Sealing strip and sealing device for vehicle

Abstract

A sealing strip (40) for sealing a gap (38) between a fixed structure (36), such as a vehicle B-pillar, and a movable structure (24), such as a sliding window, the sealing strip (40) comprising a bearing section (42) and a sealing section (44) wherein the bearing section (42) comprises a fastening portion (46) adapted to attach the sealing strip (40) to the fixed structure (36), the load bearing section (42) comprises a first connection portion (64) adapted to be arranged adjacent to the fixed structure (36) and a second connection portion (66) adapted to be arranged further from the fixed structure, and wherein the sealing section (44) comprises a surface sealing portion (68) connected to the first connection portion (64) and the second connection portion (66) of the load bearing section (42), and the surface sealing portion is formed with a convex bulb (70) adapted to contact an inner surface (72) of the movable structure (24).

Description

Background Art

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing strip for sealing a gap between a fixed structure, such as a B-pillar or an applique of a vehicle, and a movable structure, such as a sliding window, the gap having a gap dimension in a first direction and extending in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, the sealing strip comprising a load-bearing section, preferably made of a relatively hard material, and a sealing section, preferably made of a relatively soft material, wherein the load-bearing section comprises a fastening portion adapted to attach the sealing strip to the fixed structure.

[0002] Vehicles, in particular automobiles, comprise a plurality of sealing devices for sealing the interior of the vehicle from the exterior, for example at interior access areas such as doors, fenders, lids etc. In addition, many vehicle doors have sliding windows which need to be sealed against a window frame formed by a body part, such as the respective door.

[0003] In conventional sliding window sealing applications, the guide and sealing structures on the rear and / or front ends of the window are formed by a U-shaped structure which serves to guide the window as it slides up and down, but also serves for sealing purposes. On the other hand, the upper edge of the window is usually sealed against the frame structure by a so-called header profile.

[0004] In recent years, the appearance of the vehicle in the door and window areas has become increasingly important. In addition, aerodynamic requirements have become higher. Therefore, it is often the aim to provide a so-called flush design, in which, for example, the front window is arranged flush with the B-pillar structure and / or the rear window. In these cases, it has become common to arrange front and rear guide structures for guiding the sliding movement of the window only on the inside of the window. This concept is disclosed, for example, in the document US2020 / 0338966 A1.

[0005] In order to provide an aesthetic appearance to the area of ​​the B-pillar, it is known to provide so-called decals between the windows of the front door and the rear door, so as to increase the shape or cover the unsightly parts of the vehicle. In addition, the decals can be arranged flush with the front window and / or the rear window.

[0006] Typically, in those cases, a gap is provided between the decal and the corresponding window, which gap has a certain gap size in a first (longitudinal) direction of the vehicle and extends substantially along a second (vertical) direction. It is not easy to effectively seal the gap without impairing the aesthetic appearance. The sealing strips used for this purpose usually have a load-bearing section made of a relatively hard material. The load-bearing section is usually used to attach the sealing strip to a fixed structure, which can be a B-pillar and / or a decal. In addition, the sealing strip usually includes a sealing section, which is made of a relatively soft material and is suitable for sealing the interior of the vehicle relative to the exterior of the vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0007] Against this background, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved sealing strip for sealing a gap, and an improved sealing arrangement comprising such a sealing strip.

[0008] The above-mentioned object is achieved by a sealing strip for sealing a gap between a fixed structure and a movable structure, wherein the fixed structure is, for example, a B-pillar or a decal of a vehicle, and the movable structure is, for example, a sliding window, the gap having a gap dimension in a first direction and extending in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, the sealing strip comprising: a load-bearing section and a sealing section, wherein the load-bearing section comprises a fastening portion adapted to attach the sealing strip to the fixed structure, wherein the load-bearing section comprises a first connecting portion adapted to be arranged adjacent to the fixed structure when the sealing strip is attached to the fixed structure, and comprises a second connecting portion adapted to be arranged away from the fixed structure when the sealing strip is attached to the fixed structure, and wherein the sealing section comprises a surface sealing portion connected to the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion of the load-bearing section, and the surface sealing portion is formed with a convex bulb-shaped portion adapted to contact an inner surface of the movable structure.

[0009] In addition, the above-mentioned purpose is achieved by a sealing device for sealing a gap between a movable structure and a fixed structure, the sealing device comprising: the sealing strip defined above, and a second sealing strip, which is suitable for being attached to the fixed structure and the second sealing strip comprises a window sealing lip, which is suitable for contacting the inner surface of the movable structure at a position farther away from the gap than the convex bulb-shaped portion.

[0010] The sealing section of the sealing strip may provide a sealing line extending along the second direction between the sealing strip and the fixed structure. Furthermore, the sealing strip may provide a second sealing line on the inner side of the movable structure.

[0011] Due to the fact that the surface sealing portion extends from the first connection portion to the second connection portion and contacts the inner surface of the movable structure, the surface sealing portion substantially crosses the gap and extends substantially inside the gap. Moreover, the convex bulb-shaped portion preferably only contacts the interior of the movable structure. Therefore, an attractive appearance can be achieved both in the open state and in the closed state of the movable structure. In addition, the sealing strip achieves high tolerance robustness. In addition, high durability robustness can be achieved.

[0012] The sealing strip is preferably attached to an applique which is mounted to the body of the vehicle in an assembly line (so as to form a pre-assembled arrangement).

[0013] The second sealing strip is preferably attached to the body of the vehicle, preferably to a B-pillar of the vehicle.

[0014] As a result, a high degree of flexibility in assembly can be achieved through a simple process.

[0015] The load-bearing section may comprise a reinforcement made of a very hard material, such as metal. Preferably, however, the load-bearing section is made uniformly of one and the same material.

[0016] The terms upper, lower, front, rear, inner, outer, etc. relate to the description of specific embodiments but should not limit the interpretation of the general teachings of the present disclosure.

[0017] Therefore, the above-mentioned objects are fully achieved.

[0018] Preferably, the load-bearing section comprises a base portion from which the fastening portion extends in the first direction. The base portion may be arranged overlapping the gap when viewed in a third direction substantially orthogonal to the first and second directions. The fastening portion extending from the base portion may be formed by a web or webs extending from the base portion into the fixing portion, preferably into a region behind an outer surface of the applique as viewed from the outside in the third direction.

[0019] The first connecting portion preferably extends from the base portion into the gap. In this case, it is easy to seal the fixed structure by means of a sealing section, in particular by a surface sealing portion extending from the first connecting portion to the second connecting portion.

[0020] Therefore, it is preferred that the gap sealing lip is connected to the first connecting portion and is adapted to contact an edge portion of the fixing structure facing the gap.

[0021] Furthermore, it is preferred that the load-bearing section comprises a support portion extending from a base portion of the load-bearing section, wherein the second connecting portion is arranged in the region of a free end of the support portion.

[0022] In particular, when the first connection portion extends from the base portion in the third direction into the gap at the inner side of the gap, the support portion extends from the base portion in the third direction to the opposite side.

[0023] The support portion may be L-shaped in a cross-sectional view, comprising a first L portion extending inwardly in the third direction and a second L portion connected to the first L portion and extending substantially in the first direction. Preferably, the second L portion extends in a direction opposite to the direction in which the fastening portion of the load-bearing section extends. Thus, the second L portion preferably extends across the gap at the inner side of the gap.

[0024] Preferably, the support portion is adapted to overlap a portion of the movable structure and the gap in the first direction when viewed in a third direction substantially orthogonal to the first and second directions as described above.

[0025] The convex bulb-shaped portion formed by the surface sealing portion is preferably arranged between the edge of the movable structure and the second connecting portion in the first direction.

[0026] In particular, it is preferred that the surface sealing portion is adapted not to contact an edge of the movable structure facing the gap.

[0027] By this embodiment, a high robustness can be achieved.That is, the edges of a movable structure such as a sliding window may have sharp parts which may cause wear on the sealing section during the sliding movement.

[0028] In this regard, it is particularly preferred that the surface sealing portion includes a concave bulb-shaped portion which is arranged between the convex bulb-shaped portion and the first connecting portion in the first direction.

[0029] The convex bulb-shaped portion is essentially visible from the outside through the gap (in the closed state of the movable structure), which also contributes to the aesthetics of the sealing strip.

[0030] Furthermore, it is generally preferred that the fastening portion of the load-bearing section comprises a web portion which is adapted to be inserted into a web portion receiving portion of the fixing structure.

[0031] The web portion receiver is preferably formed by an appliqué attached to the B-pillar body, but may also be formed by the B-pillar body itself.

[0032] In this case, it is also preferred that the web portion is connected to at least one of: (i) a sealing lip of a sealing section, which seals the web portion against the web portion receiving portion, and (ii) a locking lip, which is lockingly engaged in a locking step portion formed by the web portion receiving portion.

[0033] With these measures the sealing properties can be further enhanced. The locking lip can be part of the load-bearing section. Preferably, however, the locking lip is formed by the sealing section. The sealing lip and / or the locking lip contribute to sealing the interior relative to the exterior in the region of the fixed structure.

[0034] Furthermore, it is preferred that the bearing section and the surface sealing portion form a closed hollow portion.

[0035] The closed hollow portion is closed in a cross-sectional view (in the second direction).When attached to the fixed structure, the closed hollow portion may be open in the second (vertical) direction at the upper end and / or the lower end of the sealing strip.

[0036] Due to the closed hollow part, the aesthetic appearance can be further enhanced. In addition, the coextrusion of the load-bearing section and the sealing section can be promoted. In this case, the holding function of the load-bearing section on the one hand and the sealing function of the surface sealing part can be optimized.

[0037] Furthermore, in this case, it is preferred that a reinforcing web is arranged in the closed hollow portion. Preferably, the reinforcing web extends between the support portion of the load-bearing section and the concave bulb-shaped portion of the surface sealing portion.

[0038] Furthermore, it is preferred that the sealing lip extends from the surface sealing portion in the first direction and is adapted to contact the second sealing strip of the sealing device.

[0039] Attachment of the sealing strip by means of the fastening portion may be achieved by pushing the web portion into the web portion receiving portion, thereby preferably achieving a locking engagement between the web portion and the web portion receiving portion.

[0040] In other embodiments, it is preferred that the fastening part is attached to the fixing structure by means of a molded part. In this case, it is preferred that the fixing structure is an applique to be attached to the B-pillar body. In this case, the sealing strip and the applique can be preassembled. It is clear that the preassembly of the sealing strip and the applique can also be performed without a molded part, simply by attaching the fastening part to the applique.

[0041] In general, it is also preferred that the load-bearing section and the sealing section of the sealing strip are co-extruded, as described above.

[0042] Thereby, the manufacturing process can be facilitated.

[0043] Typically, the load-bearing section and the sealing section may be integrally made from a single material, preferably a rubber elastomeric material and / or a thermoplastic (elastomeric) material.

[0044] In an alternative, it is generally preferred if the support section is made of a relatively hard material and the sealing section is made of a relatively soft material.

[0045] The relatively soft material of the sealing section is, for example, a rubber-elastic material and / or a thermoplastic (elastomer) material. The load-bearing section material is, for example, a rubber-elastic material and / or a thermoplastic (elastomer) material, preferably of the same material family as the sealing section.

[0046] The hardness of the sealing section is preferably in the range of 45 ShA (Shore A Hardness, ASTM D2240) to 75 ShA (Shore A Hardness, ASTM D2240).

[0047] The hardness of the load-bearing section is preferably in the range of 70 ShA (Shore A hardness, ASTM D2240) to 45 ShD (Shore D hardness, ASTM D2240).

[0048] It will be understood that the aforementioned features and the features yet to be described hereinafter can be used not only in the respective combination given but also in different combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Other features and advantages of the present invention can be obtained from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings:

[0050] Figure 1 is a partial side view of a vehicle including a door and a sliding window, wherein a weatherstrip seals a gap between the window and an applique device;

[0051] Figure 2 is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along II-II in FIG. 1 and showing an embodiment of a sealing device including a sealing strip and a second sealing strip;

[0052] Figure 3 is similar to Figure 2 of views and includes Figure 2 A variation of the embodiment shown in ; and

[0053] Figure 4 is similar to Figure 2 of views and includes Figure 2 A variation of the embodiment shown in . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail.

[0055] Figure 1 Schematically a vehicle such as a motor vehicle passenger car is shown in FIG. 1 and is generally indicated by 10. The vehicle 10 has a body 12 to which a front door 14 is hingedly connected. The front door 14 extends substantially between an A-pillar region 16 and a B-pillar region 18. In the region of the B-pillar region 18, the vehicle comprises an applique device which is preferably attached to the body 12.

[0056] Additionally, the vehicle 10 includes a rear door 22 hingedly connected to the body 12 .

[0057] The front door 14 includes a front door sliding window 24, which is formed as a movable structure. The rear door 22 includes a rear door window 26, which can also be a sliding window.

[0058] The front door sliding window 24 is provided by Figure 1 The sealing assembly, not shown in detail, seals against the front door 14 and / or the vehicle body 12. However, the sealing assembly includes an upright B-pillar seal 30 that seals the rear edge of the front door sliding window 24 relative to the B-pillar area 18 and / or the applique device 20.

[0059] Similar sealing means 30 may be located in the region of the front edge of the rear door window 26 and / or at other front or rear edges of the vehicle's windows. The upper edge of the respective window is preferably sealed by a manifold sealing profile which is provided at Figure 1 32 is schematically shown in FIG. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the front door sliding window 24 has slid halfway downward, so that the window opening 34 is exposed.

[0060] The vehicle body 12 defines a first direction L, which is preferably a longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10. In addition, the vehicle body 12 defines a second direction V, which is preferably a vertical direction of the vehicle 10. In addition, the vehicle body 12 defines a third direction T, which is preferably a transverse direction of the vehicle 10. These three directions are also used to describe the sealing device. The three directions L, V, T are preferably substantially orthogonal to each other, but can be arranged at different angles to each other as long as the three directions are not parallel. Figure 1 Neutralization Figure 2 The three directions L, V, and T are schematically shown in FIG.

[0061] Preferably, the outer surface of the front door sliding window 24 and / or the rear door window 26 is formed flush with the outer surface of the decal device 20. For this purpose, the front door window 24 and / or the rear door window 26 are preferably guided by means of a sliding guide structure arranged on the inside of the corresponding window. Preferably, guide shoes or the like (not shown in the figure) are fastened to the inner surface of the corresponding window 24, 26, and these guide shoes are guided by guide rails (not shown in the figure) arranged on the inside of the corresponding window 24, 26 and attached to the door body.

[0062] In another embodiment, at least the front door window 24 may be guided only by a guide structure below the waste line of the vehicle 10 , ie, a frameless door structure is adopted.

[0063] Figure 2 An example of an upright B-pillar seal 30 is shown.

[0064] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle body 12 includes a B-pillar body 36 that forms part of the fixed structure and to which the decal device 20 is attached. In addition, Figure 2 A gap 38 is shown formed between the rear edge of the front door sliding window 24 and the front edge of the applique device 20 and the underlying B-pillar body 36. The gap dimension in the first direction L is shown at G. The gap dimension G may be in the range of 5 mm to 16 mm, for example.

[0065] also, Figure 2 A sealing device 30 is shown for sealing an interior I of the vehicle 10 , in particular a passenger compartment, relative to an exterior O of the vehicle 10 .

[0066] The sealing device 30 comprises a gap sealing strip 40. The sealing strip 40 extends along the rear edge of the front door sliding window in the region of the gap 38, and the sealing strip 40 comprises a load-bearing section 42 preferably made of a relatively hard material and a sealing section 44 preferably made of a relatively soft material. The materials of the load-bearing section and the sealing section can be formed of the same material family, such as a rubber elastomer (e.g. EPDM) material and / or a thermoplastic (e.g. TBE) material, respectively. As an alternative, the materials can be made of different material families. However, preferably, the load-bearing section and the sealing section are coextruded to form an extruded sealing strip 40.

[0067] The load-bearing section 42 includes a base portion 45 . The base portion is arranged to overlap the gap 38 in the first direction L (as seen in the third direction T). The base portion 45 is arranged inside the front door window 24 and the applique device 20 .

[0068] The load-bearing section 42 further comprises a fastening portion 46 extending from the base portion 45 in the first direction L so as to overlap the applique device 20 in the first direction L. In particular, as seen from the exterior O, the fastening portion 46 is arranged behind the outer surface of the applique device 20 .

[0069] Fastening portion 46 includes a web portion 48 that is attached to a web portion receiver 50 of applique device 20 .

[0070] Web portion receiver 50 includes an outer receiver portion 52 that is disposed and aligned substantially along first direction L and is disposed parallel to the inner surface of the outer applique element of applique device 20. Preferably, outer receiver portion 52 is disposed directly behind the outer applique element of applique device 20. Web portion receiver 50 also includes an inner receiver portion 54 that is connected to outer receiver portion 52 and extends slightly obliquely relative to first direction L.

[0071] Currently, the web portion receiving portion 50 is part of the applique device 20. In this case, the weatherstrip 40 can be preassembled to the applique device 20, for example, for assembly of the combination to the B-pillar body 36 at the vehicle assembly line. However, the web portion receiving portion 50 can be part of the B-pillar body 36.

[0072] The inner receiver portion 54 includes at least one locking step 56, preferably two locking steps 56. The sealing strip 40 includes a locking lip 58 that engages at the locking step 56 when the web portion 48 is inserted into the web portion receiver 50.

[0073] On the other hand, the sealing strip 40 may include a plurality of sealing lips 60 extending from the web portion 48 to contact an inner side of the outer receiver portion 52 .

[0074] The sealing lip 60 and / or the locking lip 58 may be part of the sealing section 44 of the sealing strip and may be used to seal the interior I relative to the exterior O.

[0075] The load-bearing section 42 includes a first connection portion 64. The first connection portion 64 extends outward from the base portion 45 into the gap 38. However, the first connection portion 64 preferably extends to about half of the gap 38 in the third direction T.

[0076] Furthermore, the load-bearing section 42 comprises a support portion 65 extending from the base portion 45 towards the interior I.

[0077] The support portion 65 is L-shaped (as viewed in the second direction), and includes a first L portion extending in the third direction T, and includes a second L portion extending substantially in the first direction L.

[0078] The connecting portion between the first L portion and the second L portion may have a thicker cross-section than other portions of the load-bearing section 42 , thereby providing rigidity against deflection of the second L portion in the third direction T.

[0079] At the free end of the second L portion, there is provided a second connection portion 66. The second connection portion 66 is arranged on the side opposite to the fastening portion 46 in the longitudinal direction L with respect to the gap 38 or with respect to the base portion 45.

[0080] When viewed along the third direction T, the second connection portion is located behind the front door sliding window 24 or overlaps with the front door sliding window 24 .

[0081] The sealing section 44 of the weather strip 40 includes a window surface sealing portion 68. The window surface sealing portion 68 is connected to the first connecting portion 64 of the load-bearing section 42 and to the second connecting portion 66 of the load-bearing section 42. The window surface sealing portion 68 is preformed to form a convex bulb-shaped portion 70 that contacts the inner surface 72 of the front door window 24. It should be noted here that Figure 2 The sealing device 30 is shown in a resiliently undeflected state so that the surface sealing portion 68 intersects the front door window 24. If the front door window 24 is open, the sealing device 30 is shaped like this. If the front door window 24 is closed, at least the surface sealing portion 68 is deflected so that the convex bulb-shaped portion 70 contacts the inner surface 72 of the front door window 24 and forms a vertical sealing line.

[0082] The surface sealing portion 68 forms a closed hollow portion 74 together with the bearing section 42. The closed hollow portion 74 is surrounded by the surface sealing portion 68, the first connecting portion 64, the base portion 45 and the support portion 65.

[0083] A concave bulb portion 76 is provided between the convex bulb portion 70 and the first connecting portion 64 in the first direction L. Due to the concave bulb portion 76, deflection of the convex bulb portion 70 can be easily achieved. In addition, it can be avoided that the surface sealing portion 68 contacts the edge of the front door window 24, which faces the gap 38.

[0084] The sealing section 44 includes a gap sealing lip 78 that is connected to the first connecting portion 64 and contacts the applique device 20 and / or the B-pillar body 36. The gap sealing lip 78 prevents fluid from entering the web portion receiving portion 50. This sealing effect is further enhanced by the locking lip 58 and / or the sealing lip 60.

[0085] The appearance of the seal line 40 is attractive when viewed from the exterior O. The gap sealing lip 78 is preferably continuous with the outer surface of the applique device 20. From the exterior, substantially only the surface sealing portion 68 is visible. The surface sealing portion 68 is preferably formed in one piece with the gap sealing lip 78, which enhances the front appearance.

[0086] The sealing device 30 may be arranged to include only the sealing strip 40 .

[0087] However, in the present embodiment, the sealing device 30 includes a second sealing strip 90. The second sealing strip 90 includes a second load-bearing section 92 and a second sealing section 94. The second load-bearing section 92 includes a second fastening portion 96, which is attached to the B-pillar body 36 (but may also be attached to the decal device 20). The second fastening portion 96 may include a reinforcing member. The second load-bearing section 92 is arranged between the second L portion of the support portion 65 and a portion of the B-pillar body 36. Therefore, the second load-bearing section 92 can be used to hold the support portion 65 in place in the third direction T. In other words, the second load-bearing section 92 is used to avoid or reduce the deflection of the support portion 65 in the third direction. For this purpose, the second fastening portion 96 is connected to a support portion 98, which holds the support portion 65 of the load-bearing section 42 of the sealing strip 40 in the third direction T.

[0088] Another portion of the second support section 92 extends in the first direction L in a direction away from the sealing strip 40 .

[0089] Furthermore, the second bearing section 92 includes an elastic sealing lip bearing portion 100. A window sealing lip 102 is connected to the lip bearing portion 100 so as to extend to and contact the inner surface 72 of the front door window 24. The window sealing lip 102 forms a second sealing line extending substantially along the second (vertical) direction V. The window sealing lip 102 is arranged farther from the gap 38 than the convex bulb-shaped portion 70 of the surface sealing portion 68.

[0090] The window sealing lip 102 can also be connected to another part of the second bearing section 92 so that the second bearing section 92 and the window sealing lip 102 form another closed hollow portion, which allows for establishing good deflectability of the window sealing lip 102, thereby improving the sealing performance together with the convex bulb-shaped portion 70.

[0091] exist Figure 3 and Figure 4 In FIG. 1 , other embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. These correspond in structure and function to Figure 2 The same reference numerals are used for the embodiments shown in . Only the differences are described in detail below.

[0092] Figure 3 Another embodiment of the sealing device 30' is shown. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , a reinforcing web 104 may be provided in the closed hollow portion 74 so as to divide the closed hollow portion 74 into a first closed hollow portion 74a and a second closed hollow portion 74b. The reinforcing web 104 may extend between the second L portion of the support portion 65 and the interior of the concave bulb-shaped portion 76. The reinforcing web 104 may be used to increase the sealing pressure between the convex bulb-shaped portion 70 and the inner surface 72 of the front door window 24.

[0093] In addition, as Figure 2 Additional or alternative modifications of the embodiments of Figure 3 A supplementary sealing lip 106 is shown extending from a portion of the surface sealing portion 68 substantially in the first direction L. Preferably, the supplementary sealing lip 106 is connected to the surface sealing portion 68 in the region of the second connecting portion 66 and is arranged to extend substantially parallel to the elastic sealing lip bearing portion 100. The supplementary sealing lip 106 improves the sealing performance and avoids the ingress of fluid into the region between the first sealing strip 40 and the second sealing strip 90.

[0094] Figure 4 Another embodiment of the sealing device 30 ″ is shown, in which the fastening portion 46 ″ of the sealing strip 40 is molded to the applique device 20 and / or the B-pillar body by means of a molded portion 110 .

[0095] In the above-described embodiment, the applique device 20 may be a plastic component disposed between the front door window 24 and the rear door window 26. However, the applique device may also include an outer glass body.

[0096] The sealing strip 40 may include more reinforcing webs in addition to the single reinforcing web 104. Furthermore, the sealing strip may include two or more convex bulb-shaped portions for providing additional sealing lines.

[0097] Furthermore, in order to improve water management, additional supplementary sealing lips 106 may be provided at different locations. The supplementary sealing lips may have the function of water-guiding lips.

[0098] In summary, the present invention provides a sealing device that provides at least one sealing line (convex bulb 70) or two sealing lines (bulb 70 and sealing lip 102) on the inside of the window without any sealing portion of the sealing section contacting the rear edge of the window 24, which faces the gap 38. The sealing strip 40 can be preassembled to the decal device 20. The second sealing strip 90 can be preassembled to the decal device 20. However, preferably, the decal device 20 is attached to the B-pillar body 36.

[0099] The first sealing strip 40 and the second sealing strip 90 may each be a coextruded sealing strip. Therefore, the first sealing strip 40 and the second sealing strip 90 are easy to manufacture. The assembly process is easy because at least the first sealing strip 40 can be preassembled to the applique device 20. Due to the convex bulb-shaped portion 70, high tolerance robustness is achieved. Due to the fact that the rear edge of the window 24 is not in contact with the sealing section, high durability robustness is achieved.

[0100] As mentioned above, the overall appearance of the seal is very pleasing.

[0101] Reference numerals:

[0102] 10 Vehicles

[0103] 12 Car body

[0104] 14Front Door

[0105] 16A column area

[0106] 18B column area

[0107] 20 Decal Devices

[0108] 22 Backdoor

[0109] 24Front door sliding window (movable structure)

[0110] 26 rear doors and windows

[0111] 30 Upright B-pillar sealing device

[0112] 32 Manifold sealing device

[0113] 34 window openings

[0114] 36B-pillar body (fixed structure)

[0115] 38 Gap

[0116] 40 Gap Sealing Strip (30)

[0117] 42 load-bearing section

[0118] 44 Sealing section

[0119] 45 base part (42)

[0120] 46 Fastening part (42)

[0121] 48 belly plate

[0122] 50 Web plate receiving portion (20)

[0123] 52 external receiving part

[0124] 54 inner receiving part

[0125] 56 Locking step

[0126] 58 Locking Lip

[0127] 60 Sealing lip

[0128] 64 first connection part

[0129] 65 Supporting part (42)

[0130] 66 Second connection part

[0131] 68 Window surface sealing part (44)

[0132] 70 convex bulb-shaped portion (68)

[0133] 72 Internal window surface

[0134] 74 Closed hollow part (42-44)

[0135] 76 concave bulb-shaped portion

[0136] 78 Gap sealing lip (44)

[0137] 90 Second sealing strip

[0138] 92 second bearing section

[0139] 94 second sealing section

[0140] 96 Second fastening part

[0141] 98 Supporting part (92)

[0142] 100 elastic sealing lip bearing part

[0143] 102 Window Sealing Lip

[0144] 104 Strengthening the web

[0145] 106 Sealing lip

[0146] 110 Molded Parts

[0147] L Longitudinal (first) direction

[0148] VVertical (second) direction

[0149] L Horizontal (third) direction

[0150] Internal

[0151] O external

[0152] G Gap size

Claims

1. A sealing strip (40), the sealing strip (40) being used to seal a gap (38) between a fixed structure (36) and a movable structure (24), the fixed structure (36) being, for example, a B-pillar or a decal of a vehicle, the movable structure (24) being, for example, a sliding window, the gap (38) having a gap size (G) in a first direction (L) and extending in a second direction (V) substantially orthogonal to the first direction (L), the sealing strip (40) comprising: - a load-bearing section (42), and - a sealing section (44), wherein the load-bearing section (42) comprises a fastening portion (46) adapted to attach the sealing strip (40) to the fixed structure (36), The load-bearing section (42) comprises a first connection portion (64) adapted to be arranged adjacent to the fixed structure (36), and comprises a second connection portion (66) adapted to be arranged away from the fixed structure, and The sealing section (44) includes a surface sealing portion (68), which is connected to a first connecting portion (64) and a second connecting portion (66) of the load-bearing section (42), and the surface sealing portion (68) is formed with a convex bulb-shaped portion (70) suitable for contacting an inner surface (72) of the movable structure (24).

2. The sealing strip according to claim 1, wherein: The load-bearing section (42) comprises a base portion (45), and the fastening portion (46) extends from the base portion (45) along the first direction.

3. The sealing strip according to claim 2, wherein: The first connecting portion (64) extends from the base portion (45) into the gap (38).

4. The sealing strip according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: A gap sealing lip (78) is connected to the first connecting portion (64) and is adapted to contact an edge portion of the fixing structure (36) facing the gap (38).

5. The sealing strip according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The load-bearing section (42) comprises a support portion (65) extending from a base portion (45) of the load-bearing section (42), wherein the second connecting portion (66) is arranged in the region of a free end of the support portion (65).

6. The sealing strip according to claim 5, wherein: The support portion (65) is adapted to overlap a portion of the movable structure (24) and the gap (38) when viewed in a third direction (T) substantially orthogonal to the first direction (L) and the second direction (V).

7. The sealing strip according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The surface sealing portion (68) is adapted not to contact an edge of the movable structure facing the gap (38).

8. The sealing strip according to claim 7, wherein: The surface sealing portion (68) includes a concave bulb-shaped portion (76) disposed between the convex bulb-shaped portion (70) and the first connecting portion (64).

9. The sealing strip according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The fastening portion (46) of the load-bearing section (42) comprises a web portion (48) adapted to be inserted into a web portion receiving portion (50) of the fixing structure (36).

10. The sealing strip according to claim 9, wherein: The web portion (48) is connected to at least one of: a sealing lip (60) of the sealing section (44), the sealing lip (60) sealing the web portion against the web portion receiver (50), and - a locking lip (58) which lockingly engages into a locking step (56) formed by the web portion receiver (50).

11. The sealing strip according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The load-bearing section (42) and the surface sealing portion (68) form a closed hollow portion (74).

12. The sealing strip according to claim 11, wherein: A reinforcing web (104) is arranged in the closed hollow portion (74), and preferably the reinforcing web (104) extends between the support portion (65) of the load-bearing section (42) and the concave bulb-shaped portion (76) of the surface sealing portion (68).

13. The sealing strip according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: A sealing lip (106) extends from the face sealing portion (68) and is adapted to contact a second sealing strip (90).

14. The sealing strip according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: - the fastening portion (46) is suitable for being attached to the fixed structure (36) by means of a molded portion (110), and / or wherein, The load-bearing section (42) and the sealing section (44) of the sealing strip are co-extruded and / or wherein: The load-bearing section (42) is made of a relatively hard material and the sealing section (44) is made of a relatively soft material.

15. A sealing device for sealing a gap between a movable structure (24) and a fixed structure (36), the sealing device comprising: - A sealing strip (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, and - a second sealing strip (90) adapted to be attached to the fixed structure (36) and comprising a window sealing lip (102) adapted to contact an inner surface (72) of the movable structure (24) at a position further away from the gap (38) than the convex bulb-shaped portion (70).

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