Weather strip for motor vehicle

• US 20080148646A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: TAMAOKI, Kiyotaka, NOZAKI, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,685,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/490.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/24 having tubular parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/32 using integral U-shaped retainers
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/80 specially adapted for opening panels, e.g. doors for non-fixed roofs B60J10/90

Abstract

A weather strip exhibiting excellent sealing properties, of which a tubular seal portion is prevented from readily tilting when attached to a curved flange in a vehicle body. The weather strip includes a trim portion having a generally U-shaped cross-section and a tubular seal portion. The tubular seal portion includes a first outer seal wall, a second outer seal wall, a first inner seal wall, a second inner seal wall, an outer flexing part and an inner flexing part. The thickness of the tubular seal portion decreases in the order of joint areas of the first outer seal wall and the first inner seal wall to the trim portion, the second outer seal wall and the second inner seal wall, and the outer flexing part and the inner flexing part.

Claims

1. A weather strip for a motor vehicle, which is to be attached to a flange around an opening in a vehicle body for sealing an opening surface of the vehicle body against a facing member, comprising:

a trim portion for attachment to the flange and holding the weather strip; and

a tubular seal portion integrally formed with said trim portion for contacting the facing member and effecting a seal between the opening surface and the facing member, said tubular seal portion having an outer seal wall which extends from an outer end of an upper part of said trim portion and is composed of a first outer seal wall and a second outer seal wall, and an inner seal wall which extends from an inner end of said upper part of said trim portion and is composed of a first inner seal wall and a second inner seal wall, an end of said second outer seal wall and an end of said second inner seal wall being jointed to each other, a joint of said first outer seal wall and said second outer seal wall defining an outer flexing part, a joint of said first inner seal wall and said second inner seal wall defining an inner flexing part, and said outer seal wall having a thickness which is the greatest in a joint area of said first outer seal wall to said trim portion, and gradually decreases in the order of said second outer seal wall and said outer flexing part, whereas said inner seal wall having a thickness which is the greatest in a joint area of said first inner seal wall to said trim portion, and gradually decreases in the order of said second inner seal wall and said inner flexing part.

2. A weather strip for a motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a top lip provided in a joint of said end of said second outer seal wall and said end of said second inner seal wall so as to shift outwardly of a center line of said trim portion.

3. A weather strip for a motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outer flexing part is located near said trim portion, as compared to said inner flexing part.

4. A weather strip for a motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second inner seal wall has a thickness greater than that of said second outer seal wall.

5. A weather strip for a motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pad with good flexibility is inserted in a part of said tubular seal portion, which is to be attached to a curved area of the flange in the vehicle body.

6. A weather strip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular seal portion is composed of a sponge rubber, and said trim portion is composed of a solid rubber.

7. A weather strip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said joint areas where said first outer seal wall and said first inner seal wall are jointed to said trim portion are composed of a solid rubber.

8. A weather strip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said trim portion has a generally U-shaped cross-section, an insert is embedded in said trim portion, and interior faces of said trim portion have flange holding lips.

9. A weather strip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said weather strip is composed of one of an EPDM rubber and a thermoplastic olefin elastomer.

10. A weather strip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said weather strip is one of a trunk weather strip and a back door weather strip.