Inside weatherstrip

Abstract

The present invention provides an inside weatherstrip that can improve the efficiency of the installation process when attaching the mounting base to the flange portion of the door inner panel, and that can stably hold the mounting base in the correct position after installation. [Solution] The inside weatherstrip 13 has an inverted U-shaped mounting base 17 that fits and holds the overlapping portion of the waist flange portion 12a and the reinforcement flange portion 12b of the door inner panel 12, and two upper and lower retaining lips 19a, 19b that protrude from the inner surface 17d of the vehicle-side side wall 17b of the mounting base and elastically contact the inner surface 12f of one of the flange portions 12b. The protruding length L1 of the lowest retaining lip 19b is made shorter than the protruding length L2 of the upper retaining lip 19a to avoid interference with the rear ends 12e of both flange portions during installation, and the tip edge 19c of the lowest retaining lip is brought into contact with the inner surface 12f after installation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inside weatherstrip attached to a door inner panel facing a door waist opening in a vehicle door to seal between the door panel and the door glass.

Background Art

[0002] As this type of inside weatherstrip, for example, those described in Patent Document 1 below are provided. The inside weatherstrip may also be referred to as an inner weatherstrip at the door waist portion, a waist inner seal, a beltline weatherstrip, or a door waist inside seal member, etc., focusing on the mounting position on the vehicle door.

[0003] FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a state where the front door of an automobile to which the present invention and a conventional inside weatherstrip are applied is opened, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1 showing the conventional inside weatherstrip, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a state where the conventional inside weatherstrip is attached to the overlapping portion of the waist flange portion and the rain reinforcement flange portion of the door inner panel.

[0004] The front door 01 (hereinafter referred to as the door) is, as is well known, an integrated structure of a door outer panel and a door inner panel, both of which are door panels, and is composed of a lower door body 03 from the door waist opening 02 and an arch-shaped door sash portion 04 from the door waist opening 02 upward.

[0005] The door waist opening 02 is an opening at the upper end of the door body 03 formed by the waist flange portion 05a and reinforcement flange portion 05b of the door inner panel 05 (described later) and the waist flange portion of the door outer panel (not shown), and refers to the portion that the door glass 06 faces. The door sash portion 04 consists of an upper edge portion 04a that runs from the vehicle roof portion along the front pillar when the door 01 is closed, and a rear vertical edge portion 04b that runs along the center pillar when the door is closed.

[0006] A door glass run 07 is attached to the inner circumference of the door sash portion 04, and the door glass 06 is guided and supported by this door glass run 07 so that it can move up and down.

[0007] Furthermore, a door weatherstrip 09 is fitted in a closed loop shape to the interior peripheral edge of the door 01, including the door body 03 and the door sash portion 04. When the door is closed, the door weatherstrip 09 elastically contacts the peripheral edge of the door opening on the vehicle body side, sealing the interior and exterior of the vehicle. This ensures airtightness, watertightness, and sound insulation.

[0008] Furthermore, a resin door trim (interior panel) 08, which has a predetermined decorative finish on its surface, is attached to the inside (interior side) of the door body 03.

[0009] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 6, an inside weatherstrip 1 is attached to the overlapping portion of the waist flange portion 05a and the reinforcement flange portion 05b of the door inner panel 05 facing the door waist opening 02 on the interior side of the door 01.

[0010] The inside weatherstrip 1 is formed in a long length by extrusion molding and, as shown in Figure 6, comprises a plate-shaped base portion 2 made of a hard resin material, two parallel upper and lower glass seal lips 3, 3 projecting diagonally upward toward the door glass 06 from the outer surface of the base portion 2, a mounting base portion 4 with a substantially inverted U-shaped cross-section projecting in the opposite direction from the glass seal lips 3, 3 from the lower end of the base portion 2, and a U-shaped groove-shaped fitting portion 5 formed between the mounting base portion 4 and the base portion 2, into which the end of the door trim 08 is fitted and held.

[0011] The mounting base 4 has an outer side wall 6 whose lower end is connected to the base portion 2, an inner side wall 7 facing the outer side wall 6, and an upper wall portion 8 connecting the upper ends of both side walls 6 and 7. The outer side wall 6, the inner side wall 7, and the upper wall portion 8 are integrally formed from a hard resin material.

[0012] The outer side wall 6 has two projections 6a and 6b integrally provided on its inner surface at the upper and lower positions, while the inner side wall 7 has three upper and lower retaining lips 7a, 7b, and 7c made of soft resin material projecting toward the upper wall 8 on its inner surface. These projections 6a and 6b and retaining lips 7a to 7c elastically contact and fit into the outer surfaces of the flanges 05a and 05b of the door inner panel 05 when the inside weatherstrip 1 is attached to the overlapping portion of the flanges 05a and 05b. In other words, when the mounting base 4 is fitted into the flanges 05a and 05b, it presses against the outer surfaces of the flanges 05a and 05b with a predetermined pressure, thereby stably and securely fitting and holding the mounting base 4 into the flanges 05a and 05b, and maintaining its holding position. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0013] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-28203 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0014] However, when the inside weatherstrip 1 described in Patent Document 1 is attached to the flange portions 05a and 05b of the door inner panel 05 via the mounting base 4, as shown in Figure 7, the upper and lower three-tiered retaining lips 7a to 7c, in particular the lowest retaining lip 7c, may interfere with the upper edge 05c of the reinforcement flange portion 05b, potentially preventing smooth fitting of the inside weatherstrip 1.

[0015] In other words, to attach the inside weatherstrip 1 to the overlapping portion of the flanges 05a and 05b on both sides of the door inner panel 05, the inside weatherstrip 1 is held by hand with the longitudinal rear end 1a shown in Figure 1 facing downwards and inclined, and the mounting base 4 is inserted (fitted) into the overlapping portion of the flanges 05a and 05b from the lower end opening side while the rear end 1a side abuts against the door glass run 07 held inside the door sash portion 04. At this time, as shown in Figure 7, the tip of the lowest retaining lip 7c may interfere with the upper edge 05c of the reinforcement flange portion 05b, or may interfere and become embedded.

[0016] As a result, the fitability of the mounting base 4 into both flange portions 05a and 05b deteriorates, making the installation of the inside weatherstrip 1 complicated, which reduces the efficiency of the installation work and leads to an increase in work costs.

[0017] The present invention was devised in view of the technical problems of the conventional inside weatherstrip, and aims to provide an inside weatherstrip that improves the efficiency of the installation work when attaching the mounting base to the inner door panel, and that can stably hold the mounting base in the correct position after installation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] The present invention relates to an inside weatherstrip that is attached to the flange portion of the door inner panel of a vehicle door forming a door waist opening and is slidable with a retractable door glass, comprising: an inverted U-shaped mounting base portion that fits and is held in place by the flange portion of the door inner panel; a plurality of glass seal lips that protrude from the vehicle-external side wall side of the mounting base toward the door glass side and are slidable with the door glass; and a plurality of upper and lower retaining lips that protrude from the inner surface of the vehicle-internal side wall of the mounting base and abut against one side of the flange portion to maintain the orientation of the mounting base. The present invention is characterized in that, among the multiple retaining lips, the protruding length of the retaining lip located at least at the lowest stage, on either the longitudinal end or the other end of the mounting base, is made shorter than the protruding lengths of the other retaining lips, and after fitting the mounting base to the flange portion, the tip edge of the lowest retaining lip is brought into contact with one side surface of the flange portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of installation work and reduce the cost of work when attaching the inside weatherstrip to the flange portion of the door inner panel via the mounting base, and it is also possible to stably hold the mounting base in the correct position after installation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing the front door of an automobile in the open position, to which the present invention and a conventional inside weatherstrip are applied. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1, showing one embodiment of the inside weatherstrip according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing the overlapping state of the waist flange portion and the reinforcement flange portion of the door inner panel used in this embodiment. [Figure 4]It is an explanatory view showing a state in which the inside weather strip of the present embodiment is attached to a polymerized portion of a waist flange portion and a rain reinforcement flange portion of a door inner panel of a front door. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory view showing a state in which the inclination of the attachment base portion provided in the present embodiment is suppressed by the lowermost holding lip. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1 showing a conventional inside weather strip. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory view showing a state in which a conventional inside weather strip is attached to a polymerized portion of a waist flange portion and a rain reinforcement flange portion of a door inner panel.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an inside weather strip according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1 showing an embodiment of the inside weather strip according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a polymerized state of a waist flange portion and a rain reinforcement flange portion of a door inner panel provided in the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the inside weather strip of the present embodiment is attached to a polymerized portion of a waist flange portion and a rain reinforcement flange portion of a door inner panel of a front door.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the door inner panel 12 has a waist flange portion 12a which is one of the flange portions of the door inner panel 12 forming the door waist opening 02, and a rain reinforcement flange portion 12b which is one of the flange portions arranged to face the waist flange portion 12a, and they are joined in a polymerized state by welding or the like. These waist flange portion 12a and rain reinforcement flange portion 12b extend over the entire length of the door waist opening 02 in the vehicle body front-rear direction.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the waist flange portion 12a is formed in a flat shape overall, whereas the reinforcement flange portion 12b connected to the waist flange portion 12a is also basically formed in a flat shape overall, but has multiple convex bulges 12c formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body at the door waist opening 02. Each of these bulges 12c functions as a reinforcing rib to increase the strength of the door inner panel 12. In other words, as shown in Figure 3, the reinforcement flange portion 12b has multiple bulges 12c formed between the front end portion 12d on the front side of the vehicle body and the rear end portion 12e on the rear side, and these bulges 12c are formed in a roughly rectangular shape in cross-section and function as reinforcing ribs.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, an inside weatherstrip 13 made of EPDM or other resin-based elastic material is attached to the overlapping portion of the waist flange portion 12a and the reinforcement flange portion 12b of the door inner panel 12.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the inside weatherstrip 13 has a rear end 13a, which is one end of the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction, abutting against the opposing surface of the rear vertical edge 04b of the door sash portion 04 in the door waist opening 02 and a part of the door glass run 07, while the other end of the vehicle body, the front end 13b, abutting against the lower end of the front vertical edge 04c of the door sash portion 04 and a part of the door glass run 07.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the inside weatherstrip 13 comprises a plate-shaped base portion 14, two parallel upper and lower glass seal lips 15 and 16 projecting diagonally upward toward the door glass 06 from the outer surface of the base portion 14, a mounting base portion 17 projecting in the opposite direction from the upper and lower glass seal lips 15 and 16 from the lower end of the base portion 14, and a U-shaped fitting portion 18 provided between the vehicle-side outer wall 17a of the mounting base portion 17 and the base portion 14. The inside weatherstrip 13 is basically formed by extrusion molding with the same cross-sectional shape in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

[0028] The upper and lower glass seal lips 15 and 16 of the inside weatherstrip 13 are formed in a nearly flat, pleated shape and protrude diagonally upward from the outer surface of the base portion 14 on the vehicle side. Furthermore, both glass seal lips 15 and 16 are formed to have nearly identical cross-sectional shapes and are covered on their outer surfaces with low-friction material layers 15a and 16a made of silicone resin, fluororesin, or pile. These elastically contact the inner and outer surfaces of the door glass 06, allowing the door glass 06 to move up and down while sliding relative to it during its raising and lowering operation.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, the mounting base 17 is formed in an inverted U shape and has an outer side wall 17a connected to the lower end of the base portion 14 via a connecting wall 14a, an inner side wall 17b positioned opposite the outer side wall 17a, and an upper wall portion 17c connecting the upper edges of both side walls 17a and 17b. Two protrusions 21a and 21b are integrally provided at the upper and lower positions on the inner surface of the outer side wall 17a. On the other hand, two upper and lower retaining lips 19a and 19b made of soft resin material are projected from the inner surface of the inner side wall 17b in an inclined manner toward the upper wall portion 17c. Furthermore, a seating lip 20 is provided at the lower end of the inner side wall 17b, that is, below the lowest retaining lip 19b, which elastically contacts the inner surface 12f, which is one side of the reinforcement flange portion 12b.

[0030] Furthermore, the mounting base 17 is fitted with the waist flange portion 12a and the reinforcement flange portion 12b of the door inner panel 12, meaning that the protrusions 21a, 21b and retaining lips 19a, 19b of the mounting base 17 are fitted together in a clamping manner to the overlapping portion of both flange portions 12a, 12b, so that the entire inside weatherstrip 13 is attached and fixed to the overlapping portion of both flange portions 12a, 12b by the mounting base 17.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the lowermost retaining lip 19b of the two upper and lower retaining lips 19a and 19b has a protruding length L1 from its base to its tip edge 19c that is shorter than the protruding length L2 from the base to its tip edge 19d of the upper retaining lip 19a. This shortened protruding length L1 of the lowermost retaining lip 19b is set to a length that avoids interference between the upper end of the overlapping portion of the flange portions 12a and 12b and the retaining lip 19b when the mounting base 17 of the inside weatherstrip 13 is fitted to the flange portions 12a and 12b.

[0032] Furthermore, the longitudinal region of the inside weatherstrip 13 (mounting base 17) where the protruding length L1 of the lowest retaining lip 19b is short is a predetermined range T from the outer edge of the rear end 13a (rear side of the vehicle body), which is one end of the inside weatherstrip 13 in the longitudinal direction, to the front end 13b, which is the other end, as shown in Figure 4. In other words, this predetermined range T is, for example, about 100 mm from the rear end 13a to the front end 13b in the longitudinal direction of the mounting base 17.

[0033] In this way, the predetermined longitudinal range T in which the protruding length L1 of the lowest retaining lip 19b is shortened is such that, during the initial fitting in which the mounting base 17 is fitted from above onto the overlapping portion of both flange portions 12a and 12b, the fitting operation can be performed without resistance without interfering with the upper ends of both flange portions 12a and 12b.

[0034] Therefore, the lowest retaining lip 19b is set to have the same protrusion length L2 as the upper retaining lip 19a in the region outside the predetermined range T, that is, up to the front end portion 13b. In other words, both retaining lips 19a and 19b are formed to rise inclined toward the upper wall portion 17c with their normal, regular protrusion length L2.

[0035] A method for shortening the protruding length L1 of the lowest retaining lip 19b is typically performed during the extrusion molding of the inside weatherstrip 13.

[0036] Furthermore, in the lowermost retaining lip 19b, the portion with a short protrusion length L1, as shown in Figure 2, has its tip edge 19c in contact with the inner surface 12f of the reinforcement flange portion 12b after the mounting base 17 is fitted to both flange portions 12a and 12b. In the other portions with a longer protrusion length L2, similar to the upper retaining lip 19a, the side of the tip is elastically in contact with the inner surface 12f of the reinforcement flange portion 12b while deforming flexibly.

[0037] The seating lip 20 is made of a soft resin material and, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, is formed in an almost L-shape in its free state. However, when the mounting base 17 is fitted onto the two flange portions 12a and 12b, it bends and deforms into a U-shape from approximately the center, as shown by the solid line in Figure 2, and the outer surface of the tip portion 20a elastically contacts the bent portion of the inner surface 12f of the reinforcement flange portion 12b.

[0038] Furthermore, the outer side wall 17a of the mounting base 17 is formed so that its longitudinal rear end extends beyond the longitudinal rear end of the inner side wall 17b, and when the inside weatherstrip 13 is attached to the overlapping portion of both flange portions 12a and 12b, the outer surface of the rear end of the outer side wall 17a abuts against the opposing surface of the vertical side portion 04b, thereby performing a positioning function.

[0039] The fitting portion 18 is formed in a U-shape between the base portion 14 and the vehicle-side side wall 17a of the mounting base portion 17, and the terminal flange portion 08a of the door trim 08 is fitted into it from above. [Effects and Effects of the Inside Weatherstrip of This Embodiment] The following describes the effects and advantages of the inside weatherstrip 13 of this embodiment.

[0040] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the inside weatherstrip 13 of this embodiment is attached to the overlapping portion of the waist flange portion 12a and the reinforcement flange portion 12b of the door inner panel 12 of the front door 01, and Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the inclination of the mounting base portion 17 used in this embodiment is suppressed by the lowermost retaining lip 19b.

[0041] To attach the inside weatherstrip 13 to the overlapping portion of the waist flange portion 12a and reinforcement flange portion 12b of the door inner panel 12, hold the entire inside weatherstrip 13 by hand and, as shown by the thick black arrow in Figure 4, lower the rear end portion 13a of the inside weatherstrip 13 in a downward inclined manner, then fit the mounting base 17 into the overlapping portion of both flange portions 12a and 12b of the door inner panel 12, and slide it in the direction of the vertical side portion 04b of the door sash portion 04, as shown by the thin black arrow in the figure.

[0042] In this case, the lowest retaining lip 19b on the rear end 13a side of the inside weatherstrip 13 has a protruding length L1 that is sufficiently shorter than the protruding length L2 of the upper retaining lip 19a. Therefore, the lowest retaining lip 19b does not interfere with the rear end 12e of the overlapping portion of both flange portions 12a and 12b, and can be smoothly fitted into place.

[0043] Subsequently, the entire inside weatherstrip 13, including the longitudinal front end 13b, is pushed down to fit the mounting base 17 into the overlapping portion of both flange portions 12a and 12b, thereby attaching the entire inside weatherstrip 13 to both flange portions 12a and 12b.

[0044] As described above, in this embodiment, the protruding length L1 of the lowest retaining lip 19b of the mounting base 17 is set to be sufficiently shorter than the protruding length L2 of the other upper retaining lips 19a. Therefore, in the initial stage of attaching the inside weatherstrip 13 to the overlapping portion 12e of the rear ends 12e of both flange portions 12a and 12b of the door inner panel 12, the lowest retaining lip 19b will not interfere with or dig into the upper edge 12g of the reinforcement flange portion 12b.

[0045] Therefore, the mounting base 17 can be smoothly fitted (inserted) directly onto each rear end portion 12e, making it easier to attach the inside weatherstrip 13 to the overlapping portion of both flange portions 12a and 12b, thereby improving the efficiency of the attachment work and reducing the cost of this work.

[0046] Furthermore, after fitting the mounting base 17 into the overlapping portion of both flange portions 12a and 12b, the tip edge 19c of the lowest retaining lip 19b comes into contact with the inner surface 12f of the reinforcement flange portion 12b, thereby enabling stable retention of the mounting base 17.

[0047] In other words, when the mounting base 17 attempts to tilt outward, as shown by arrow A in Figure 5, or inward, as shown by arrow B, around the overlapping portion of the two flange portions 12a and 12b, the lowest retaining lip 19b abuts against the inner surface 12f of the reinforcement flange portion 12b, acting as a kind of support rod, thereby effectively suppressing the tilting of the mounting base 17. As a result, the mounting base can be stably held in place by both flange portions 12a and 12b.

[0048] Furthermore, when the mounting base 17 is fitted into the overlapping portion of both flange portions 12a and 12b, the seating lip 20, in addition to the tip edge 19c of the lowest retaining lip 19b, also elastically contacts the inner surface 12f of the reinforcement flange portion 12b, thereby enabling the mounting base 17 to be stably held in place relative to the overlapping portion of both flange portions 12a and 12b. In other words, the seating lip 20, in cooperation with the lowest retaining lip 19b, further exhibits a support rod-like function, making it possible to further suppress tilting of the mounting base 17 in the inward or outward direction of the vehicle. As a result, the mounting base can be stably held in its proper position.

[0049] Furthermore, since the seat lip 20 is bent into an almost U-shape and elastically contacts the inner surface 12f of the reinforcement flange portion 12b, it stably holds the mounting base in the correct position and effectively blocks the transmission of noise from outside the vehicle to inside the vehicle, thus exhibiting a so-called sound insulation effect.

[0050] Furthermore, since the shortened portion T of the lowest retaining lip 19b is only a part (approximately 100 mm) of the rear end 13a side of the inside weatherstrip 13, sufficient retaining force is ensured by the lowest retaining lip 19b and the upper retaining lip 19a in other areas.

[0051] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. In the embodiment, there are two upper and lower retaining lips 19a and 19b, but it is also possible to have three upper and lower lips. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, only the lower retaining lip 19b was set to have a short protrusion length, but it is also possible to set the upper retaining lip 19a to have a short protrusion length in addition to the lower lip.

[0052] Furthermore, in each embodiment, the door inner panel 12 uses two flange portions, a waist flange portion 12a and a reinforcement flange portion 12b, but it may also use only one.

[0053] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the inside weatherstrip 13 is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment; for example, the base portion 14 can be eliminated and a glass seal lip can be provided on the outer surface of the vehicle-side side wall of the mounting base portion 17.

[0054] Furthermore, when the inside weatherstrip of the present invention is applied to the rear door side, the range of the short protrusion length L1 of the lowest retaining lip 19b on the front end 13b side of the inside weatherstrip 13 is set to a predetermined range T from the front end edge of the mounting base 17.

[0055] The procedure for attaching the inside weatherstrip 13 to the inner panel 12 is, in the initial state, the opposite of the case of the front door 01, to attach the inside weatherstrip 13 with its front end 13b side tilted downwards. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 01…Front Door 02... Door waist opening 03... Door body 04... Door sash 06... Door glass 12... Door inner panel 12a...Waist flange section (flange section) 12b…Reinforcement flange section 12b (flange section) 12e...Rear end of the reinforcement flange section 12f…Inner side (one side) 13…Inside weatherstrip 13a...Rear end (one end) 13b...Front end (other end) 14…Base section 17…Mounting base 17a…Vehicle outer side wall 17b...Inside wall of the vehicle 17d...Inner surface of the side wall on the inside of the vehicle 19a... Upper holding lip 19b... Bottom holding lip L1…Protrusion length of the bottom retaining lip L2…Protrusion length of the upper retaining lip T... A predetermined range of the mounting base in which the short protrusion length of the lowest retaining lip is formed.

Claims

1. An inside weatherstrip that is attached to the flange portion of the door inner panel of a vehicle door that forms a door waist opening, and is capable of sliding against a retractable door glass, The mounting base has an inverted U-shaped shape that fits and is held in place by the flange portion of the door inner panel, a plurality of glass seal lips that protrude from the outer side wall of the mounting base toward the door glass and are slidable against the door glass, and a plurality of upper and lower retaining lips that protrude from the inner surface of the inner side wall of the mounting base and abut against one side of the flange portion to maintain the orientation of the mounting base. Of the multiple retaining lips, the protruding length of the retaining lip located at least at the lowest stage, on either the longitudinal end or the other end of the mounting base, is made shorter than the protruding lengths of the other retaining lips, An inside weatherstrip characterized in that, after fitting the mounting base to the flange portion, the tip edge of the lowest retaining lip is brought into contact with one side surface of the flange portion.

2. An inside weatherstrip according to claim 1, An inside weatherstrip characterized in that a seating lip is provided at the lower end of the lowest retaining lip side of the inner side wall of the vehicle, which elastically contacts one side of the flange when the mounting base is fitted into the flange.

3. The inside weatherstrip according to claim 2, The seating lip is formed in an L-shape in cross-section, and when the mounting base is fitted to the flange portion, it bends and deforms from approximately the center into a roughly U-shape in cross-section, with the tip elastically contacting one side of the flange portion, forming an inside weatherstrip.

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