US 4,066,285 AGranted

Ornamental protective trim strip for motor vehicles

AssigneeTrim-Line, Inc.

InventorsDaniel L. Hall, Neal Duane Dunivan

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Abstract

An extruded aluminum channel is formed with a wide central T-shaped groove and narrower outer T-shaped grooves transversely spaced on opposite sides of the central groove. A resilient vinyl bumper insert is formed with T-shaped in section projections which interlock in the outer grooves of the channel thereby securing the bumper to the channel. End caps are formed with tapered tangs which tightly fit into the central groove of the channel thereby securely fitting the end caps to the opposite ends of the channel. The ends of the channel and the corresponding end caps may be either square or slanted. The tangs of the end caps are formed with holes for fasteners such as pop rivets which extend through the holes in the tangs and also through registering holes drilled in the channel to attach the trim strip to a motor vehicle.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A protective trim strip comprising:

a. an elongated channel extending between a first end and a second end, said channel being formed with a central longitudinal generally T-shaped in cross-section groove and first and second longitudinal outer generally T-shaped in cross-section grooves transversely spaced on opposite sides of said central groove, said grooves extending between said ends of said channel;
b. an elongated resilient bumper extending axially coextensively with said channel and being formed with first and second generally T-shaped in cross-section projections interlocking with the walls of said first and second outer grooves of said channel, respectively, for securing said resilient bumper to said channel, said bumper extending over said central groove;
and,
c. first and second end caps formed with tangs providing an interference fit with the walls of said central groove of said channel to secure said first and second end caps to said first and said second ends of said channel, respectively.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.