DOOR WEATHERSTRIP

COUPE-BRISE POUR PORTE

English Abstract

TITLE:
Door Weather Strip
ABSTRACT
A weather strip for an automobile door is in
use mounted on an edge of the door to come into close
contact with a door frame of the automobile when the
door is closed, thereby providing a weather seal
and preventing any foreign matter from entering into
the automobile. The weather strip comprises a base
section (5) which is to be mounted on the edge
of the door and a hollow sealing section (6) integrally
formed with and outstanding from the base section.
The hollow sealing section (6) comprises first and
second side walls (8,9) joined by a convex top wall
(10), and an integral projecting web (7) outstanding
from the first side wall near its junction with the
top wall. The hollow sealing section (6) deforms
resiliently when the door is closed, with the projecting
web (7) and first side wall (8) contacting a first
edge (3a) of the door frame parallel to the plane of
the door opening, and the domed or convex top wall
(10) being deflected outwardly away from the base
section (5) into sealing contact with an inwardly
facing edge (3b) of the door frame. The outward
deflection of the top wall (10) decreases its
radius of curvature and increases its sealing efficiency.

Claims

CLAIMS
1. A door weather seal assembly, comprising a vehicle
door in a-door frame, and mounted to the door around the
edge thereof an elastic rubber strip of uniform cross-
section for providing a weather seal with the door frame
on door closure, wherein the strip comprises a hollow
sealing section outstanding from a base section, the
hollow sealing section comprising first and second side
walls joined by a convex outer wall, with an integral
projecting flange outstanding from the first side wall
adjacent its connection with the convex outer wall,
the shape of the hollow sealing section being such that
it deforms when the vehicle door is closed, with the first
side wall and the projecting flange contacting a first
edge of the door frame parallel to the plane of the door
opening, and the convex outer wall contacting an inwardly
facing edge of the door frame that is generally perpend-
icular to the first edge.
2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the
deformation of the hollow sealing section when the
vehicle door is closed is such as to decrease the radius
of curvature of the convex portion, and to extend a
central ridge portion of the convex portion further from
the base portion than when the strip is in a relaxed state.
3. An assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein
the interior wall of the hollow sealing section is
formed with internal angular or curved zones between the
first side wall and the convex outer wall, between the
second side wall and the convex outer wall and along
an apex of the convex outer wall.
4. An assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein
the interior wall of the hollow sealing section is
formed with longitudinal grooves between the first side
wall and the convex outer wall, between the second side
wall and the convex outer wall, and along an apex of the
convex outer wall.
5. A weather-strip for an automobile door composed
of an elastic rubber-like material and of a uniform cross
sectional shape throughout its length and adapted to be
mounted on an edge of the door and closely contact with a

body of the automobile when the door is closed, said body
having a first section parallel to the plane of the door
opening and a second section generally perpendicular to
said first section, said weather-strip comprising:
a base section adapted to be mounted on the edge of
the door; and
a hollow seal section integrally formed with said
base section;
said hollow seal section comprising;
a first wall projecting from said base section and
having a sealing surface formed thereon;
a protrusion continually and integrally formed with
said first wall, said protrusion having a sealing surface
formed thereon;
a second wall projecting from said base section; and
a convex top wall integrally formed with said first and
second walls, said top wall having a ridge formed therein,
said hollow seal section having first, second and third
bends between said first wall and said top wall, said
second wall and said top wall, and at the ridge of said
top wall, respectively; wherein said seal section is
adapted to collapse when the door is closed in such a way
that the sealing surfaces of said first wall and said
protrusion are brought into a press contact with the first
section of said body and the ridge of said top wall is
brought into a press contact with the second section of
said body.
6. A weather-strip for an automobile door as recited
in claim 5 wherein there are formed first, second and
third longitudinal grooves in and around said first,
second and third bends, respectively.
7. A door seal assembly for an automobile, comprising:
a door;
a body panel for receiving said door, said body panel
having a first edge parallel to the plane of the door
opening and a second edge which is generally perpendicular
to the first edge; and
a weather-strip comprising an elastic rubbery strip
of uniform cross-section for mounting around an edge of

said door, said weather-strip comprising:
a base section mounted on the edge of said door;
a hollow seal section outstanding from said base
section;
said hollow seal section comprising:
a first wall outstanding from said base section and
having a sealing surface formed thereon;
a second wall outstanding from said base section;
a protrusion continuously and integrally formed with
said first wall, said protrusion having a sealing surface
formed thereon; and
a convex top wall interconnecting said first and
second walls, said top wall having a ridge formed
therein, said hollow seal section having first, second and
third bends between said first and top walls, said second
and top walls, and at the ridge of said top wall,
respectively; wherein said seal section is adapted to
collapse when the door is closed in such a way that the
sealing surfaces of said first wall and said protrusion
are brought into sealing contact with the first edge of
said body panel and the ridge of-said top wall is brought
into a sealing contact with the second edge of said body
panel.

Description

TITLE:
- ~ ~77506
Door Weather strip
DESCRIPTION:
The invention relates to a weather strip to be
attached to the peripheral edges of doors of
automobiles. In such known weather strips when the
door is closed a seal portion of the weather strip
is brought into sealing contact with a frame of the
door, formed for example by a body panel. In that
case, however, a generally trianguIar spacing is
formed between the seal portion and the body panel
because the seal portion in general has a relatively
large radius of curvature. Therefore, if during car
washing etc. water is sprayed onto the car body at
a high pressure, the water tends to enter the spacing
and push open the seal portion of the weather strip
thereby leaking into the inside of the door.
The present invention provides a door weather seal
assembly, comprising a vehicle door in a door rame,
and mounted to the door around the edge thereo~ an elastic
rubber strip of uniform cross-section Eor providing a
weather seal with the door frame on door closure, wherein
the strip comprises a hollow sealing section outstanding
from a base section, the hollow sealing section comprising
first and second side walls joined by a convex outer wall,
with an integral projecting flange outstanding from the
first side wall adjacent its connection with the convex
outer wall, the shape of the hollow sealing section being
such that it deforms when the vehicle door is closed, with

2 ? .~ 7750 6
the first side wall and the projecting flanye contacting
a first edge of the door frame parallel to the plane of
the door opening, and the convex outer wall contacting an
inwardly facing edge of the door frame that is generally
perpendicuIar to the first edge.
The weather strip o the invention is able to provide
a reliable sealing when the door is closed, since the
top wall is deflected outwardly, away from the base
section, on door closure so that the radius of curvature
of the convex top wall tends to decrease, thereby
increasing its sealing efficiency. The shape of the
top wall is preferably domed or ridged, with the outermost
part of the dome or the line of the ridge providing the
seal with the inwardly facing edge of the door frame.
The reference herein to the plane of the door opening
is to be interpreted in the context of motor vehicle
doors which are frequently contoured and therefore not
truly planar. The term is however sufficient to define~

I !77506
--3~
the pair of edges of the door ~rame with which the
weather strip cooperates in use.
DRAWINGS:
Figure l is a side elevation of an automobile
provided with a door weather strip according to
the present invention;
Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of
a weather strip according to the present invention;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the
line III-III of Figure 1 showing how the weather strip
is deformed into sealing engagement with the door
frame when the door is closed; and
Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 2 but
through another embodiment of khe present invention.
Referring first to Figure 1, an automobile door 1
is provided to close a door opening in a door frame
defined by body panels 3. A weather strip 4 is
provided around the door edge as shown in more detail
in Figure 2 or 4.
Referring to Figure 2, the weather strip 4 is a
rubber extrusion that is secured around an edge 2 of

~ ~77~0~;
--4--
the door 1. The weather strlpi4 comprises a base
section 5 and a sealing section 6, o which the
iatter has a sectional shape comprising a first wall
8 which overhangs towards the interior of the
- 5 automobile when mounted in place, and a second wall
9, both walls being outstanding from the base section 5.
A convex top wall 10 with a generally central ridge 13
connects the upper ends of the walls 8 and 9.
The first wall B, at its outermost end where it is
connected to the top wall 10, has ormed thereon an
integral outstanding projecting web 7 which forms a
continuation of the first wall inclined outwardly
from the base section S and inwardly towards the
interior of the automobile. - The zones of connection,
marked 11 and 12 respectively, between the top 10 and
the second and first walls 9 and 8 are each ormed with
an internal angled or bent shape 14. A similar internal
angle 14 is formed keneaththe ridge 13 of the top wall 10.
Thus, the base section 5 of the weather strip 4 is
fitted to the peripheral edge 2 of the door l, and when
the door 1 is closed the sealing section 6 is brought
into sealing contact with the body panel 3. When
- the sealing section 6 makes sealing contact with the
body panel, the whole o the exterior, inwardly
acing surfaces of the web 7 and the first wall 8 are

~ i77506
brought into sealing contact with a vertical edge
3a of the panel 3, being an edge that is parallel to
the plane of the door opening. The ridge 13 o the
top wall 10 is deformed outwardly from the base
section 5 and brought into sealing contact with an edge
3b of the panel 3, generally perpendicular to the
edge 3a.
Therefore, eve~ if a spray or jet of water strikes
against the sealing section 6 as shown by an arrow A
in Figure 3, it is blocked first by the convex ridged
top wall 10, and if water at high pressure does pass
between the ridye 13 and the edge 3b of the panel 3,
the web 7 and the first wall 8 which are in sealing
contact wi~h the edge 3a of the panel 3 will prewent
the wa~er from passing to the inside o~ the door 1.
The reason ls that the web 7 has a small radius
of curvature at its leading end, and the pressure
of any water that lies in the extremely limited space
between the edges 3a and 3b cannot become high
- 20 enough to push open the first wall 8.
In addition, the generation of wind noise is
reduced by the sealing effect of the ridge 13.
Furthermore, because the irst wall 8 extends
outwardly from the base section 5 and overhangs
towards the interior of the automobile, and because

. ~ 7 7~ V ~;
of the bend 14 formed in the zon~e of connection 12
be~ween the first wall 8 and top wall 10, any
movement in use of the top wall 10 is accompanied by
flexure at the bend ~. Therefore, there is in use
substantially no vertical or transverse displacement
of the first wall 8 from the normal position shown.
One advantageous feature of the weather strip 4 of
Figure 2 is that as the door i5 closed and the strip 4
comes into contact with the body panel 3, the bias
exerted by the weather strip on the door panel as it
deforms to the condition of Figure 3 is relatively
small or limited so that the door can be completely
closed with a small force applied thereto and can maintain
its satisfactory water-tightness.
15Referring to Figure 4, there i5 shown another
embodiment of aweather strip according to the
present invention. This embodiment is in all respects
similar to that of Figure 2 except that a groove 15
is f~rmed along the line of each of the bends ~ of
the Figure 2 embodiment, each groove lS being formed
internally of the sealing section 6. The formation
of the grooves 15 allows the sealing section 6 to be
~ deformed more readily than in the first embodiment.