Movable or removable closures – Closure seal; e.g. – striker gasket or weatherstrip – With corner or corner forming portions; i.e. – corner seal
Patent
1994-08-26
1996-04-30
Green, Brian K.
Movable or removable closures
Closure seal; e.g., striker gasket or weatherstrip
With corner or corner forming portions; i.e., corner seal
494751, 494981, E06B 716
Patent
active
055113435
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to tubular section element sealing devices, in particular for motor vehicles.
It relates in particular to a sealing device comprising an element for fixing to the framework or bodywork of a motor vehicle and a tubular section element suitable for co-operating with a moving portion of the vehicle such as a door, an engine hood, or a trunk cover, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such sealing devices have been known for a long time and in numerous embodiments, e.g. from FR-A-2 257 008, FR-A-2 492 939, FR-A-2 624 191, or FR-A-2 642 809. The latter document in particular explains the conditions that need to be satisfied by a sealing device so that when mounted on all or part of the perimeter of an opening in a motor vehicle body, it follows closely the shapes of its support while satisfying various functional requirements such as pleasing appearance, proper fitting together, etc., which requirements are not always satisfied, particularly when the device is deformed locally, which can give rise to folds, waves, superficial curling, etc.
Although, as also mentioned in FR-A-2 642 809, such drawbacks can compromise sealing and the ease with which a door or the like co-operating with the device can be closed, they are in addition particularly troublesome for applications where the tubular section element is lined with a textile lining such as velvet, since it is unacceptable for such a lining to be non-uniform in appearance when fitted to expensive vehicles in which they are used specifically for the purpose of imparting an appearance of exceptional quality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Solutions already proposed for reducing such drawbacks, including those in the cited documents, are not entirely satisfactory insofar as they provide for a visible portion of the tubular section element to be cut out, or for a portion of the section of the tubular element to be replaced by an add-on element made of compact elastomer, and consequently, a general aim of the present invention is to provide a sealing device that mitigates the drawbacks of known devices.
Another aim of the invention is to provide such a device which is particularly simple to implement, even on elements of bodywork having a profile that includes portions of small radius of curvature.
According to the invention, a sealing device comprising a fixing element for fixing it to a support, in particular the framework or the bodywork of a motor vehicle, and a tubular section element with which a moving portion of the vehicle such as a door, an engine hood, a trunk cover, or the like of the vehicle is suitable for co-operating in sealed manner, is characterized in that the tubular section element is disconnected from the fixing element in predetermined discrete zones.
According to another characteristic of the invention, said predetermined zones are zones in which the device closely follows curved portions of the support on which it is designed to be fixed by means of its fixing element.
Also according to the invention, said predetermined zones are the result of the tubular section element and of bridging strips that interconnect the fixing elements being cut in discrete zones.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the tubular section element at least is lined on its outside face with lining such as a velvet or the like.
The invention will be well understood from the following description given by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a sealing device of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a section view on plane II--II of FIG. 1, an larger scale; and
FIG. 3 is a section view on plane III--III of FIG. 1, and likewise on a larger scale.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 1, a sealing device 10 of the invention comprises an element or clamp 11 of II-shaped right cross-section for fixing on the sheetmetal of the framework or bodywork of a motor veh
REFERENCES:
patent: 2702416 (1955-02-01), Bright
patent: 2794221 (1957-06-01), Bedics
patent: 3159886 (1964-12-01), Lynch
patent: 3165793 (1965-01-01), Lynch
patent: 4448430 (1984-05-01), Bright
patent: 4769947 (1988-09-01), Ogawa
patent: 4884370 (1989-12-01), Nozaki et al.
patent: 4928431 (1990-05-01), Kuzuhara et al.
patent: 5258157 (1993-11-01), Nozaki et al.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, JP 62-283034, Dec. 8, 1987 entitled Sealing Device for Automobile, vol. 12, No. 169 (M-699) (3016), May 20, 1988.
Green Brian K.
Hutchinson
Redman Jerry
LandOfFree
Sealing device including a tubular section element in particular does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Sealing device including a tubular section element in particular, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sealing device including a tubular section element in particular will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-621178