Weatherstrip adapted to be captured in t-slots

• US 8,769,876 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ultrafab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ultrafab, Inc.
• Inventors: Albanese, James V., Richter, Daniel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Katherine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Menezes, Marcus
• Application Number:
  US12/308,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20100170160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,939 Days
• Field of Search: 494/751, 494/891, 494/951, 494/40
• US Class Current: 49/489.1
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/2307 with a single sealing-line or -plane between the wing and the part co-operating with the wing

Abstract

A weatherstrip for use with a T-slot. The weatherstrip includes a scaling element, such as a pile of yarn, on one side thereof and a bead on the opposite side thereof. The bead includes a curved surface for engaging an interior surface of the T-slot. Preferably, the bead is a material which adheres to the weatherstrip and comprises a hot melt glue such as ethylene vinyl acetate.

Claims

1. A weatherstrip system, the system comprising:

an elongated support member T-slot adapted to receive a weatherstrip assembly, the T-slot defining a first lateral direction, a second lateral direction, and a depth direction, the T-slot including a set of two lips defining a top opening, a first lateral interior surface perpendicular to said lips, a second lateral interior surface perpendicular to said lips, and a bottom surface; and

a weatherstrip assembly adapted for insertion into said elongated support member T-slot, the weatherstrip assembly comprising;

a backing member;

a weatherblocking member set comprising at least one weatherblocking member; and

a flexible member;

wherein;

the backing member is elongated to define a longitudinal direction;

the backing member includes a first lateral-extending portion, a second lateral-extending portion, a top side and a bottom side;

the weatherblocking member set is connected to the top side of the backing member so that when the weatherstrip assembly is inserted into the T-slot, the weatherblocking member set will extend outwards from the T-slot;

the backing member is structured and shaped so that when the backing member is inserted into the T-slot the first lateral-extending portion will extend to contact the first lateral interior surface of the T-slot, and the second lateral-extending portion will extend to contact the second lateral interior surface of the T-slot;

the flexible member is connected to the bottom side of the backing member and extends continuously along an entire longitudinal length of the backing member; and

the flexible member is structured and shaped so that when the backing member is inserted into the T-slot the flexible member will compressively flex within a space between the bottom side of the backing member and the bottom surface of the T-slot so that the compressive flexing of the flexible member will force the backing member in a direction opposite the depth direction so that the backing member is forced into contact, along the entire longitudinal length of the backing member, with the set of lips of the T-slot;

the backing member and the flexible member are made of different materials, and wherein the flexible member is more flexible than the backing member.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the weatherblocking member set is a set of pile members.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the flexible member is made of solidified hot melt glue.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the flexible member is made of ethylene vinyl acetate.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the flexible member is self-adhering to the backing member.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the flexible member is located only under a central portion of the bottom surface of the backing member and does not extend laterally over the first-lateral-extending portion of the backing member or the second-lateral-extending portion of the backing member.