Abstract:
A weather strip for a vehicle body is disclosed. The weather strip is used for sealing a gap between an opening and a partition panel, and is composed of a grip part attached on the vehicle body, a lip part provided to contact the partition panel, and a connection part connecting the grip part with the lip part. The grip part, the lip part, and the connection part being integral with each other, and upper surfaces of grip part and the lip part are formed approximately as a flat plane so as to improve waterproof property of the weather strip.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a weather strip for a vehicle, more specifically to a weather strip for a partition panel for opening and closing a passenger compartment and a cargo compartment of a vehicle.  
           [0003]    2. Discussion of the Related Art  
           [0004]    [0004]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for showing a so-called pick-up type vehicle  51 . An opening is formed between a cargo compartment  52  and a passenger compartment  53  at a rear part of the vehicle  51 . A partition panel  54  is provided for covering the opening. When the panel  54  is moved down to a bottom of the passenger compartment  53 , the opening is accessible, while when the panel  54  is raised up, the opening is closed.  
           [0005]    The partition panel  54  is installed in a vehicle body, for example, on a floor so as to freely swing via a hinge  56  provided at a bottom edge of the partition panel  54 . When the panel  54  is moved down to the bottom of the passenger compartment  53 , the cargo compartment  52  is open to the passenger compartment  53 . In this condition, it is possible to carry such a longer cargo as a surfboard by inserting the cargo into the passenger compartment  53 .  
           [0006]    A weather strip is provided around the opening of such vehicle  51  at the side of the cargo compartment  52 . The weather strip contacts the partition panel  54  when the partition panel  54  is closed, and prevents water from penetrating into the passenger compartment  53  when it rains or the vehicle  51  is washed with high pressure water spray.  
           [0007]    [0007]FIG. 4 is a cross section for showing a known weather strip  61  for the partition panel  54 . The weather strip  61  is attached to a bottom part of the opening at the side of the cargo compartment  52 . The weather strip  61  comprises a grip part  62 , a lip part  63 , and a connection part  64  for connecting the grip part  62  with the lip part  63 . The grip part  62  has a U-shaped cross section, and a plurality of fins  65  are provided as protrusions at an inner periphery of the grip part  62 . Namely, the grip part  62  is configured so as to fit with a flange  66  provided at the side of the cargo compartment  62 . The lip part  63  is formed to be hollow as shown in the cross section. A pointed end  63   a  of the lip part  63  faces the partition panel  54  and contacts the partition panel  54  when the panel  54  is closed. Furthermore, a tray  68  is provided on the cargo compartment  52  and covers the flange  66  and the grip part  62 .  
           [0008]    In the weather strip  61 , however, the connection part  64  has a recessed upper surface. In other words, the connection part  64  is so constructed that the upper surface thereof is lower than the upper surface of the grip part  62 . Therefore, the weather strip  61  is not strong enough for sufficiently enduring an applied pressure.  
           [0009]    When the partition panel  54  is closed, the connection part  64  easily deforms or buckles down. Then, the pointed end  63   a  of the lip part  63  cannot be properly pressed against the partition panel  54 . Hence, a satisfactory watertight property cannot be maintained. In particular, there is a possibility that water will leak into the passenger compartment  53  during heavy rains or when in a high-pressure car wash.  
           [0010]    The partition panel  54  comes into contact with the pointed end  63   a  of the lip part  63  when the panel  54  is swung up and closed. In accordance with the pivotal movement of the partition panel  54 , there is a possibility that the lip part  63  is pushed down and downwardly bent. When this occurs, the watertight property is decreased by the movement of the lip part  63  in an undesired direction, whereby water easily comes into the passenger compartment  53  when it rains or when the vehicle is washed.  
           [0011]    As mentioned above, the upper surface of the connection part  64  has a depressed portion. Water or dirt can collect in the depressed portion when it rains or when the car is washed and may affect the appearance of the vehicle, for example by staining the depressed portion.  
         OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a weather strip for a partition panel of a vehicle wherein a connection part in the weather strip is prevented from deformation, watertight property is improved when a partition panel of the vehicle is closed, a lip part of the weather strip is prevented from being moved in an undesired direction and water or dirt will not be gathered on the connection part of the weather strip.  
           [0013]    The above-mentioned object is achieved by a weather strip for a vehicle body having an opening provided between a passenger compartment and a cargo compartment, and a partition panel for opening and closing the opening, the weather strip being in contact with the partition panel when the partition panel is closed, comprising a grip part attached to the vehicle body at a peripheral part of the opening, a lip part configured to contact the partition panel, and a connection part connecting the grip part with the lip part, the grip part, the lip part, and the connection part being integral with each other, the connection part and the grip part having upper surfaces which face in an upward direction with respect to the vehicle body, and the upper surfaces formed approximately as a flat plane.  
           [0014]    The above object is also achieved by a weather strip for a vehicle body having an opening provided between a passenger compartment and a cargo compartment, and a partition panel for opening and closing the opening, the partition panel being pivotable via a hinge positioned at a bottom portion of the partition panel, the partition panel being opened by a pivotal movement toward the passenger compartment and being closed by a pivotal movement toward the cargo compartment, the weather strip being in contact with the partition panel when the opening is closed, comprising a grip part attached on the opening at one peripheral part of the opening, a lip part configured to contact the partition panel; and a connection part connecting the grip part with the lip part, the grip part, the lip part, and the connection part being integral with each other, the connection part and the grip part having upper surfaces which faces in an upward direction with respect to the vehicle body, and the upper surfaces being formed approximately as a flat plane.  
           [0015]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a weather strip for a partition panel of a vehicle wherein the lip part is certainly moved in an upward direction without being bent into an undesired direction, and watertight property is further improved, wherein the lip part comprises a pointed end arranged at a position higher than an upper surface of the grip part, the pointed end provided as a first sealing part for sealing the partition panel as a first sealing part when the partition panel is closed.  
           [0016]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a weather strip for a partition panel of a vehicle wherein water accidentally gathered between the tray and the grip part will never pass through the first sealing part wherein the first sealing part is arranged at a location higher than an upper surface of a tray provided on the cargo compartment, and the tray being provided over the grip part for covering the grip part when the partition panel is closed.  
           [0017]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide a weather strip for a partition panel of a vehicle which has a further improved waterproof property and an increased surface pressure at the lip part, wherein the lip part further comprises a second sealing part which is formed below the first sealing part, the second sealing part being formed at a height of the grip part, and the second sealing part contacting the partition panel prior to the first sealing part when the partition panel is being closed. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of attendant advantages thereof will be readily perceived as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 is a cross section for showing a bottom part of a partition panel which is in contact with a weather strip as an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is an expanded cross section for explaining the weather strip shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is a diagram for showing a vehicle to which a weather strip of the present invention can be attached, and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 is a cross section for explaining a conventional weather strip. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]    Other feature of the present invention will become understood in the course of the following description of exemplary embodiments, which are given for illustration of the present invention and are not intended to be limiting thereof.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1 shows a partition panel  1  provided in a pick-up type vehicle. The partition panel  1  is formed mainly by an outer panel  3 , an inner panel  4 , a reinforcing member  5 , and a trim board  6 . The outer panel  3  is provided at an end of a cargo compartment  2  of the vehicle when the partition panel  1  is closed. The trim board  6  is provided to face toward a passenger compartment side of the vehicle (not shown). The inner panel  4  is attached to the outer panel  3 , and then the reinforcing member  5  is attached to the inner panel  4 . The partition panel  1  having such structure is installed on a vehicle body, for example, on a floor or the like via a hinge  7  provided on a lower end of the panel  1 . The partition panel pivots on the hinge  7 .  
         [0025]    The partition panel  1  is provided at an opening (not shown) formed at the rear side of the passenger compartment. The weather strip  12  is attached to a flange  11  provided on a floor or a bed of the cargo compartment. In this embodiment, the partition panel  1  is opened when swung toward the passenger compartment, and closed when swung or pivoted toward the cargo compartment  2 . A tray  13  is provided in the cargo compartment and covers the flange  11  and a grip part  21  of the weather strip  12 .  
         [0026]    The weather strip  12  is provided at a bottom of the opening near the hinge  7 , and is composed of a grip part  21  attached to the flange  11 , a lip part  22  contacted with the partition panel  1 , and a connection part  23  provided between the grip part  11  and the lip part  22 . The upper surface of the connection part  23  is not recessed and is formed as a flat surface  23   a  extending from an upper surface  21   a  of the lip part  21  without a gap/concave section between the connection part  23  and the lip part  21 .  
         [0027]    The lip part  22  has a hollow cross section as shown in FIG. 1. A pointed end of the lip part  22  is positioned at a location higher than the upper surface  21   a  of the grip part  21  when the partition panel  1  is open without the lip part  22  contacting the partition panel  1 . The pointed end is located higher than the upper surface of the tray  13  when the partition panel  1  is closed as shown in FIG. 1. In the figure, the pointed end is formed as a first sealing part  22   a  which contacts the partition panel  1 . The lip part  22  also has a second sealing part  22   b  in the shape of a protrusion.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section of a part of FIG. 1. The members which are the same as those in FIG. 1 are indicated by the same reference numeral employed therefor. When the partition panel  1  is closed by a pivotal movement on the hinge  7 , the second sealing part  22   b  first comes into contact with the panel  1  as shown in a partial view shown by a solid line in FIG. 2, and then the first sealing part  22   a  contacts the panel  1  as shown by an imaginary line  1   a  in FIG. 2.  
         [0029]    The grip part  21  has a cross section approximately in a U shape, having a plurality of fins  21   b  at an inner periphery of the grip part  21  for engaging with the flange.  
         [0030]    As mentioned above, the weather strip  12  is prepared to have an upper surface (when installed into the vehicle body) of the connection part  23  as a flat surface  23   a . The upper flat surface  23   a  is extended from the upper surface  21   a  of the grip part  21  without having a gap therebetween. Therefore, the connection part  23  has a thickness for maintaining a satisfactory strength of the weather strip  12 . The connection part  23  is protected from press deformation or buckling deformation when the partition panel  1  is closed. Furthermore, water or dirt will not be collected on the connection part  23 , so that a neat appearance of the vehicle is maintained.  
         [0031]    The lip part  22  has the first sealing part  22   a  which is protruded beyond the upper surface  21   a  of the grip part  21 . The first sealing part  22   a  contacts the partition panel  1 . On the lip part  22 , the second sealing part  22   b  is formed approximately on an extension line drawn from an upper longitudinal portion of the grip part  21 . The second sealing part  22   b  comes into contact with the partition panel  1  earlier than with the first sealing part  22   a  when the panel  1  is closed. Since the connection part  23  is strong, the second sealing part  22  comes into pressure contact with the panel  1  with an appropriate surface pressure to provide a sealing effect.  
         [0032]    Accordingly, the weather strip  12  of the present invention secures a watertight property of the vehicle when the partition panel  1  is closed, so that water will never penetrate the passenger compartment.  
         [0033]    Moreover, the weather strip  12  of the present invention has a hollow cross section. When the vehicle is washed by the application of a high pressure water spray, water pressure applied to the lip part  22  increases the surface pressures at the first and second sealing parts  22   a  and  22   b . Therefore, the watertight property of the vehicle is further increased when washed by the high pressure car water spray. Even if water penetrates through the first sealing part  22   a , the second sealing part  22   b  prevents water from further penetration. Thus, it is possible to positively prevent water from penetrating into the passenger compartment by the weather strip according to the present invention.  
         [0034]    As previously described, the first sealing part  22   a  is upwardly protruded beyond the upper surface  21   a  of the grip part  21  when the partition panel  1  is opened. When the partition panel  1  is closed by the pivotal movement of the panel  1  in the direction of the cargo compartment, the first sealing part  22   a  slides up on the surface of the partition panel  1 . Therefore, the first sealing part  22   a  will never be downwardly bent.  
         [0035]    The lip part  22  is designed to have the first sealing part  22   a  at a location higher than the surface of the tray  13  when the partition panel  1  is closed. When trash  30  or the like is caught between the tray  13  and the grip part  21  as shown in FIG. 1 by hatching, water  31  may collect between the weather strip  12  and the tray  13 . Even in such case, the surface level of water  31  will be still lower than the first sealing part  22   a . Therefore, water  31  will never pass through the first sealing part  22   a.    
         [0036]    The present invention being thus described, it will be clearly understood that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modification as would be easily understood to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.  
         [0037]    Other structures and functions that may be disclosed in Japanese Patent Application 2001-396092, filed on Dec. 27, 2001 are hereby incorporated by reference into this application.