Vehicle weather strip for sealing between a passenger compartment and a cargo compartment

• US 6,848,217 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nishikawa Rubber Company Limited, Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Tamagawa, Akira, Mitate, Sugami, Hashimoto, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US10/321,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20030121211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 494/901, 494/951, 494/981
• US Class Current: 49/490.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/00 Sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/24 having tubular parts

Abstract

A weather strip for sealing a gap between an opening and a partition panel in a vehicle, including a grip part attached on the vehicle body, a lip part that contacts the partition panel, and a connection part connecting the grip part with the lip part. The grip part, the lip part, and the connection part being integral with each other, and upper surfaces of the grip part and the lip part are formed approximately as a flat plane so as to improve a waterproof property of the weather strip.

Claims

1. A vehicle having an opening provided between a passenger compartment and a cargo compartment, a partition panel being provided to open and close the opening, and a weather strip, the partition panel being pivotable via a hinge positioned at a bottom portion of the partition panel, the partition panel being opened by a pivotal movement toward the passenger compartment and being closed by a pivotal movement toward the cargo compartment, said weather strip provided to contact the partition panel when the partition panel closes the opening, the weather strip comprising:

a grip part attached to a peripheral part of the opening, said grip part having a first upper surface facing an upward direction;

a lip part contacting the partition panel when said partition panel closes the opening; and

a connection part connecting said grip part with said lip part, said connection part having a second upper surface the upward direction, said grip part, said lip part, and said connection part being integral with each other, said first upper surface and said second upper surface being approximately in one plane,

wherein said lip part comprises a pointed end arranged at a position higher than the first upper surface of said grip part, said pointed end is provided as a first sealing part for sealing the partition panel when said partition panel is closed, and

wherein said lip part further comprises a second sealing part provided at a position below said first sealing part, said second sealing part being formed approximately at a same height of said grip part, and said second sealing part contacting the partition panel before said first sealing part as the partition panel is moved toward closing the opening.

2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

when the partition panel is closed, said first sealing part is arranged at a location higher than an upper surface of a tray provided in the cargo compartment.

3. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said lip part has a hollow cross-section.

4. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said lip part includes a partition panel contact section extending from said pointed end, and said partition panel contact section having a protrusion which defines said second sealing part positioned below the first sealing part.