Weather strip for use on a sunroof

Details Weather strip for use on a sunroof Weather strip for use on a sunroof

2003-02-05

2004-11-02

Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Tops

Roof structure

C296S216090, C049S498100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06811213

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a weather strip for use on a sunroof of a car so as to ensure sealing property between a roof panel and a roof glass.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional weather strip for use on a sunroof is described now with reference
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
A weather strip
20
is provided on a sunroof of a car for ensuring sealing property between a roof panel
11
and a roof glass
12
. The weather strip
20
generally comprises a built-in base part
21
attached to the roof glass
12
and a hollow seal part
22
integrally formed with the built-in base part
21
, which elastically contacts the roof panel
11
. The hollow seal part
22
has substantially a uniform thickness and is substantially semicircular in cross section, and it also has continuous ends
24
which are formed on both ends of the hollow seal part
22
and continuous with the built-in base part
21
.
Accordingly, in a state where the weather strip
20
is attached to the sunroof, the hollow seal part
22
is elastically deformed and a tip end contact part
23
thereof is brought into intimate contact with the roof panel
11
to ensure sealing property between the weather strip
20
and the roof panel
11
.
However, the conventional weather strip
20
for use on a sunroof has a problem that squeak noises are generated between the hollow seal part
22
and the roof panel
11
due to vibrations generated while driving a car.
The squeak noises are caused by the fact that the tip end contact part
23
of the hollow seal part
22
cannot follow the vibrations of the roof panel
11
. That is, since the hollow seal part
22
has substantially a uniform thickness, while the tip end contact part
23
thereof elastically contacts the roof glass
12
, sealing repulsion is concentrated to the continuous ends
24
of the hollow seal part
22
.
As a result, middle parts between the continuous ends
24
and the tip end contact part
23
of the hollow seal part
22
(which are the parts elastically deformed most) are elastically deformed outward, and hence the amount of elastic deformation of the tip end contact part
23
of the hollow seal part
22
is reduced. Accordingly, a contact area
30
of the tip end contact part
23
relative to the roof panel
11
is made smaller, and hence sealing repulsion locally acts on the roof panel
11
. As a result, when the roof panel
11
is vibrated, the tip end contact part
23
of the hollow seal part
22
slides on the roof panel
11
so that squeak noises are generated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been developed to solve the foregoing problems and it is an object of the invention to provide a weather strip for use on a sunroof capable of preventing squeak noises from generating between a hollow seal part and a roof panel while driving a car by making the hollow seal part follow vibrations of the roof panel.
A weather strip
1
for use on a sunroof according to the invention for ensuring sealing property between a roof glass
12
mounted on the sunroof of a car and a roof panel
11
comprises a built-in base part
8
attached to the roof glass
12
, and a hollow seal part
2
composed of continuous ends
4
integrally formed with the built-in base part
8
and having substantially a circular cross section. A tip end contact part
3
of the hollow seal part
2
elastically contacts the roof panel
11
. Thicker parts
5
are formed on the continuous ends
4
of the hollow seal part
2
which protrudes inward and are continuous with the built-in base part
8
. Protrusions
6
are formed on substantially the middle between the continuous ends
4
and the tip end contact part
3
, protruding inward. The thickness
60
of the portion of the hollow seal part
2
between the protrusions
6
is made thinner and a curvature radius
50
thereof is made larger.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4970102 (1990-11-01), Guillon
patent: 5538317 (1996-07-01), Brocke et al.
patent: 1260393 (2002-05-01), None
patent: 2-3558 (1990-01-01), None
patent: 03-284419 (1991-12-01), None
patent: 406073963 (1994-03-01), None
patent: 06-144018 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 7-290972 (1995-11-01), None
patent: 08-113040 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 8-113040 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 11-321339 (1999-11-01), None
patent: 2001-301470 (2001-10-01), None

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