Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Let-down type top
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-17
2002-08-27
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Let-down type top
C296S107050
Reexamination Certificate
active
06439641
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a profiled seal for providing a sealing arrangement between a vertically sliding window pane and a roof frame of a cabriolet.
In the case of a known profiled seal of this type (WO 97/00180 A1; FIGS. 2, 3, 6 and 7) the window pane comes into contact with two opposite lying sealing lips. The sealing lips form longitudinal edges of the length of profiled elastomer. The attachment elements penetrate the length of profiled elastomer and the carrier rail and are mounted through the sealing lips on the connection part. It is possible for dust and/or moisture to collect in an undesired manner above the sealing lips inside the profiled seal. Moreover, it is necessary to cut the profiled seal into sections and each section must be stretch-bent into the required three-dimensional shape using costly tools.
It is known per se to produce a holding rail as an extruded aluminum profile, to stretch-bend it into the desired three-dimensional shape and to attach it by means of attachment elements to the connection part. Only then is the length of profiled elastomer inserted on the motor vehicle assembly line into the receiving devices on both sides of the holding rail. This is time-consuming and costly.
A profiled seal is known per se from U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,583 A (FIGS. 12A and 12B) for providing a sealing arrangement between a vertically sliding window pane and a roof frame of a limousine, wherein a rubber seal is pushed onto an attachment rail of a formed part and attached thereto by means of an adhesive strip on both sides. The formed part comprises for the attachment to the roof frame tabs which do not protrude beyond the rubber seal so that it is first necessary to attach the formed part and then in a further operational step to attach the rubber seal.
Moreover, a cladding assembly for motor vehicle doors and comprising profiled seals is known per se from DE 693 11 456 T2 (FIG. 7) for providing a sealing arrangement between a vertically sliding window pane and the door, wherein tabs are provided for he purpose of attaching a stay-piece, which receives a profiled seal, to a door inner wall. The tabs are thus not part of a profiled seal carrier rail which serves as a reinforcing and fixing means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to simplify and improve the profiled seal and its assembly.
This object is achieved with a profiled seal for providing a sealing arrangement between a vertically sliding window pane and a roof frame of a cabriolet. The profiled seal includes a metal carrier rail and a length of profiled elastomer which is co-extruded with the carrier rail, and wherein the profiled seal has a three-dimensional shape and can be fixed on connection parts of the roof frame by attachment elements. At least two assembly regions of the carrier rail protrude out of the length of profiled elastomer transverse to the longitudinal direction, which assembly regions are disposed at a mutually spaced disposition in the longitudinal direction of the profiled seal and cooperate with the attachment elements. The roof associated with the roof frame can be a folding cover or a multi-part hard folding roof. The roof frame can optionally also comprise the A-column of the cabriolet. The carrier rail consists preferably of sheet metal and is for example manufactured from aluminum, steel or stainless steel. The length of profiled elastomer is optionally co-extruded from a plurality of different elastomers. The profiled seal is preferably produced such that first the strip-shaped, planar carrier rail is extruded within the length of profiled elastomer. In so doing, however, a strip of carrier rail containing the assembly regions does protrude at the side from the length of profiled elastomer. This strip is stamped after the co-extrusion, such that assembly regions remain while holes are produced to receive the attachment elements. If required, the assembly regions can moreover be bent into the final assembly position. It is not necessary to stretch-bend the profiled seal produced in this manner. On the contrary, the profiled seal is attached directly to the connection part of the roof frame by way of the assembly regions. As a consequence of the punched out areas adjacent to the assembly regions the profiled seal can be bent very easily about a transverse axis into a final three-dimensional shape and can be assembled in this shape on to the connection part.
The cost of assembly at the production line of the cabriolets is considerably reduced. Moreover, the hitherto necessary considerable costs for the stretch-bending process are no longer incurred.
Additional features include removal of the metal material of the carrier rail, which material is originally disposed in the longitudinal direction adjacent to the assembly regions. These features enable the assemble regions to be produced rapidly and in a precise manner from the edge strip of the carrier rail left free during the co-extrusion from the elastomer material.
In accordance with another embodiment, the assembly regions are bent relative to the remainder of the carrier rail in a position which is favorable for the assembly process. Here, the assembly regions can be bent into any desired position favorable for the assembly.
In another embodiment, the length of profiled elastomer includes a foot which cooperates in a sealing manner with the closure part. The foot includes a longitudinal groove on a first longitudinal edge remote from the assembly regions. A dimensionally stable edge flange of a roof of the cabriolet engages in the longitudinal groove. These features enable the foot to be held against the connection part in a particularly good and defined sealing position.
In another embodiment, the edge flange is a component of an outer metal sheet of a roof part of a hard folding roof. In yet another embodiment, the edge flange is a component of a closure strip, and a longitudinal edge of a cover material of a folding roof cover is fixed on the associated closure part of the roof frame by means of the closure strip. In accordance with these embodiments, the available rigid edge flange is sufficient to reliably hold the foot.
The foot can include outside the longitudinal groove a sealing lip which lies prestressed in a sealing manner against the roof. These features enhance the sealing arrangement of the associated gap against moisture and noise.
In another embodiment, a limb of the length of profiled elastomer extends outwards at an angle from a second longitudinal edge of the foot adjacent to the assembly regions. A membrane of the length of profiled elastomer is attached between a free longitudinal edge of the limb and the first longitudinal edge of the foot and forms a hollow cavity in the length of profiled elastomer. In accordance with these features, a hollow cavity is produced in the length of profiled elastomer and this cavity partly receives the window pane as it closes. As this hollow cavity is normally hermetically sealed, neither dust nor moisture can penetrate into the hollow cavity and adversely affect the window pane.
In accordance with an embodiment where the window pane comes into sealing contact with the membrane when the pane is in the uppermost region of its travel, a good sealing arrangement is produced between the closed window pane and the membrane.
In accordance with an embodiment where the foot and the limb consist of soft rubber and the membrane consists of expanded rubber, the soft rubber can have a hardness of 60 Shore A and the expanded rubber can have a hardness of for example 15 Shore A. Soft rubber and expanded rubber are preferably co-extruded together with the carrier rail using the duplex method.
The carrier rail can extend in a foot of the length of profiled elastomer, which foot cooperates in a sealing manner with the closure part. These features serve to reinforce the foot and promote the sealing position of the foot against the connection part.
In accordance with an embodiment where the carrier rail extends in the limb of the length of prof
Anders Jens
Gentemann Martin
Meteor Gummiwerke K.H. Bädje GmbH & Co.
Pedder Dennis H.
Synnestvedt & Lechner LLP
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