Belt molding and molding member

Abstract

Provided is a long belt molding (10) attached to a vehicle door (1). The present invention includes: a body part (15) attached along the lower edge of a window opening of a door panel (2); a lip section (19) that elastically contacts the door panel (2) when attached; and a covering section (11) that covers at least a portion of the outer surface of the body part (15) on the outside of the vehicle. The body part (15) includes a vehicle exterior side wall section (12) and a vehicle interior side wall section (13) facing each other, and a top wall section (14) connecting the upper edges of the side wall sections (12), (13). The lip section (19) protrudes downward from the lower edge of the vehicle exterior side wall section (12). The covering section (11) covers the outer surface of the vehicle exterior side wall section (12) and reaches the outer surface of the lip section (19).

Description

Belt molding and molding components

[0001] The present disclosure relates to elongated belt moldings and molding members that are attached to vehicle doors.

[0002] The belt molding shields the gap between the door panel and the window pane at the lower edge of the window opening of a vehicle door, and also aims to improve the appearance of the lower edge of the window opening. Since the belt molding is exposed to ultraviolet rays, wind, rain, etc., the outer surface of the belt molding is sometimes covered with a covering part for the purpose of protecting it and further improving its appearance.

[0003] Examples of this type of belt molding are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 listed below. The belt moldings in Patent Documents 1 and 2 include a main body attached to the lower edge of the window opening of the door panel, a lip (such as the "lower tongue portion 18" in Patent Document 1 or the "outside seal lip 26" in Patent Document 2) that elastically contacts the door panel when attached, and a covering portion (such as the "design tape 13" in Patent Document 1 or the "decorative member 27" in Patent Document 2) that covers at least a portion of the exterior surface of the main body. The main body includes an exterior side wall portion and an interior side wall portion that face each other, and a top wall portion that connects the upper edges of the both side wall portions, and the lip portion protrudes downward from the lower edge of the exterior side wall portion.

[0004] Furthermore, at least the outer surface of the vehicle exterior side wall portion is covered with a covering portion, and the covering portion can be broadly classified into (A) a pattern in which the covering portion extends up to the lower edge of the vehicle exterior side wall portion and does not reach the lip portion (FIGS. 1(a) and 4(a) of Patent Document 1, and FIGS. 1 and 2 of Patent Document 2), and (B) a pattern in which a portion of the covering portion is covered by the lip portion (FIGS. 2, 3(a) and 5 of Patent Document 1, and FIGS. 5 and 6 of Patent Document 2).

[0005] JP 2012-224102 A JP 2004-322957 A

[0006] However, in the case of pattern (A) where the covering portion covers the lower edge of the exterior side wall portion but does not reach the lip portion, if the covering portion is misaligned due to a manufacturing error (error in the position where it is provided) when it is provided, part of the exterior side wall portion may be exposed. This not only fails to protect the exposed part, but also deteriorates the appearance.

[0007] On the other hand, the pattern (B) in which a portion of the covering portion is covered by the lip portion poses the following problem. As shown in Fig. 11 , when manufacturing a belt molding 100 having a covering portion 110, the covering portion 110 is covered with a protective film 200 during the manufacturing process to protect the covering portion 110 from external damage, and the protective film 200 is sometimes removed in the final stage of manufacturing. In this case, if a portion of the covering portion 110 (B) is covered with the lip portion 190, removing the protective film 200 will result in a gap between the lip portion 190 and the covering portion 110, as shown in Fig. 12 . This not only results in a poor appearance, but also may lead to rainwater, dust, and the like accumulating in this gap, which may cause early deterioration of the lip portion 190.

[0008] Furthermore, molding members may also be attached to vehicle doors in locations other than belt moldings, also for the purpose of improving design. For example, a long frame molding attached to the upper edge frame of a vehicle door is an example. The frame molding has the same basic structure as the belt molding. Specifically, the frame molding includes a main body attached to the upper edge frame of the door panel, a lip that elastically contacts the door panel when attached, and a covering that covers at least a portion of the exterior surface of the main body. The main body includes an exterior side wall portion and an interior side wall portion that face each other, and a top wall portion that connects the upper edges of the side wall portions. The lip portion protrudes downward from the lower edge of the exterior side wall portion. Such frame moldings also suffer from the same problems as belt moldings.

[0009] Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to solve the above problem, and has an object to provide a belt molding and a molding member that can tolerate errors in the installation position of the covering portion.

[0010] To achieve this, the present disclosure employs the following means: (1) A long belt molding attached to a vehicle door. The belt molding has a main body attached along the lower edge of a window opening in a door panel, a lip that elastically contacts the door panel when attached, and a covering that covers at least a portion of the exterior surface of the main body. The main body has an exterior side wall and an interior side wall that face each other, and a top wall that connects the upper edges of the side wall portions. The lip protrudes downward from the lower edge of the exterior side wall. The covering portion covers the exterior surface of the exterior side wall and extends to the exterior surface of the lip.

[0011] (2) A long molding member attached to a vehicle door. This molding member has a main body portion attached to a door panel, a lip portion that elastically contacts the door panel when attached, and a covering portion that covers at least a portion of the exterior surface of the main body portion. The main body portion has an exterior side wall portion and an interior side wall portion that face each other, and a top wall portion that connects the upper edges of the both side wall portions. The lip portion protrudes downward from the lower edge of the exterior side wall portion. The covering portion covers the exterior surface of the exterior side wall portion and extends to the outer surface of the lip portion.

[0012] In the belt molding and molding member of the present disclosure, the covering portion extends from the outer surface of the exterior side wall portion to the outer surface of the lip portion. Therefore, the above-mentioned problem related to the pattern (A) in which the covering portion covers up to the lower edge of the exterior side wall portion but does not reach the lip portion can be solved. In other words, even if the covering portion is slightly misaligned when it is provided, the covering portion is provided so as to reach the outer surface of the lip portion, so that exposure of a portion of the exterior side wall portion can be avoided.

[0013] Furthermore, the covering portion is not covered by the lip portion. Therefore, the above-mentioned problem related to the pattern (B) in which a part of the covering portion is covered by the lip portion can be solved. That is, even if a protective film is provided during the manufacturing process, the covering portion (and the protective film) are not covered by the lip portion, so no gap will be generated between the lip portion and the covering portion after the protective film is removed.

[0014] 1 is a front view of a vehicle door. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a belt molding. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the belt molding. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part around the boundary between the vehicle-exterior side wall portion of the belt molding and the shielding lip. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a manufacturing process. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the belt molding in a state where a protective film is provided. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the frame molding. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part around the boundary between the vehicle-exterior side wall portion of the frame molding and the shielding lip. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the frame molding in a state where a protective film is provided. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a conventional belt molding in a state where a protective film is provided. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a conventional belt molding with the protective film removed.

[0015] The molding member of the present disclosure is attached to a vehicle door of an automobile or the like, and is not particularly limited in its specific shape, such as its overall shape and details, as long as it has a main body portion that is attached to any part of the door panel that constitutes the vehicle door, a lip portion that elastically contacts the door panel when attached, and a covering portion that covers at least the outer surface of the main body portion outside the vehicle.

[0016] In addition, in the following embodiments, an example will be described in which the molding member is attached to the left front door, but the molding member of the present disclosure may also be attached to the right front door, the right and left rear doors, etc.

[0017] (Embodiment 1) As embodiment 1 of a molding member of the present disclosure, a belt molding 10 attached along the lower edge of a window opening 3 of a vehicle door 1 (door panel 2) will be described. The belt molding is also called a belt molding, a weatherstrip, or a water-repellent seal.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1 , a vehicle door 1 is composed of a metal door panel 2 and the like. The door panel 2 has a window opening 3 formed therein. A window pane 4 is disposed in the window opening 3 so that it can move up and down. A long, linear belt molding 10 is attached in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle along the lower edge of the window opening 3 of the vehicle door 1 (door panel 2). The belt molding 10 elastically contacts the window pane 4 to form a seal. As a result, when the window pane 4 moves up and down, water droplets and foreign matter (sand, dust, dirt, etc.) adhering to the surface of the window pane 4 are wiped away by the belt molding 10. FIG. 1 is a front view seen from outside the vehicle, in which the belt molding 10 is an outer belt molding and the door panel 2 is an outer door panel.

[0019] The belt molding 10 is an extrusion molded product having a substantially uniform shape along its entire length. However, as shown in FIG. 2 , portions of both longitudinal ends of the belt molding 10 are removed for structural convenience at the attachment site. As shown in FIG. 3 , the belt molding 10 has a main body 15 having a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section. The main body 15 has an exterior side wall 12 and an interior side wall 13 that are spaced apart from each other and have a top wall 14 that connects the upper edges of the exterior and interior side walls 12, 13. As shown by the phantom lines in FIG. 3 , the leading edge (upper edge) of the door panel 2 is hemmed in a folded state. The belt molding 10 is attached to the door panel 2 by inserting the upper edge of the door panel 2 into the main body 15. A core material made of metal or hard resin may be embedded in the main body 15 to improve retention when attached to the door panel 2.

[0020] The lower edge of the interior side wall portion 13 is bent toward the exterior of the vehicle, and engages with the folded-back leading edge (lower edge) of the door panel 2 when the belt molding 10 is attached to the door panel 2. A seal lip 16 is formed on the outer surface of the interior side wall portion 13. The seal lip 16 is formed to protrude toward the window plate 4 (interior side of the vehicle). A plurality of seal lips 16 (two in the first embodiment) are formed in the vertical direction. When the belt molding 10 is attached to the door panel 2, the seal lip 16 elastically contacts the window plate 4.

[0021] A decorative lip 17 is formed on the upper outer surface (above the uppermost seal lip 16) of the interior side wall portion 13. The decorative lip 17 is formed to protrude toward the window pane 4 (toward the interior of the vehicle). The decorative lip 17 is formed to improve the appearance of the gap between the belt molding 10 and the window pane 4. The decorative lip 17 (protruding amount) is smaller than the seal lip 16, and does not come into elastic contact with the window pane 4.

[0022] A retaining lip 18 is formed on the inner surface of the exterior side wall portion 12. The retaining lip 18 is formed to protrude toward the interior side wall portion 13 (interior side of the vehicle). When the belt molding 10 is attached to the door panel 2, the retaining lip 18 elastically contacts the upper edge of the door panel 2 and retains the door panel 2. The number of retaining lips 18 in the vertical direction may be one or more.

[0023] A shielding lip 19 is formed to protrude downward from the lower edge of the exterior side wall portion 12. When the belt molding 10 is attached to the door panel 2, the shielding lip 19 elastically contacts the door panel 2 and closes the gap between the belt molding 10 and the door panel 2. This shielding lip 19 corresponds to the "lip portion" in the present disclosure.

[0024] The covering portion 11 covers the area from the outer surface of the corner between the interior side wall portion 13 and the top wall portion 14 to the outer surface of the shielding lip 19, including the entire outer surfaces of the top wall portion 14 and the exterior side wall portion 12. The covering portion 11 only needs to cover at least the portion of the main body portion 15 that is visible from the outside when the belt molding 10 is attached to the door panel 2. For example, if a portion of the portion that is visible from the outside is covered with another design member, the covering portion 11 may cover only the portion that is not covered by the design member.

[0025] The covering portion 11 covers only the upper edge portion of the outer surface of the shielding lip 19. This prevents the covering portion 11 from hindering the deformability of the entire shielding lip 19. Furthermore, even if the covering portion 11 is slightly misaligned when provided (the manufacturing method will be described later), it is possible to prevent a portion of the exterior side wall 12 from being exposed. As shown in FIG. 4 , the range T over which the covering portion 11 covers the outer surface of the shielding lip 19 is preferably approximately 0.3 to 0.6 mm from the lower edge of the exterior side wall 12. In other words, the range T is preferably approximately 0.3 to 0.6 mm from the boundary between the exterior side wall 12 and the shielding lip 19. If the covering portion 11 covers too much of the area, the deformability of the shielding lip 19 will be hindered. Conversely, if the covering portion is too small, there is a high possibility that a portion of the exterior side wall 12 will be exposed due to misalignment.

[0026] The covering portion 11 is provided to protect the belt molding 10 and improve its appearance. The covering portion 11 is a strip-shaped covering tape including at least one layer selected from, for example, a polypropylene layer, a polyethylene terephthalate layer, and a coating layer. The coating layer can be a layer such as an acrylic resin. The covering portion 11 may be a single-layer tape consisting of only one of the above layers, or a laminated tape consisting of multiple layers. When multiple layers are laminated, an adhesive layer may also be provided between the layers as needed. For example, the covering portion 11 may be laminated in the following order: polypropylene layer + adhesive layer + polyethylene terephthalate layer + coating layer, with the polypropylene layer being positioned on the vehicle exterior side wall portion 12.

[0027] The main body 15 of the belt molding 10 is made of an extrusion-moldable material. For example, thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic resin, rubber, etc. can be used. Specific examples include olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO), styrene-based elastomer (TPS), polyvinyl chloride resin (PVC), polypropylene resin (PP), and ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer (EPDM). A material with a durometer hardness (type D) according to JIS K 7215 of 50 to 80 (HDD) is preferably used for the main body 15.

[0028] The sealing lip 16, decorative lip 17, retaining lip 18, and shielding lip 19 are also made of extrusion-moldable materials, but are made of materials that are softer and more elastically deformable than the main body 15. For example, thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic resins, rubber, etc. can be used. Specific examples include olefin-based thermoplastic elastomers (TPO), styrene-based elastomers (TPS), polyvinyl chloride resins (PVC), polypropylene resins (PP), and ethylene-propylene-diene copolymers (EPDM), and those with a durometer hardness (Type A) according to JIS K 7215 of HDA 50 to 90 are preferably used.

[0029] A schematic diagram of the process for manufacturing the belt molding 10 is shown in Figure 5. While the belt molding 10 is being extruded by the extruder 27, the covering tape 22 fed from the uncoiler 21 is fixed to a predetermined location on the belt molding 10. At this time, the covering tape 22 fed from the uncoiler 21 has a protective film 20 (see Figure 6) adsorbed and laminated on the outer surface side of the covering portion 11. For example, a polyethylene terephthalate film or the like can be used as the protective film 20.

[0030] Specifically, the material for the main body 15 and the materials for the lips 16, 17, 18, and 19 are co-extruded to integrally form the main body 15 and the lips 16, 17, 18, and 19. A tape guide passage is formed inside the mouthpiece 23 to guide the covering tape 22 to a predetermined location. The covering tape 22 is welded inside the mouthpiece 23 by the heat of the extruded belt molding 10. As a result, the outer surface of the exterior side wall 12 and part of the outer surface of the shielding lip 19 are covered with the covering tape 22, as shown in FIG. 6 .

[0031] Next, the belt molding 10 extruded from the extruder 27 is taken up by a take-up machine 25 and supplied to a cooler 24 such as a cooling water tank to cool the belt molding 10. Subsequently, the belt molding 10 is supplied to a cutting machine 26, which cuts the belt molding 10, including the covering tape 22, to a predetermined length. Thereafter, portions of both longitudinal ends of the belt molding 10 are cut off as necessary, and the protective film 20 of the covering tape 22 is peeled off from the covering portion 11. Then, after a finishing process such as the attachment of fixtures (clips, end caps, etc.), the manufacture of the belt molding 10 is completed.

[0032] (Embodiment 2) A frame molding 30 will be described as a second embodiment of a molding member of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the upper edge of the window opening 3 is surrounded by the upper edge frame 2a of the door panel 2. The frame molding 30 is attached along the upper edge of the upper edge frame 2a. As shown in Figs. 1 and 7, the frame molding 30 is an elongated member whose central portion in the longitudinal direction is curved to conform to the shape of the upper edge frame 2a. The frame molding 30 is an extrusion molded product with a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape throughout the entire longitudinal direction.

[0033] As shown in Figure 8, the frame molding 30 has a main body 35 having a generally inverted U-shaped cross section. The main body 35 has an exterior side wall 32 and an interior side wall 33 that are disposed facing each other at a predetermined distance, and a top wall 34 that connects the upper edges of the exterior and interior side walls 32, 33. As shown by the imaginary lines in Figure 8, the corners of the upper edge frame 2a are hemmed in a folded state. The frame molding 30 is attached to the upper edge frame 2a by inserting the corners of the upper edge frame 2a into the main body 35.

[0034] The lower edge of the interior side wall portion 33 is bent toward the exterior of the vehicle. When the frame molding 30 is attached to the upper edge frame 2a, it engages with the folded-back tip edge (lower edge) of the upper edge frame 2a. A protrusion 36 is formed integrally with the main body portion 35 on the inner surface of the interior side wall portion 33. The protrusion 36 is formed to protrude toward the exterior of the vehicle. A plurality of protrusions 36 (two in the second embodiment) are formed in the vertical direction. When the frame molding 30 is attached to the upper edge frame 2a, the protrusion 36 abuts against the upper edge frame 2a.

[0035] A seal lip 37 is formed on the outer surface of the corner of the top wall 34 near the interior side wall 33. The seal lip 37 protrudes upward. When the vehicle door 1 is closed, the seal lip 37 elastically contacts the vehicle body panel 5 to provide a seal between the vehicle door 1 and the vehicle body (not shown).

[0036] A retaining lip 38 is formed on the inner surface of the exterior side wall portion 32. The retaining lip 38 is formed to protrude toward the interior side wall portion 33 (interior side of the vehicle). When the frame molding 30 is attached to the upper edge frame 2a, the retaining lip 38 elastically contacts the upper edge frame 2a and retains the upper edge frame 2a. The number of retaining lips 38 in the vertical direction may be one or more.

[0037] A shielding lip 39 is formed to protrude downward from the lower edge of the exterior side wall portion 32. When the frame molding 30 is attached to the upper edge frame 2a, the shielding lip 39 elastically contacts the upper edge frame 2a of the door panel 2, closing the gap between the frame molding 30 and the upper edge frame 2a. This shielding lip 39 corresponds to the "lip portion" in this disclosure.

[0038] The covering portion 31 covers the area from the upper surface of the top wall portion 34 to the outer surface of the shielding lip 39, including the entire outer surface of the exterior side wall portion 32. It is sufficient that the covering portion 31 covers at least the portion of the main body portion 35 that is visible from the outside when the frame molding 30 is attached to the upper edge frame 2 a.

[0039] The covering portion 31 covers only the upper edge portion of the outer surface of the shielding lip 39. This prevents the covering portion 31 from hindering the deformability of the entire shielding lip 39. Furthermore, even if the covering portion 31 is slightly misaligned when provided (the manufacturing method will be described later), a portion of the vehicle-exterior side wall 32 is prevented from being exposed. As shown in FIG. 9 , the range T over which the covering portion 31 covers the outer surface of the shielding lip 39 is preferably approximately 0.3 to 0.6 mm from the lower edge of the vehicle-exterior side wall 32. In other words, the range T is preferably approximately 0.3 to 0.6 mm from the boundary between the vehicle-exterior side wall 32 and the shielding lip 39. If the covering portion 31 covers too much of the area, the deformability of the shielding lip 39 will be hindered. Conversely, if the covering portion is too small, there is a high possibility that a portion of the vehicle-exterior side wall 32 will be exposed due to misalignment.

[0040] The covering portion 31 is provided to protect the frame molding 30 and to improve the appearance thereof. The covering portion 31 of the second embodiment may also be made of the same material and have the same layer structure as the covering portion 11 of the first embodiment.

[0041] The main body 35 and the protrusion 36 of the frame molding 30 are made of an extrusion-moldable material. The specific materials are the same as those of the belt molding 10 of the first embodiment. The sealing lip 37, the retaining lip 38, and the shielding lip 39 are also made of an extrusion-moldable material. The specific materials are the same as those of the belt molding 10 of the first embodiment. The manufacturing method of the frame molding 30 is also the same as that of the belt molding 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5. In particular, during the manufacturing process of the frame molding 30, as shown in FIG. 10, predetermined portions of the frame molding 30 are covered with a covering tape 42 having a protective film 40 laminated on the outer surface of the covering portion 31. The protective film 40 is the same as the protective film 20 of the first embodiment.

[0042] During the manufacturing process of the belt molding 10 of the first embodiment and the frame molding 30 of the second embodiment, the covering tapes 22 and 42 are not covered by the shielding lips 19 and 39. Therefore, even if the protective films 20 and 40 are peeled off, no gaps are formed between the shielding lips 19 and 39 and the covering portions 11 and 31. Covering the covering portions 11 and 31 with the protective films 20 and 40 prevents damage to the covering portions 11 and 31 during manufacturing of the belt molding 10 and the frame molding 30. The protective films 20 and 40 may be peeled off when or after the belt molding 10 and the frame molding 30 are attached to the door panel 2 or the upper edge frame 2a. The protective film 20 may be pre-laminated on the covering portion 11 to form the covering tape 22. Alternatively, an uncoiler for the protective film 20 may be prepared separately from the uncoiler 21 for the covering portion 11, and the protective film 20 may be laminated simultaneously with the attachment of the covering portion 11. Furthermore, a portion of the longitudinal end portion of the belt molding 10 of the first embodiment or the frame molding 30 of the second embodiment may be injection molded.

[0043] 1 Vehicle door, 2 Door panel, 3 Window opening, 4 Window plate, 5 Body panel, 10 Belt molding, 11, 31 Covering portion, 12, 32 Vehicle exterior side wall portion, 13, 33 Vehicle interior side wall portion, 14, 34 Top wall portion, 15, 35 Main body portion, 16 Seal lip, 17 Decorative lip, 18, 38 Retaining lip, 19, 39 Shielding lip, 20, 40 Protective film, 21 Uncoiler, 22, 42 Covering tape, 23 Die, 24 Cooling machine, 25 Take-off machine, 26 Cutting machine, 27 Extrusion molding machine, 30 Frame molding, 36 Protrusion, 37 Seal lip

Claims

1. A long belt molding to be attached to a vehicle door, comprising: a main body portion to be attached along the lower edge of a window opening in a door panel; a lip portion that elastically contacts the door panel when attached; and a covering portion covering at least a portion of the exterior side surface of the main body portion, the main body portion having an exterior side wall portion and an interior side wall portion that face each other, and a top wall portion connecting the upper edges of both side wall portions, the lip portion protruding downward from the lower edge of the exterior side wall portion, and the covering portion covering the outer surface of the exterior side wall portion and reaching the outer surface of the lip portion.

2. A long molding member to be attached to a vehicle door, comprising: a main body portion to be attached to a door panel; a lip portion that elastically contacts the door panel when attached; and a covering portion covering at least a portion of the exterior surface of the main body portion, the main body portion having an exterior side wall portion and an interior side wall portion that face each other, and a top wall portion connecting the upper edges of both side wall portions, the lip portion protruding downward from the lower edge of the exterior side wall portion, and the covering portion covering the outer surface of the exterior side wall portion and reaching the outer surface of the lip portion.

Images