Sealing structure for automobile door

It is an object of the present disclosure to improve installation workability by reducing the risk of installation failures of a belt line sealing member in the case where a vertical glass run and a sealing member are installed separately to a door panel.A belt line sealing member 20 includes a panel insertion groove 24 opening downward. The belt line sealing member 20 includes an end portion provided with a stopper portion 51 reducing the risk of rim portions 111a and 111b of a notch 111 of an inner peripheral flange 109 entering the panel insertion groove 24.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-019580 filed on Feb. 4, 2016, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a sealing structure provided in an automobile door made by press forming, and particularly relates to the field of glass runs and seal structures for belt lines.

For example, Japanese Patent No. 3710030 discloses a so-called press forming door including a window frame and a door body portion both made by press forming. The window frame is for supporting a window glass. The window frame is provided with a glass run including a sealing member, which is in contact with a circumferential portion of the window glass. Further, Japanese Patent No. 3746866 discloses a belt line of a door provided with a sealing member distinct from a glass run. This sealing member is provided in the longitudinal direction of an automobile along the belt line, whereas the glass run is provided vertically along the front rim portion and the rear rim portion of the window glass.

For example, some door panels include a window frame having a cross section the shape of which inflates in transverse direction of the automobile such that the cross-sectional area increases resulting in an increased strength. Such a cross-sectional shape leads to difficulties in drawing during the press forming process. If the window frame has a shape difficult to draw, wrinkling etc. is likely to occur particularly on corners of a flange provided on an inner peripheral side of the window frame. For this reason, in some cases, for example a notch having a shape similar to that in FIG. 3 of Japanese Patent No. 3710030 is provided in a corner of an inner peripheral flange of a window frame. However, this notch might be larger than that disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3710030.

A large notch provided in the corner of the inner peripheral flange of the window frame might cause problems during installation of a sealing member to a belt line as described below. As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3746866, a vertical glass run and a horizontal sealing member of a belt line may be provided as separate members. In this case, for installing the glass run to the door frame, the glass run may have a split structure, i.e., may include a lower portion that sandwiches the door panel laterally in order to enable the glass run to be positioned correctly relative to the door panel. Moreover, a covering plate reaching the region below the level of the belt line of the inner peripheral flange may be provided.

The sealing member of the belt line has a U-shaped cross section into which the inner peripheral flange of the window frame is inserted, and this inner peripheral flange includes a corner provided with the above-described notch. Therefore, during the installation of the sealing member of the belt line after the installation of the glass run, an operator might end up pressing an end portion of the sealing member of the belt line further into the notch of the inner peripheral flange than required. As a result, the end portion of the sealing member of the belt line might end up being displaced below the split portion of the glass run. Then, the end portion of the sealing member ends up penetrating the split portion of the glass run when the sealing member inclined downward is installed substantially parallel to the belt line of the inner peripheral flange. That is, there is a risk of improper installation.

In short, the installation workability of the sealing member of the belt line deteriorates if, in consideration of formability during pressing, the corner of the inner peripheral flange of the door frame is provided with a large notch, and the sealing member of the belt line, which is separate from the glass run, is installed after the glass run has been installed.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide improved installation workability by reducing the risk of installation failures of the sealing member of the belt line in the case where the vertical glass run and the sealing member provided on the belt line are installed separately to the door panel.

SUMMARY

A first aspect of the present disclosure is directed toa sealing structure for an automobile door,the automobile door being a door panel comprised of a press-formed article and including a window frame supporting a window glass,the window frame having an inner peripheral side on which an inner peripheral flange is located, andthe inner peripheral flange including a belt line including a corner provided with a notch;the sealing structure comprising:a glass run vertically extending on a vertically extending portion of the inner peripheral flange, anda belt line sealing member provided on the belt line of the inner peripheral flange and extending in a longitudinal direction of an automobile,
whereinthe belt line sealing member includes a longitudinal end,the longitudinal end is in contact with the glass run,the glass run includes a covering plate covering the inner peripheral flange,the covering plate includes a region corresponding to the belt line,the region includes a lower end portion located at least near a rim portion of the notch of the inner peripheral flange,the belt line sealing member is provided with a panel insertion groove into which the belt line of the inner peripheral flange is inserted,the panel insertion groove opens downward,the belt line sealing member includes an end portion near the glass run, andthe end portion near the glass run is provided with a stopper portion, which reduces risk of the rim portion of the notch of the inner peripheral flange entering the panel insertion groove.

As described above, the inner peripheral flange includes the belt line including the corner provided with the notch. This reduces occurrence of wrinkling etc. when a difficult press forming process is employed to increase the cross section shape of the window frame. That is, the design of the cross section shapes of the window frame and the vicinity thereof may be chosen more flexibly.

In a state where the glass run is installed on the door panel, the lower end portion of the covering plate of the glass run is located near the rim portion of the notch of the inner peripheral flange. Thus, the glass run is positioned correctly relative to the door panel. Afterward, during installation of the belt line sealing member to the door panel, the belt line of the inner peripheral flange is inserted into the panel insertion groove. At this time, the end portion of the belt line sealing member is provided with the stopper portion, which reduces the risk of the rim portion of the notch the inner peripheral flange entering the panel insertion groove. This reduces the risk of the end portion of the belt line sealing member being displaced more downward than necessary, i.e., the risk of the end portion entering the glass run. This results in an improved installation workability.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure related to the first aspect of the present disclosure,the belt line sealing member includes an inside wall and an outside wall, each provided vertically,the inside wall and the outside wall sandwich the belt line of the inner peripheral flange in a transverse direction of the automobile, andthe stopper portion bridges the inside wall and the outside wall of the belt line sealing member, andthe inside wall and the outside wall are coupled by the stopper portion.

According to this configuration, the inside wall and the outside wall of the belt line sealing member are coupled by the stopper portion. This reduces the risk of deformation of the inside wall, the outside wall, and the stopper portion as a whole. That is, the stopper portion provides further advantages.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure related to the second aspect of the present disclosure,the belt line sealing member includes an upper wall continuous with an upper portion of the inside wall and an upper portion of the outside wall, andthe stopper portion is integrated with the upper wall.

According to this configuration, the stopper portion is integrated with the upper wall of the belt line sealing member. This reduces the risk of deformation of the stopper portion. That is, the stopper portion provides further advantages.

According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure related to the first aspect of the present disclosure,the notch of the inner peripheral flange includes an inclined rim portion, andthe stopper portion includes a lower end surface inclined in the same direction as the rim portion of the notch.

According to this configuration, it is easy to move the lower end surface of the stopper portion along the rim portion of the notch of the door panel when installing the belt line sealing member.

According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure related to the first aspect of the present disclosure,the belt line sealing member includesa seal portion made of an elastic material and in contact with the window glass, anda core member made of a rigid material harder than the elastic material used for the seal portion, andthe core member is not longitudinally extendable.

According to this configuration, the belt line sealing member includes the core member, which is not extendable and improves the rigidity of the belt line sealing member. This reduces the risk of deformation of the belt line sealing member when the belt line sealing member is installed, thus resulting in an improved installation workability.

According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the end portion of the belt line sealing member is provided with the stopper portion, which reduces the risk of the rim portion of the notch formed in the corner of the inner peripheral flange of the door frame entering the sealing member. This can reduce the risk of installation failures of the sealing member of the belt line in the case where the glass run and the belt line sealing member are installed separately to the door panel, and thus improve installation workability.

According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the inside wall and the outside wall of the belt line sealing member are coupled by the stopper portion. This can reduce the risk of deformation of the inside wall, the outside wall, and the stopper portion as a whole. That is, the stopper portion can provide further advantages.

According to the third aspect of the present disclosure, the stopper portion is integrated with the upper wall of the belt line sealing member. This can reduce the risk of deformation of the stopper portion. That is, the stopper portion can provide further advantages.

According to the fourth aspect the present disclosure, the lower end surface of the stopper portion is inclined. Thus, it is easy to move the lower end surface of the stopper portion along the rim portion of the notch of the door panel when installing the belt line sealing member. This can improve installation workability.

According to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the belt line sealing member includes the seal portion made of an elastic material and the core member made of a rigid material and not being extendable. This can improve installation workability.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The following beneficial embodiment is merely illustrative in nature, and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, applications of the present disclosure, or use of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1is a left side view of an automobile100of the embodiment of the present disclosure. This automobile100has right and left sides, each of which is provided with a front door101and a rear door102. The front door101and the rear door102are automobile doors of the present disclosure, and each includes a front end portion pivotally attached to an automobile body through a hinge (not shown). This embodiment is an application of the present disclosure to the rear door102, but the present disclosure can as well be applied to the front door101. The present disclosure can also be applied to the doors101and102on either side. In the explanation of this embodiment, the front side of the automobile is simply referred to as “front,” and the rear side of the automobile is simply referred to as “rear.”

The rear door102includes a door body103, namely a generally lower half portion of the rear door102, and a window frame104, namely a generally upper half portion. This rear door102is provided with a window glass G which can be raised and lowered. The door body103includes a front end portion attached to the automobile body through the hinge. The door body103accommodates a window regulator (not shown) for raising and lowering the window glass G. When lowered, the window glass G is in an open state and is accommodated in the door body103. The rear door102includes an inner panel (door panel)105(FIGS. 2-7illustrate the inner panel on the right side of the automobile) and an outer panel (door panel)106(FIG. 1illustrates the outer panel on the left side of the automobile). The inner panel105faces the inside of the automobile compartment and is a press-formed article. The outer panel106faces the outside of the automobile compartment and is a press-formed article. The inner panel105and the outer panel106are made of, e.g., a steel sheet, and have a symmetrical shape.

As illustrated inFIG. 1, the window frame104has a frame shape supporting a circumferential portion of the window glass G, and forms an opening108for the window glass. The window frame104includes a front vertical frame bar104a, a rear vertical frame bar104b, and an upper frame bar104c. The front vertical frame bar104aextends vertically in a front part of the rear door102, and has a cross section opening toward the rear side. The rear vertical frame bar104bextends vertically in the rear part of the rear door102, and has cross section opening toward the front side. The front vertical frame bar104aand the rear vertical frame bar104beach include a lower portion, which reaches the inside of the door body103so as to guide the window glass G into the door body103when the same is lowered. The upper frame bar104cextends from an upper end portion of the front vertical frame bar104ato an upper end portion of the rear vertical frame bar104b, and opens toward the lower side. The upper frame bar104cis also included downward toward the rear side in accordance with the shape of the window glass G.

The rear door102includes a belt line107extending along a lower rim portion of the opening108for the window glass. In this embodiment, the belt line107is inclined upward toward the rear side, i.e., inclined downward toward the front side. This is required in terms of automobile design, and alternatively the belt line107may be generally horizontal. As illustrated inFIG. 2, an inner peripheral flange109is provided almost all the way along the circumferential portion of the opening108for the window glass of the inner panel105, i.e., almost all the way along an inner periphery of the window frame104. This inner peripheral flange109includes a lower portion extending longitudinally.

As illustrated inFIG. 2, the inner panel105includes a portion serving as the window frame104and a portion serving as the door body103both of which are integrated by press forming. This inner panel105has a portion including the upper half portion, namely the window frame104. This portion is provided with a frame inflating portion104dinflating toward the inside of the automobile compartment. The inner panel105has a portion including the belt line107. Below this portion, a belt line inflating portion107ainflating toward the inside of the automobile compartment is formed. The belt line inflating portion107aextends longitudinally. A front portion of the belt line inflating portion107ais continuous with a front portion of the frame inflating portion104d, and a rear portion of the belt line inflating portion107ais continuous with a rear portion of the frame inflating portion104d. This allows a cross section of a circumferential portion of the window frame104to expand in the transverse direction of the automobile compartment, which increases the strength of the window frame104.

Front and rear corners of the belt line107are located below the inner peripheral flange109. The front corner is provided with a front notch111, and the rear corner is provided with a rear side notch112. The front notch111and the rear side notch112are provided for the following reason. The frame inflating portion104dand the belt line inflating portion107astrongly inflating during their formation, makes the window frame104and its surroundings difficult to draw. Then, during the press forming process, wrinkling etc. is likely to occur on corners, such as the two corners below the inner peripheral flange109, which have a moderate curvature. This problem increases the risk of forming failures. Here, providing the front notch111and the rear side notch112on the inner peripheral flange109allows for performing the press forming process without the portions where wrinkling etc. is likely to occur. This reduces the risk of forming failures. In this embodiment, the risk of forming failures may be reduced even if the front notch111and the rear side notch112are large and thus difficult to draw.

As illustrated inFIG. 3, the front notch111includes a rear side rim portion111ainclined downward toward the front side. A front rim portion111bis continuous with a front portion of the rear side rim portion111aand substantially arc-shaped.

As illustrated inFIGS. 4-7, a front glass run10is provided vertically on and along a vertical front portion of the inner peripheral flange109. As illustrated inFIG. 6, a rear glass run30is provided vertically at a predetermined distance rearward from the front glass run10. As illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 7, a belt line sealing member20is provided longitudinally on the belt line107of the inner peripheral flange109.

As illustrated inFIG. 10, a door trim120can be attached to the inner panel105from the inside of the automobile compartment. The door trim120includes an upper portion having an outer surface facing the outside of the automobile compartment. An attaching portion121protruding toward the outside of the automobile compartment is provided on this outer surface.

Next, the front glass run10will be described. The front glass run10is provided to seal a gap between a front rim portion of the window glass G and the front vertical frame bar104aof the window frame104, and is made of an elastic material. This elastic material is, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer such as a thermoplastic styrene elastomer (TPS) or a thermoplastic olefin elastomer (TPO), or rubber such as ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber.

As illustrated inFIG. 8, the front glass run10includes an outside wall11, an inside wall12, and a coupling wall13. Inside the front vertical frame bar104a, the outside wall11faces the outside of the automobile compartment. The inside wall12faces the inside of the automobile compartment. The coupling wall13couples the outside wall11and the inside wall12. The outside wall11and the inside wall12extend along an inner surface of the front vertical frame bar104a. The outside wall11includes a tip end portion, i.e., a rear end portion, provided with a pair of outer seal lips11aand11ain sliding contact with an outer surface of the window glass G facing the outside of the automobile compartment. The inside wall12includes an outer surface facing the outside of the automobile compartment. This outer surface is provided with an inner seal lip12ain sliding contact with an inner surface of the window glass G facing the inside of the automobile compartment. The inside wall12includes a tip end portion, i.e., a rear end portion, provided with a covering plate14. The covering plate14is bent to cover the inner peripheral flange109and extends frontward. The front glass run10includes a region including the covering plate14. The horizontal cross section of this portion opens toward the front side, and is substantially U-shaped.

As illustrated inFIG. 5, the front glass run10includes a region which splits in the transverse direction of the automobile in accordance with the belt line107such that the front glass run10sandwiches the front rim portion111bof the front notch111of the inner peripheral flange109. In other words, an inside part10aof the split portion of the front glass run10is positioned closer to the inside of the automobile compartment with respect to the inner peripheral flange109, and an outside portion10bof the split portion of the front glass run10is positioned closer to the outside of the automobile compartment with respect to the inner peripheral flange109. Thus, the front glass run10can also seal a portion below the front rim portion111bof the front notch111. Further, the front glass run10can be reliably positioned on the inner peripheral flange109.

In this embodiment, the inside part10aof the front glass run10is shorter than the outside portion10b, and specifically reaches an upper portion of the belt line inflating portion107a. The inside part10aof the front glass run10also includes a lower rim portion10cwhich is inclined upward toward the front side. The shape of the lower rim portion of the inside part10aof the front glass run10may be substantially horizontal and is not limited to the inclined shape. As the front glass run10splits into the inside part10aand the outside portion10b, the front glass run10may include a slit10d(illustrated inFIG. 5).

The cross sectional shape of the rear glass run30differs from that of the front glass run10in that it opens toward the front side, but is basically the same as that of the front glass run10. The rear glass run30is also installed on a support member31extending vertically as illustrated inFIG. 6.

(Belt Line Sealing Member Configuration)

Next, the belt line sealing member20will be described. As illustrated inFIG. 6, the belt line sealing member20is disposed along the belt line inflating portion107aextending between the front glass run10and the rear glass run30, and specifically is inclined upward toward the rear side. As illustrated inFIGS. 9 and 10, the belt line sealing member20includes an inside wall21, an outside wall22, and an upper wall23. The inside wall21is located closer to the inside of the automobile compartment with respect to the inner peripheral flange109. The outside wall22is located closer to the outside of the automobile compartment with respect to the inner peripheral flange109. Both the inside wall21and the outside wall22extend vertically. The lower end portion of the inside wall21is located below that of the outside wall22. The upper wall23is continuous with the upper portions of the inside wall21and the outside wall22.

The gap between the lower portion of the inside wall21and the lower portion of the outside wall22opens downward. Accordingly, the belt line sealing member20includes a panel insertion groove24opening downward into which the inner peripheral flange109is inserted. This panel insertion groove24is formed in the longitudinal direction between the front end and the rear end of the belt line sealing member20. The inner peripheral flange109is gently inclined upward toward the inside of the automobile compartment.

The inside wall21includes an outer surface facing the outside of the automobile compartment. This outer surface is provided with a pair of inside stopping lips21aand21aextending longitudinally and spaced vertically. The outside wall22includes an inner surface facing the inside of the automobile compartment. This inner surface is provided with a pair of outside stopping lips22aand22aextending longitudinally and spaced vertically. The inner peripheral flange109inserted into the gap between the inside wall21and the outside wall22, i.e., into the panel insertion groove24, is elastically linked to and stopped by the inside stopping lips21aand21aand the outside stopping lips22aand22a.

The inside wall21includes an inner surface facing the inside of the automobile compartment. This inner surface is provided with an upper engaging portion21band a lower engaging portion21c, which engage with the attaching portion121, provided on an upper portion of the door trim120. The attaching portion121of the door trim120is sandwiched vertically by the upper engaging portion21band the lower engaging portion21c.

The outside wall22includes an outer surface facing toward the outside of the automobile compartment. This outer surface is provided with an upper seal lip22band a lower seal lip22cprotruding toward the outside of the automobile compartment. The upper seal lip22band the lower seal lip22care the seal portions of the present disclosure, and are made of the same elastic material as the glass run10. The protruding ends of the upper seal lip22band the lower seal lip22care in contact with the inner surface of the window glass G facing the inside of the automobile compartment such that the automobile is reliably sealed.

As illustrated inFIG. 11, the belt line sealing member20includes a front portion and a rear portion referred to as molded portions A and B, respectively, made with a mold (not shown) which can open and close. A portion between the molded portions A and B is referred to as an extruded portion C made by extrusion molding and having a substantially uniform cross section in the longitudinal direction between the front end and the rear end thereof. In other words, as illustrated in the same figure, the portion between a front border line L1and a rear border line L2is the extruded portion C, the portion in front of the front border line L1is the front molded portion A, and the portion behind the rear border line L2is the rear molded portion B. As illustrated inFIGS. 9 and 10, the extruded portion C includes a core member29made of a rigid material harder than the elastic material (e.g., TPE such as TPS and TPO, or rubber such as EPDM, each having a JIS A hardness of 60-80 degrees) used for the upper seal lip22band the lower seal lip22c. The core member29has, for example, a U-shaped cross section, and is embedded in the inside wall21, the upper wall23, and the outside wall22of the belt line sealing member20. The core member29may be made of hard material such as aluminum alloy, steel, stainless steel, or hard resin (e.g., resin mixed with talc or glass fiber). The core member29is continuous in the longitudinal direction without segmentation, and has a strength keeping it from changing dimensions when pulled by the operator during installation, i.e., the core member29is not extendable in the longitudinal direction. In contrast, the front molded portion A and the rear molded portion B are made of an elastic material.

As illustrated inFIG. 11, the rear molded portion B includes an upper portion provided with a rear seal lip shaped portion40, which is in contact with an outer surface of the rear glass run30and protrudes upward. The rear seal lip shaped portion40is formed in a substantial U-shape opening rearward in top view and allowing the rear glass run30to be inserted into the U-shape. The rear seal lip shaped portion40is inclined upward toward the rear side. When the belt line sealing member20is in a normal installation state, the rear seal lip shaped portion40is in contact with and elastically deformed by the outer surface of the rear glass run30so as to be in close contact with this outer surface.

The front molded portion A includes an upper portion provided with a front seal lip shaped portion50, which is in contact with an outer surface of the front glass run10and protrudes upward. The front seal lip shaped portion50also protrudes frontward. The front seal lip shaped portion50has a substantial U-shape opening frontward in top view and allowing the front glass run10to be inserted into the U-shape. The front seal lip shaped portion50is also inclined upward toward the front side. When the belt line sealing member20is in a normal installation state, the front seal lip shaped portion50is in contact with and elastically deformed by the outer surface of the front glass run10so as to be in close contact with that outer surface.

As illustrated inFIGS. 12 and 13, the belt line sealing member20includes an end portion near the front glass run10. This end portion, i.e., the front molded portion A, is provided with a stopper portion51, which prevents the rear side rim portion111aand the front rim portion111bof the front notch111on the inner peripheral flange109from entering the panel insertion groove24.

The stopper portion51bridges the front portion of the inside wall21and the front portion of the outside wall22of the belt line sealing member20. The inside wall21and the outside wall22are coupled by the stopper portion51. The stopper portion51also reaches the upper portion of the belt line sealing member20, and is integrated with the upper wall23. Accordingly, the front portion of the panel insertion groove24is blocked by the stopper portion51. Note that, the stopper portion51may as well not be integrated with the upper wall23. In this case, the stopper portion51bridges the gap between around the lower end portion of the inside wall21and around the lower end portion of the outside wall22.

The stopper portion51includes a lower end surface51ainclined upward toward the outer side of the longitudinal direction of the belt line sealing member20(inclined upward toward the front side in this embodiment). The lower end surface51aof the stopper portion51is inclined upward in the same direction as the front rim portion111bof the front notch111of the inner peripheral flange109. The angle of the lower end surface51aof the stopper portion51may be different from or may be the same as that of the front rim portion111bof the front notch111. The lower end surface51aof the stopper portion51may also be a horizontal surface.

The front molded portion A includes a surface facing the outside of the automobile compartment. This surface is provided with a block portion52. The block portion52is provided horizontally along the front end portion of the outside wall22. When viewed from the front of the belt line sealing member20, at least a part of the block portion52overlaps with the front end portion of the outside wall22. Accordingly, when pressure is applied to the block portion52from front to rear, the block portion52is supported by the outside wall22. This reduces deformation and displacement of the block portion52.

The block portion52protrudes further toward the front side than the stopper portion51. The block portion52is longitudinally thicker than the stopper portion51. The block portion52includes a front surface, which extends vertically. This front surface is referred to as an abutting surface52aand abuts the outer surface of the front glass run10. The abutting surface52ain the transverse direction of the automobile is longer than the outside wall22is thick (the dimension of the outside wall22in the transverse direction of the automobile). This allows the abutting surface52ato securely abut the front glass run10allowing some installation tolerance. The thick block portion52also enhances rigidity near the front portion of the belt line sealing member20. Thus, as described later, when the block portion52is abutted against the front glass run10, it hardly deforms, and can be precisely positioned.

During the installation of the belt line sealing member20, the abutting surface52aof the block portion52is abutted against the rear side of the outer surface of the front glass run10so that the belt line sealing member20is correctly positioned longitudinally. Specifically, the longitudinal position of the abutting surface52aof the block portion52(the extent of protrusion of the block portion52toward the front side) is determined such that the belt line sealing member20is in the normal installation position in a state where the abutting surface52aabuts the outer surface of the front glass run10. In this embodiment, the front seal lip shaped portion50is elastically linked to the outer surface of the front glass run10, and the rear seal lip shaped portion40is elastically linked to the outer surface of the rear glass run30. That is, the abutting surface52aof the block portion52abuts the front glass run10such that the belt line sealing member20is longitudinally located in the normal installation position. In short, the abutting surface52aof the block portion52serves as an abutting portion for assigning an installation position.

In this embodiment, the block portion52abuts the front glass run10such that the belt line sealing member20is located in the installation position. Alternatively, for example, the block portion and the abutting surface may be provided on a rear end portion of the belt line sealing member20so that the abutting surface abuts the front side of the rear glass run30(not shown). This allows the belt line sealing member20to be located in the normal installation position.

(Installation Procedure of Glass Run and Belt Line Sealing Member)

In the following, the installation procedure of the front glass run10, the rear glass run30, and the belt line sealing member20to the right side rear door102will be described. First, the front glass run10and the rear glass run30are mounted to the right side rear door102. More specifically, as illustrated inFIG. 8, the outside wall11, the inside wall12, and the coupling wall13of the front glass run10are pushed into the front vertical frame bar104aof the window frame104, and the inner peripheral flange109is covered with the covering plate14. Then, as illustrated inFIG. 5, the inside part10aof the front glass run10is located inside the automobile compartment with respect to the inner peripheral flange109, and the outside portion10bof the front glass run10is located outside the automobile compartment with respect to the inner peripheral flange109. Basically, the rear glass run30can be installed in the same manner as the front glass run10.

After the installation of the front glass run10and the rear glass run30to the right side rear door102, the belt line sealing member20is installed. In this stage, the belt line107on the inner peripheral flange109is inserted into the panel insertion groove24of the belt line sealing member20. However, as described above, the belt line sealing member20is slightly longer than the gap between the front glass run10and the rear glass run30. Therefore, the belt line sealing member20is installed at an angle steeper than that after the installation. For example, if the belt line sealing member20includes a front end portion below the rear end portion, the front notch111is formed in the front portion of the belt line107on the inner peripheral flange109. Thus, this front end portion is more likely to be displaced downward than at a locations where no front notch111is formed. In this embodiment, the front end portion of the belt line sealing member20is provided with the stopper portion51, which reduces the risk of the rear side rim portion111aand the front rim portion111bof the front notch111on the inner peripheral flange109entering the panel insertion groove24. This prevents the front end portion of the belt line sealing member20from being displaced more downward than necessary. Specifically, the level of the front seal lip shaped portion50of the belt line sealing member20during the installation process is determined by adding the distance between the lower end portion of the stopper portion51and the upper end portion of the upper wall23to the level of the upper end portion of the front notch111. Thus, the front seal lip shaped portion50is located higher than the lower end of the slit10d. Consequently, the front seal lip shaped portion50of the belt line sealing member20does not enter the slit10d, which is the gap between the inside part10aand the outside portion10bwhich form the split portion of the front glass run10. This results in improved installation workability. Improved installation workability of the belt line sealing member20can be obtained even if, as shown in a modified example inFIG. 14, the front glass run10is provided with a small slit10dor without the slit10dsuch that the lower end portion of the inside part10ais located around the upper end portion of the front notch111.

In addition, the abutting surface52aof the block portion52of the belt line sealing member20is abutted against the back of the outer surface of the front glass run10. Accordingly, the belt line sealing member20is correctly positioned longitudinally.

Moreover, during the installation of the belt line sealing member20, the lower end surface51aof the stopper portion51is inclined in the same direction as the rear side rim portion111aof the front notch111. Thus, by moving the lower end surface51aof the stopper portion51along and substantially parallel with the rear side rim portion111aof the front notch111, the belt line sealing member20can be easily installed.

Then, the rear side of the belt line sealing member20is moved downward and the inner peripheral flange109is inserted into the panel insertion groove24of the belt line sealing member20, in order to position the belt line sealing member20in the normal installation state.

As described above, in this embodiment, the front end portion of the belt line sealing member20is provided with the stopper portion51, which prevents the risk of the rim portions111aand111bof the front notch111provided in the corner of the inner peripheral flange109entering the belt line sealing member20. This reduces the risk of installation failures of the belt line sealing member20, and results in an improved installation workability.

The inside wall21and the outside wall22of the belt line sealing member20can be coupled together by the stopper portion51. This reduces the risk of deformation of the inside wall21, the outside wall22, and the stopper portion51as a whole. Moreover, the stopper portion51is integrated with the upper wall23of the belt line sealing member20. This also reduces the risk of deformation of the stopper portion51. That is, the stopper portion51provides further advantages.

As another embodiment, the block portion52of the belt line sealing member20can be omitted (not shown in the figures).

The above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in any aspects, and should not be construed restrictively. Any modifications and changes falling within the scope of equivalence of the appended claims are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

As described above, the sealing structure for the automobile door according to the present disclosure is applicable, e.g., when separately installing a glass run and a belt line sealing member to a door provided on a side portion of an automobile.