Division set of a frameless window and another adjacent window of a car

Abstract

A division set for sealing a first retractable frameless window of a car and a second window of the car, the second window adjacent to the first window. The division set includes a profile, to be secured to the second window, and a gasket for sealing the two windows. The gasket of a desired shape is made of a TPE material encapsulated with the profile of the division set.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising: a first retractable frameless window of a car, a second window of the car, adjacent to the first window, and a division set with a profile and a sealing gasket for sealing the two windows, wherein the sealing gasket of a desired shape is made of a thermoplastic elastomer material and the second window of the car, and the sealing gasket and the profile of the division set are co-molded together, wherein an only material between the profile and the second window is the thermoplastic elastomer material which has been injected into a mold during co-molding with the profile of the division set, wherein the first and second windows each have a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and wherein the thermoplastic elastomer material of the gasket is configured to contact the first interior surfaces of the first and second windows window and to not contact the second exterior surfaces of the first and second windows window.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the profile of the division set includes an end cap co-molded with the division set.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the gasket is provided with a hole.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the gasket is provided with lips.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the profile has a surface not covered by the thermoplastic elastomer material.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second window is retractable.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a hole is provided between the co-molded gasket and the profile.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the gasket completely covers one end of the second window along a length of the gasket.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer material is selected from the group consisting of vulcanized thermoplastic, styrenic thermoplastic, thermoplastic olefin, and thermoplastic urethane.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second window comprises a glass sheet.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer material has compression set level smaller than 50% according to the ISO 815 standard.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer material has a shore A hardness of between 50 and 80 according to the ISO 868 standard.

13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the profile is made of aluminum.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention shall be better understood in the light of the following description and attached drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a partial view of the left side of a coupe;

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the division set of the invention, in the open state;

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the division set of FIG. 2 in the closure state;

(5) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the division set of the invention, in the open state and

(6) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the division set of FIG. 4 in the closure state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) Referring to FIG. 1, a division set 1 is mounted on the front edge of the retractable rear window 2 of the left side of a coupe car 3. The car has a roof 4 with an e-line 5.

(8) The division set 1 is intended to provide sealing means between the rear window 2 and the adjacent front window 6 of the front left door 7 of the car. On FIG. 1, on top of the division set 1, an end cap 8 can be seen, to be inserted, in the closure state, in a sealing profile (not shown) provided along the e-line 5.

(9) Window 6 is a retractable frameless window.

(10) The division set 1 includes a profile 9, which is the member which is secured to the rear window 2, and a sealing gasket 10.

(11) The gasket 10 has a desired shape, which will be described in reference with the other FIGS. 2-5, is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material and is encapsulated with the profile 9. A TPE material is a material easy to transform and to shape.

(12) Different materials can be used, such as vulcanized thermoplastic (TPV), styrenic thermoplastic (TPS), thermoplastic olefin (TPO), thermoplastic urethane (TPU). A low compression set level is preferably used, for instance smaller than 50% according to the ISO 815 standard. A predetermined shore A hardness of the material is also preferably used, for instance between 50 and 80 according to the ISO 868 standard.

(13) It should be understood that the division set of the invention could be proposed for all types of car with no fixed pillar between two adjacent windows one of which is retractable and frameless, or, and preferably, between two moving side windows. The group of such cars includes coupé, convertible, sedan, touring, station wagon, bus (considered here similar to a car), . . .

(14) The division set of the invention could also be proposed on fixed window such as a quarter lite fixed in order to seal the rear moving window.

(15) Prior to reverting to the encapsulation process and the manufacturing of the division set, it should be pointed out that the end cap 8 is encapsulated during the same step of encapsulation of the profile 9 and the gasket 10.

(16) Reverting to FIG. 2, showing a first embodiment of the division set of the invention, this division set includes an inner profile 90, here made of aluminium, and outer sealing gasket 100 made of a TPE material.

(17) The profile 90 has a general shape of a large longitudinal beam 91 with a hooked front edge 92 and a much thicker hooked rear edge 93 terminated by a small narrow longitudinal interior beam 94 orthogonal to the large beam 91. The length of the profile corresponds to the height of the front edge 11 of the rear window 2. The width of the profile 90, from one hooked edge to the other, corresponds roughly to the width of the gasket 100. The internal surface of the beam 91 of the profile is here slightly rounded.

(18) The gasket 100 has an inner surface 101 plated against the outer surface of the profile 90. The general shape of the gasket looks like an irregular parallelepipedic body 102 of the same length as the profile 90.

(19) The body 102 of the gasket is a hollow body, with a hole 103 full of air for assuming the sealing function.

(20) The hole 103 provides the gasket with a sealing arm 104 of which the cross-section includes the orthogonal branches 105, 106 giving this cross-section the shape of an L. The arm 104 extends roughly from the front edge 92 of the profile 90 to the bottom edge 95 of the narrow beam 94 of the profile.

(21) For sake of the sealing function, arm 104 can get out of shape when it is pushed by window 6 (FIG. 3). Arm 104 insures the compressibility of the gasket during the closing of the windows.

(22) Projecting out of the body 102, in the region of the front edge 92 of the profile 90, is a tongue 107 which can be folded back to the body 102 under the action of window 6 (FIG. 3). Possibly, hard material, as for example polypropylene (PP) which can be potentially filled with glass fibers, can also be used to secure the profile on the glass.

(23) The process for manufacturing the division set of FIG. 2 will now be described.

(24) The two parts of a mould corresponding to the shapes of the profile 90 and gasket 100 are prepared. They are also prepared taking into account that window 2 will be also encapsulated with the profile and the gasket.

(25) The profile 90 and the front edge 11 of window 2 are introduced into the mould which is then closed.

(26) A TPE material is injected into the mould for forming the gasket, with no hole, and for encapsulating the three components 11, 2; 90; 100.

(27) Then, hole 103 is made by the technique of the gas assist injection moulding, when the TPE material is still partially melted.

(28) Finally, the mould is opened and the assembly of the window 11, 2, the profile 90 and the gasket 100 is extracted out of the mould.

(29) After installation of the assembly on the car 3, when the frameless front window 6 is moved upwards, the rear edge 12 of the front window 6 compresses arm 104 of the gasket which gets out of shape while folding tongue 107 back to the body 102 of gasket 100 (FIG. 3). In case of use of a hard material to secure the profile on the glass, this material is injected after or before the TPE in a classical 2K process for example.

(30) The second embodiment of the division set and assembly of the invention, shown on FIGS. 4, 5, is very similar to the first embodiment of FIGS. 2, 3.

(31) The gasket 100′ includes a sealing arm 104′, with two branches 105′, 106′ also shaped like an L in cross-section.

(32) Unlike for the first embodiment, the manufacturing process of the division set 100′, including the gasket 100′ and the profile 90′, includes two steps of encapsulation instead of just one for the first embodiment.

(33) However, on the inventive point of view, the two encapsulation steps should be looked at as if it were a simple step, since the encapsulation of the rear window 2 and the sealing arm 104′, which is the first part of the gasket, takes place in one step and the encapsulation of the profile 90′ and the second part of the gasket, pursuant to which the gasket 100′ is secured to the profile 90′, also takes place in just one step.

(34) The reason for that is that because of the engagement of the profile 90′ and the sealing arm 104′, the sealing hole 103′ in between is totally preserved during the second encapsulation step and the TPE material is injected therein.

(35) The second part of the gasket 100′ includes, like in the first embodiment, a sealing tongue 107′, to be folded back to the body 102′ of the gasket under the action of window 6, and a rear portion 108′ engaging a rear portion 93′ of the profile 90′, the rear end 109′ of the sealing branch 106′ and the front edge 11 of window 2.

(36) The profile 90′ still has a hooked front edge 92′, but the rear part of it includes the rear portion 93′ and a flat skirt 94′ generally perpendicular to the beam part 91′ of the profile 90′. Possibly, hard material, as for example polypropylene (PP) which can be potentially filled with glass fibers, is used to secure the profile on the glass. In that case, the rear portion 108′ is made with this hard material.

(37) The manufacturing process includes the steps of: a. making a first part of a mould corresponding to a desired shape of one side 112′ of a first part 104′ (the sealing arm) of the gasket 100′; b. making a second part of the mould corresponding to a desired shape of the opposite side 113′ of the first part 104′ of the gasket 100′, intended to face the profile 90′; c. making a third part of the mould corresponding to a desired shape of the profile 90′ and a desired shape of one side of a second part 107′, 108′ (the sealing tongue and the rear portion) of the gasket 100′; d. making a fourth part of the mould corresponding to a desired shape of the opposite side of the second part 107′ of the gasket 100′; e. joining the first and second parts of the mould and injecting a TPE material into the mould for forming the first part 104′ of the gasket 100′; f. taking away the first part 104′ obtained at step e from the mould and placing said first part 104′ and the profile 90′ in the third part of the mould; g. joining the various parts of the mould and injecting a TPE material into the mould for forming the whole gasket 100′ encapsulated with the profile 90′ with a hole 103′ between the gasket 100′ and the profile 90′; and h. extracting the division set.

(38) In the real operation, the front end 11 of window 2 is introduced into the mould prior to step e, so that, after step g, the whole product, including the division set, is extracted.

(39) During the second encapsulation step, the hooked front edge 92′ of the beam 91′ of the profile abuts on the front edge 114′ of the sealing branch 105′ of the sealing arm 104′ and the free edge 110′ of the skirt 94′ of the profile abuts on the rear end 109′ of the branch 106′ of the sealing arm 104′ of the gasket for providing the hole 103′, the arm 104′ facing the beam 91′ and the skirt 94′ of the profile. Again, the encapsulation process with a TPE material is an easy and rather cheap one. TPE material is delivered in granular form easy to be molten prior to be injected into the mould where it is transformed prior to become solid again.

(40) The tongue and the sealing arm of the gasket could be coated with a slip agent 111, 111′ in order to insure correct sliding of the windows during closing.

(41) In case of use of hard material, the sealing arms 104′ and the tongue 107′ are made at the same time by TPE encapsulation. The rear portion 108′ is then made in another step by encapsulation of a hard material.