US 8,127,499 B2Granted

Relief lip for flocked tape belt seal

AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC

InventorsDonald P. Iacovoni, Paul L. Heirtzler

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Abstract

A belt seal structure for engaging a glass window of an automobile. Included is an inner belt seal and an outer belt seal, both the inner and outer belt seals engageably attached to at least one flange of an automobile door frame. Also included is a plurality of sealing lips connected to and extending away from the inner and outer belt seals, where a surface portion of the sealing lips contact the glass window. The contacting surface portion is covered with the low friction material. Further included is a relief lip of at least one of the sealing lips. The relief lip is located proximate a substantially curved contacting surface portion of the sealing lip, where the low friction material extends to cover a surface of the relief lip.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An automobile door comprising:

a door frame having an upper edge portion;
a glass window;
and
a belt seal structure comprising:
an inner belt seal and an outer belt seal, wherein the inner and outer belt seals are attached to the upper edge portion of the door frame;
a pair of upper sealing lips, wherein both the inner and outer belt seals have one of the upper sealing lips connected to and extending away from the inner and outer belt seals, wherein the upper sealing lips comprise a flexible material capable of bending to accommodate passage of the glass window, and wherein a surface portion of each upper sealing lip is covered with a low friction material, the surface portions comprising regions where the glass window contacts the upper sealing lips;
at least one lower sealing lip connected to and extending away from the inner or outer belt seal, wherein the lower sealing lip comprises a flexible material capable of bending to accommodate passage of the glass window, wherein the lower sealing lip has a portion that is generally U-shaped in cross section with a smoothly curved lower portion extending between upwardly-extending inner and outer leg portions, the smoothly curved lower portion defining a concave inner surface and an outwardly-facing convex outer surface, wherein a side surface of the inner leg portion of the lower sealing lip is substantially planar and faces the glass window, and wherein at least a portion of the side surface is covered with a low friction material, the low friction material comprising regions where the glass window contacts at least a portion of the low friction material of the lower sealing lip, the inner leg having a main portion defining generally uniform thickness;
and
a relief lip extending from the inner leg portion of the U-shaped portion of the lower sealing lip and defining a first side surface facing the glass and a second side surface that faces away from the glass and a thickness that is substantially less than the thickness defined by the substantially planar main portion of the inner leg, wherein the first side surface of the relief lip is proximate the substantially planar section of the side surface of the lower sealing lip, and wherein the low friction material covers at least a portion of the first side surface of the relief lip.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An automobile door comprising:

a door frame having an upper edge portion;
a glass window;
and
a belt seal structure comprising:
an inner belt seal and an outer belt seal, wherein the inner and outer belt seals are attached to the upper edge portion of the door frame;
a pair of upper sealing lips, wherein both the inner and outer belt seals have one of the upper sealing lips connected to and extending away from the inner and outer belt seals, wherein the upper sealing lips comprise a flexible material capable of bending to accommodate passage of the glass window, and wherein a surface portion of each upper sealing lip is covered with a low friction material, the surface portions comprising regions where the glass window contacts the upper sealing lips;
at least one lower sealing lip connected to and extending away from the inner or outer belt seal, wherein the lower sealing lip comprises a flexible material capable of bending to accommodate passage of the glass window, wherein the lower sealing lip has a portion that is generally U-shaped in cross section with a smoothly curved lower portion extending between upwardly-extending inner and outer leg portions, the smoothly curved lower portion defining a concave inner surface and an outwardly-facing convex outer surface, wherein a side surface of the inner leg portion of the lower sealing lip is substantially planar and faces the glass window, and wherein at least a portion of the side surface is covered with a low friction material, the low friction material comprising regions where the glass window contacts at least a portion of the low friction material of the lower sealing lip, the inner leg having a main portion defining generally uniform thickness;
and
a relief lip extending from the inner leg portion of the U-shaped portion of the lower sealing lip and defining a first side surface facing the glass and a second side surface that faces away from the glass and a thickness that is substantially less than the thickness defined by the substantially planar main portion of the inner leg, wherein the first side surface of the relief lip is proximate the substantially planar section of the side surface of the lower sealing lip, and wherein the low friction material covers at least a portion of the first side surface of the relief lip.

6 more elements