METAL BAND

Abstract

A metal band as an inlay for trim strips or sealing strips or as edge protection, in particular for motor vehicles or switch cabinets, said metal band being provided with cut and/or punched apertures, wherein the metal band consists of microalloyed steel or multiphase steel.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. A metal band as an inlay for trim strips or sealing strips or as edge protection, said metal band being provided with cut and/or punched apertures, wherein the metal band consists of microalloyed steel or multiphase steel.

10. The metal band in accordance with claim 9, wherein the metal band is for one of motor vehicles and switch cabinets.

11. The metal band in accordance with claim 9, wherein the metal band consists of one of hot-formed steel and cold-formed steel.

12. The metal band in accordance with claim 9, wherein a material thickness of the metal band amounts to 0.4 mm or less.

13. The metal band in accordance with claim 12, wherein a material thickness of the metal band amounts to 0.35 mm or less.

14. The metal band in accordance with claim 12, wherein a material thickness of the metal band amounts to 0.3 mm or less.

15. The metal band in accordance with claim 9, wherein the metal band is coated.

16. The metal band in accordance with claim 9, wherein the metal band is produced by rotary cutting or punching and roller paths.

17. A sealing strip or an edge protection strip, comprising a metal band, said metal band being provided with cut and/or punched apertures, wherein the metal band consists of microalloyed steel or multiphase steel.

18. The sealing strip or an edge protection strip in accordance with claim 17, wherein the sealing strip is for closable vehicle openings such as windows, doors and flaps.

19. The sealing strip or an edge protection strip in accordance with claim 17, wherein the sealing strip or edge protection strip is provided with an envelope composed of sealing material.

20. The sealing strip or an edge protection strip in accordance with claim 17, wherein the metal band is bent into a U-shaped clamping profile.

Description

[0016] Embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing and will be described in the following. There are shown, in a schematic representation in each case:

[0017] FIG. 1 a plan view of a first embodiment of the metal band in accordance with the invention;

[0018] FIG. 2 a front view of the metal band of FIG. 1 in an enlarged representation, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the metal band;

[0019] FIG. 3 a plan view of a second embodiment of a metal band in accordance with the invention;

[0020] FIG. 4 a front view of the metal band of FIG. 3 in an enlarged representation, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the metal band; and

[0021] FIG. 5 a perspective view of a third embodiment of the metal band in accordance with the invention in a sealing strip during the cutting to length of the sealing strip.

[0022] The metal band, which is shown in FIG. 1 and which can be used as an inlay for trim strips or sealing strips of a flexible material, in particular of rubber or plastic, or as an edge protection, has a plurality of marginal slots 1 that periodically follow one another in the longitudinal direction l of the band and that are inwardly guided disposed opposite one another in pairs from the two margins 2 of the metal band. The marginal slots 1 have a length l.sub.1 that corresponds to approximately three eighths of the width b of the metal band. The metal band furthermore has a respective central slot 3 between two respective consecutive pairs of marginal slots 1, the length 12 of said central slot 3 amounting to approximately half of the band width b. The central slots 3 thereby slightly overlap, namely by approximately a twelfth of the width b, with the marginal slots 1 in the transverse direction II of the metal band.

[0023] The marginal slots 1 and the central slots 3 are produced by cutting and roller paths and are thereby widened in the longitudinal direction l of the metal band. The marginal slots 1 have a shape which runs out into a wedge tip 4 at the inner band side, whereas the central slots 3 each run out into a wedge tip 5 toward the two margins of the metal band.

[0024] In addition to the marginal slots 1 and the central slots 3, the metal band is provided with cut-through portions 6 that extend transversely to the longitudinal direction l of the metal band and that are likewise produced by cutting, but are not widened, and that each extend from a margin 2 of the metal band in the direction of the wedge tip 5 of a central slot 3 disposed opposite the margin 2. A respective only short non-cut through region 8 is located between the end 7 of the cut-through portions 6 that is at the inner band side and the respective oppositely disposed wedge tip 5 of the central slots 3. This region in particular has an extent a in the transverse direction II of the metal band of less than 0.5 cm, in the embodiment shown of approximately 0.4 cm.

[0025] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the central slots 3 are arranged symmetrically to the central longitudinal axis III of the metal band. As shown in FIG. 1, their length 12 is selected to be so large that the central slots 3 extend up to and into the limbs 9 of the U profile 10 formed from the metal band. The extent of the central slots 3 into the limbs 9 of the U profile 10 is, however, only short in relation to their length 12.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the metal band has a comparatively small material thickness d. The material thickness can amount to 0.4 mm or less. In addition to the material savings, a low weight thereby also results. In addition, less sealing material is needed to envelop the metal band.

[0027] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the central slots 3 are not arranged symmetrically to the central longitudinal axis III of the metal band, but to a longitudinal axis IV in parallel therewith. The marginal slots 1 also have such a length I.sub.1 in this embodiment that the marginal slots only slightly overlap with the central slots 3 in the transverse direction II of the metal band. Accordingly, the marginal slots 1 extending from the margin at the left in FIG. 3 to the interior of the band have a smaller length than the marginal slots 1 extending from the margin at the right in FIG. 3 to the interior of the band. The size of the overlap corresponds to that of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, cut-through portions 6 are only provided at the side of the long marginal slots 1 of the metal band, that is only starting from the right margin in FIG. 2. The non-cut through region 8 between the ends 7 at the inner band side and the respective oppositely disposed wedge tip 5 of the central slots 3 also has an only short length a of preferably less than 0.5 cm here, in particular in accordance with the embodiment of approximately 0.4 cm. Due to the asymmetrical arrangement of the central slots 3, the spacing of the other wedge tips 5 of the central slots 3 from the left margin 2 of the metal band likewise only have a small size, in particular in the embodiment shown of approximately 0.5 cm. The advantages described therefore also result on the cutting to length of this metal band without cut-through portions at the left side of the metal band. It is, however, also possible with an asymmetrical arrangement of the central slots 3 to provide cut-through portions 6 at both sides of the metal band, that is starting from both margins 2.

[0029] FIG. 4 again shows the comparatively small material thickness d of the metal band of FIG. 3.

[0030] In both the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the metal band consists of a cold-formed or hot-formed microalloyed steel. A high strength hereby results. Thus, the tensile strength R.sub.m can amount to more than 750 MPa. Advantageous properties of a trim strip or sealing strip or edge protection strip can thus be achieved.

[0031] FIG. 5 shows the cutting through of a clamping profile equipped with a metal band in accordance with the invention. The metal band is bent into a U profile 10 and is jacketed by a sealing material 11. The clamping profile additionally has a sealing lip 12.

[0032] A separating disk 13, whose drive is not shown, is used to cut through the clamping profile in the example shown. The separating disk can automatically be positioned at one of the central slots 3. A cutting through of the clamping profile can thereby take place at a position at which only short, non-cut through regions, namely the regions 8 between the wedge tips 5 of the central slot 3 and the two oppositely disposed cut-through portions 6, are present. These regions 8 have an only short length a of approximately 0.4 cm. As a result, and due to the small material thickness of the belt, only a small energy input is required for cutting through the clamping profile, whereby a slight impairment of the clamping profile results. In addition, smooth cut surfaces can be obtained in the region of a central slot 3 on the cutting through of the clamping profile. Furthermore, relatively few contaminants are produced by chip formation in the separation process. The susceptibility to corrosion is thus also reduced.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0033] 1 marginal slot [0034] 2 margin [0035] 3 central slot [0036] 4 tip of 1 [0037] 5 tip of 3 [0038] 6 cut-through portion [0039] 28 end of 6 [0040] 8 non-cut through region [0041] 9 limbs of 10 [0042] 10 U profile [0043] 11 jacket [0044] 12 sealing lip [0045] 13 separating disk [0046] a length of 8 [0047] b width of the metal band [0048] d material thickness of the metal band [0049] l.sub.1 length of 1 [0050] l.sub.2 length of 3 [0051] I longitudinal direction of the metal band [0052] II transverse direction of the metal band [0053] III central longitudinal axis of the metal band [0054] IV parallel axis to III