GB2196273A - Nozzle for producing a special section for the direct glazing of windscreens - Google Patents

Abstract

A nozzle for producing a bead of sealant of special section, for the direct glazing of windscreens, includes an orifice (1) having a cross- section in the form of a triangle with:- a base (2), a rounded apex (3), first and second lateral edges (4, 5) connecting the ends of base (2) to the rounded apex (3), and a recess (6) on said first lateral edge (4) and extending towards the second lateral edge (5). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Nozzle for producing a special section for the direct glazing of windscreens The present invention relates to a nozzle for producing a special section for the direct glazing of windscreens, whose orifice has a triangular profile with a base and a tip, which is spaced above the base and rounded, two lateral edges connecting the ends of the base with the rounded tip.

In the production of cars, generally singlecomponent moisture-hardening, pasty sealants/adhesives are used in the direct glazing of windscreens. These highly viscous pasty materials are supplied from storage containers via appropriate conveying means through nozzles onto one of the two surfaces to be bonded together. These surfaces may only be cleaned beforehand or may be precoated with a primer.

However, if direct glazing takes place on the assembly line, then the pasty adhesive/sealant is generally supplied from drums, accompanied by moisture exlusive, via suitable pumps and hoses through a nozzle to one of the two surfaces to be bonded. The pasty material maintains the cross-section given by the nozzle geometry, but can still be shaped under pressure until the hardening process which takes place after roughly thirty minutes. This ensures that the complete gap between the surfaces to be bonded can be filled with adhesive/sealant.

It is known for this purpose to use a nozzle, which produces a triangular profile, the width of the base of the triangle and the height of the triangle being adapted to the particular constructional circumstances. Optionally the non-bearing edge of the triangle is slightly rounded. The width of the overlapping surfaces, as well as the thickness between windscreen and vehicle body flange to be filled by sealant are decisive for the geometry of the triangular profile.

In this conventional manner of applying sealant, it frequently occurs that part of the sealant bead on inserting the windscreen is pressed inwards over the part of the latter not covered by the primer. This leads to an optically unsatisafactory edge of the bond, which is not accepted by the final consumer. To obviate this problem the projecting part of the sealant must be removed by cleaning before it has completely hardened, which leads to additional work and costs.

The problem of the present invention is to so further improve the known nozzle with the triangular orifice that the special section produced reliably prevents any risk of dirtying.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a nozzle for producing a special section for the direct glazing of windscreens, the nozzle including an orifice having a cross-section in the form of a triangle with:a base, a rounded apex, first and second lateral edges connecting the ends of base to the rounded apex, and a projection on said first lateral edge and extending towards the second lateral edge.

In the resulting section in the extruded sealant, this projection forms a deep channel.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a process of direct glazing a vehicle windscreen comprising applying sealant to either the vehicle windscreen aperture or the glass in a triangular section including a rounded apex between two lateral sides, with a channel extending along the sealant section, in one of the lateral sides thereof, said lateral side being the one facing away from the centre of the windscreen glass or windscreen aperture.

As a result of a sealant profile shaped with the aid of the nozzle according to the invention, it is always ensured that on inserting the windscreen, there is a "desired bending in side" on the outwardly directed edge. Therefore sealant can never penetrate the area which is visible in the finished vehicle. The inventive manner of applying sealant consequently leads to a considerable improvement and eliminates an otherwise frequently necessary cleaning stage. It is unimportant whether the sealant is applied to the glass plate or to the vehicle flange. In both cases the shaping according to the invention ensures that the excess sealant does not lead to optically unattractive dirtying.

The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter relative to the drawings, wherein show: Figure 1 A cross-sectional profile of the embodiment.

Figure 2 The application of a sealant profile produced with the embodiment according to Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention in diagrammatic cross-sectional form, all the remaining parts of the nozzle being omitted for ease of viewing purposes. They are standard to the Expert and need not therefore be explained here.

The orificel shown in Fig. 1 has a base 2, to which is connected at right angles at one end a first lateral edge 4, whilst at its other end is provided a second lateral edge 5 at an acute angle. The two lateral edges 4, 5 are interconnected by a rounded apex 3 spaced from base 2. A projection 6 is shaped into the first lateral edge 4 and has a horizontal U as the contour. Legs 7 and 8 of the U run parallel to base 2, whilst the bottom 9 is approximately parallel to the first lateral edge 4.

Projection 6 extends so far into the interior of the triangular profile, that it ends roughly in the centre between the first and second lateral edges 4, 5 respectively.

It is pointed out that in Fig. 1 the interior of the triangular profile represents the passage opening for a sealant, whereas all the other parts located outside the represented contour form part of the orifice 1.

Fig. 2 shows a sealant section 13 produced with the orifice 1 of Fig. 1, the recess 6' in lateral edge 4' of sealant section 13 being clearly visible.

The sealant section 13 is applied in Fig. 2 to a windscreen 10, to which has previously been applied a ceramic layer 11 and a primer coating 12. The ceramic layer 11 is located directly on windscreen 10 and serves to bond the primer coating 12 to the windscreen 10.

The left-hand part of Fig. 2 shows the sealant section 13 immediately after extruding from orifice 1, its recess 6' still not having been deformed. The right-hand part of Fig. 2 shows the sealant section 13 following the application thereto of a vehicle flange 14, which is pressed onto the apex 3' of sealant section 13. However, in practice, the process is the opposite way round, namely the windscreen 10 bearing the sealant section 13 is pressed against the vehicle flange 14. Recess 6' is compressed in such a way that it is no longer visible on the finished glazing and also the lateral edge 5' of sealant section 13 remote from recess 6' remains undeformed.

Claims (7)

1. A nozzle for producing a special section for the direct glazing of windscreens, the nozzle including an orifice having a cross-section in the form of a triangle with:- a base, a rounded apex, first and second lateral edges connecting the ends of base to the rounded apex, and a projection on said first lateral edge and extending towards the second lateral edge.

2. A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the cross-section has a right angle between said first lateral edge and the base.

3. A nozzle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the projection is at substantially half the height between the base and the apex of the triangle and extends substantially to the centre of the nozzle cross-section.

4. A nozzle according to any one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the projection is in the form of a U whose legs are parallel to said base of the triangle.

5. A nozzle for use in the direct glazing of windscreens, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

6. A process of direct glazing a vehicle windscreen comprising applying sealant to either the vehicle windscreen aperture or the glass in a triangular section including a rounded apex between two lateral sides, with a channel extending along the sealant section, in one of the lateral sides thereof, said lateral side being the one facing away from the centre of the windscreen glass or windscreen aperture.

7. A process of direct glazing a vehicle windscreen substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.