CHANNEL-SHAPED SEALING AND GUIDING STRIPS

Abstract: A window sealing and guiding channel arrangement has a plastics, outer, channel 12 which is shaped to be located and held within a rigid metal support 10 in a vehicle body. The plastics channel 12 incorporates metal reinforcement 26 which stiffens the plastics channel to help it to be held more securely within the support 10. The metal carrier 26 is preferably of a form which resists shrinkage and stretching of the arrangement. The plastics channel is provided with sealing and gripping lips 16, 18 and its side walls have bent-over portions to define slots 23, 24. Inside the plastics channel is adhesively or otherwise secured a rubber channel 14 in which the window glass is guided. To aid this process, the rubber channel 14 has flocked sealing lips 44 and 46.

Description: CHANNEL-SHAPED SEALING AND GUIDING STRIPS The invention relates to channel-shaped sealing and guiding strips. For example, embodiments of the invention may be used as window sealing and guiding channels in motor vehicle bodies. According to the invention, there is provided a channel-shaped sealing and guiding strip comprising a first, outer, channel made of flexible material and into which is fitted a second, inner, channel made of flexible material. According to the invention, there is also. provided a window sealing and guiding channel arrangement, comprising an outer channel made of plastics material and in which is completely embedded metal carrier means, and an inner channel made of rubber material and fitted and located within the outer channel so as to provide a sealing and guiding surface for the window glass. Window channel arrangements embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective sectional view of one of the window channel arrangements mounted in a support channel in a vehicle body; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view to an enlarged scale, of the window channel arrangement of Figure 1; and Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views of metal reinforcements or carriers which may be incorporated in the window channel arrangements. The arrangements now to be more specifically described are for use in motor vehicle body construction, such as for sealing and guiding the movable window glass in a motor vehicle body door. As shown in Figs.l and 2, the window channel arrangement is mounted in position in the motor vehicle body door by being inserted in a rigid metal support 10. As shown in Fig.l, the support 10 comprises inner and outer portions lOA and lOB. The outwardly-facing side of the outer portion lOB is covered by a trim strip lOC. The window channel arrangement has two channel-shaped parts, an outerwchannel 12 made of plastics material and an inner channel 14 made of rubber material, see Fig.2 particularly. The plastics channel 12has gripping lips 16 and 18 running along the outside of the-opposite side walls of the channel. Each of these lips is made of plastics material and is integral with the remainder of the channel 12, and is located adjacent a respective longitudinal recess 20, 22. The regions 12A, 12B of the side walls of the channel 12, adjacent its mouth, are bent over, and then back along the outsides of the side walls, so as to provide l##ongitudinally extending slots 23,#24. The plastics channel 12 contains a metal reinforcing carrier 26. Any suitable form may be used for the metal carrier 26, It may, for example, comprise a series of U-shaped metal reinforcing elements arranged side-by-side to define a channel and connected together by flexible connecting links, or possibly not connected to each other. Instead, however, the metal carrier 26 could be made of wire looped back and forth across the carrier. The general purpose of the carrier is to provide stiffening and reinforcement for the plastics channel 12 and to enable it to be more securely held within the metal support 10. However, other purposes of the metal carrier will be discussed below. Figure 3 shows one particular form which the carrier 10 can take. As shown, the carrier here comprises a series of transverse U-shaped elements 28 which are joined together by connecting links 32. Figure 4 shows another form which the metal carrier 10 may take. Here it is shown as comprising a series of U-shaped elements 33 which are connected together by connecting links 34 which are inclined to the longitudinal axis of the carrier. In addition, a flexible tape or thread 42 may run along the length of the carrier. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the metal carrier 10 is completely embedded within the plastics material of the plastics channel 12, and this embedding process will also embed the plastics tape 42 in the case of the carrier shown in Figure 4. The embedding process may be carried out by extrusion using a cross-head extruder. The rubber channel 14 is considerable thinner (e.g.l.5 mm thick) than the plastics channel 12 and does not contain any metal reinforcement. As shown, it is provided with integral inwardly directed sealing lips 44, 46 running along the length of the channel on the inside facing side walls thereof. The outer surfaces of the lips 44, 46, as well as the inside of the base of the rubber channel 14, are covered with flock 47. The rubber channel 14 may be held in position inside the plastics channel 12 in any suitable way. For example, it may be adhesively secured therein, either continuously along their mutual lengths or at intervals therealong. Instead} however, the rubber channel could be held in position by being located in an appropriately shaped recess running along the inside of the channel 12. I¯hen the window channel arrangement is fitted in position within the metal support 10, as shown in Figure 1, the side walls lOC and 19D of the inner portion 1OA.:fit into the slots 23 24 defined by the bent-over outer portions of the walls of the plastic channel, so as to be a snug fit. In addition, the gripping lips 16, 18 provide a tight frictional grip on the insides of the walls lOC, lOD and are partially pressed into the recesses 20, 22 in the outsides of the walls of the plastic channel. In this way, the window channel arrangement is held securely in position. The rubber channel 14 is thus appropriately positioned for sealing and guiding the window glass 48 and the sealing and guiding lips 44, 46 press against the sides of the window glass to provide an effective seal against draughts and moisture. The use of the metal carrier 26 within the plastics channel 12 is advantageous because it stiffens the plastics channel and holds it more securely within the metal support 10. In addition, however, it helps to provide dimensional stability for the window channel arrangement in the longitudinal direction. This is particularly so if the metal carrier takes the form shown. in either Figure 3 or Figure 4, where the connecting links 32 and 34 effectively prevent shrinkage of the window channel, which might otherwise take place in response to temperature changes and ageing effects. Stretching of the window channel is prevented by the connecting links 32, of the metal carrier of Figure 3, and by the tape 42 in the metal carrier of Figure 4. The metal carrier of Figure 4 does have the advantage, however, that it is possible for it to be compressed slightly, and this may be useful where small adjustments of its length are necessary during the process of fitting it into the support 10. In practice, vehicle doors for which the window channel arrangement may be constructed may have one or more sharp corners around the window opening, and the window channel arrangement may be pre-formed with a mitred join or joins positioned and shaped to match such a corner or corners, as shown at X in Fig.l With such a pre-formed type of construction, it is. particularly desirable that the arrangement should be dimensionalLy stable and accurate so that it correctly fits the window frame and support 10 for which it is designed. The dimensional stability provided by the metal carrier 26 is particularly advantageous here. Furthermore, the form of carrier shown in Figure 4 is advantageous because its limited compressibility allows some dimensional adjustment to suit tolerances. The use of a dual form of construction, employing both plastics and rubber channels, is advantageous for a number of reasons. The rubber channel 14 is very simple in design, much simpler than it would be'if the whole window channel arrangement were made of rubber, and it can thus be manufactured by an extrusion process employing a very simple die (or a multiple die extruding more than one rubber channel simultaneously). The use of a plastics outer channel 12 is advantageous because the plastics material can be easily extruded around the metal carrier 26, can be arranged to be coloured if desired for the purposes of improving appearance, and can easily be arranged to carry a trim strip, such as a bright strip of metallised material. Furthermore, there are advantages where a pre-formed construction is used, as described above, involving one or more mitred corners X, Fig.l. It is much easier to form such mitred corners in a plastics channel than in a rubber channel, because the plastics channel can be mitre-cut and the two portions joined together by a simple welding operation as at 50 in Fig.l. 1.If a mitred join is required between two portions of rubber channel, a much more complex vulcanising operation is necesssary, normally involving the use of expensive moulds. With the form of window channel arrangement illustrated, it is only necessary to provide a mitre join (at 50, Fig.l) in the plastics channel 12; at the resultant corner, the rubber channel 14 can be simply cut through, so as to provide two portions meeting at the corner, though actually separate; the gap between such portions is not of course a disadvantage because the joined plastics channel supporting them provides a continuous weather seal. The metal carrier 26 has the additional advantage that it reduces the possibility, which can occur with an unreinforced window channel, that the window channel becomes distorted and displaced by pressure exerted on it from the window glass when the latter is moved into its closed position.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A channel-shaped sealing and guiding strip comprising a first, outer, channel made of flexible material and into which is fitted a second, inner, channel made of flexible material. 2. A strip according to claim 1, in which the outer channel is made of plastics material and the inner channel is made of rubber. 3. A strip according to claim 1 or 2, in which the outer channel includes reinforcing carrier means, such as made of metal. 4. A strip according to claim 3, in which the carrier is of a type which resists changes the longitudinal direction of the outer channel. 5. A strip according to any preceding claim, in which the inner channel is secured within the outer channel by adhesive or by being mechanically located therein. 6. A strip according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the inner channel is secured within the outer channel by being mechanically located therein. 7. A window sealing and guiding channel arrangement, comprising an outer channel made of plastics material and in which is completely embedded metal carrier means, and an inner channel made of rubber material and fitted and located within the outer channel so as to provide a sealing and guiding surface for the window glass. 8. A strip according to claim 7, in which sealing lips are provided running longitudinally along the outside surfaces of the side walls of the plastics channel for sealingly and frictionally engaging a rigid support in which the window channel arrangement is fitted in use. 9. A strip according to claim 8, -in which the lips run alongside recesses of complementary shape in the outside surfaces of the side walls of the plastics channel, so that the lips at least partially enter the recesses when the plastics channel is fitted onto the said rigid support. 10. A strip according to claims 7, 8 or 9, in which the side walls of the plastics channel are extended in curved-over directions so as to have portions running back along the outside surfaces of the side walls of the plastics channel to define therewith respective longitudinal slots for receiving parts of the said rigid support. 11. A strip according to any one of claims 7 to 10, in which the rubber channel is located within the plastics channel by being adhesively secured therein, either continuously along the length of the channels or at intervals therealong. 12. A strip according to any one of claims 7 to 11, in which the rubber channe-l is located within the plastics channel by being fitted within a suitable shaped recess therein. 13. A strip according to any one of claims 7 to 12, in which the rubber channel is provided with sealing and guiding lips running along the length of the facing inside surfaces of its side walls so as to engage the opposite surfaces of a window glass in use. 14. A strip according to claim 13, in which the surfaces of these lips which engage the window glass in use, and/or the inside surface of the base of the rubber channel, are flocked. 15. An assembly of two window channel arrangements, each as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 14, to form a mitred joint, in which the plastics channels of the two arrangements are mitre-cut and joined together by being welded, and in which the rubber channels of the two arrangements substantially meet at the corner but are not joined to each other.

Inventors: GINSTER, HELMUT, KRUSCHWITZ, WERNER
Applicants: DRAFTEX DEVELOPMENT AG.
Application year: 1981
Main classification: E06B7
IPC codes: B60J10