Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to channel-shaped sealing and
guiding strips. For example, embodiments of the invention
may be used as windo~ sealing and guiding channels in
motor vehicle bodies.
According to the invention, there is provided
an assembly of ~wo window sealing and guiding channel
arrangemen~s which are connected together by a mitred
joint, each channel arrangemen~ oomprising a first, outer,
channel made of plastics material and a second, inner,
channel fitted inside the first channel and made of rubber
material, the plastics channels being mitre-cut and joined
together ~t the mitred joint by being welded, and the
rubber channels substantially meeting at the joint but
not being actually joined to each other.
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Window channel arrangements embodying the invention
will now be described, by way of example only, with
reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in
which:
Figure 1 is a perspective sectional view of one of
the window channel arrangements mounted in a support
channel in a vehicle body;
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view to an enlarged
scale, of the window channel arrangement of Figure l; and
Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views of metal
reinforcements or carriers which may be incorporated
in the window channel arrangements.
The arrangements now to be more speci~ically described
are for usein motor vehicle body construction, such as
for sealing and guiding the movable window glass in a
motor vehicle body door.
As shown in Figs.l and 2, the window channel arrangement
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is mounted in posi~ion in the motor vehiele body door by being
inserted in a rigid me~al suppor~ 10. As shown in lig.l, the
supyort 10 comprises inner and outer portions lOA an~ 10~.
The outwardly facing side of tl~e outer portion lOB is covered
by a trim strip lOC.
The window channel arran~ement has two channel-shaperl
parts, an outer channel 12 made o~ plastics material and an
inner channel 14 made of rubber material, see ~ .2 particularly,
The plastics channel 12 has gripping lips 16 and 18 running
along the outside o the opposite side walls of the channel.
Each of these lips is made of plastics material and is integral
with the remainder o~ the channel 12, and is located adjacent
a respective longitudinal recess 20, 22.
The re~ions 12A, 12B of the side walls of the channel 12,
adjacentits mouth, are bent over, and then back along the out-
sides of the side walls, so as to provide longitudinaily extend-
ing slots 23, 24.
~ e plastics cllallnel 12 contains a metal reinl.orcin~
carrier 26. Any suitable form may be used Eor the me~al
carrier 26. It n~cly, ~or example, comprise a serics of U-slla~)e~
metal reinforcil-~ elemcn~s arran~ed side-by-si.(le ~o define a
cha~ el ~lrld connected to~ether by flexible collnectin~ linl;s,
or possibly not cor-nected to each other. Instead, however,
the metal carrier 26 could be made of wire looped back and
~or~h across ~he carrier. The gerleral purpose of the carrier
is ~o provide stiffenin~ and reinforcement for the plas~ics
chanl-.el 12 and to enable it to be more securely held within
the metal suyport 10. However, other purposes of tlle me~al
carrier will ~e discussed below.
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l~igure 3 shows one particular ~orrn which ~l1e carrier 10
can t~ke. As shown, the carrier here comprises a series o~
transverse U-shaped elements 28 which are joined together by
connecting links .32.
~ igure 4 shows another ~orm which the metal carrier 10
may take. Here it is shown as comprising a series o~ U-shaped
elemcnts 33 wllicll are connected to~ether by connecting links
34 which are inclined ~o the lon~itudinal axis o~ tlle carrier.
In addition, a flexible tape or thread 42 may run along tr.e
length of the carrier.
~ s shown in Fi~ures 1 and 2, the metal carrier 10 is
completely embedded witllin the plastics material o~ the plastics
channel 12, and this embedding process will also embed the
plastics tape 42 in the case o~ the carrier shown in ~i~ure 4.
The embe~din~ process may be carried out by extrusion using
a cross-head extruder.
The rubber channel 14 lS consiclerable thinner (e.g.l.~ n~
thick) ~han tl-e plastics channel 12 an~ does not contain any
metal reinorcemellt.
As sho~, it is provided with integral inwardly directed
sealing li~s 44, 46 running alon~ the length o~ the channel on
~he inside ~acing side walls thereo~. Tlle out~r
surfaces of tlle lips 44, 46, as well as the inside o~ the
base o~ the rubber channel 14, are covered with ~lock 47.
The rub~er chanllel 14 may be held in position inside the
plastics challllel 12 in any suitable way. For example, it may
be adhesively sccured therein, eithcr continuously along their
mutual lengths or at intervals therealon~. Instead, however,
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~he rubber channel could be held in pOSi~iOIl by being located
in an appropriately shaped recess running along the insi~e
o the channel 12.
~hen the window channel arrangement is fitted in position
within the metal support 10, as shown in Figure 1, the side
walls lOC and lOD of the inner portion lOA.:fit into the slots 23,
24 ~efilled by ~lle ben~-over outer por~ions o~ ~hc walls of ~le
pl~stic cllanIlel, so as to b~ a snug fit. In ad~ition, the
gripping lips 16, 18 provide a tight frictional grip on the
insides o~ the walls lOC, lOD and are partially pressed into
the recesses 20,.22 in the outsides of the walls of the plastic
channel. In this way, the window channel arrangemen~ is held
securely in position.
'l`he rubber channel 14 is thus appropriately positioned
or sealing and guiding the window glass 4~, and the
sealing and guiding lips 44, 46 press against thc sides of
the window glass ~o provide an effective seal against draughts
and moisture.
The use of the metal carrier 26 withill ~he plas~ics channel.
12 is advantageous because lt stiffens the plastics cllannel
and holds it more securely within the rnetal support 10. In
addition, however, it helps to provi~e dimensional stability
for the window cllannel arrangement in the longitudinal direction.
This is particularly so if the metal carrier ~akes the form
shown in ei~her Fi~ur~ 3 or Figure 4, where the connecting
links 32 and 34 effectively prevent shrinkage of the window
cllannel, which might otherwise take place in response co
~empera~ure cllallges and ageing effects. Stretching or ~he
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window channel is prevented by the connecting lin~s 32, of the
me~al carrier o Figure 3, and by the ~apc ~2 in ~he rne~al
carrier of Iigure 4. The metal carrier of ~igure 4 ~oes have
the advanta~e, however, that it is possible ~or it ~o be com-
pressed sli~htly, and this may be use~ul where small adjustments
of its length are necessary during the process of ~itting it
into the support 10.
In practice, vehicle doors for which the window channel
arrangement may be constructed may have one or more sharp corners
around the window opening, and the window channel arrangement
may be pre-formed with a rllitred join or joins positioned and
shaped to match such a corner or corners, as shown at X in Fig.l.
With such a pre-formed type of construction, it is particularly
desirable tha~ the arrangement should be dimensionally stable
and accurate so that it correctly fits the window frame and
support 10 for which it is designed. The dimensional stability
provlded by the metal carrier 26 is particularly advantageous
here. Furthermore, the form of carrier shown in Figure ~ is
advantageous because its limited compressibility allo~s some
dimensional adjustment to suit tolerances,
The use of a dual form of construction, employing both
plastics and rubber channels~ is advantageous for a number of
reasons.
The rubber channel 14 is very simple in design, much
simpler than it would be if the whole window channel arrangement
were made of rubber, and it can thus be manufactured by an
extrusion process employing a very simple die (or a multiple
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die extruding more than one rubber channel simultaneousl~
The use o~ a plastics outer channel 12 is advantageous
because the plastics material can be easily extruded around
the metal carrier 26, can be arranged to be coloured if desired
for the purposes of improving appearance, and can easily be
arranged to carry a trim strip, such as a bright strip of
metallised material.
Furthermore, there are advantages where a pre-formed
construction is used, as described above, involving one or
more mitred corners ~, Figolo It is much easier to form such
mitred corners in a plast;ics channel than in a rubber channel,
because the plastics channel can be mitre-cut and the two
portions joined togeth2r by a simple welding operation as at 50
in Fig.l. If a mitred join is required between two portions
of rubber channel, a much more complex vulcanising operation
is necesssary, normally involving the use of expensive moulds.
~ith the form of window channel arrangement illustrated, it is
only necessary to provide a mitre join (at 50, Fig.l) in -the
plastics channel 12; at the resultant corner, the rubber
channel 14 can be simply cut through, so as to provide two
portions meeting at the corner, though actually separate; the
gap between such portions is not of course a disadvantage
because the joined plastics channel supporting them provides
a continuous weather seal.
The metal carrier 26 has the additional advantage that
it reduces the possibility, which can occur with an unreinforced
window channel, that the window channel becomes distorted and
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displaced by pressure exerted on i~ from ~he window ~lass
when the latter is moved into its closed position.
