IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WEATHERSTRIPS

Abstract: Weatherstrip (1) in elastomeric material, "U" shaped, to be applied around the car-window along two columns (6, 7) and an upper horizontal traverse (5). The weatherstrip comprises a central portion (2) and two wings (3, 4), one of these wings (3) being turned (8) towards the inside and spaced from the central portion. Between the extremity (9) of the turned wing (8) and the central portion (2), a block-guide (13) is driven, to which the glass (14) is associated; the block-guide is moving along one of the columns (6). The weatherstrip comprises contrast means to avoid its undermining from the seat when on the block-guide are applied forces F lying on the glass plane and transversally directed to the displacement of the block-guide.

Description: The present invention relates to a weatherstrip in elastomeric material applied around to the car-window provided with slidable glass, more specifically the present invention relates to weatherstrips having surfaces suitable to the sliding of a block-guide to which the glass of a car-window is associated. Weatherstrips in elastomeric material comprising a central portion and two lateral ones which are folding in respect to the central one to determine a structure, substantially "U" shaped insertable in a suitable seat of a chassis for car-window, are already known. Generally the chassis of a door car comprises an upper horizontal traverse laterally delimited by two columns. The known weatherstrip, formed by more extruded components, is inserted and blocked on the chassis through suitable wings able to retain the weatherstrip into corresponding metallic plates. The weatherstrips to which the improvements of the present invention are referred are of the type comprising surfaces having high rigidity, absolutely smooth, employed in combination with a suitable rigid block-guide to which the glass is associated; the block-guide is mounted so that to slide in contact with portions of the weatherstrip inserted along the innermost column of the opening of the car-window. A particular example of the type of the cited weatherstrip is that described in the Italian patent application No.23 871 A/83 of the same Applicant to which test we would refer for any further detail. The weatherstrips surfaces in contact with the block-guide comprise compounds of elastomeric material suitable to determine a smooth surface having low friction coefficient when are involved by the sliding of the block-guide. More specifically the compound in elastomeric material to determine the cited conditions of high slidness for the block-guide comprise lubricating charges, graphite - among the others - and a siccative oil and the hardness of the layers formed by such a compound is higher than 50 Shore D. Hereinafter is briefly mentioned the fact that the weatherstrip now cited as example usually comprises at least two sliding surfaces for the block-guide, a first surface on the central portion of the weatherstrip and a second surface, spaced from the first one, protruding from a side of the weatherstrip. Between the two cited sliding surfaces the movement of the block-guide is guided. Unfortunately, in the cited weatherstrips, the block-guide may be subjected to forces that, although lying on the same plane of the glass, are perpendicularly directed to the advancing direction of the block-guide along a column of the chassis, with the consequent, possible, undermining of the portions of the weatherstrips, having lesser resistance, from the chassis in which they are applied. In fact, for instance, when the glass is slightly up in the opening of the car-window, it may occur that the weight of the driver's arm leaned on the upper edge of the glass, transmits an anomalous push on the block-guide. Such a push transmitted on the angular portion of the weatherstrip, may provoke the undermining of such angular portion from the same chassis and, lastly, the undermining of the glass with the block-guide. Moreover, the cited non-desired forces could be originated by various other causes when, for instance, by the hands are applied on the plane of the glass forces tending to open a car-window for theft purposes or, for instance, for transversal pushes to the glass exerted by the shoulder of a passenger of the vehicle. It is however aim of the present invention a weatherstrip without the cited drawbacks. The object of the present invention is a weatherstrip in elastomeric material comprising a central portion and two lateral ones, folding in respect to the central one to determine a structure substantially "U" shaped in a seat of a chassis for car-window provided with sliding glass, said chassis comprising an upper horizontal traverse and two columns, at least the first of the two lateral portions of the weatherstrip being folded towards the inside parallelly to itself to form an arm of predetermined length, spaced from the central portion, the extremity of said arm and at least an area of the central portion of the weatherstrip forming guide and contact surfaces for the opposed side of a rigid block-guide to which the glass is associated, said block-guide being slidable along one of said columns of the chassis to open and close the car-window, said weatherstrip being characterized by the fact that the angular part of the weatherstrip "U" shaped delimited between the central portion and at least said first lateral portion comprises contrast means to avoid the undermining of the same angular part from the chassis in presence of straddle forces towards the outside that the block-guide exertes on the extremity 9 of the arm 8 of said first lateral portion 3. The present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description given only by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the attached sheets of drawings in which: - figure 1 shows a cross view of a wheatherstrip according to the invention comprising a block-guide to which the glass of a car-window is associated and the contrast means designed to avoid the undermining of the weatherstrip; - figure 2 shows a frontal view of the chassis around to a car-window in which a car weatherstrip is mounted; - figure 3 shows a cross view of a weatherstrip without contrast means shown at figure 1. At figure 1 by 1 is indicated a weatherstrip in elastomeric material comprising a central portion 2 and two lateral portions 3, 4 folded in respect to the central one to determine a structure substantially "U" shaped to be inserted in a seat of a chassis for car-window provided with sliding glass. The chassis which surrounds the opening of the car-window is schematically shown at figure 2 and comprises, in connection with our description, an upper horizontal traverse 5 and two columns 6, 7. The first lateral portion 3 of the weatherstrip 1 is folded towards the inside parallelly to itself having the shape clearly visible in figure to form an arm 8 of a predetermined length whose extremity 9 ends spaced from the central portion 2 of the weatherstrip. The extremity 9 of the arm 8 and a zone 10 of the central portion of the weatherstrip form suitable guide and contact surfaces for the opposite sides 11, 12 of a rigid block-guide 13 to which the glass 14 is associated. In the cited embodiment, the block-guide is mounted to slide along the column 6 of the chassis to open and close the car-window. The block-guide is furtherly guided by a longitudinal rib 15 on the lateral portion 4 of the weatherstrip. In particular the zone 10 designed for the guide of the block-guide comprises, in the embodiment shown at figure 1, a relief 16 and two continuos longitudinal ribs 17 and 18. The guide surfaces 9 and 10 are realized for instance using elastomeric compound comprising self-lubricating charges and in particular graphite and siccative-oil which appear on the surface to form a film able to help the sliding of the block-guide. Moreover, the guide surfaces of the block-guide are realized by an elastomeric compound having high hardness, preferably with a hardness higher than 50 Shore D. The characteristics of the elastomeric material and the hardness of such a material have been described in the Patent Application No 23 871 A/83 of the same Applicant. The weatherstrip comprises in the preferred example shown at figure 1 two zones able to determine the folding capacity of the lateral portions 3 and 4 in respect to the central one 2. The cited folding capacity to help the mounting of the weatherstrip in the seat "U" shaped is realized by two hinges 19 and 20 obtained by elastomeric material having lesser hardness than that forming the remaining portion of the weatherstrip, namely in soft rubber, for instance having hardness from 60 to 70 Shore A. The hinges 19 and 20 are sketched in the figure without dashed lines to show their extension in respect to the lengths unit realized in elastomeric material having greater rigidity. The weatherstrip is provided with fastening means to the seat of the chassis realized by two finishing little wings in soft rubber 21 and 22 and turned towards the outside in respect to the lateral portion so that to comprise the proper metallic structures of the chassis seat. From the opposite sides of the little wings 21 and 22 two edges 23 and 24 are protruding, folded up towards the inside and provided with flocked surfaces suitable to lap the glass in its own displacement into the opening car-window. The other fastening parts from the weatherstrip to the chassis comprise a protuberance 25 in rigid rubber upwardly to the lateral portion 4 and a little wing 27 in soft rubber, protrudring from the lower extremity of the lateral portion 3. The protuberance 25 is disposed on rabbet on a proper step 26 of the chassis and the little wing 27 is engaged with an its own extremity 28 on the rabbet surface 29 of the chassis. The main characteristic of the invention is that of comprising, in the angular part delimited between the central portion 2 and the lateral portion 3, suitable contrast means to avoid the undermining of the same angular part from the chassis in presence of straddle forces F that the block-guide, eventually, exercises on the extremity 9 of the arm 8. The cited contrast means to avoid the undermining of the weatherstrip comprise resistant elements and blocking means of such elements on the weatherstrip. Preferably, the blocking means are in elastomeric material and are extruded contemporaneously to the elastomeric parts of the weatherstrip. In the example at figure 1 the blocking means comprise two continuous profiles 30, 31 in elastomeric material, "C" shaped, one substantially disposed in the middle of the portion 2 of the weatherstrip, the other inside of the lateral portion 3. The resistant element 32 is formed in a preferred embodiment by two slabs 33, 34 substantially perpendicular to one another, realized in rigid material, metallic or plastic. The resistant element 32 is inserted between the profiles "C" shaped 30, 31 before carrying out the mounting of the weatherstrip in the chassis seat. The profiles 30 and 31 are realized in hard elastomeric material, so as the parts of the weatherstrips destined to constitute surfaces having high sliding for the block-guide. Preferably the transversal section of the weatherstrip in the elastomeric parts is constant and the same weatherstrip is a single profile applied both on the columns and on the traverse without solution of continuity. The resistant element 32 appears, on the other hand, applied only along the portion of the weatherstrip associated to the column 6, namely where the block-guide is moving in both direction, subjected to eventual transversal forces F according to the direction shown at figure 1 and 2. The aim of the invention is achieved. To better clarify the invention and the achieved goals, at figure 3 has been illustrated a weatherstrip for car-window in which the main characteristic of the invention has been omitted, that is the contrast means to the undermining forces of the weatherstrip from the chassis. In the same figure 3 has been represented a force F acting on the glass surface in transversal direction to the displacement of the glass and by arrows R have been indicated further forces representing the action of the force "F" on some parts of the weatherstrip. As it can be seen from the same figure, the effect of force F is such as to tend to have the extremity 9 of the arm 8 rotated in direction of the R curvilineal arrow in contact with the surface of a face of the block-guide. Under the effect of the force F the angular part of the weatherstrip delimited by the lateral portion 3 is hindering to its own deformation owing to the presence of fastening means to the chassis, that is for the retaining action exercised by the small wing 28 against the rabbet surface 29 of the chassis and for the bearing of the wing 22 against the seat of the chassis. On the other hand, in presence of force F of a certain entity, the angular part of the weatherstrip, as it has a lesser resistance than the other parts of the weatherstrip doing confer folding characteristics for the insertion of the weatherstrip in the chassis, it will deform itself even more following the R arrow and namely moving hand by hand towards the inside of the U configuration of the seat of the chassis. In these conditions the profile is taken off from the housing seat with the consequent undermining of the glass together with the block-guide. The invention overcomes the cited drawback as, how it can be seen in the example of figure 1, the resistant element 32 maintains unchanged the distance between two whatever points lying in contact with the two plates 33 and 34, so, for instance it forbides any relative approaching between the two extreme points of the angular hinge of the weatherstrip, one on the lateral portion 3, the other on the central portion 2. Substantially, the presence of contrast means determined by the element 32 inserted between the rigid elastomeric profile "C" shaped, 30 and 31, contrasts the deformation of the hinge zone of the weatherstrip. In other words, it can be said that the effect of force F applied to the block-guide is both a straddle couple R on the arm 8 and a compression push S on the central portion 2 of the weatherstrip; the stiffening of the weatherstrip determined by the presence of the resistant element 32 contrasts both the couple R and the push S. Obviously, the contrast action to avoid the undermining of the weatherstrip can be obtained by resistant elements different from those described in the example of figure 2, provided that any whatsoever solution is adopted, the contrast means are able to maintain unchanged the distance between two points of the angular zone of the weatherstrip disposed at a suitable distance from the part in soft rubber forming the hinge zone. The cited contrast means could also be realized by using metallic structure or, in any case, resistant structure embedded in the elastomeric material only in the part of the weatherstrip destined to be applied on the column where the block-guide is sliding, namely where irregular forces transversally acting in respect to the displacement direction of the block-guide might be founded. Then, it appears evident how the cited means can be extended also to the second angular portion, in case that the block-guide, instead to be L shaped, is formed by two L flanked to one another and so it slides in a weatherstrip whose parts, both on the left and on the right, in respect to a median plane, are identical. In this weatherstrip it will be possible to realize two angular hinges in soft rubber along all the thickness, with a suitable extension of the relative angular zones in order to easily fold, with the shape of U, the weatherstrip and insert it, with the maximum exactness, in the corresponding U shaped area of the chassis. Always speaking about this weatherstrip, the high deformability between lateral and central portions will however be accompanyied, according to the aim of the invention, by the presence of resistant elements 32 disposed in the two angular portions in order to forbide any undermining from the chassis. The possibility of applying to the chassis a weatherstrip comprising a single profile with the same transversal section represents an advantage got by the invention. This result has been obtained foreseeing a resistant element subdivided in two parts, a first one comprising two plates 33 and 34 having right angle to one another, applied only on the part of the weatherstrip relative to the column 6 along which the block-guide slides, the second part comprising blocking means of the plates 33 and 34 that, being realized with grooved profiles "C" shaped, extended along the whole length of the weatherstrip, do not forbide the application in the parts of the chassis seat in which are present the curves of connection between the columns and the upper traverse. Obviously, the invention can also be extended to other weatherstrips in which the sliding ways for the block-guide are realized with materials different from the elastomeric compound comprising self-lubricating charges. Substantially the invention can be extended to all weatherstrips in which there are sliding ways for a block-guide and in which one of the guide surfaces of the block-guide can be subjected to an action of straddle as it has been indicated in the present description. Although some preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, it is understood that the present invention includes in its scope any other alternative embodiment accessible to a technician of the field.

Claims: 1. Weatherstrip (1) in elastomeric material comprising a central portion (2) and two lateral ones (3, 4) which are folding in respect to the central one to determine a structure substantially "U" shaped which is insertable in a seat of a chassis for car-window provided with sliding glass (14), said chassis comprising an upper orizontal traverse (5) and two columns (6, 7), at least a first (3) of the two lateral portions of the weatherstrip being folded towards the inside parallelly to itself to form an arm (8) of predetermined length, spaced from the central portion (2), the extremity (9) of said arm (8) and of at least a zone (10) of the central portion (2) of the weatherstrip (1) forming guide and contact surfaces for the opposite sides (11, 12) of a rigid block-guide (13) to which the glass (14) is associated, said block-guide (13) being slidable along one of said columns (6) of the chassis to open and close the car-window, said weatherstrip being characterized by the fact that the angular part (20) of the weatherstrip "U" shaped, delimited between the central portion (2) and at least said first lateral portion (3) comprises contrast means to avoid the undermining of the same angular part from the chassis in presence of straddle forces F towards the outside that the block-guide (13) exercises on the extremity (9) of the arm (8) of said first lateral portion (3). 2. Weatherstrip as in claim 1 characterized by the fact that said means are foreseen in combination with the two angular parts (19, 20) of the weatherstrip, said angular parts being realized as hinges apt to the mounting of the weatherstrip in a chassis "U" shaped. 3. Weatherstrip as in claim 1 or 2 characterized by the fact that said means are foreseen to be in combination with an angular part of the weatherstrip delimited by the first lateral portion (3), comprising a first hinge zone (20) constituted by soft elastomeric material in relation to the hard elastomeric material forming the surface of the central portion of the weatherstrip in contact with the block-guide, the first lateral portion over said hinge zone and the second lateral portion. 4. Weatherstrip as in claim 3 characterized by the fact that on the first hinge zone, foreseen in combination with said means, a little wing (22) is protruding, relatively to the lateral portion, whose extremity is engaged in a surface of the chassis. 5. Weatherstrip as in any previous claim characterized by the fact that said means comprise resistant elements (32) and blocking means of said resistant elements. 6. Weatherstrip as in claim 5 characterized by the fact that said blocking means are in elastomeric material and are extruded contemporaneously to the weatherstrip. 7. Weatherstrip as in claim 5 characterized by the fact that said resistant elements are formed by two surfaces (33, 34) in rigid material substantially disposed at 90°, one another. 8. Weatherstrip as in claim 1 characterized by the fact that said means comprise two continuos elastomeric profiles C shaped (30, 31), and a resistant element (32) formed by two slabs (33, 34) substantially perpendicular one another, one of the profiles being disposed on the central portion (2) and the other on the first lateral portion positioned under the folded up part (8) of the same first portion, said rigid element being inserted between said profiles before the mounting of the weatherstrip in the chassis seat, said resistant element being disposed only in the part of the weatherstrip applied on the vertical column (6). 9. Weatherstrip as in claim 8 characterized by the fact that said profiles are in hard elastomeric material. 10. Weatherstrip as in claim 1 characterized by the fact of being realized in single extruded profile applied both on the two columns (6, 7) and on the traverse (5). 11. Weatherstrip as in claim 1 characterized by the fact that the transversal section of the weatherstrip is constant for the overall longitudinal length. 12. Weatherstrip as in claim 1 characterized by the fact that said means are foreseen in combination with lateral and central portions of the weatherstrip comprising guide surfaces having low friction coefficient when they are in contact with a rigid block-guide, said surfaces having low friction coefficient being realized in elastomeric material, substantially rigid, whose compound contains self-lubricating substances which appear on the surface to form a film. 13. Weatherstrip as in claim l characterized by the fact that the contact surface of the central portion is formed by a relief (16) longitudinally extending for the whole weatherstrip.

Inventors: ARABINO, DOMENICO, PICCININI, DINO
Applicants: SMAE-SOCIETA' MERIDIONALE ACCESSORI ELASTOMERICI S.P.A
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B60R13
IPC codes: B60J10