Patent Publication Number: US-2017355253-A1

Title: Sealing structure for automobile

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 USC §119 of JP Patent Application JP 2016-115291 filed Jun. 9, 2016, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     The present invention relates to sealing structures for automobiles with interior members provided on inner-cabin sides of weather strips. The weather strips are configured to operably couple to flanges vertically formed along peripheral edges of openings corresponding to doors. 
       FIG. 7( a )  and  FIG. 7( b )  show an automobile with a glass hatch  2  on a back door  1 . The glass hatch (door glass)  2 , which is independent from the back door  1  and which is capable of opening and closing vertically by hinges  2   a ,  2   b , is provided at a center of the back door  1 . The back door  1  opens and closes vertically by hinges not shown. Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 7( b ) , the glass hatch  2  can be opened outward with the back door  1  closed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , a weather strip  10  is provided between the back door  1  and the glass hatch  2 . 
     The weather strip  10  includes an installation base member  11  and a hollow seal member  12 . The installation base member  11  is configured to operably couple to a flange  70  vertically formed along a peripheral edge of an opening, which corresponds to the glass hatch  2 , on the back door  1 . The installation base member  11  has a substantially U-shaped cross section including an inner-cabin side wall  11   a , an outer-cabin side wall  11   b , and a connecting wall  11  c which connects the side walls. The installation base member  11  also has a plurality of holding lips  11   d  formed on an inner side. The hollow seal member  12  is formed on the outer-cabin side wall  11   b  of the installation base member  11  and is configured to make elastic contact with the glass hatch  2 . 
     The installation base member  11  has a core  13 , which has a substantially U-shaped cross section, buried therein for increasing rigidity. 
     In addition, an interior member  20  is provided on an inner-cabin side of the inner-cabin side wall  11   a  of the installation base member  11  of the weather strip  10  and an end  20   a  of the interior member  20  is bumped against the inner-cabin side wall  11   a.    
     In case the end  20   a  of the interior member  20  deviates from a standard position, a space appears between the end  20   a  of the interior member  20  and the inner-cabin side wall  11   a  of the installation base member  11 . Accordingly, on a lower part of the opening corresponding to the glass hatch  2 , color of a door panel  1   a  on which the flange  70  is vertically formed is visible from outside. Also, the end  20   a  of the interior member  20 , which is exposed, degrades appearance. 
     Further, while luggage is being taken out, the luggage may make elastic contact with and tear the hollow seal member  12 . 
     In this connection, a configuration as shown in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10  has been known that a lip  31  covers up an end  40   a  of an interior member  40 . The lip  31  has a substantially tongue shaped cross section and forms a part of a seaming welt  30  configured to operably couple to a flange  80  vertically formed along a center pillar of an automobile. This configuration is not for use on the back door  1  (see, Japanese unexamined Utility Model Publication No. S61-101058, for example). 
     In Japanese unexamined Utility Model Publication No. S61-101058, a protrusion  32  is formed on a body of the seaming welt  30  so that the end  40   a  of the interior member  40  makes elastic contact with the protrusion  32 . As a result, the seaming welt  30  is configured to operably couple to the flange  80  depending on the position of the interior member  40 . This configuration prevents waving phenomena on the lip  31  of the seaming welt  30  and improves appearance. 
     Unfortunately, however, the protrusion  32  is formed on a corner part of a space between the seaming welt  30  and the lip  31 . Accordingly, Japanese unexamined Utility Model Publication No. S61-101058 is complicated in structure and difficult to manufacture. 
     Also, in the automobile of  FIG. 7( a )  and  FIG. 7( b )  with the glass hatch  2  on the back door  1 , the interior member  20  may be assembled after the weather strip  10  couples to the flange  70  and is adjusted to fit right. Under the circumstance, since the end  20   a  of the interior member  20  is hard to arrange on the back of the lip  31  of  FIG. 10 , the lip  31  can not be formed on the weather strip  10 . 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide the sealing structures for automobiles, which prevent degradation in appearance even in case the interior members slightly deviate from standard positions. 
     SUMMARY 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to one aspect of the invention, a sealing structure for an automobile is provided, the automobile including a weather strip ( 10 ) and an interior member ( 50 ). The weather strip ( 10 ) includes an installation base member ( 11 ) and a seal member ( 12 ). The installation base member ( 11 ) is configured to operably couple to a flange ( 70 ) vertically formed along a peripheral edge of an opening corresponding to a door in an internal circumferential direction. The installation base member ( 11 ) has a substantially U-shaped cross section including an inner-cabin side wall ( 11   a ), an outer-cabin side wall ( 11   b ) and a connecting wall ( 11   c ) which connects the side walls and a plurality of holding lips ( 11   d ) formed on an inner side. The seal member ( 12 ) is configured to make elastic contact with a door panel or a door glass ( 2 ) and is formed on the outer-cabin side wall ( 11   b ) of the installation base member ( 11 ). The interior member ( 50 ) is provided on an inner-cabin side of the inner-cabin side wall ( 11   a ) of the installation base member ( 11 ) of the weather strip ( 10 ). An end ( 50   a ) of the interior member ( 50 ) extends toward the connecting wall ( 11   c ) of the installation base member ( 11 ) of the weather strip ( 10 ). A projection ( 100 ) (except for a lip shape having a substantially tongue shaped cross section) is formed on an outer circumference of a connecting part between the outer-cabin side wall ( 11   b ) and the connecting wall ( 11   c ) of the installation base member ( 11 ). The projection ( 100 ) extends in the internal circumferential direction and covers up the end ( 50   a ) of the interior member ( 50 ) from an outer-cabin side. 
     In addition, according to an aspect of the present invention, the flange ( 70 ) is vertically formed on a back door ( 1 ) which opens and closes. The back door ( 1 ) has the door glass ( 2 ) provided thereon. The door glass ( 2 ) is independent from the back door ( 1 ) and capable of opening and closing. The seal member ( 12 ) of the weather strip ( 10 ) is configured to make elastic contact with the door glass ( 2 ). 
     In addition, according to an aspect of the present invention, the end ( 50   a ) of the interior member ( 50 ) is bent toward a lower side from an upper side. 
     In addition, according to an aspect of the present invention, the projection ( 100 ) includes sponge material and the installation base member ( 11 ) includes solid (dense) material. 
     Symbols in parentheses show constituents or items corresponding to the drawings. 
     According to the present invention, exposure of the end of the interior member is prevented by the configuration that: the end of the interior member extends toward the connecting wall of the installation base member; and the projection, which extends in the internal circumferential direction of the opening corresponding to the door, is formed on the outer circumference of the connecting part between the outer-cabin side wall and connecting wall. In the configuration, the interior member is provided on the inner-cabin side of the inner-cabin side wall of the installation base member of the weather strip, the installation base member has the substantially U-shaped cross section and is configured to operably couple to the flange vertically formed along the peripheral edge of the opening corresponding to the door. Also, the projection covers up the end of the interior member from the outer-cabin side. 
     The projection covers up a space between the end of the interior member and the installation base member, caused by deviation in positions of the interior member, and color of the door panel is not visible from outside. 
     It is to be noted that the “projection” is not the lip having the substantially tongue shaped cross section as in the prior art ( FIG. 10 ). 
     In other words, in the automobiles with the following features, the interior members are assembled after the weather strips couple to the flanges: the door glasses (glass hatches), which are independent from the back doors and capable of opening and closing, are provided on the back doors which open and close; and the seal members of the weather strips, which couple to the flanges vertically formed from lower parts (lower sides) of the back doors, are configured to make elastic contact with the door glasses. Since the interior members are assembled after the weather strips couple to the flanges, the lips having substantially tongue shaped cross sections as in the prior art can not be provided on the installation base members of the weather strips. But when the projection of the present invention is provided on the installation base member, the interior member may be assembled after the weather strip couples to the flange. In case the lip having the substantially tongue shaped cross section is provided on the installation base member, the lip hampers assembly of the interior member on parts and degrades appearance when the installation base member is assembled along corners having short radius of curvature, and therefore, the lip becomes unnecessary and need be cut out except for the lower part (lower side) of the back door. The projection of the present invention, which is small in size and not noticeable, need not be cut out. 
     In addition, the end of the interior member extends toward the connecting wall of the installation base member and the interior member can be on a position upper to the seal member on the installation base member. With this configuration, the luggage does not tear the seal member while being taken out and dragged. 
     In addition, the end of the interior member is bent toward the lower side from the upper side. Accordingly, the end of the interior member may be perpendicular to the connecting wall of the installation base member so that the end of the interior member makes elastic contact with the connecting wall or faces the connecting wall with a slight distance therebetween. This configuration simplifies assembly of the interior member after the weather strip couples to the flange. 
     In addition, the installation base member includes solid (dense) material and the projection includes sponge material. This configuration further deals with deviation in positions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an enlarged sectional view of a sealing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention for an automobile taken along a line I-I of  FIG. 7( b ) ; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged sectional view of a weather strip of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged sectional view of an important part of the sealing structure according to the embodiment of the present invention for the automobile; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged sectional view of deviation in positions of an interior member with respect to an installation base member of the weather strip of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged sectional view of an important part of another sealing structure according to the embodiment of the present invention for an automobile; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged sectional view of a sealing structure according to still another embodiment of the present invention for an automobile taken along a line VI-VI of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 7( a )  and  FIG. 7( b )  are perspective views of a rear part of an automobile with a glass hatch provided on a back door, in which the glass hatch is closed in  FIG. 7( a )  and the glass hatch is opened in  FIG. 7( b ) ; 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged sectional view of a sealing structure of a prior art for an automobile taken along the line I-I of  FIG. 7( b ) ; 
         FIG. 9  is an external side view of an automobile; and 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged sectional view of another sealing structure of the prior art for an automobile taken along the line VI-VI of  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 7 , a sealing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention for an automobile will be described. 
     The sealing structure is for closing a space between a back door  1  and a glass hatch  2  by a weather strip  10 , and is for use on an automobile with an interior member  50  provided on an inner-cabin side of the weather strip  10 . As shown in  FIG. 7( a )  and  FIG. 7( b ) , the glass hatch (door glass)  2 , which is independent from the back door  1  and which is capable of opening and closeing vertically by hinges  2   a ,  2   b , is provided at a center of the back door  1 . The back door  1  opens and closes vertically by hinges (not shown). 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the weather strip  10  is configured to operably couple to a flange  70  vertically formed on the back door  1 . When the glass hatch  2  is closed, the weather strip  10  makes elastic contact with a glass surface on an inner-cabin side of the glass hatch  2  and seals an inner-cabin side of the automobile from an outer-cabin side thereof. 
     The flange  70  is vertically formed around a whole peripheral edge of an opening corresponding to the glass hatch  2  (peripheral edge of an opening corresponding to a door) in an internal circumferential direction. As shown in  FIG. 1 , on a lower part (lower side) of the back door  1 , which is on a lower side with respect to the glass hatch  2 , the flange  70  is vertically formed in an upward direction. The interior member  50 , which is provided on the lower part (lower side) of the back door  1 , is for use on the back door  1  and is not provided on an upper part, a right part or a left part. As the back door  1  opens and closes, the interior member  50  as well as the weather strip  10  is pivoted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the weather strip  10  includes an installation base member  11  and a hollow seal member  12 . 
     The installation base member  11  has a substantially U-shaped cross section and includes an inner-cabin side wall  11   a , an outer-cabin side wall  11   b  and a connecting wall  11   c  which connects ends of the inner-cabin side wall  11   a  and the outer-cabin side wall  11   b . The installation base member  11  also has a plurality of holding lips  11   d  (in the present embodiment, one holding lip  11   d   1  on the inner-cabin side wall  11   a  and two holding lips  11   d   2 ,  11   d   3  on the outer-cabin side wall  11   b ) formed on an inner side. The installation base member  11  has a core  13 , which has a substantially U-shaped cross section, buried therein for increasing rigidity. 
     The hollow seal member  12 , of which two base roots are integrally molded with the outer-cabin side wall  11   b  of the installation base member  11 , is curved toward an outer-cabin side. A convex  12   a  is formed on a top end of the hollow seal member  12  so that the hollow seal member  12  comes into contact with the glass hatch  2  from the convex  12   a . But the seal member  12  may have a substantially diamond-shaped cross section or a substantially circular shaped cross section and the convex  12   a  may be omitted. 
     A projection  100  is formed on a corner on an outer-cabin side of the installation base member  11 , which is on an outer circumference of a connecting part between the outer-cabin side wall  11   b  and the connecting wall  11   c  of the installation base member  11 . The projection  100  extends in the internal circumferential direction from the installation base member  11  and covers up an end  50   a  of an interior member  50  from an outer-cabin side. 
     The projection  100  is a lump. In the present embodiment, the projection  100  has a substantially (¼) circular shaped cross section, of which an inner-cabin side surface  100   a  is flat and an outer-cabin side surface  100   b  is curved. Width  110  of the projection  100  in an inner-cabin and an outer-cabin direction is not less than length  120 . With this configuration, when the weather strip  10  is provided around the whole peripheral edge of the opening corresponding to the glass hatch  2 , the projection  100  does not fall down toward the inner-cabin side or the outer-cabin side with respect to a direction in which the projection  100  extends, and therefore, appearance is improved. The width  110  of the projection  100  is substantially a ¼ of width  130  of the installation base member  11 . 
     Shape of the projection  100  is not limited as long as the projection  100  is not a lip having a substantially tongue shaped cross section as in the prior art (lip  31  in  FIG. 10 ). In case the projection  100  is the lip, of which length  120  is not less than twice the width  110  in the inner-cabin and the outer-cabin direction, the lip is bendable from a base root over a top end and presses the interior member  50  against the installation base member  11 . With this configuration, it is impossible or very hard to assemble the interior member  50  after the weather strip  10  couples to the flange  70 . In addition, with this configuration, on positions where the lip is unnecessary, the lip need be cut out. This configuration, which is with complexity, is hardly adopted. 
     Material of the weather strip  10  is not specifically limited. But the weather strip  10  preferably includes rubber like elastic body, which weather strips in general are made of. Examples of the material of the weather strip  10  include: a rubber material mainly including EPDM; thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) such as olefinic thermoplastic elastomer TPO, styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer TPS. In the present embodiment, the projection  100  and the hollow seal member  12  include sponge material (foamed body) of the rubber like elastic body, and the installation base member  11  includes a solid (dense) material of the rubber like elastic body. The weather strip  10  is assembled on the flange  70  in a manner that the connecting wall  11   c  of the installation base member  11  faces an internal circumference of the opening corresponding to the glass hatch  2 . The projection  100 , which includes sponge material, simplifies and does not hamper bending of the weather strip  10  on corners. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  is bent toward a lower side from an upper side and extended toward the connecting wall  11   c  of the installation base member  11  of the weather strip  10 . 
     More specifically, the interior member  50  is extended and gently descended toward the outer-cabin side from the inner-cabin side. The end  50   a  of the interior member  50  is bent at an obtuse angle  140  and is substantially perpendicular to the connecting wall  11   c  of the installation base member  11 , in other words substantially in parallel with a direction in which the flange  70  extends, so that an end surface  50   a    1  of the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  abuts with an outer circumferential surface of the connecting wall  11   c  and an outer-cabin side surface  50   a    2  of the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  abuts with the inner-cabin side surface  100   a  of the projection  100 . 
     Length  150  of the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  (length between a bent part and the end surface  50   a   1 ) is substantially twice as long as the length  120 . 
     According to the sealing structure of the embodiment of the present invention for the automobile, exposure of the end of the interior member is prevented by the configuration that: the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  extends toward the connecting wall  11   c  of the installation base member  11  of the weather strip  10 ; and the projection  100 , which is the lump, is formed on the outer circumference of the connecting part between the outer-cabin side wall  11   b  and the connecting wall  11   c  of the installation base member  11 . In the configuration, the projection  100  extends in the internal circumferential direction and covers up the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  from the outer-cabin side. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , deviation in positions of the interior member  50  causes spaces between the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  and the installation base member  11 . Specifically, the spaces include: a small space  160  between the end surface  50   a    1  of the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  and the connecting wall  11   c  ; and a small space  170  between the outer-cabin side surface  50   a    2  of the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  and the inner-cabin side surface  100   a  of the projection  100 . Since the projection  100  covers up the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  from the outer-cabin side, an inside of the interior member  50  (door panel  1  a, for example) is not visible from outside and appearance is improved. 
     In addition, even in case the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  presses the inner-cabin side surface  100   a  of the projection  100  toward the outer-cabin side, the projection  100 , which includes sponge material, deals with the deviation in positions of the interior member  50  toward the outer-cabin side. 
     In addition, the projection  100 , which is slight in the length  120  and hardly noticeable, does not degrade appearance when the weather strip  10  is provided around the whole peripheral edge of the opening. 
     In addition, the interior member  50  is simply assembled after the weather strip  10  couples to the flange  70 . As the interior member  50  is assembled after the weather strip  10  couples to the flange  70 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the interior member  50  may be assembled in a manner to provide the space intentionally between the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  and the installation base member  11 . 
     In the present embodiment, the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  is bent toward the lower side from the upper side. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  may be linearly extended without bending so that the end surface  50   a    1  of the end  50   a  of the interior member  50  abuts with the inner-cabin side surface  100   a  of the projection  100 . 
     Also, the present embodiment details an example that the sealing structure of the invention is used on the automobile with the back door  1  and the glass hatch  2 , which is provided on the back door  1 . But, as shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 9 , the present invention is also applicable to a peripheral edge of an opening corresponding to a side door  5  of a hard top vehicle. In this case, the hollow seal member  12  on the outer-cabin side wall  11   b  of the installation base member  11  is configured to make elastic contact with a side glass  4  and an end  60   a  of an interior member  60  abuts with the projection  100 . Alternatively, the sealing structure is applicable to automobiles with sash doors, which include frames of glasses, and panel doors instead of the hard top vehicles. In this case, the hollow seal member  12  is configured to make elastic contact with the door panel which is not shown, not the side glass  4 .