Roof rail weatherstrip for motor vehicle

#The present invention relates to a roof rail weatherstrip for a motor vehicle body structure including a roof rail defining an upper side of a window opening and a vehicle door having a window pane movable between raised and lowered position relative to the window opening.

#It is well known that in order to minimize the undesirable and annoying phenomenon known as "wind noise" which may occur at high vehicle operating speeds, a seal must be maintained about the periphery of a vehicle window pane. This is because of a great deal of "wind noise" heard during high speed vehicle operation actually is caused by relatively high pressure air from the vehicle passenger compartment passing around the edge of the window pane and into the relatively low-pressure area proximate the outer skin of the moving vehicle.

#Maintaining a seal around a vehicle window pane has been rendered more difficult in modern vehicles, especially vehicles which have no frame support for the door window pane. Even though conventional weatherstrips are used to establish a seal about the window periphery, such a seal will be broken upon reduction of pressure in area proximate the outer skin of the motor vehicle as compared to pressure in the passenger compartment. Reduction of pressure normally occurs during high speed vehicle operation. The unsupported window pane then moves outwardly. This outward movement causes the destruction of the seal about the top edge of the window pane.

#The present invention will be further described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a partial side elevational view of a motor vehicle having a weatherstrip constructed in accordance with the invention thereon.

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken along the line II--II of FIG. 1, the window pane being shown in its lowered position.

#Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 denotes generally a motor vehicle including a weatherstrip constructed in accordance with the present invention. The vehicle includes a body structure such as a roof 12, a windshield 14 and a door 16. The door 16 is conventionally hinged to a body pillar section. As best shown in FIG. 2, the roof 12 has a side roof rail structure designated generally as 14, and a rain gutter 16 is provided to catch water which runs down the side of the roof 12. On the bottom or lower surface of the roof rail 14 is mounted a weatherstrip retainer clip designated generally as 18 by means of a plurality of screws, only one being shown at 20. The weatherstrip now designated generally as 22 is secured to the bottom surface of the roof rail 14 through this retainer clip 18. The roof rail 14 defines an upper side of a window opening located above the door 16.

#A window pane 24 is movable vertically between this window opening and door 16 by means of a conventional window regulator (not shown) located within the door 16. The window pane 24 has an outboard surface 26, an inboard surface 28 and a upper or top edge 30. The window pane 24, when in the raised position illustrated in FIG. 3 in solid lines, is not framed nor does this window pane move in channels. The window pane 24 thus is unsupported against possible lateral movement when in the raised position illustrated in FIG. 3 (see also FIG. 4).

#The weatherstrip 22 includes an elongated hollow resiliently deformable member secured to the roof rail 14. The resiliently deformable member has an upper mounting portion 32, and inner side portion 34 extending substantially downwardly from the upper mounting portion 32, a lobe-like arm portion 36 projecting outwardly at an angle from the upper mounting portion 32, and a web portion 38 extending between the inner side portion 34 and arm portion 36. The upper mounting portion 32, inner side portion 34, arm portion 36 and web portion 38 define a hollow of the resiliently deformable member. The web portion 38 has a downwardly bowed outboard lip portion 40 and an inboard lip portion 42. The outboard and inboard lip portions define between them a groove 44. Within the hollow of the resiliently deformable member a bridge portion 46 extends between the upper mounting portion 32 and web portion 38.