Body seal end joint fastener

A continuous weather-strip assembly for mounting to a flange of a vehicle body panel comprising:

• a weather-strip with a pair of ends adapted to be joined together to form a continuous loop of weather-strip, the weather-strip having a U-shaped reinforcement encapsulated in an elastomeric material to define a weather-strip carrier having a carrier base and a pair of spaced apart walls connected by the carrier base defining a channel for receiving the flange of the vehicle body panel and one of the walls carrying a bulbous weather-strip portion of the weather-strip, said U-shaped reinforcement being of metal construction and having gaps spaced therealong and extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the weatherstrip,
• a fastener including a fastener base for engaging the base of the carrier, a first fastener wall formed integrally with the fastener base and projecting normally from the fastener base for engaging the one of the carrier walls which carrier the bulbous weather-strip portion, a second fastener wall formed integrally with the fastener base and projecting normally from the fastener base for engaging the other wall of the carrier, and a pair of prongs formed integrally with the fastener base and protecting normally from the fastener base and extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the weather-strip, said prongs piercing the base of the carrier at the respective ends of the weather-strip and each prong extending through one of the gaps of the U-shaped reinforcement and being bent for mechanically joining the ends of the weather-strip and thereby forming a continuous weather-strip assembly for mounting on the flange of the vehicle body panel.