Edge protector trim strip

A one-piece edge protector trim strip for application to an applied position on a flange such as that found around door openings on motor vehicles, said strip having a body of generally U-shaped cross section wherein a major portion of said body is formed of a solid polymeric material and a minor portion thereof is formed of a softer polymeric material, said U-shaped body having a pair of opposed first and second arms having inner opposed first and second surfaces respectively, wherein the improvement comprises:

• (a) a first gripper fin of the same polymeric material as said major portion of said U-shaped body, said major portion includes said first arm from which said first gripper fin projects, said first gripper fin further projects from said inner first surface of said first arm toward said inner second surface and extends along the length of said strip;
• and
• (b) a plurality of second gripper fins of the same polymeric material as said minor portin of said U-shaped body, said minor portion includes said second arm from which said plurality of second gripper fins project, said second gripper fins further project from said inner second surface of said second arm toward said inner first surface along the length of said strip;
• whereby when said edge protector trim strip is applied on a flange said first gripper fin engages and deforms a certain amount against one surface of said flange causing said opposite surface of said flange to engage and deform said second gripper fins a greater amount to form a good water seal between said opposite surface of said flange and said second gripper fins.

A one-piece edge protector trim strip for application to an applied position on a flange such as that found on door openings on motor vehicles, said strip having a body of PVC material of generally U-shaped cross-section, said body having a pair of opposed first and second arms having inner opposed first and second surfaces respectively, wherein the improvement comprises:

• (a) a first gripper fin on said inner first surface of said first arm of said U-shaped body and extending along the length of said strip and projecting toward said inner second surface, said first gripper fin further being made of the same PVC material as said U-shaped body;
• and
• (b) a plurality of second gripper fins on said inner second surface of said second arm of said U-shaped body and extending along the length of said strip and projecting towards said inner first surface, said second fins further being formed of a vinyl nitrile material which is softer than said PVC material;
• wherein when said edge protector trim strip is applied on a flange, said first gripper fin engages and deforms a certain amount against one surface of said flange causing said opposite surface of said flange to engage and deform said second gripper fins a greater amount to form a good water seal between said opposite surface of said flange and said second gripper fins.

A channel-shaped sealing strip, comprising a channel-shaped carrier member made of relatively rigid material but designed so as to be flexible about the length of the channel,

• a covering of flexible material over the outside surface of the carrier member and extending over the distal edges of the side walls of the carrier member and over at least part of the inside surfaces thereof,
• the said flexible material defining gripping ribs extending longitudinally along the inside surface of the channel and projecting toward each other from the opposite side walls thereof,
• at least part of the said material on one side wall of the carrier member being of relatively hard flexible material which is placed directly onto the carrier member,
• at least part of the flexible material on the other side wall of the carrier member being of relatively softer flexible material which is placed directly onto the carrier member,
• the relatively hard and relatively softer materials not overlapping each other, and
• a beading running along the outside of the channel and defined by the relatively softer flexible material.

A method of making a channel-shaped sealing strip comprising the steps of

• extruding flexible covering material in relatively hard and relatively soft forms directly onto different regions of a longitudinally extending carrier member so as together they completely cover one surface thereof and join along a line extending longitudinally of that surface, the lateral edges of the carrier member and at least the marginal regions of the other surface of the carrier member being also directly covered by the extruded flexible covering material, at least part of this material being in the relatively soft form,
• the material in the relatively soft form on the said one surface additionally being extruded to provide a beading extending longitudinally of the carrier member parallel to the said line,
• the material on the said other surface additionally being extruded to provide ribs extending longitudinally of the carrier member parallel to the said line,
• the said regions being such that, with the carrier member shaped into channel form, the outside surface of one side wall of the channel so formed is covered by the material in the relatively soft form, the beading runs along this outside surface, the outside surface of the other side wall of the channel is covered by the material in the relatively hard form, and the gripping ribs run along the inside surfaces of the side walls of the channel.