Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article – To produce composite – plural part or multilayered article
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-04
2001-05-08
Aftergut, Jeff H. (Department: 1733)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article
To produce composite, plural part or multilayered article
C156S108000, C156S245000, C264S279100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06228305
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No 10-124463 filed on May 7, 1998, including specification, claims, drawings and summary is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a method for the production of an opening-closing member and a sunroof for use with a vehicle by using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a simplified method for the production of an opening-closing member which can open or close a given opening portion with a high level of water tightness and precision by applied a foaming material on the opening-closing member and molding it into a given form. Moreover, it relates to a sunroof for use with a vehicle, which is produced by applying the simplified method.
Recently, a vehicle with a sunroof mounted on a rood panel of a vehicle body is becoming more popular. The sunroof may be of a type having a lid portion (a sunroof mold) disposed so as to close the opening portion disposed in the roof panel. The sunroof of this type can provide the driver and passengers with remarkable effects so that they feel relieved from a closed narrow space and are free, and so that air in the chamber can be exchanged. The sunroof mold is disposed so as to fix a frame onto a periphery of glass of the sunroof through a main seal. The resulting frame is then mounted on the opening portion thereof.
Hitherto, the sunroof mold is produced in a series of steps as shown in FIG.
12
. First, a main seal of a preformed gasket is mounted on a plate of glass as shown in step (
1
) of FIG.
12
. Then, a coupling string is inserted into the pre-formed gasket, and a frame to be mounted on the glass is treated with a highly viscous material for attachment to the frame, as shown in step (
2
) thereof. The frame is pressed under pressure with a fixing jig while removing the coupling string, as shown in step (
3
) thereof. The frame is then clamped with a clamp and placed for aging in an oven having a heated temperature as shown in step (
4
) thereof. Thereafter, the frame is removed from the oven and processed into a finished product by removing the clamp, as shown in step (
5
) thereof.
The conventional method for producing the sunroof mold as shown in
FIG. 12
, however, causes problems in that steps of assembly are too numerous because it requires clamping with the clamp and aging in the oven, and the like.
The conventional method further requires separately purchasing or producing a preformed gasket which causes an increase in costs of production. Further, this suffers from the problem that accuracy of the position in which the pre-formed gasket is mounted on the glass may be reduced.
In order to solve those problems prevailing in the conventional method, there is proposed a technique of shaping a glass mounting member in site without using the preformed sunroof mold. For instance, an article entitled “Advanced Concepts of Modular Glazings” of Saint Gobain company discloses the in site molding technique consisting of a three-step process as shown in FIG.
13
. In the first step, a spacer in a U-shaped section made of a highly viscous material capable of being shaped under high pressure is disposed and attached along an edge section of a glass by using a hexa-axial robot or the like. In several hours after attachment, the sectionally U-shaped spacer is allowed to be fixed securely to the glass. Then, in the second step, adhesive beads made of the highly viscous material of the same kind are then applied along the bottom portion of the sectionally U-shaped spacer on a vehicle assembly line with a robot or the like. In the third step, a frame and other member is mounted on the glass by the applied adhesive. The adhesive can integrally mount the frame on the glass in association with the action of the spacer after it has been allowed to cure.
In the conventional molding technique for molding the sunroof mold as shown in
FIG. 13
, a step of mounting the pre-formed gasket and cleaning work to be carried out before the mounting step are not required because the frame is mounted on the glass with the adhesive made of the same material as the spacer. Therefore, a number of steps of assembly can be reduced as a whole, thereby making the manufacturing work more efficient. In addition, the adhesive applied may be transformed flexibly in site so that no disadvantages occur due to an error in the position of mounting the spacer.
The molding technique developed by Saint-Gobain company is characterized in that the adhesive beads are formed on the U-shaped spacer mounted on the edge section of the glass, and the adhesive beads are applied in combination with the frame by mounting the glass on the frame by the adhesive beads. The conventional technique, however, does not contain the aspect of applying the foaming material on the seal portion disposed at a portion close to the edge section of the glass.
If a highly viscous material of a usual kind is applied at a portion close to the edge section of the glass to achieve the seal portion, there may be caused an occasion where it is difficult to enhance the sealing property between the opening portion and the seal portion because the highly viscous material of a certain type may lack an appropriate degree of flexibility. Moreover, in cases where the highly viscous material is applied at the entire periphery of the glass edge section, it is less preferred because the weight of the sunroof mold becomes too heavy.
In addition, the conventional molding technique does not contain any concept of molding a material applied at the portion close to the glass edge section into a given form. This fact presents the problem that it is difficult to mold it into various forms so as to adapt it to versatile usage.
The conventional method for the production of the sunroof mold as shown in
FIG. 12
enables the seal portion to be molded into a given form. This method, however, suffers from difficulties in that the seal portion cannot be molded integrally at the entire periphery of the glass edge section, in addition to a deviation of accuracy in the mounting position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the present invention has the object to provide a method for the production of an opening-closing member, which has been completed with the foregoing taken into account. The method of producing the opening-closing member according to the present invention can reduce a number assembly steps and costs, and does not cause any substantial deviation in accuracy of the position of mounting the seal portion. This method can further improve sealing performance between the seal portion and the opening portion.
The present invention has another object to provide a lightweight sunroof for use with a vehicle, which has highly improved sealing properties.
In order to achieve the objects, the present invention in an aspect provides a method for the production of an opening-closing member having a seal portion disposed at a portion close to an edge section of the opening-closing member corresponding to a given opening portion so as to close the given opening portion. A foaming material is applied at the portion close to an edge section of the opening-closing member, and the foaming material applied on the opening-closing member is molded into a given form.
The present invention further has an object to provide a method for the production of the opening-closing member. In this method, the seal portion is integrally molded over the entire periphery of the edge section of the opening-closing member. Moreover, the method of the present invention can achieve sealing of various kinds of opening portions by molding the seal portion into such a given form.
The method can improve the sealing properties of the opening-closing member for closing the opening-closing member, as compared with the case where the pre-formed gasket or the like is attached in site. This improvement is due to the fact that the foaming material which can hold an appropriate level of softness or flexibility even when it is cured, is ap
Okuda Shinji
Shiokawa Makoto
Aftergut Jeff H.
Haran John T.
Sunstar Giken Kabushiki Kaisha
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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