# US 10,864,808 B2 · Outer weatherstrip

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- Number: US 10,864,808 B2
- Document ID: US10864808B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/227,263
- Filed: 2018-12-20
- Published: 2019-08-01
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-30
- Assignees: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hirofumi Otsuka; Hiroshi Sugawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864808B2

## CPC

- B60J 10/75: for sealing the lower part of the panes
- B60J 10/16: consisting of two or more plastic materials having different physical or chemical properties (B60J10/17 takes precedence)
- B60J 10/277: for facilitating specific deformation of sealing parts, e.g. for ensuring proper folding
- B60J: WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES (fastening, suspending, closing, or opening of such devices E05)

## Abstract

An outer weatherstrip formed of a thermoplastic elastomer fitted to an upper edge portion of a door panel of an automobile door, for sealing a space between the door panel and a door glass includes a main body consisting of a vehicle interior-side side wall, a top wall, and a vehicle exterior-side side wall, and an upper seal lip and a lower seal lip protruding from the vehicle interior-side side wall to the door glass side. A plasticizer-rich layer and a plasticizer-rich layer containing a higher proportion of a plasticizer component compared to the thermoplastic elastomer forming the upper seal lip and the lower seal lip are formed on the sides of the upper seal lip and the lower seal lip abutting on the door glass.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An outer weatherstrip comprising:
a main body extended along an upper edge portion of a door panel of a vehicle door and having a vehicle exterior-side side wall, a top wall, and a vehicle interior-side side wall; and
a seal lip adapted to protrude from a vehicle interior-side side surface of the main body to a door glass housed in the door,
wherein the outer weatherstrip is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer,
the seal lip includes a distal end portion located on a door glass side and a hinge portion located between the distal end portion and the vehicle interior-side side wall and serving as a support point at which the seal lip bends when abutting on the door glass, and
a plasticizer-rich layer containing a higher proportion of a plasticizer component compared to the plasticizer component contained in the thermoplastic elastomer forming the seal lip is formed on a side of the seal lip adapted to abut on the door glass, wherein
a difference in weight fractions between the plasticizer component contained in the plasticizer-rich layer and the plasticizer component contained in the seal lip is 3% to 25%, and
the hinge portion has a smaller thickness than other parts of the lip seal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The outer weatherstrip according to claim 1, wherein the plasticizer-rich layer is formed in the hinge portion on the side of the seal lip adapted to abut on the door glass.

### Claim 3

An outer weatherstrip comprising:
a main body extended along an upper edge portion of a door panel of a vehicle door and having a vehicle exterior-side side wall, a top wall, and a vehicle interior-side side wall; and
a seal lip adapted to protrude from a vehicle interior-side side surface of the main body to a door glass housed in the door,
wherein the outer weatherstrip is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer,
the seal lip includes a distal end portion located on a door glass side and a hinge portion located between the distal end portion and the vehicle interior-side side wall and serving as a support point at which the seal lip bends when abutting on the door glass, and
a plasticizer-rich layer containing a higher proportion of a plasticizer component compared to the plasticizer component contained in the thermoplastic elastomer forming the seal lip is formed on a side of the seal lip adapted to abut on the door glass,
wherein the plasticizer-rich layer is formed in the hinge portion on the side of the seal lip adapted to abut on the door glass and does not abut the door glass.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The outer weatherstrip according to claim 3, wherein a difference in weight fractions between the plasticizer component contained in the plasticizer-rich layer and the plasticizer component contained in the seal lip is 3% to 25%.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The outer weatherstrip according to claim 3, wherein the hinge portion has a smaller thickness than other parts of the lip seal.