Trapping protector for power-operated closing devices

• US 5,459,962 A
• Filed: 04/26/1995
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metzeler Automotive Profile Systems GmbH (Cooper-Standard Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Metzeler Automotive Profile Systems GmbH (Cooper-Standard Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weiss, Bernhard, Jager, Sebastian, Haber, Gyala, Schaberick, Jurgen, Glagow, Klaus, Bonne, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): KANNAN, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US08/427,161
• Time in Patent Office: 181 Days
• Field of Search: 49/28, 49/27, 49/26, 200/61.43
• US Class Current: 49/28
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/00 Sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/24 having tubular parts
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/443 specially adapted for vehicle windows or roofs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/40 Mounting location; Visibility of the elements
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/142 of the elongated strip type

Abstract

Power-operated closing devices, particularly electrically operated windows and sunroofs of motor vehicles, have two electrical conductors being spaced apart from each other for disengaging a switching process of a drive unit when brought into contact. For the purposes of simple manufacture and reliable contact-making, a trapping protector is provided, which includes a flexible hollow profile made of an elastomer or plastic material having a flat base area and a mounted arched profile area enclosing a hollow chamber. The base area and a zenith area of the arched profile area include conductive material and are separated from each other by insulating profile areas.

Claims

1. In a power-operated closing device including two mutually spaced apart electrical conductors initiating a switching process of a drive unit when being brought into contact, a trapping protector assembly comprising:

a profile strip of elastomeric material, said profile strip being formed as a one-piece, coextruded member including a sealing profile for sealing the closing device, and a trapping protector in the form of a flexible hollow profile connected with said sealing profile;

said hollow profile having a flat base area, and an arched profile area formed of a zenith area and insulating profile areas mounting said zenith area on said flat base area, said flat base area and said arched profile area enclosing a hollow chamber therebetween, said flat base area and said zenith area being electrically conductive by means of conductive material incorporated in said elastomeric material;

a metallic through conductor coextruded in said flat base area and a metallic through conductor coextruded in said zenith area, said metallic through conductors being means for reducing an electrical resistance of said flat base area and said zenith area; and

said flat base area and said zenith area each having a respective projection projecting inside said hollow chamber.

2. The trapping protector according to claim 1, wherein said arched profile area is approximately semicircular, said flat base area has edges, and said insulating profile areas are formed of non-conductive material, adjoin said base area and mount said arched profile area on said edges of said flat base area.

3. The trapping protector according to claim 1, wherein the conductive material are selected from the group consisting of carbon blacks, graphite and metal powder.

4. In a motor vehicle having power-operated closing devices for windows or sunroofs, a drive unit for electrically operating the closing devices, and two mutually spaced apart electrical conductors initiating a switching process of the drive unit when being brought into contact, a trapping protector comprising:

a flexible hollow profile being formed of an elastomer or plastic material and including a flat base area, an arched profile area having a zenith area, and insulating profile areas mounting said arched profile area on said flat base area and enclosing a hollow chamber, said flat base area and said zenith area being at least partly formed of conductive material of the conductors;

wherein the vehicle has a profile area with bending corner areas; and

including an insert contact having approximately the same cross section as said hollow chamber, top and bottom conducting layers and a central insulating layer separating said conducting layers; and

another identically constructed hollow profile, said hollow profiles having adjoining ends being angled corresponding to and pushed onto said angled insert contact in the bending corner areas.

5. The trapping protector according to claim 4, wherein the windows have window panes with interior surfaces facing into the vehicle, the windows have an upper window guide profile, and said flexible hollow profile is disposed laterally at the interior surfaces of the panes and below the upper window guide profile.

6. The trapping protector according to claim 4, wherein the windows have frame parts, and said hollow profile is laterally fixed to the frame parts.

7. The trapping protector according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle has front and rear doors in which the windows are disposed, and the windows have upper edges along which said hollow profile is disposed.

8. The trapping protector according to claim 4, wherein the sunroof has edges, the vehicle has roof opening edges disposed opposite the edges of the sunroof, and said hollow profile is disposed along at least one of the edges.

9. The trapping protector according to claim 4, wherein said hollow profile is a special component being mounted separate from other sealing profiles.

10. The trapping protector according to claim 4, wherein said hollow profile is integrally manufactured in material connection with other profiles.

11. The trapping protector according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle window has an upper side, the vehicle has a window guide profile with an interior leg, said hollow profile has a corner connected to the interior leg as a single piece on the upper side of the vehicle window, and said hollow profile is extruded as a single piece together with the window guide profile.

12. The trapping protector according to claim 4, wherein the conductivity of said conducting layers is developed by adding conductive materials to a base material.

13. The trapping protector according to claim 12, wherein the conductive materials are selected from the group consisting of carbon blacks, graphite and metal powder.

14. In a power-operated closing device including two mutually spaced apart electrical conductors initiating a switching process of a drive unit when being brought into contact, a trapping protector assembly comprising:

a flexible hollow profile being formed of an elastomer or plastic material and including a flat base area, an arched profile area, and insulating profile areas formed of a zenith area mounting said arched profile area on said flat base area and enclosing a hollow chamber, said flat base area and said zenith area being at least partly formed of conductive material of the conductors; and

a connection contact for an electrical connection, said connection contact having one end with a cross-section corresponding to said hollow chamber, another end with a block-shaped end piece from which two contact pins project, upper and lower conducting layers, and a central insulating layer separating said conducting layers.

15. The trapping protector according to claim 14, including a metallic through conductor being embedded in said flat base area and a metallic through conductor being embedded in said zenith area, said block-shaped end piece having a rear side on which two contact tips in contact with said conductors are disposed.

16. The trapping protector according to claim 14, wherein the conductivity of said conducting layers is developed by adding conductive materials to a base material.

17. The trapping protector according to claim 16, wherein the conductive materials are selected from the group consisting of carbon blacks, graphite and metal powder.