Weatherstrip sealing arrangement

• US 4,123,100 A
• Filed: 07/28/1977
• Issued: 10/31/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Ellis, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodman, Philip
• Application Number:
  US05/819,705
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 296/93, 49/490, 49/475, 52/394
• US Class Current: 296/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/18 provided with reinforcements or inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/32 using integral U-shaped retainers
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/33 characterised by the configuration of the retaining lips
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/80 specially adapted for opening panels, e.g. doors for non-fixed roofs B60J10/90

Abstract

The arrangement shown and described herein is used to seal a closure structure of a vehicle body. A weatherstrip including metal strip inserts is molded in the usual manner and is then crimped into its operational "U" shape around an extruded tubular rubber member located at the bottom of the U-shape, the tubular member substantially filling the space heretofore selectively filled with a bead of butyl mastic sealant. Once the thus formed weatherstrip is installed on a body closure flange or ledge, the edge of the flange or ledge flattens out the tubular member such that the latter effectively and uniformly seals off the inside of the flange or ledge from the outside thereof.

Claims

1. In a vehicular closure opening and a cooperating body flange, a weatherstrip comprising a molded retention member adapted to being mounted on the body flange and including equally spaced, laterally extending metal strips formed therein and crimped into a U-shaped configuration to form a recess having an end wall and a pair of oppositely disposed side walls, and having a predetermined width for receiving the body flange, and a pair of retention lips formed on each side wall of the U-shaped recess and extending toward the center of the recess to exert a pressure on the body flange to retain the weatherstrip in place thereon, and a flexible tubular member confined against and substantially uniformly depressed toward the end wall of the recess inward of the retention lips, said tubular member adapted to being further depressed toward the end wall of the recess along its entire length by the abutment of the body flange against the center portion thereof to thereby seal off the inside surface of the flange from the outside surface thereof.