Improvements in and relating to sealing, trimming and finishing strips

Abstract: A channel-shaped sealing, trimming or finishing strip (12) has two end portions (12A,12B) connected in abutting relationship (at 24) to form a closed loop for extending around a door opening in a vehicle body. The strip comprises a channel-shaped gripping portion (14) which, in use, embracingly grips a flange (10) surrounding the door opening so as to support a soft sealing part (16) against which the door of the opening closes. The two abutting end portions (12A,12B) of the strip are connected together by a U-shaped connector (30) such as made of stiff metal or plastics. It embracingly grips one side wall of the channel of the strip at one end portion (12A) and the corresponding side wall of the other end portion (12B) of the strip and in this way clamps the two abutting ends portions together. The material defining the connector (30) may have an extension (38) at right angles which lies in the base of the channel of the strip.

Description: The invention relates to improvements in and relating to sealing, trimming and finishing strips and more particularly to such strips in channel form. Various forms of channel-shape sealing, trimming and finishing strips are known for embracingly gripping flange edges in and around closable openings such as closable openings on motor vehicle bodies - door or luggage compartment openings, for example. Such a strip may be provided as a length having two ends. It is fitted on to the flange around a particular opening so as to extend around the complete opening and so that the two ends abut against each other. In order to provide a neat appearance and effective sealing, trimming or finishing, it is desirable that the two ends be connected together. According to the invention, there is provided a connector for connecting together two ends of channel-shaped sealing, trimming or finishing strip, comprising stiff material defining a channel which is sized to embracingly grip the region of one side wall of the strip adjacent one said end and the corresponding region of the corresponding side wall of the other end of the strip, whereby to hold the two ends together. According to the invention, there is further provided channel-shaped sealing, trimming or finishing strip, two ends of which are connected in abutting relationship by means of a connector of U-shape in cross-section which connects one of the side walls of the channel of the strip adjacent one said end with the corresponding side wall of the channel of the strip adjacent the other end, the connector being made of relatively stiff resilient material and its U-shape being sized so as embracingly to grip the two side walls which it connects. Further developments in line with the independent claims 1 and 4 directed to a connector and a strip, respectively, are referred to in the dependent claims 2, 3 and 5 to 9. Sealing, trimming and finishing strips 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 side view of a motor vehicle body showing a door opening to which one of the sealing, trimming and finishing strips is to be fitted; Figure 2 is an enlarged side view of part of the frame of the door opening of Figure 1 but viewed from inside the vehicle; 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; and Figure 5 corresponds to Figure 4 but shows a modified design. As shown in Figure 1, a motor vehicle body 5 has a door opening 6. The door opening is defined by a flange 10 which surrounds the opening and is formed where the inner and outer door body panels are brought together at the door opening and welded. For sealing, trimming and finishing the flange 10, a sealing trimming and finishing strip of the form shown in Figure 3 is provided (the strip 12 is not visible in Figure 1). As shown in Figure 3, the strip 12 comprises a channel-shaped gripping portion 14 and a tubular sealing portion 16. The gripping portion is made of extruded plastics or rubber material 18 having an embedded core or carrier 20. The carrier 20 may be made of metal, for example. It is incorporated within the extruded material 18 by a cross-head extrusion process. The carrier 20 may take any suitable form. It may be made of channel-shaped metal, unapertured or perhaps provided with slits or slots along its length. Instead, it may be made of U-shaped elements arranged side-by-side to define the channel and connected together by short integral connecting links or disconnected from each other. Instead, it can be made of looped wire. However, many other forms of carrier are possible. The extruded material 18 is extruded so as to produce integral inwardly extending lips 22. As shown, there are three relatively small lips 22 on one inside wall of the channel and are larger lip on the other side. However, the sizes and numbers of the lips may vary. Advantageously, the lips are made of extruded material which is softer than the channel-shaped extruded material 18. The sealing part 16 is preferably made of soft extruded cellular or "foamed" rubber. It may be extruded separately from the gripping part 14 and adhesively secured to it in a separate operation (as shown in Figure 3). Instead, it may be extruded simultaneously and integrally with the extruded material 18. In use, and as shown in Figure 3, the gripping part 14 is placed embracingly over the flange 10 so as to grip the flange firmly. This gripping process is assisted by the resilience of the metal carrier 20 and also by the lips 22. In this way, the gripping part 14 supports the sealing part 16 so as to run around the outside of the door opening, the strip being placed on the flange so that the sealing part 16 is on the outside of the flange 10 and faces the direction in which the closing door approaches. The closing door thus partially compresses the sealing part 16, to provide a weather-tight seal. Figure 2 shows, to an enlarged scale, part of the door frame 10A (Figure 1) running along the bottom of the door from the corner 10B, but viewed from the inside of the vehicle and with the strip 12 in position. The strip 12 is fitted onto the flange 10 so that its two end portions 12A and 12B abut as shown at 24. In order to complete the fitting process, it is desirable to secure these two end portions together. This helps to ensure that the strip remains firmly on the flange. It also helps to ensure that an unsightly gap is not created between the two abutting ends, if shrinkage of the strip should take place at a later date. Figure 2 and 4 show a connector 30 for connecting the two abutting ends of the strip together. The connector 30 can be made of metal or plastics or other suitable material. Advantageously, it is relatively stiff. As shown, it is of one-piece construction defining a narrow channel 32 which, in use, tightly fits over one channel wall of the gripping part 14 where the two ends of the strip abut. As shown in Figure 2, the connector 30 extends for a short distance either side of the plane 24 in which the two abutting end faces of the strip meet. The connector 30 is advantageously provided with several inwardly directed prongs or teeth 36 which bite into the extruded material 18 of the meeting ends of the flange. The lips 22 on the region of the side wall of the gripping part 14 on which the connector 30 is fitted may be cut off locally. Instead, they can simply be compressed within the channel 32 as shown in Figure 4. The inside wall of the connector 30 may have an integral extension 38 which extends over the inside base of the channel of the gripping part 14 so as to help to locate the connector, though this extension may be omitted. The outside face of the connector 30 (that is, the face 40 visible in Figure 4) may be coloured to match the adjacent face of the gripping part 14. Instead, it may be of bright metal for example or otherwise decorated. Figure 5 shows a modification in which the extruded material 18 is extended to form a so-called "cosmetic lip" 42. This can be used to cover over the edge of the fabric on the inside of the vehicle body, around the opening. In addition, however, the cosmetic lip 42 will wholly or partially cover the outside face 40 of the connector 30. The connector 30 may be placed in position after the length of sealing strip 12 has been placed on the flange 10, so as to secure the two abutting ends together in the manner described. Instead, however, the two ends of the strip 12 may be secured together before the strip is placed on the flange, so as to produce a closed loop of strip which is thereafter placed on the flange. The connector 30 considerably simplifies the assembly process. In particular, it enables the two ends of a length of strip to be firmly secured together without any fusion process such as using adhesive, heating or vulcanisation. The two ends of strip which are connected together by the connector need not be the two ends of the same length of strip; they can be abutting ends of two different lengths of strip.

Claims: A connector for connecting together two ends of channel-shaped sealing, trimming or finishing strip (12), characterised by stiff material (30) defining a channel (32) which is sized to embracingly grip the region of one side wall of the strip (12) adjacent one said strip end and the corresponding region of the corresponding side wall of the other strip end (12), whereby to hold the two ends together. A connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the said stiff material (30) extends substantially at right angles from one edge of the mouth of its channel (32) so that, in use, this extension (38) lies in the base of the channel of the strip (12) where the two strip ends are connected. A connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the stiff material (30) defines one or more formations (36) extending inwardly of its channel (32), whereby to engage the said side walls. A channel-shaped sealing, trimming or finishing strip, characterised in that two ends of it are connected in abutting relationship by means of a connector (30) of U-shape in cross-section which connects one of the side walls of the channel of the strip (12) adjacent one said end with the corresponding side wall of the channel of the strip (12) adjacent the other end, the connector (30) being made of relatively stiff resilient material and its U-shape (32) being sized so as embracingly to grip the two side walls which it connects. A strip according to claim 4, characterised in that the material of the connector is extended from one edge of the mouth of the U, the extension (38) extending at right angles to the legs of the U and lying in the base of the channel of the strip. A strip according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the connector (30) defines prongs or teeth (36) extending inwardly of the U-shape cross-section so as to engage the material of the connected side walls. A strip according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterised in that it comprises channel-shaped flexible plastics or rubber material. A strip according to claim 7, characterised by a reinforcing metal carrier (20) embedded in the plastics or rubber material. A strip according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the plastics or rubber material defines one or more integral lips (22) extending inwardly of the channel of the strip.

Inventors: SANS PHILIPPE, SANS, PHILIPPE
Applicants: DRAFTEX IND LTD, DRAFTEX INDUSTRIES LIMITED
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B60J10
IPC codes: B60R13, F16B5, B60J10