 FIG, 27 FIG, 28 FIG, 29

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An edge guard that is applied to decorate and protect the trailing edge of an object such as a door, the edge guard comprising a non-metallic body and a curved base that fits over the tip of the trailing edge. , and legs extending from the curved base on both sides to engage both sides of the trailing edge, forming a recess in the surface of the main body, and an outer layer that fits into the recess and is coupled to the main body. an edge guard having a non-metallic body, the outer layer overlying at least a portion of an outer surface of the joint of the curved base and the leg. 2. The edge guard having a non-metallic body according to claim 1, wherein the curved base is thinner than the leg. 3. An edge guard having a non-metallic body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is both an undercut and a slot formed in the body, and an edge of the outer layer is received in the slot. 4. The recess begins at the center of the curved base, and the outer layer extends from the beginning of the recess along the junction with at least one leg, and the outer layer has a different appearance than the other leg. An edge guard having a non-metallic body according to claim 1. 5. The edge guard having a non-metallic body according to claim 4, wherein the appearance of the other leg is that of a non-metallic body. 6. The edge guard having a non-metallic body according to claim 4, wherein the outer layer is made of a transparent non-metallic material enclosing a metal foil. 7. the recess is defined by a ridge in the center of the curved base, and the outer layer extends from one side of the ridge;
including another layer of material in combination with the outer surface of the body;
The other layer of material extends from the other side of the recess along the junction of the curved base and at least the other leg, and the combined effect of the other layer of material and the other leg is such that the outer layer An edge guard having a non-metallic body according to claim 4, which exhibits a different appearance than that of one of the legs. 8. An edge guard having a non-metallic body as claimed in claim 4, wherein the body has a transparent appearance, which is different from the appearance of the outer layer. 9. When viewed from the longitudinal end, the body is essentially symmetrical about an imaginary plane bisecting the curved base, and the outer layer is substantially exactly symmetrical about the outer surface of the curved base, also viewed from the end. and at least substantially all of the outer surface of the leg joining thereto, with half of the outer surface of the curved base and the outer surface of the other leg uncovered. An edge guard having a non-metallic body as described in paragraph. 10. The main body has both legs thicker than the curved base,
2. An edge guard having a non-metallic body as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inward wall thickness of the curved base is less than the outward wall thickness. 11. An edge guard fitted to the rear edge of a pivotable closure for decoration and protection, the non-metallic body having a curved base overlying the rear edge and extending from the base to the rear of the closure. a leg that engages a side surface near an edge, the body being essentially symmetrical about an imaginary plane bisecting the curved base when viewed from the longitudinal end, and harmonically coupled to the body; an outer layer of material covering essentially exactly half of the outer surface of the curved base and at least substantially all of the outer surface of the contiguous leg, as viewed from the longitudinal end; An edge guard having a non-metallic body that does not cover the other half of the outer surface of the curved base and the outer surface of the other leg.