Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Door or window with specified vehicle feature
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-08
2001-08-28
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Door or window with specified vehicle feature
C296S146200, C049S490100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279987
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to weather stripping in automotive vehicles for sealing movable glass windows to keep air, noise, dust and precipitation from the exterior of the vehicle from entering through the window opening when a movable panel of window glass is closing the opening. More particularly, the present invention relates to a continuous weather strip wherein the sealing portion of the weather stripping can be colored to enhance the aesthetics of the interior of the automotive vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most automotive doors have a body envelope created by two generally-parallel spaced-apart inner and outer door panels. A top surface of the inner and outer door panels is often referred to as the belt line. An extendable panel (pane) of window glass is nested between the door panels. A window regulator is provided for selectively moving the glass panel in and out of the door envelope to open and close the window opening of the door. In many vehicles, the vehicle door has a door frame above the belt line for enclosing the window opening and supporting the glass panel in the uppermost position. The door frame has a seal along the top, typically called weather stripping or weather strip, which is connected with the door window frame to seal the lateral and upper edges of the window glass when the window glass is in its uppermost position.
The front and rear door window openings typically have one lateral boundary formed by a post which is adjacent to the B-pillar of the vehicle. The post is typically fixed to the door and typically has a longitudinal axis which is parallel with the axis of travel of the window panel. The post is typically a channel-shaped member having a head which aligns the lateral edge of the window glass panel. The post has two legs which extend in the fore and aft direction of the vehicle. The legs of the post align the window panel in a transverse direction of the axis of travel of the window panel. An interior leg of the post is adjacent to the interior of the vehicle and prevents the window glass from being pushed into the interior of the door opening. The top of the post is connected with or extends to a header region of the door window frame which provides an upper border of the window opening. The header region of the front window frame is joined with an A-pillar region of the door opening. The header region of the rear window frame is joined with a C-pillar region of the window opening (in some vehicles an opera window). Prior to the present invention, typical automotive sealing systems for door openings had combinations of extrusions which were molded together at the intersections between the header portion and pillar portions of the window opening. The extrusions also had dissimilar crosssections. Gaps and mismatches at the intersecting transition areas allowed infiltration of noise, water and dust. It would be desirable to provide a seal which would eliminate the gaps and mismatches at the transition areas.
In the past, most weather stripping has been supplied in one color, that being black. In recent years attempts have been made to improve the aesthetics of vehicles. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a seal which can be color coordinated or color matched with the color of the interior of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To make manifest the above noted desires, the revelation of the present invention is brought forth. In a preferred embodiment the present invention brings forth a continuous weather strip molding which has a generally U-shaped retention portion with two legs extending from a juxtaposed base portion. The retention portion of the weather strip is fitted onto the rigid frame structure of the door window opening. The weather strip molding has a sealing wing which is connected with the retention portion and extends from the retention base portion. The sealing wing has a sealing surface which seals against the movable glass panel. Continuous with the sealing wing is a concealment wing which is adjacent to the leg of the retention portion that is opposite the movable glass panel. The concealment wing conceals the adjacent leg of the retention portion from view from the interior of the vehicle. The first and second surfaces of the sealing wing and concealment wing are provided with color in the form of flock, laminate tape, low friction coating or in the polymer itself. The sealing wing and concealment wing are continuous from a belt line of the window opening up the B-pillar post, across the header region and down the A-pillar (front) or C-pillar (rear). The seal can be color coordinated or color matched with the interior color of the vehicle. Optionally the sealing wing, concealment wing and retention portion are formed as a common extrusion which can also be color matched.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a continuous seal from belt line to belt line. It is an object of the present invention to provide a continuous seal which can be color coordinated or matched with the interior color of an automotive vehicle.
Other objects of the present invention can be discovered by a review of the accompanying drawings and the detailed description of the invention.
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Ellis Nathan W.
Keeney John D.
Dykema Gossett PLLC
Hutchinson Sealing Systems, Inc.
Pape Joseph D.
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