Glass run

Details Glass run Glass run

1999-07-14

2001-05-08

Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)

Movable or removable closures

With means mounting closure for reciprocation

Diverse or springy material guide or slide

C049S441000, C296S146900

Reexamination Certificate

active

06226926

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the formation of a glass run for slidably receiving the peripheral edge of a moving window glass so as to guide the movement of the window glass, for sealing between the window glass and a door sash, and for including an internal debris discharge system.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional glass run
50
is shown in
FIGS. 6
to
8
. The glass run
50
is attached to a door sash
1
of an automobile (see
FIG. 4
) and seals between the outer peripheral edge of a raised (closed) door window glass
2
and the door sash
1
. The glass run
50
comprises a plurality of straight extruded parts
51
and curved or bent molded parts
61
, each of which connects together two of the straight extruded parts
51
. The extruded part
51
is attached to a straight section of the door sash
1
while the molded part
61
is attached to a corner section of the door sash
1
. The letter “S” designates aborderline, or the connected end surfaces, between the extruded part
51
and the molded part
61
.
The extruded part
51
shown in
FIG. 7
comprises a channel portion
54
which consists of a bottom portion
52
, two side walls
53
, and two seal lips
55
which project into the channel portion
54
from free ends of the both side walls
53
. The molded part
61
, shown in
FIG. 8
, comprises a channel portion
64
which consists of a bottom portion
62
having a solid flat interior surface, two side walls
63
, and two seal lips
65
which project into the channel portion
64
from free ends of the both side walls
63
. The end face of the outer peripheral edge of the door window glass
2
slides on the surfaces of the bottom portions
52
,
62
. Therefore, there is a concern that the surfaces of the bottom portions
52
,
62
may be easily abraded. Further, if debris such as sand or dust becomes inserted between the surfaces of the bottom portions
52
,
62
and the end face of the window glass
2
, abrasion of these surfaces will be accelerated in advance of normal conditions.
To solve the above-mentioned problem, gutters or ditches
57
are formed in the longitudinal direction along the interior of bottom portion
52
of the straight extruded part
51
with small cross sectional areas. Gutters
57
are formed simultaneously when the channel portion
54
and the seal lips
55
are formed by extrusion molding made of an ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer (EPDM) rubber to form the extruded part
51
as a single product, as shown in FIG.
7
. With such a structure for the extruded part
51
, debris moves and drops into the gutters
57
and is discharged when the window glass
2
slides on the surface of the bottom portion
52
.
On the other hand, no gutter arrangement is formed on the interior surface of the bottom portion
62
of the molded part
61
, as shown in FIG.
8
. Therefore, as for the molded part
61
, the above-described operation of discharging debris is not achieved. The reason why no gutter is formed for the molded part
61
is thought to be as follows. Namely, even if gutters having small cross sectional areas are to be formed, it is known that a bleeding mold release agent or process oil, or a generated vulcanization gas easily fills such gutters when the channel portion
64
and the seal lips
65
are molded from an EPDM rubber to form the molded part
61
as a single product. Therefore, no gutter has came to be actually formed.
Also, a molded rubber is inferior to an extruded rubber in durability, even though both are formed from the same type EPDM rubber.
Under those circumstances, there was a problem that the bottom portion
62
of the molded part
61
wore out easier and earlier than the bottom portion
52
of the extruded part
51
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a glass run which can decrease abrasion of the surface of the bottom portion of the molded part, thereby improving its durability.
The present invention resides in a glass run which comprises at least one molded part that includes a channel portion with a bottom portion, side walls, seal lips projecting from the side walls and one or more gutters formed on the surface of the bottom portion for discharging debris.
Here, the molded part is preferably formed from a rubber, a soft resin or a thermoplastic elastomer(TPE). The term “rubber” embraces an ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer (EPDM) rubber and an ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber (EPR). The term “soft resin” embraces an olefin soft resin including a soft polyethylene. The “TPE” embraces an olefin TPE (TPO) and a styrene TPE (SBC). When the molded part is formed from rubber, a mold release agent or process oil, or a vulcanization gas easily fills the gutters for discharging debris. To the contrary, when the molded part is formed from a soft resin or a TPE, there is little mold release agent or process oil present, so that the gutters for discharging debris are hardly filled. Therefore, a soft resin or a TPE is preferable than a rubber.
A gutter for discharging debris may have a V-shaped, U-shaped or rectangular cross section. Though the cross sectional area of such gutters is not specifically limited, gutters designed for a molded part formed from a rubber preferably have a large cross sectional area of the order of 0.15-0.5 mm
2
so that the gutters will not be completely filled with mold release agent, process oil or vulcanization gas. The width of the gutter for discharging debris is preferably about 0.4-0.7 mm while the depth thereof is preferably about 0.4-0.7 mm.
Though the direction in which the gutters for discharging debris are formed is not specifically limited, they are preferably provided in the longitudinal direction along the bottom portion. In this case, 1-5 gutters are preferably provided with a pitch between centers of adjacent gutters being about 1-3 mm.
Where grooves, formed in the longitudinal direction along the interior surface of the bottom portion, are provided on both sides of the bottom portion, gutters for discharging debris may be formed in a slantwise direction relative to the longitudinal direction of the bottom portion so they open in such grooves. In this case, the angle at which the gutters slant with respect to the longitudinal direction of the bottom portion is not specifically limited, but an angle from about 45 to about 75 degrees is preferable. Such slantwise positioned gutters are preferably provided with a pitch between centers of adjacent gutters of about 4 to about 6 mm.
Further objects of this invention will become evident upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments described below. Various advantages not specifically referred to herein but within the scope of the instant invention will occur to one skilled in the art upon practice of the presently disclosed invention. The following examples and embodiments are illustrative and not seen to limit the scope of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4454687 (1984-06-01), Baker
patent: 4894953 (1990-01-01), Nozaki
patent: 4897298 (1990-01-01), Otawa et al.
patent: 5265377 (1993-11-01), Iwasa et al.
patent: 5694718 (1997-12-01), Norton
patent: 0 256 219 (1988-02-01), None
patent: 0 860 314 A1 (1998-08-01), None
patent: 0 900 680 A1 (1999-03-01), None

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