Movable or removable closures – With means mounting closure for reciprocation – Diverse or springy material guide or slide
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-03
2002-12-31
Thibodeau, Paul (Department: 1773)
Movable or removable closures
With means mounting closure for reciprocation
Diverse or springy material guide or slide
C049S440000, C049S475100, C049S490100, C049S495100, C428S143000, C428S147000, C428S323000, C428S324000, C428S327000, C428S057000, C428S330000, C428S409000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06499256
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a weather strip including a glass run and a door weather strip for an automobile.
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. 5
) and seals between the outer peripheral edge of a raised 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 a borderline, 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
and 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
respectively. The molded part
61
shown in
FIG. 8
comprises a channel portion
64
which consists of a bottom portion
62
and 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
respectively.
Recently, attention is paid to a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) which is superior to a rubber at the molding process. The extruded part
51
has also come to be formed from an olefin-based TPE (TPO) by extrusion molding. The molded part
61
, which connects extruded parts
51
made of the TPO, is molded from a TPO or an olefin resin, either of which has high compatibility (adhesivity) to the TPO.
The end face of the outer peripheral edge of the door window glass
2
slides on the surfaces of the bottom portions
52
,
62
, while both side surfaces of the outer peripheral edge of the door window glass
2
slide on the surfaces of the seal lips
55
,
65
respectively. Therefore, it is required to lower the frictional resistance of the surfaces of the bottom portions and seal lips to thereby enhance their slidability, and to prevent abrasion of the surfaces for improving their durability.
To meet these requirements, low-friction layers
57
made of a polyethylene resin, which have a low coefficient of friction and an excellent abrasion resistance, are formed on the surfaces of the bottom portion
52
and the seal lips
55
made of the TPO by co-extrusion simultaneously when the channel portion
54
and the seal lips
55
are formed by extrusion molding to form the extruded part
51
as a single product, as shown in FIG.
7
.
As for the molded part
61
made of the TPO or the olefin resin, however, it was difficult to form the low-friction layer
57
on the surfaces of the bottom portion
62
of the channel portion
64
and the seal lips
65
when the molded part
61
was formed by injection molding as a single product, using substantially same technique of the above-described extruded part
51
forming technique, namely, simultaneously molding of the low-friction layers
57
and the channel portion
54
, as shown in FIG.
8
. Therefore, one could do nothing but apply liquid low-friction coating
67
made of a silicone oil or a polyurethane coating on the surfaces of the bottom portion
62
and the seal lips
65
after the molded part
61
is formed, to prevent the abrasion of the surfaces. However, the surfaces only with the liquid low-friction coating
67
were inferior to those with the above low-friction layers
57
especially in durability. Because, even if the liquid low-friction coating
67
can improve the initial slidability of the surfaces, they gradually disappear as they are used, which gradually lowers the slidability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a weather strip, which can improve the slidability and durability of the molded part.
The present invention resides in a weather strip comprising a molded part connected to an extruded part, wherein the molded part is molded from a thermoplastic elastomer or a soft resin containing a solid particle antifriction material and has 1 to 50 &mgr;m of ten points average surface roughness (Rz) on the surface of the molded part. “Ten points average surface roughness” is a value measured in accordance with JIS B0651, JIS B0601, ISO 4287/1, ISO 4287/2, ISO4288.
Here, the molding method is not limited to a specific one. For example, cast molding, compression molding, transfer molding or injection molding can be employed.
Though “TPE” is not limited to a specific type, it embraces an olefin-based TPE (TPO), a styrene-based TPE (SBC) and a polyester-based TPE (TPEE). The TPE having high compatibility to the extruded part is preferably used. For example, the TPO is preferably used when the extruded part is made of a TPO or an ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer (EPDM) rubber.
Though “soft resin” is not limited to a specific type, it embraces an olefin soft resin and a polyurethane resin (PU), a resin having high compatibility to the extruded part is preferably used. For example, an olefin soft resin is preferably used when the extruded part is made of a TPO or an EPDM rubber. The olefin soft resin embraces a soft polyethylene resin and an ethylene vinyl acetate resin (EVA).
“Solid particle antifriction material” is not limited to a specific type, and it may be an antifriction material formed of solid particles of at least one material selected from the group consisting of a silicone resin, apolyamide resin, a fluorine resin, a polycarbonate resin, a mica, a molybdenum and a calcium carbonate.
The content of the solid particle antifriction material is not specifically limited, and 1 to 30% by weight for the total weight of the molding material including the antifriction material itself is preferable. Moreover, the particle size of the solid particle which forms the antifriction material is not specifically limited, and 0.1 to 50 &mgr;m is preferable.
The reason why the ten points average surface roughness (Rz) on the surface of the molded part is restricted to 1 to 50 &mgr;m is that the ten points average surface roughness less than 1 &mgr;m lowers the effect of improving slidability of the molded part, while the ten points average surface roughness more than 50 &mgr;m deteriorates the outward appearance of the molded part. 10 to 30 &mgr;m of the ten points average surface roughness is more preferable. Even if the particle size of a solid particle is, for instance, 0.1 &mgr;m or 1 &mgr;m, the ten points average surface roughness can be, for instance, 1 &mgr;m or 10 &mgr;m, since a plurality of solid particles often cluster together.
The TPE or the soft resin can further contain a liquid antifriction material. The liquid antifriction material is not limited to a specific type, and it embraces a silicone oil such as polydimethylsiloxane. 0.1 to 10% by weight of the liquid antifriction material is preferably contained for the total weight of the molding material including the antifriction material itself.
The extruded part is preferably formed from a TPE or a rubber by extrusion molding, and one formed from a TPO or an EPDM rubber is more preferable.
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: 4442156 (1984-04-01), Yamaguchi
patent: 4572872 (1986-02-01), Yamazaki et al.
patent: RE32757 (1988-09-01), Yamazaki et al.
patent: 4894953 (1990-01-01), Nozaki
patent: 5183613 (1993-02-01), Edwards
patent: 5265377 (1993-11-01), Iwasa et al
patent: 5354594 (1994-10-01), Naito et al
patent: 5447671 (1995-09-01), Kato et
Aritake Masanori
Natsuyama Nobuhiro
Shigematsu Hironobu
Jackson Monique
Thibodeau Paul
Toyoda Gosei Co,., Ltd.
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