GB2145142A

GB2145142A - Window seals

Info

Publication number: GB2145142A
Application number: GB08322312A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lionel Mathellier; Herve Gommier
Original assignee: Draftex Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Laird Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 1983-08-18
Filing date: 1983-08-18
Publication date: 1985-03-20
Also published as: DE8418216U1; FR2550843B3; IT1198900B; GB8322312D0; ES280586U; FR2550843A3; IT8409478A0; GB2145142B; ES280586Y

Abstract

For sealing and guiding the vertically slidable window glass 12 in a vehicle door, two separate strips 14A and 14B of resilient and flexible material are secured around the complete metal window surround 6 of the door by means of adhesive positioned in channels defined by relatively stiff gripping portions 16 of the strips. No preforming is necessary. integral but relatively more flexible sealing portions 18 having flocked faces 28 thus confront each other across a narrow gap through which the window glass 12 slides. Along the waist level of the door, exactly similar strips 14A and 14B may be provided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to seals The invention relates to sealing, finishing and/or guiding strips such as, for example, for use in motor vehicle body construction. Embodiments of the invention to be described may be used for window guiding and sealing purposes in vehicle body construction.

Various novel features of the invention will be apparent from the foilowing description, given by way of example, only, of sealing and guiding arrangements embodying the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa section on the line I-I of Figure 2 and showing two separate sealing strips mounted together to form one of the arrangements; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view of a vehicle body door having a sliding window therein, and Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2.

More specifically to be described below is a seal having integral gripping and sealing portions more of flexible material, the gripping portion being channel-shaped and made of relatively stiffer material and being without a reinforcing carrier and being adapted to be secured in position by adhesive.

More specifically to be described below is a window guiding arrangement comprising two separate and substantially similar strips made of flexible and resilient material which are mounted adjacent each other on respective mounting means so as to define between them a gap in which the window glass is a sealing-sliding fit.

Advantageously, each strip comprises integral gripping and sealing portions, the gripping portion being made of harder material than the sealing portion. Preferably, the gripping portion defines a channel which embracingly grips respective one of the said mounting means.

Advantageously, each gripping portion is at least secured on the mounting means partially by means of adhesive.

Each said sealing portion may be of hollow crosssection or filled with foamed material, for example.

The confronting surfaces of the strips facing each other across the gap may carry flock, or other suitable material such as polytetrafluoroethylene.

In a more specific sense, there will be described below a window sealing and guiding arrangement for and fitted to a door for a vehicle body which door defines a window opening closable by an upwardly slidable window glass, the said arrangement comprising separate and identical sealing and guiding strips which are mounted adjacent each other around the window opening so as to define gaps between them in which the window glass is a sealing-sliding fit.

Advantageously, each said strip is secured in position on a respective stiff mounting member which is part of the said door. Each strip may be secured in such a position by means of adhesive.

Advantageously, each strip comprises a relatively stiff channel-shaped gripping portion for embracingly gripping the respective said mounting member and an integral relatively more flexible sealing portion.

The foregoing are exemplary of and not exhaustive of the various novel features of the sealing and guiding arrangement, now to be described in more detaii.

Figure 2 shows a door, such as a front door, 5 of a motor vehicle. The door provides a surround 6 defining a window opening 8, the window opening 8 being closable by means of a glass panel which is capable of being raised from and lowered into the body 10 of the door by means of a conventional arrangement for example.

As shown in Figure 1, the door surround 6 is of generally channel-shaped form around the sides and top of the door, and comprises side walls 6A and 6B defining a channel within which the window glass 12 slides as it is raised and lowered. The sealing and guiding arrangement embodying the invention comprises two completely separate strips 14A and 14B which are respectively mounted on the sides 6A and 6B of the window surround. The strips 14A and 14B are identical in this example and so mounted on the side walls 6A and 6B that the strip 14B appears as the mirror-image of the strip 14A.

However, they need not be identical.

Each strip is made of suitable resilient material such as plastics or rubber and is preferably made of EPDM rubber.

Each strip comprises a relatively stiff channelshaped gripping portion 16 and, integral with this, a relatively soft and flexible sealing portion 18. At the mouth of the channel of the gripping portion the outer sidewall has an in-turned lip 20. The sealing portion 18 is of hollow generally tubular form, being closed off by a thin web 22. However, instead it could contain foamed material, in which case the web 22 would not be needed.

The two strips are respectively mounted in position by means of their gripping portions 16 whose channels embrace the respective side walls 6A and 6B of the window surround 6. The dimensions of the channels are such that the gripping portions have a relatively tight fit on their respective supporting walls 6A and 6B, and the lips 20 help to ensure the proper fit. In addition, however, the gripping portions are held in position on the side walls 6A and 6B by means of adhesive which is not shown in Figure 1 but would be placed in the channels of the gripping portions 16. The adhesive may be permanent or which cures when each gripping portion is placed in position on its respective side wall 6A, 6B and very firmly secures the gripping portions, and the respective strips 14A, 14B, in position.The adhesive is such that it allows an easy mounting at ambient temperature.

In this manner, therefore, the two strips 14A, and 14B are mounted on the side walls 6A, 6B of the window surround so that the outer surfaces of their respective sealing portions 18 confront each other to define a relatively narrow gap 26. The confronting surfaces of the sealing portions 18 are covered with layers of flock 28 (PTFE could be used instead). The flocked surfaces thus define a guide for the window glass 12 as it slides within the surround 6, the flexibility of the sealing portions 18 being of course such as to allow the glass 12 to slide relatively freely but ensuring that an adequate weather seal is provided.

Figure 1 illustrates how two strips 14A and 14B are arranged along the vertical side of the window surround 6. Two strips are similarly arranged along the horizontal top portion of the window surround 6 and also along the slant side of the window surround.

Finally, two strips similar to strip 14A and 14B are arranged along the waist level 30 of the door as shown in Figure 3. Here of course the body portion 10 of the door defines two spaced-apart panel edges, corresponding to the side walls 6A and 6B in Figure 1 but with a clear gap between them into the interior of the door. Two strips corresponding to strips 14A and 14B in Figure 1 are therefore attached onto these panel edges so as to guide the sliding window into and from the interior of the door and to act as the normal waist seals. In a modification, a strip similarto strips 14A and 14B may be positioned only on the outside of the door along the waist level 30, a modified form of strip being positioned along the inside of the door.

In practice, the two strips 14A and 14B would each be continuous around the entire window opening.

No preforming is necessary.

It will be seen that the arrangement described uses a single strip of simple construction without any reinforcing carrier to provide both a guide for guiding and sealing the window around the actual window opening and also to provide the normal waist seal. This contrasts with arrangements where the sealing and guiding members for the vertical and slanting sides, and for the actual top, of the actual window surround define actual channels in which the window glass is received and thus have to be of different form from the waist seal-which of course has to define a through gap, rather than a channel, for receiving the window glass.

It will also be appreciated that the arrangement is not restricted to use as a window or waist seal but may be used in other applications where a seal is to be secured by a gripping portion to a panel edge.

Claims

1. Awindow guiding arrangement, comprising two separate and substantially similar strips made of flexible and resilient material which are mounted adjacent each other on respective mounting means so as to define between them a gap in which the window glass is a seaiing-sliding fit, each said strip comprising integral gripping and sealing portions the gripping portion being made of harder material than the sealing portion, each gripping portion defining a channel which embracingly grips a respective one of the said mounting means and is at least partially secured on the mounting means by means of adhesive.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which each said sealing portion is of hollow cross-section or filled with foamed material.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, in which the confronting surfaces of the strips facing each other across the gap carry flock, or polytetrafluoroethylene.

4. A sealing and guiding arrangement substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.