Sealing member having magnet

• US 6,655,698 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takechi Co. Ltd., Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Takechi Kogyo Gomu Co., Ltd., Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nozaki, Masahiro, Kawai, Katsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, VISHAL A
• Application Number:
  US10/318,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20030111802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 277/628, 277/629, 277/637, 277/640, 277/644, 277/651, 277/921, 494/781, 494/901, 494/75, 494/89, 494/90, 494/751, 296/146.9
• US Class Current: 277/629
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/246 having projections, e.g. ribs, within the tubular parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/38 using magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/027 and with a hollow profile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/921 Closure or weather strip seal

Abstract

A sealing member to be attached along a periphery of a door with a continuous good sealing performance against a facing opening portion even in a corner of the periphery of the door. A bar-shaped magnet is provided in a tubular seal portion of the sealing member so as to extend in a longitudinal direction thereof in close contact with an inside surface of a contacting part of a seal wall, which contacts the facing opening portion. The bar-shaped magnet has a cross-sectional shape of which the width gradually decreases from the side of the contacting part of the seal wall inwardly of the tubular seal portion, thereby reducing the cross-sectional area of the magnet, and enabling the magnet to be readily bent along a corner of the periphery of the door. And the bar-shaped magnet has an outwardly curving contacting surface, which contacts the contacting part of the seal wall, thereby improving contacting properties between the sealing member and a corner of the opening portion.

Claims

1. A sealing member having a magnet for attachment along a periphery of a door or an opening portion which is closed and opened by the door, comprising:

a base portion;

a tubular seal portion which expands from said base portion and is surrounded by a seal wall, said seal wall having a contacting part which is to contact the opening portion or the periphery of the door upon closing of the door; and

a bar-shaped magnet, which is provided in said tubular seal portion, wherein said bar-shaped magnet extends in a longitudinal direction of said seal portion, and said bar-shaped magnet contacts an inside surface of said contacting part of said seal wall, wherein said bar-shaped magnet has an outwardly curving contacting surface on the side of said contacting part of said seal wall of said tubular seal portion, and the width of the cross-sectional shape of said bar-shaped magnet gradually decreases from the side of said contacting part of said seal wall inwardly of said tubular seal portion.

2. A sealing member as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bar-shaped magnet is composed of a mixture of a material composing said tubular seal portion, and a magnetic material.

3. A sealing member as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular seal portion has a partition wall which is integrally formed with said seal wall so as to define a tubular space with said contacting part of said seal wall, and said bar-shaped magnet is accommodated in said tubular space.

4. A sealing member as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contacting part of said seal wall is formed thinner than a remaining part of said seal wall.

5. A sealing member as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular seal portion has a narrow part in about the middle in the height direction of the tubular seal portion, and said bar-shaped magnet is provided in an upper half of said tubular seal portion.

6. A sealing member as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a plurality of sponge members which are provided in said tubular seal portion so as to extend in a longitudinal direction thereof in contact with an inside surface of said seal wall of said tubular seal portion.