Movable or removable closures – With means mounting closure for reciprocation – Diverse or springy material guide or slide
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-28
2001-02-13
Redman, Jerry (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
With means mounting closure for reciprocation
Diverse or springy material guide or slide
C049S489100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185869
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door glass run for attachment along an inner periphery of a motor vehicle door frame.
2. Description of Related Art
As shown in
FIG. 1
, in a motor vehicle door
1
, a door glass run (hereinafter referred to as “glass run”)
3
is continuously attached along an inner periphery of a door frame
2
to guide a door glass
6
to its closed and open positions. When the door glass
6
is elevated to its fully closed position, the glass run
3
effects a seal between the door glass
6
and door frame
2
.
The glass run
3
is generally composed of rubber, elastomer or synthetic resin, and is formed by continuously connecting extruded glass runs
3
A,
3
B and
3
C via molded corner parts
3
D and
3
E. The glass run
3
has an approximately identical cross-section over the entire length thereof, and as shown in
FIG. 2
, includes a main body
30
having a generally U-shaped cross-section. The main body
30
includes a bottom wall
31
and side walls
32
a
and
32
b
which face each other. Seal lips
33
a
and
33
b
extend inwardly from ends of the side walls
32
a
and
32
b,
and molding lips
34
a
and
34
b
extend outwardly from the ends of the side walls
32
a
and
32
b
and turn upwardly.
To attach the thus arranged glass run
3
to the door frame
2
, the main body
30
is mounted into a channel
20
having a U-shaped cross-section, which is formed along the inner periphery of the door frame
2
, so as to hold walls of the channel
20
with molding lips
34
a
and
34
b
and side walls
32
a
and
32
b
of the main body
30
. Seal lips
33
a
and
33
b
seal the periphery of the door glass
6
from both sides thereof.
There is another type of glass run, which has no molding lips, but instead, has projections at ends of the side walls of a main body thereof for covering the ends of the side walls of the channel
20
to be fitted thereon.
It is difficult to form the glass runs
3
A,
3
B and
3
C into a configuration having the ends of the seal lips
33
a
and
33
b
coming close into contact with each other. Accordingly, as shown in
FIG. 3
, the glass runs
3
A,
3
B and
3
C have been formed into a configuration having the side walls
32
a
and
32
b
increasingly spread apart from each other in the direction of an opening
35
of the glass run
3
so as to separate the ends of the seal lips
33
b
and
33
a
from each other. The molded corner parts
3
E and
3
D for connecting the extruded glass runs
3
A,
3
B and
3
C are also formed into a configuration wherein the side walls increasingly spread apart in the direction of their openings, which is substantially identical to that of the extruded glass runs
3
A,
3
B and
3
C (FIG.
3
).
The glass run
3
thus formed has been mounted to the channel
20
by pinching the side walls
32
a
and
32
b
with fingers or the like and pressing them in the directions of the white arrows in
FIG. 3
such that the side walls
32
a
and
32
b
turn about angular portions
31
a
and
31
b
into approximately parallel relation to each other.
However, when the glass run
3
is mounted to the channel
20
, widthwise ends of the bottom wall
31
interfere with opening ends
21
of the channel
20
. To overcome this problem, the glass run
3
has been tilted with respect to the channel
20
into a readily insertable posture upon inserting it into the channel
20
. With this method as shown in
FIG. 4
, the molding lip
34
a
or the above-described projection may enter channel
20
causing a problem. In particular, as shown, where the side walls
32
a
and
32
b
have different heights, the above-described problem may frequently occur. Consequently, the work efficiency in attaching the glass run
3
is low.
When the corner part
3
D, which curves at an approximate right angle, is mounted to the channel
20
by pressing the side walls
32
a
and
32
b
into a generally parallel relation, end portions of the side walls
32
a
and
32
b,
which are on the radial inside thereof, are compressed in the curving direction thereof. Consequently, as shown in
FIG. 5
, the side walls
32
a
and
32
b,
molding lips
34
a
and
34
b,
and seal lips
33
a
and
33
b
respectively, generate a surplus
7
which protrudes outwardly from the center of the corner part
3
D.
Thus, to fit the molded corner part
3
D to the channel
20
, a large pressing force is needed. Consequently, the work efficiency in attaching the glass run is low. The resultant protrusions in the seal lips
33
a
and
33
b
decrease the effectiveness of the seal provided against the door glass
6
. Also, the resultant protrusions in the side walls
32
a
and
32
b,
and molding lips
34
a
and
34
b
impair the close fit against the side walls of the channel
20
, and cause the generation of gaps between ends of the molding lips
34
a
and
34
b
and the side walls of the channel
20
, degrading the external appearance around the door frame
2
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENITON
It is an object of the present invention to provide a glass run having a bottom wall which does not interfere with opening ends of a channel formed in a door frame upon attaching of the glass run thereto, and having molding lips or projections provided at ends of side walls which do not get into the channel, and which can be easily attached.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a glass run having a molded corner part which can also be easily attached and with an improved external appearance, without generating any surplus or protrusion in the molded part.
The glass run of the present invention is mounted to a channel having a generally U-shaped cross-section, which is formed along an inner periphery of a motor vehicle door frame . The glass run of the present invention has a main body including a bottom wall and side walls extending from widthwise ends of the bottom wall in a generally parallel relationship to each other, and seal lips extending inwardly from ends of the side walls for holding the periphery of the door glass. The bottom wall is formed to have a gable roof-like cross-section such that a peak portion thereof bends and rises outwardly to define a bending part.
When the side walls of the main body are pressed inwardly for fitting the glass run to the channel of the door frame, a compression force is applied to the bottom wall in the width direction thereof, further bending the bottom wall along a bending part to reduce the width. With this arrangement, the glass run can be readily fitted to the channel without having to tilt the glass run with respect to the channel, and molding lips or projections extending from the ends of the side walls are prevented from getting into the channel.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the bending part provided in the bottom wall is less than those of angular parts which connect the widthwise ends of the bottom wall to the side walls.
With this arrangement, upon receiving the compression force, the bending part bends before the angular parts, thereby ensuring the decrease in the width of the bottom wall.
The present invention can be applied to a glass run having a plurality of extruded glass runs and a plurality of molded glass runs, each of the plurality of molded glass runs having a corner-like configuration and connecting the plurality of extruded glass runs to each other. In this case, the bottom wall of at least the molded glass run which curves at approximately a right angle is formed to have the above-described gable roof-like cross section.
The present invention is particularly effective when applied to a glass run provided with molding lips, each extending from an end of each side wall of the glass run outwardly, and further extending along each side wall of the glass run to hold each side wall of the channel with the facing side wall.
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 accompan
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