CA1118816A

CA1118816A - Edge protector trim strip

Info

Publication number: CA1118816A
Application number: CA000263969A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Frank Eggert
Original assignee: Schlegel UK Ltd
Current assignee: Schlegel UK Ltd
Priority date: 1975-11-04
Filing date: 1976-10-22
Publication date: 1982-02-23
Also published as: DE7634220U1; ES236193Y; GB1509770A; FR2330845A1; DE2649423A1; IT1066734B; FR2330845B1; SE7611872L; ES236193U; SE428547B

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An edge protector trim strip for application to a flange such as that found around door openings on motor vehicles, the strip having a body of generally U-shaped cross-section formed of rubber or plastics material stiffened by a semi-rigid carrier and having throughout its length at least one gripper fin on the internal face of tone of the arms of the U and at least two gripper fins of softer material than said at least on gripper fin on the other arm of the U, in which at least an outer portion said at least one gripper fin is formed of a softer material than the main part of said fin.

Description

This invention relates to an edge protector trim strip for application to a flange, e.g. of metal or fibreglass, such as is found in motor cars around door apertures, boot aper-tures and the like.
The present invention is an improvement over known edge trim strip, in that it gives an lmproved ration in the push on/pull off forces for fitting and removing the strip to~and from a flange and forms an excelIent seal with the flange to keep out water.

According to the present invention, we provide~a one-piece edge protector trim strip for application to~a flange suoh~
as that found around door openings on motor vehicles,~ said strip~
having a ~ody of generdlly U-shaped cross-seGtion,~fo;rmed of polymeric material such as rubber or plastics, stiffened~by a ~.
semi-rigid carrier, the strip having throughout its length a ~
plurallty of resiliently deformable gripper fins extending from the arms of *he U inwardly thereof towards the base of the U, there being at leas~ one gripper fin on one of the arms of the :
U and at least two gripper fins of softer material than said at ~20 least one gripper fin, on the other arm of the U, the said two fins of softer material being extruded in one piece wlth the remainder of the strip, and wherein a minor portion o~f said at least one gripper fin on one of the arms of the V engages the fin in the applied position and is formed of a softer material than the major portion.
Preferably, at least part of the 3urface of said at least one gripper fin facing the mouth of the U has a thin layer of said softer material which functions as an anti-~liding surfaoe. The said softer layer may be extended around the tip of said at least one grlpper fin.

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38~L6i A preferred embodiment of the present invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawing,~which is an enlarged sectional view of an edge protector trim strip.
Referrlng to the drawing, a dual durometer~extruded trim strip for application to a metal flange is shownj the trim strip having a generally U-shaped body 1 which lS formed of a plastics or rubber material which is extruded over a semi-rigid carrier 2 of known constructions such as a U-shaped knitted wire carrier or a U-shaped stamped metal carrier traditionaIly~

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used in edge protector trim strips.
In accordance with the present invèntion, one arm~5 of the body l has throughout its length an inwardly di~rected~

grlpper fin ~4 which is formed~large1y of the same pIastics or;
rubber~materl.al as~ the body l but which has on its outer face,~
i.e. on the face directed towards~the open end of the U,~a thin covering layer of~softer ~l;astics or~rubber material~6~which~
acts~ as an anti-sliding surfaGe.~ This material 6 may extend~
(as shown) at least partly around the ~ree end of the fln 4~, and ; ~ preferably (as shown) does not~extend quite to~the base~of the~
fin 4. The other arm 9 of the body is provided with at least ;
two (three as shown are preferred~) inwardly directed~gripper fins ~ll whioh are made of a softer materlal ~than that~from which~
the major portion-of the fin 4 is made and which ~lS preferably of the same soft material as the material;6.
In the majority of prLor ar~ trlm strips, the force needed to apply the trim strip to a ~lange is greater than the ~orce needed to remove that trim strip fxom the flange. How~
ever, the trim strip the subject o~ our U~K. Patent Specifica-tion No. 1,456,086 requires considerably less force to ~ ':

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apply it to a flange than to remove it from a flange, the ratio being around 2:3. The trim strip of the present inven-tion has been designed to improve thi.s ratlo even more to bring it in the region of about 1:2 and preliminary tests have shown that the portion of softer material 6 has given the strip a performance in this region. The reason why this occurs~ i9 be-cause the softer material of the portion 6 acts as an anti-sliding surface, thereby increasing~the friction between the fins 4 and ll and the flange when an attempt is~made to remove the strip from the flange, but~friction is not increased~during application of the strip to~the flange because the fins 11~can;~
collapse to allow passage cf the flange. Of course, because~
the major portion of~the fin 4 is stlll formed of the~harder ;material, only the fins ll w1ll be caused to col1apse to a very~large extent as~in the ~constructlon~of our U.K. Patent~
Spe~cificatlon No. 1,456,086. ~Not only does thls malnta~1n~the~
fr1c~tiona1 ~orces between the fins and the flange at~a~near~

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~ ~ maximum, but also it ensures that the three fins ll press~hard ~ . :
against the flange so as to prevent ingress of water.
~0~ It is env1saged that instead of prov1d1ng a portion of~softer~material 6 over the whole outwardly-facing face~of the~`f~in 4, it could be provided~on only~the inner~part~of the fin and it is even envisaged that just the tip of the~fin 4 ~ oould b- made of the softer materia}.

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Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A one-piece edge protector trim strip for applica-tion to an applied position on a metal flange or the like such as that found around door openings on motor vehicles, said strip having a body of generally U-shaped cross-section, formed of polymeric material, a semi-rigid stiffening carrier located within said body, and resiliently deformable gripper fins extend-ing from the arms of said U inwardly thereof throughout the length of said strip, wherein the improvement comprises a first gripper fin formed of a deformable material predominantly of predetermined hardness on one of the arms of said U, a plurality of gripper fins of a hardness less than said predetermined hard-ness on the other arm of said U which are more deformable than said first gripper fin whereby they are deflected more than said first fin when said trim strip is in its applied position, and wherein a minor surface portion of said first gripper fin engages said fin in said applied position and is of a softer, more deformable material than the material of predetermined hardness.

2. A one-piece edge protector trim strip as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least part of the surface of said first gripper fin facing the mouth of the U has a thin layer of said softer material which functions as an anti-sliding surface.

3. A one-piece edge protector trim strip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the whole of the surface of said first gripper fin facing the mouth of the U has a thin layer of said softer material which functions as an anti-sliding surface.

4. A one-piece edge protector trim strip as claimed in claim 2, wherein said thin layer of said softer material extends around the tip of said first gripper fin.

5. A one-piece edge protector trim strip as claimed in claim 3, wherein said thin layer of said softer material extends around the tip of said first gripper fin.

6. A one-piece edge protector trim strip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tip of said first gripper fin is formed of said softer material.

7. A one-piece edge protector trim strip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said softer material on said one fin is the same as that from which said plurality of fins are formed.