U.S. patent application number 09/472981 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-27 for sealing structure of door weather strip.
Invention is credited to MIZUTANI, YASUSHI, NOZAKI, MASAHIRO.
Application Number | 20010054261 09/472981 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18500060 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010054261 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
NOZAKI, MASAHIRO ; et
al. |
December 27, 2001 |
SEALING STRUCTURE OF DOOR WEATHER STRIP
Abstract
A molded corner sealing structure of a door weather strip for
attachment along a peripheral surface of a vehicle door including a
seal lip for abutment on an inner surface of a door projecting edge
which projects around the vehicle door to cover an outer side
surface of the door weather strip over the entire length thereof.
The door weather strip has an additional secondary seal lip for
abutment on the inner surface of the door projecting edge under and
along the seal lip. The door weather strip is bonded to a roof-side
part and corner part of the vehicle door frame with a double-sided
adhesive tape, and is secured to the remaining part of the
peripheral surface of the vehicle door with clips. The seal lip and
secondary seal lip of the door weather strip in combination effect
a double seal in the corner part thereof.
Inventors: |
NOZAKI, MASAHIRO;
(TSUSHIMA-SHI, JP) ; MIZUTANI, YASUSHI;
(ICHINOMIYA-SHI, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PILLSBURY WINTHROP LLP
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
1600 TYSONS BOULEVARD
MCLEAN
VA
22102
US
|
Family ID: |
18500060 |
Appl. No.: |
09/472981 |
Filed: |
December 28, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
49/498.1 ;
49/441; 49/475.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60J 10/24 20160201;
B60J 10/86 20160201; B60J 10/248 20160201; B60J 10/21 20160201;
B60J 10/35 20160201 |
Class at
Publication: |
49/498.1 ;
49/475.1; 49/441 |
International
Class: |
E06B 007/16; E05D
015/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 28, 1998 |
JP |
HEI. 10-372216 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A sealing structure of a door weather strip for creating a seal
between the door weather strip and the periphery of a vehicle door
comprising: a seal lip for abutment on an inner surface of a door
projecting edge which projects around the vehicle door, said seal
lip being continuously formed on an outer side surface of said door
weather strip; and a secondary seal lip for abutment on the inner
surface of the door projecting edge, said secondary seal lip being
continuously formed on an outer side surface of the door weather
strip for attachment along a corner part of a vehicle door frame,
said secondary seal lip projecting along and being spaced from said
seal lip inside thereof and surrounding an outer side edge of the
base portion of said door weather strip; wherein the base portion
of the door weather strip is constructed and arranged for bonding
to a roof-side part of the vehicle door frame and the corner part
of the vehicle door frame with a double-sided adhesive tape, and is
adapted to be secured to a remaining part of the periphery of the
vehicle door with clips at predetermined intervals.
2. A sealing structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the door
weather strip includes an L-shaped molded corner part for
attachment to the corner part of the vehicle door frame, and
wherein said secondary seal lip is formed integrally with said
molded corner part.
3. A sealing structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
secondary seal lip is constructed and arranged to extend from one
side of said L-shaped molded corner part to a perpendicular
vertical side thereof, and wherein an end of said double-sided
adhesive tape which is bonded to the vertical side of said molded
corner part terminates before an end of said secondary seal lip on
the same vertical side.
4. A sealing structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein an end of
said secondary seal lip disposed on a vertical side of said molded
corner part is constructed and arranged to join a vertical portion
of said seal lip.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese patent
application No. Hei 10-372216; the substance of which is
incorporated herein.
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a sealing structure of a
door weather strip, and more particularly to a sealing structure
for effecting a seal between the door weather strip and a periphery
of a vehicle door, to which the door weather strip is attached.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a door weather strip (hereinafter
referred to as "weather strip") 10 is continuously attached to a
door frame 12 and door panel 14 of a vehicle door 16 over the
entire periphery thereof. In the drawing, reference numeral 18
designates a door glass.
[0006] As illustrated in FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B), the weather strip 10
includes a base portion 20, tubular main seal portion 24 and seal
lip 28. The base portion 20 is attached to a peripheral surface 22
of the door frame 12 and door panel 14 (FIG. 1). The tubular main
seal portion 24 comes into pressing contact with a surface 26
around a door opening when the door 16 is closed. The seal lip 28
projects outwardly and abuts an inner surface of a door projecting
edge 30 formed around the door frame 12 and door panel 14 (FIG. 1).
A roof-side part 10A of the weather strip 10, which is to be
attached to a roof-side part 12A of the door frame 12, is further
provided with a sub-seal lip 32 which is adapted to come into
pressing contact with an outside surface 34 around the door opening
when the door 16 is closed.
[0007] Conventionally, the weather strip 10 has been attached to
the door 16 by securing the base portion 20 to the peripheral
surface 22 of the door frame 12 using clips at predetermined
intervals.
[0008] However, if only clips are used, gaps may exist between the
bottom surface of the base portion 20 of the weather strip and
peripheral surface 22 of the door frame 12 between the adjacent
clips.
[0009] In addition, another gap may be generated between the seal
lip 28 and the door projecting edge 30 depending on how the weather
strip 10 is positioned to the door frame 12. Rain water, washing
water or the like may leak into the vehicle compartment through
these gaps.
[0010] Such water leakage may be prevented by bonding the base
portion 20 to the peripheral surface 22 closely with a double-sided
adhesive tape 36, as illustrated in FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B).
[0011] However, bonding the weather strip 10 with the double-sided
adhesive tape (hereinafter referred to as "adhesive tape") 36,
requires that the adhesive tape be previously bonded to the base
portion 20 of the weather strip 10, and that the base portion 20 be
pressed on the peripheral surface 22 of the door frame 14 via the
adhesive tape 36 while peeling off a releasing sheet therefrom.
Additionally, this bonding work must be carried out carefully so as
to not allow the adhesive tape 36 to meander. Thus, troublesome
operations are required, and the production costs are increased, as
compared to the case using clips.
[0012] On the other hand, in the vertical parts of the periphery of
the door 16, water which has leaked between the seal lip 28 and
door projecting edge 30 flows down along the vertically extending
peripheral surface 22 and discharges outside of the vehicle.
Therefore, if the weather strip is attached to the vertical parts
of the door 16 with clips, leaked water does not enter into the
vehicle compartment.
[0013] From this fact, the following attaching method would seem
possible. The weather strip 10 is attached to the roof-side part
12A and corner part 12C of the door frame 12 with the adhesive tape
36, and is attached to the remaining part of the periphery of the
door with clips. With this method, troublesome adhesive
tape-bonding operations can be decreased, and the production costs
can be reduced, as compared to the method using the adhesive tape
over the entire length of the door frame.
[0014] However, using the adhesive tape in both the roof-side part
12A and the corner part 12C of the door frame exhibits another
problem. The bottom surface of the base portion 20 of the weather
strip 10, which is bonded with the adhesive tape 36, is raised from
the peripheral surface 22 of the door frame 12 by an amount
corresponding to the thickness of the adhesive tape 36.
Consequently, a tunnel-like opening 64 is created at an end of the
adhesive tape 36 (hereinafter referred as "tape end"), which is
located in a vertical side of the corner part 12C between the
bottom surface of the base portion 20 and the door frame 12, as
shown in FIG. 1. The tunnel-like opening is greater than the gap
generated due to the clips so that water flowing down along the
peripheral surface 22 of the door frame 12 may partly enter the
tunnel-like opening 64, and intrude into the vehicle
compartment.
[0015] In FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B), the base portion 20 is provided with
beads 38 along both side edges thereof. The height of the beads 38
is made less than the thickness of the adhesive tape 36 such that
the beads 38 do not abut the peripheral surface 22 of the door
frame 12 when the adhesive tape 36 is pressed on the peripheral
surface 22 of the door frame 12. Consequently, the beads 38 do not
prevent water from leaking into the vehicle compartment through the
tunnel-like opening 64.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a sealing structure of a door weather strip, and more
particularly a door weather strip wherein one part is attached to a
door frame with a double-sided adhesive tape, and a remaining part
is attached to a remaining part of the vehicle door with clips at
predetermined intervals, such that water is prevented from leaking
into a vehicle compartment through a gap formed between a periphery
of the door frame and the door weather strip.
[0017] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,
the base portion of the door weather strip is attached with
double-sided adhesive tape to a periphery of a vehicle door so as
to be bonded to a roof-side part of a vehicle door frame and a
corner part, which curves from the roof-side part to a pillar-side
part thereof, and secured to a remaining part of the vehicle door
with clips at predetermined intervals.
[0018] The weather strip has a seal lip for abutment on an inner
surface of a door projecting edge projecting from the periphery of
a vehicle door. The seal lip is formed in an outer side surface of
the weather strip. The weather strip has a secondary seal lip for
abutment on the inner surface of the door projecting edge under and
along the above-described seal lip. The secondary seal lip is
formed as part of the corner part of the weather strip, which is to
be attached to the corner part of the door frame, and surrounds an
outer side edge of the base portion.
[0019] With the sealing structure of the present invention, water
leaking between the seal lip and door peripheral edge is received
by the secondary seal lip and flows down along a vertical side of
the secondary seal lip instead of being caught in a tunnel-like
opening between the base portion of the door weather strip and the
door frame along the end of the adhesive tape. Then, water is
discharged from a vertical end thereof.
[0020] Other objects, features, and characteristics of the present
invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following
description and the appended claims with reference to the
accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this
specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a front view of a door to which a conventional
weather strip is attached;
[0022] FIG. 2(A) is a cross-sectional view of the conventional
weather strip attached to a door frame with a double-sided adhesive
tape, which is taken along the line IIA-IIA of FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 2(B) is a cross-sectional view of the conventional
weather strip attached to a door frame with a double-sided adhesive
tape, which is taken along the line IIB-IIB of FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a front view of a door to which a weather strip
having a sealing structure in accordance with the present invention
is attached;
[0025] FIG. 4(A) is a perspective view of a corner part of the
weather strip, which has a sealing structure in accordance with the
present invention;
[0026] FIG. 4(B) is a cross-sectional view of the corner part of
the weather strip taken along the line IVB-IVB of FIG. 4(A);
and
[0027] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a door weather
strip showing an example of a tunnel-like opening.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] FIG. 4(A) illustrates a corner part 40C of a weather strip
40 having the sealing structure in accordance with the present
invention. The corner part 40C has a generally L-shaped
configuration and extends along a corner (designated as A in FIG.
3) of a door frame 12. The corner part 40C is formed by molding
between a roof-side part 40A which is attached along a roof-side
part 12A of the door frame 12, and a vertical part 40B which is
attached along a pillar-side part 12B of the door frame 12. The
roof-side part 40A and vertical part 40B are respectively formed by
extruded rubber material.
[0029] The roof-side part 40A, vertical part 40B and molded corner
part 40C respectively have a base portion 42, tubular main seal
portion 44 and seal lip 46. The base portion 42 and tubular main
seal portion 44 are continuously formed over the parts 40A, 40B and
40C.
[0030] In the roof-side part 40A and horizontal side of the corner
part 40C, a lip-like sub-seal portion 48 projects upwardly from an
outer side edge of the base portion 42 along the main seal portion
44.
[0031] An upper edge of the sub-seal portion 48 extends
approximately straight in conformity with that of a projecting edge
30 of the door 16. The seal lip 46 is formed on the back side of
the main seal portion 44. The seal lip 46 extends approximately
straight in conformity with the upper edge of the sub-seal portion
48, and curves downwardly into a letter-C-like configuration in the
position facing an end of the sub-seal portion 48. The seal lip 46
is also formed in the vertical part 40B.
[0032] The corner part 40C has a secondary seal lip 50 in the outer
side surface thereof inside of and spaced from the seal lip 46.
30005244 6
[0033] The secondary seal lip 50 extends along the outer side edge
of the base portion 42 of the corner part 40C from the horizontal
side to the vertical side thereof so as to surround the outer side
edge of the base portion 42. The secondary seal lip 50 protrudes
obliquely upwardly, similarly to the seal lip 46. A horizontal end
52 of the secondary seal lip 50 begins at the outer side edge of
the horizontal base portion 42 of the corner part 40C, and
continues to a vertical end 54 of the secondary seal lip 50, where
it is joined to the seal lip 46 formed in the vertical part 40B, as
shown in FIG. 4(A). A curving end of the seal lip 46 formed in the
corner part 40C is joined to a vertical side of the secondary seal
lip 50.
[0034] The weather strip 40 thus arranged is attached to the
peripheral surface 22 of the door frame 12 with the seal lip 46
located outwardly of the vehicle. An adhesive tape 56 is
continuously bonded to a bottom surface of the base portion 42 of
the roof-side part 40A and corner part 40C of the weather strip 40.
A tape end 58 of the adhesive tape 56 terminates before the
vertical end 54 of the secondary seal lip 50, which is joined to
the seal lip 46 of the vertical part 40B. Beads 60 are formed along
both side edges of the base portion 42.
[0035] The roof-side part 40A and corner part 40C are attached to
the door frame 12 by pressing the base portion 42 on the peripheral
surface 22 via the adhesive tape 56. The vertical part 40B is
secured to the door frame 12 by fitting clips (not shown) in clip
holes 62 formed in the vertical part 40B and peripheral surface 22
of the door frame 12 at predetermined intervals. The remaining part
of the weather strip is also secured to the periphery of the door
panel 14 with clips.
[0036] As a modified embodiment, to position the base portion 42 on
the peripheral surface 22 of the door frame 12, positioning clips
may be provided in the base portion 42 of the roof-side part 40A
and corner part 40C at extended intervals. Upon attaching the door
weather strip 40, the base portion 42 is bonded with the adhesive
tape 56 while being positioned on the door frame 12 with the
positioning clips. In this case, the adhesive tape 56 is previously
bonded to the bottom surface of the base portion 42 outside the
positioning clips.
[0037] When the weather strip 40 is attached to the door frame 12,
the seal lip 46 abuts the inner surface of the door projecting edge
30, and secondary seal lip 50 also abuts the inner surface of the
door projecting edge 30 under the seal lip 46. The seal lip 46 and
secondary seal lip 50 in combination effect a double seal between
the corner part 40C of the weather strip 40 and door projecting
edge 30.
[0038] When the corner part 40C is attached to the corner part of
the door frame, a tunnel-like opening 64, for example as shown in
FIG. 5, having a triangular cross-section is formed between the
base portion 42 and peripheral surface 22 of the door frame 12
along the tape end 58.
[0039] In the event of water impinging upon the car such as in the
case of rain or when a car is washed, particularly upon washing
cars under a high pressure, water may pass between the seal lip 46
and door projecting edge 30, and enter the inside of the seal lip
46. However, in the roof-side part 40A, the adhesive tape 56
prevents water from intruding into the vehicle compartment. Water
impinging on the vehicle door flows on the peripheral surface 22 of
the roof-side part 12A of the door frame 12 along the side edges of
the base portion 42 of the weather strip 40 and then down along the
periphery of the door panel 14, to be discharged therefrom.
[0040] In the corner part 40C, water which has entered the inside
of the seal lip 46 is received by the secondary seal lip 50. The
water flows down along the secondary seal lip 50, and down along
the seal lip 46 of the vertical part 40B to also be discharged from
the vehicle.
[0041] More specifically, in the corner part 40C, there exists a
tunnel-like opening 64 between the weather strip 40 and door frame
12 along the tape end 58, as shown for example in FIG. 5. However,
in the vicinity of the tunnel-like opening 64, water is caught by
the secondary seal lip 50 and induced to flow down along the
secondary seal lip 50. Consequently, water does not enter into the
vehicle compartment.
[0042] Additionally, the weather strip 40 has a molded corner part
40D. The molded corner part 40D (FIG. 3) is substantially identical
to the corner part 40C, and also has a tunnel-like opening between
a vertical side of the corner part 40D and door frame 12 along the
tape end. In the vicinity of this tunnel-like opening, water is
received by a secondary seal lip surrounding the outer side edge of
the base portion of the weather strip so as not to enter the
tunnel-like opening.
[0043] The sealing structure in accordance with the thus-described
present invention facilitates attachment of a weather strip to a
periphery of a door frame, as compared to those arrangements using
an adhesive tape over the entire periphery of the door frame, and
prevents water leakage into the vehicle compartment.
[0044] While the invention has been described in connection with
what are considered to be the preferred embodiments, it is to be
understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed
embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various
modificaaitons and equivalent arrangements included within the
spirit and scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *