Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Forming continuous or indefinite length work – Of varying cross-sectional area or with intermittent...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-22
2001-01-16
Heitbrink, Jill L. (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Forming continuous or indefinite length work
Of varying cross-sectional area or with intermittent...
C264S173170, C264S177160, C264S209200, C264S237000, C425S071000, C425S465000, C425S466000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174477
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a window molding applied to a front window of an automotive vehicle, a method and an apparatus for producing the same.
Various window moldings and methods of producing the same have been proposed and in practical use. Japanese Patent Provisional Publications Nos. 8-25385 and 7-285329 respectively disclose typical window moldings and methods of producing the same. The window molding disclosed in the Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 8-25385 is formed such that a side molding
304
having a rainwater guide groove
303
is integrally molded with an upper molding
306
installed at an upper portion of a front window
307
, as shown in
FIGS. 26 and 27
. The rainwater guide groove
303
is defined by a head portion
309
for covering a clearance between the front window
307
and a vehicle body
312
, a glass limiting lip
311
for sealingly pressing the front window
307
and a strut portion
310
extending from a leg portion
308
inserted between the clearance. The head portion
309
and the glass limiting lip
311
in the upper molding
306
is overlapped with each other and united so as not to define the rainwater guide groove
303
. The length of the strut portion
310
is gradually increased from a connecting portion between the upper and side moldings
306
and
304
to the other end of the side molding
304
so as to increase the volume of the rainwater guide groove
303
.
On the other hand, the window molding
370
of the Japanese Patent Provisional Publications No. 7-285329 is arranged such that a head portion
374
and a glass limiting lip
378
is overlapped and connected to form a closed hollow
380
therebetween. The hollow
380
at an upper molding
371
is thin and constant in cross section, and the hollow
380
at the side molding
372
is gradually increased such that a surface
374
a
receiving rainwater is gradually increased its height H from H
1
to H
2
as shown in
FIGS. 28 and 29
. This window molding
370
is molded by an apparatus including an upper fixed die head
353
for extruding an upper part of the window molding
370
and a lower rotatable die head
354
for extruding a lower part of the window molding
370
as shown in
FIG. 30
However, the former window molding has a limitation that a projecting amount of the head portion
309
from an outboard surface of the vehicle body
312
becomes too large if a volume of the rainwater guide groove
303
is sufficiently ensured. On the other hand, the latter window molding
370
is molded such that a leg portion
373
is gradually twisted according to the change of the height of the head portion
374
with respect to the upper surface of the head portion
374
. Therefore, the leg portion
373
of the side molding
372
is twisted with respect to the leg portion
373
of the upper molding
371
. This twist applies twisting force to the leg portion
373
of the side molding
372
when corrected by a sizing jig and may degrade the positional and shaped accuracy of the leg portion
373
of the side molding
372
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved window molding, an improved method and an improved apparatus for producing the window molding for an automotive vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus which produce a high accuracy window molding while improving its productivity.
A first aspect of the present invention resided in a window molding which is for an automotive vehicle and comprises an upper molding and a side molding vehicle. The upper molding includes a leg portion which is disposed between a periphery of a front window glass of the automotive vehicle and a window frame of a vehicle body, a glass limiting lip which projects from the leg portion and is in contact with an outer board surface of the periphery of the front window glass, and a head portion which is connected to the leg portion and the glass limiting lip. The side molding is continuous with the upper molding. The side molding includes a leg portion glass and a glass limiting lip which are as same as those of the upper molding. The side molding further includes a strut portion which is connected to the leg portion. A head portion is connected to the strut portion. A length of the strut portion and an angle between the head portion the glass limiting lip are gradually increased from an end of the side molding connected to the upper molding to the other end.
Another aspect of the present invention resides in a method for producing the window molding mentioned in the first aspect. The method comprises a step for extruding a first intermediate molding including the strut portion and the head portion from a first die head, a step for extruding a second intermediate molding including the glass limiting lip and the leg portion from a second die head, a step for integrally connecting the first and second intermediate moldings and a step for continuously changing a length of the strut portion and an angle between the glass limiting lip and the head portion synchronously with the extruding operation of the first and second intermediate moldings.
Further another aspect of the present invention resides in an apparatus for producing the window molding mentioned in the first aspect. The apparatus comprises a first die head, a first intermediate molding changing means and a second die head. The first die head extrudes a first intermediate molding including the strut portion and the head portion. The first intermediate molding changing means continuously changes a length of the strut portion and an angle between the glass limiting lip and the head portion synchronously with the extruding operation of the first intermediate molding. The second die head extrudes a second intermediate molding including the glass limiting lip and the leg portion, said second die head being disposed at a position where the first intermediate molding treated by said first intermediate molding changing means is supplied to be integrally connected with the second intermediate molding.
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patent: 0 423 407 (1991-04-01), None
patent: 2 249 802 (1992-05-01), None
patent: 6-144003 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 7-285329 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 8-25385 (1996-03-01), None
Hirokawa Takashi
Ichinohe Sumito
Imura Hiroyoshi
Nagahashi Yuuji
Eashoo Mark
Foley & Lardner
Heitbrink Jill L.
Kinugawa Rubber Ind. Co. Ltd.
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