Tubular Or Tubular Portion Patents (Class 49/498.1)
  • Patent number: 8366168
    Abstract: A sealing system useful for sealing a slide out room in a recreational vehicle (RVs). The sealing system includes a first bulb seal that is adapted for being affixed to a transverse surface that defines an opening in a sidewall of the RV. A second bulb seal is affixed to a peripheral flange that extends from an end wall of the slide out room. Both of the bulb seals have an hourglass shape. The peripheral flange fits within the opening when the slide out room is in its retraced position and the bulb seals meet in a complementary fashion to form a seal. A wedge seal is included spaced inwardly on the sidewalls of the slide out room and is designed to contact the bulb seal attached to the opening when the room is extended. An internal flange is not required for sealing when the slide out room is extended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Lifetime Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Edwin E. Ksiezopolski, Norman L. Newhouse
  • Publication number: 20130025211
    Abstract: The seal (4) comprises a fixing profile (5) to which a tubular sealing profile (6) is connected. At least one predetermined portion of the wall of the sealing profile has at least one substantially longitudinal outer groove (12, 14) able to define a kind of integral film hinge (13, 15) which is substantially longitudinal and able to reduce the resistance of the sealing profile (6) to compression in the direction of engagement (F) between the opening (2) and the door (D).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE ITALY S.p.A.
    Inventors: Manrico Zaccaria, Mauro Chiatti
  • Patent number: 8353130
    Abstract: A door weather strip includes an attaching base part that is attached along an outer periphery of a door frame and a hollow seal part that is extended in an outer peripheral direction of a door from the attaching base part. The attaching base part 11 includes a base bottom part, a vehicle inner side wall part and a vehicle outer side wall part and a partition wall. Both the attaching base part and the seal part are made of the same EPDM sponge rubber material by an extrusion process. The door weather strip satisfies conditions that a specific gravity is 0.36 or higher and 0.44 or lower, a low stretch stress is 200 kPa or higher and 230 kPa or lower and an average foaming cell diameter is 180 ?m or larger and 220 ?m or smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahito Fukuta, Tatsushi Goto, Masatoshi Hotta, Takaaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20120260579
    Abstract: A seal that includes a hollow bulb that defines an interior space, and further includes at least one solid divider wall located in the interior space in order to divide the interior space so that it includes at least a first chamber and a second chamber, where the first and second chambers are not in fluid communication with one another. In some preferred embodiments: (i) the interior wall is generally V-Shaped in transverse cross-section; (ii) the first chamber is generally triangular in transverse cross-section; and (iii) the second chamber is generally U-shaped in transverse cross-section. Some preferred embodiments further include a seal base (for example, a T-shaped base), with the hollow bulb being mechanically connected to the base at the bottom of the T-shape so that an open end of the V-shaped interior wall is oriented to directly face the seal base. In some preferred embodiments, the first and second chambers are hollow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: ULTRAFAB, INC.
    Inventor: Alan J. DeMello
  • Patent number: 8282152
    Abstract: A collapsible roof assembly for a vehicle includes a collapsible roof and a sealing mechanism. The roof has a top rail with a frame element running along a longitudinal side of the roof. The sealing mechanism has a seal configured to receive and seal a window pane inserted therein, wherein the seal runs along the longitudinal side of the roof and is attached to the frame element. The seal has a similar cross-section between front, middle, and rear sections of the roof. The seal is attached to the frame element in a form-fit manner in the front section of the roof and is attached to the frame element in a force-fitted manner in the middle section of the roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Magna Car Top Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Konrad Herz
  • Patent number: 8272178
    Abstract: Described are a new type of storm windows, along with an easy way (and less expensive) of installing the press-fit storm window, on existing frames or windows, without the hassle and expense of replacing the whole window (to save time, cost, and inconvenience), to increase R-value (insulation efficiency) for the windows (i.e. reduce energy waste). This relates to the construction and installation and use of easily installed low cost interior or exterior storm windows, which are attractive and effective in reducing heat and noise transmission. Different approaches and variations to implement this are shown here.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: R Value, LLC
    Inventors: Samuel Pardue, Mark Pratt
  • Patent number: 8266841
    Abstract: A weatherstrip for the outer belt of a an automotive door includes a controllably compliant sealing element configured with tip-conjoined leaves which afford controllable, selectively discontinuous compliance along not only the distance from the roots to the tip of the leaves, but also along the length of the sealing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Gregory James Grudzinski, Chester Stanislaus Walawender, Azfar Qamar
  • Patent number: 8240091
    Abstract: Gasket for refrigerator cabinets of the kind including a soft bellows-type portion used for sealing the area between the cabinet and the door and extending from a base portion able to match the outer door and/or inner door of the refrigerator cabinet. The base portion is substantially rigid and has at one end, a sealing portion made of substantially soft material extending toward the inner door. The soft material portion has good flexible and spring back features when exposed to refrigerator and freezer temperatures. These features make the gasket able to further seal, preferably by compression, the space located between the cabinet and inner door in a more internal area of the refrigerator cabinet. Furthermore, the soft sealing portion is independent and free from constraints with respect to the soft bellows-type portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Industrie Ilpea S.p.A.
    Inventors: Paolo Cittadini, Marco De Giorgi
  • Patent number: 8225554
    Abstract: A door opening trim weather strip for a motor vehicle, of which a tubular seal portion is difficult to be worn and exhibits good flexibility when passengers get and off the motor vehicle and contact the tubular seal portion. The door opening trim weather strip has a base portion for attachment to a flange provided in a door opening portion of a vehicle body, and a tubular seal portion integrally formed with the base portion for contacting the door, and sealing between the door and the door opening portion. The tubular seal portion adapted to extend along a rear vertical side of the door opening portion has a main body composed of a sponge material and a skin layer composed of a solid material and formed on a surface of the main body, and a first skin layer part of the skin layer has a thickness ranging from 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Nozaki
  • Patent number: 8225553
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for fireproofing a doorway, more particularly, the present invention relates to a gasket structure capable of sealing a doorway in the event of a fire. The gasket structure includes an outer silicon rubber core having a substantially D-shaped cross-section for mounting to a gasket retainer with a substantially U-shaped channel to a door frame. The gasket also includes an inner core of intumescent material within the outer core. The gasket is designed so that if the outer silicone rubber deteriorates because of fire, the intumescent material undergoes voluminous expansion to fill up voids left by the deterioration of the outer silicone rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Robert Redfern, Patrick Arthur Ryals
  • Patent number: 8205391
    Abstract: An automobile weather strip has a trim part having a substantially U-shaped section and a sealing part. The automobile weather strip is characterized in that: the trim part has an insert member and a covering material for covering the insert member; the covering member is provided with holding lips for holding a flange part on an inner surface of the trim part; a sponge material of a rubber formed by using a blend material of an EPDM rubber and an olefin-based thermoplastic synthetic resin and a sponge material of a rubber having physical properties of a specific gravity of 0.6 to 0.8 and a 25%-stretching stress of 500 KPa or more are used as the covering material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Aritake, Norimasa Iwasa, Satoshi Toki, Takaaki Sakai
  • Patent number: 8205390
    Abstract: A flange mounted weatherseal includes a carrier and a flexible cover covering the carrier. The carrier includes a base portion, a first side portion and a second side portion generally parallel to the first side portion and cooperating together with the first side portion and the base portion to define a generally U-shaped channel. The first side portion defines a plurality of first fingers, the second side portion defines a plurality of second fingers opposite the first fingers along a longitudinal axis, and the base portion defines a plurality of webs offset along the longitudinal axis relative to the first fingers and the second fingers. The first fingers, the second fingers and the webs each include deformations defining a non-planar cross sectional shape along the longitudinal axis to increase the rigidity of the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Henniges Automotive Sealing Systems North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth Stuart Ogilvie
  • Publication number: 20120153666
    Abstract: An automobile vehicle including a vehicle body having a passage receiving a door. A plurality of sealing elements are located between the door and the vehicle body. A first sealing element having a resilient surface portion and a relatively more rigid body portion shaped to engage a body flange is provided to seal an upper region of the passage. A second sealing element comprising a resilient section and a mating section adapted to mate with a door panel is provided and cooperates with the vehicle body to seal the lower region of the passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Inventors: Masatoshi Mori, Kenichi Kitayama
  • Patent number: 8176681
    Abstract: A roof side weather strip has an upper side portion, a vertical side portion and a corner portion. The vertical side portion has a mounting base portion which is to be mounted on a pillar, a hollow seal portion which is formed on a vehicle-interior inner surface of the mounting base portion and is adapted to be brought into abutment with a door glass, and a seal lip portion which is formed on a vehicle-exterior inner surface of the mounting base portion adjacent to a vehicle-interior side of the hollow seal portion and is adapted to be brought into abutment with a vehicle-interior side surface of the door glass. A groove portion is formed between the hollow seal portion and the seal lip portion, and a water stopping rib is formed in a portion in the groove portion which constitutes a portion on the corner portion which lies in the vicinity of the vertical portion or a portion on the vertical side portion which lies in the vicinity of the corner portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignees: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Tamaoki, Hidenori Kameoka, Hiroshi Nagaishi
  • Patent number: 8157270
    Abstract: A baffle seal for a thrust reverser of a gas turbine engine includes a seal body of a resilient material. The seal body has a relatively flat central portion with opposed front and back sides. A raised sealing rim extends at least partially around the central portion. An outer periphery of the sealing rim extends beyond an outer periphery of the central portion so as to define an exposed sealing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chi-Ling Michael Tsou, Carl Francis Holdren, William Andrew Bailey, Dean Thomas Lenahan
  • Patent number: 8112940
    Abstract: A seal, which is disposed at a vertical frame profile of a stationary door leaf or of a movable door leaf and has a sealing profile protruding from the frame profile and a deformation chamber extending in a longitudinal direction of the sealing profile. A part of the sealing profile protruding from the front side of the frame profile in cross-section forms the portion (T) of an ellipse or substantially of an ellipse, the minor axis (N) of the ellipse intersecting the wall of the sealing profile outside the frame profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Dorma GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Christian Mayer
  • Patent number: 8104818
    Abstract: The invention relates to a dashboard seal provided between the windshield (1), the sound-proofing wall (2) of the engine compartment and the dashboard (3) in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The dashboard seal is characterized in that the upper lip (6) includes a closed pocket (8) extending along a transverse section under the latter and limited by said upper lip (6), by the clamp (5) and, at the lower portion thereof, by a connection arm (8a) connected both to the upper lip (6) and to the clamp (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Philippe Barre, Jacques Matusik
  • Patent number: 8069614
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved retention sealing strip (10) that improves the ease of assembly, and reduces manufacturing costs. The sealing strip (10) includes a retention section (28) having an upper hub (50), a first retention leg (54) positioned forward of the upper hub (50), a second retention leg (62) rearward (e.g., positioned at an inner-side of a vehicle cabin) of the first retention leg (54), an upper recess (52) positioned rearward of the upper hub (50), and a lower recess (58) positioned between the first and second retention legs (54, 62 respectively). The sealing strip (10) also includes a sealing section (30) integrally formed with the retention section (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard Borsos, Sergio E. Romero, Rajinder P. Singh
  • Patent number: 8069615
    Abstract: A hollow seal for use in sealing between relatively movable first and second panels, such as between a fixed window panel and a slidable window panel of a rear window of a pick-up truck or the like. The hollow seal has an internal geometry that supports an outside layer or portion of the seal under pressurization to prevent leakage and seal blowout. The outside portion is shaped to provide a pair of laterally spaced-apart sealing lips that have a pressure-activated sealing geometry for tight sealing against the panels when under pressurization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy D. Heiman, Darron G. Peddle
  • Patent number: 8051607
    Abstract: A weather strip is mounted on a circumferential portion of a door opening for a vehicle door. The weather strip includes a trim portion having a substantially U-shaped cross section and a hollow seal portion, and a designed lip is formed on the trim portion so as to extend therefrom. An adhesive layer and a flocked portion are formed on a designed surface of the weather strip such as an external surface of the designed lip, the flocked portion being provided with a multiplicity of pile fibers which are bonded to the adhesive layer at one end thereof, which pile fibers are each angled randomly with respect to a normal direction to the external surface of the lip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kurato Okajima, Kenji Kobayashi, Mitsuhiro Takahara, Masanori Aritake
  • Patent number: 8033057
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sealing arrangement for sealing and guiding a powered window pane (40), particularly of a motor vehicle. Said sealing arrangement is provided with a seal (20) produced as a single part from an elastically deformable material. The inventive sealing arrangement is also provided with a sash (10) which frames the window pane (40) and to which the seal (20) can be fixed. Said sash (10) comprises an inner flange (11) and an outer flange (12). The seal (20) comprises an inner side section (21) that can be fixed to the inner flange (11), an outer side section (22) that can be fixed to the outer flange (12), and a base portion (23) located outside the cavity portion (13). The aim of the invention is to achieve a universal embodiment of the seal (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Metzeler Automotive Profile Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Fritz Krause, Felix Muga
  • Patent number: 7997030
    Abstract: A flange engaging strip is provided for engaging a vehicle flange, wherein the flange has a varying thickness along a longitudinal dimension. The flange engaging strip has a closed end and projecting limbs and can include a carrier having a corresponding base and projecting legs that define a constant combined cross sectional length, wherein the cross sectional length of the closed end varies corresponding to the thickness of the flange along a longitudinal dimension of the flange engaging strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Schlegel Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin R. Willett
  • Patent number: 7992875
    Abstract: A door weather strip includes a base attached along the outer periphery of a door frame and a hollow seal, and a clip attached to the base. The clip includes an engaging part fit in and enagageable with an attaching hole in the door frame and a retained part retained to the base. The retained part includes a retaining piece and a coupling portion coupling the center area of the retaining piece in the longitudinal direction and the engaging part. Using an inserting means equipped with an insertion pin which is nearly cylindrical and sharp-pointed, the insertion pin is pierced into the base so that the retaining piece is fed through the inner peripheral side of the insertion pin to the inner face side of the base, thereby attaching the clip to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Kubo, Hideaki Minoura, Tomonori Inoue
  • Patent number: 7883594
    Abstract: Pile weatherstripping, which is clad with a wrapping of a film (14, 25, 104, 216) of flexible material, has one or more rows (19, 27, 100, 102, 212, 214) of pile (10, 24, 105, 233) on a backing (12, 28, 106, 218) in side-by-side relationship. The wrapping film material conforms to the outside surface of the row (19, 27, 100, 102, 214) of pile so as to define a bulb or bulbs which are completely filled with pile. Single row (19, 27) pile weatherstripping is made by wrapping the pile (10, 24) with the film material (14, 25) after first ultrasonically welding the film material along one edge thereof to the backing (12, 28) under the pile. Then, the film material (14, 25) may be bent around the pile as it moves through a guide (88). The film material (14, 25) is then attached along the opposite edge to the backing thereof so as to completely enclose and clad the row (19, 27) of weatherstripping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Ultrafab, Inc.
    Inventors: James V. Albanese, Robert C. Horton, Alan J. DeMello, Thongdy Chanthabane
  • Patent number: 7837251
    Abstract: A seal assembly for an automotive vehicle is provided that includes a seal and a molding whereby the seal is attached to the molding and the molding is attached to a rear-quarter window. The seal includes a pair of perpendicular bases and a resilient arc portion joining the perpendicular bases. The molding includes a U-shaped base, which receives the rear-quarter window and a support member. The support member is attached to the seal in such a manner to prevent excessive deformation of the seal when the door is in a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Stewart Rich, Brock Stull, Akihiko Kuribayashi
  • Patent number: 7814707
    Abstract: A crawl space access door assembly having a frame that can be installed while a foundation of a home or other structure and a door is under construction or retrofitted to an existing structure. The crawl space access door frame assembly is sized so as to accept a removable crawl space access door. Sidewall ribs are formed so as to extend from the outer sides of the first sidewall and the second sidewall of the frame and operate in mating relationship with a groove formed in the blocks used to create the frame of the structure to aid in securing the crawl space access door frame assembly to the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Inventor: Steven L. Hurst
  • Patent number: 7811653
    Abstract: An extrusion molded article for automobiles, having a body portion (1) and a hollow sealing portion (11), where the body portion (1) comprises a core (2) made of a resin having a U-shaped cross-section extending in a longitudinal direction and a covering layer (3) surrounding and covering the core partly or entirely, and the hollow sealing portion (11) is bonded integrally with an outer surface (4) of the body portion, characterized in that the covering layer (3) is made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition having a tensile elongation at break of at least 350%, as determined according to JIS K6251, and a change in 100% modulus of at most 40%, wherein the change in 100% modulus=[(100% modulus at 23° C.-100% modulus at 80° C.)/100% modulus at 23° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Riken Technos Corporation
    Inventors: Naohisa Miyakawa, Hiromasa Sanada, Naoyuki Ono, Tomozo Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7788852
    Abstract: A door seal includes an elongated mounting strip adapted to be secured to a door frame and a flexible sealing strip adapted to be positioned between the mounting strip and the door frame for sealing the space between the door and the frame thereby to reduce transmission of noise and air through that space. The flexible sealing strip is formed from a series of individual separate strip segments aligned next to each other along the mounting strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Inventors: Elias Wexler, Jacob Wexler
  • Patent number: 7735263
    Abstract: A weather strip for a motor vehicle, capable of being readily attached to a flange with a low extensibility, and securely preventing noises from being transmitted via the flange. The weather strip includes a base portion for attachment to the flange, and a seal portion integrally formed with the base portion for sealing between an opening portion and a closing member. The base portion includes at least an outer side wall and a bottom wall, a double-sided adhesive tape is bonded to an interior surface of the outer side wall, and at least one part of the outer side wall and the bottom wall is composed of a hard material such as a hard rubber, which is harder than a material of the remaining part thereof, and a material exhibiting a low extensibility, such as a resin sheet, is stuck to or embedded in the outer side wall and/or the bottom wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kisato Oba, Masahiro Nozaki
  • Publication number: 20100123263
    Abstract: The present invention is a twinsheet door which includes a first door portion and a second door portion connected to the first door portion. The twinsheet door of the present invention is manufactured using a thermoforming process, during which a vacuum shapes the first door portion and the second door portion such that one or more closed sections are created when the first door portion is thermally bonded to the second door portion and simultaneously a vacuum is applied to form the first door portion and said second door portion. The closed section formed between the first door portion and second door portion provides additional strength and rigidity to the twinsheet door. Additionally, the forming of the closed section between the first door portion and the second door portion and the bonding between the first door portion and second door portion is achieved during a single manufacturing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: Magna International Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Lewis, Adolfo Enrico Milani, Randy R. Rhoades, Christopher S. Klem, Duane C. Junkin, Keijo J. Huotari
  • Publication number: 20100101555
    Abstract: A heating cooker comprising a body casing, a door openably fitted to the front panel of the body casing through hinges, and an annular packing (40) of the circumferentially same shape in cross section disposed between the door and the front panel. The hinge side of the annular packing (40) fitted to the door (including a door frame (41) and a door cover (42)) is positioned on the front side by a dimension L from the anti-hinge side of the annular packing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Yamaguchi, Masahiro Nishijima, Hiroki Kitayama
  • Patent number: 7687133
    Abstract: A weather strip has a trim portion and a seal portion. The trim portion has a vehicle interior side wall, a vehicle exterior side wall, and a connecting portion. A metal insert is embedded in the trim portion. The insert has piece portions and a center bond portion which connects the piece portions to one another. The thickness of each of parts of the insert, which are other than both curved parts, is set to be thinner than the thickness of each of both the curved parts. Thus, the thickness of the insert, except for the curved parts, is small. Consequently, the entire insert, thus, the entire weather strip can be lightened. On the other hand, both the curved parts are relatively thick. Accordingly, the weather strip can assure predetermined strength and stiffness and can easily maintain an initial shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norimasa Iwasa, Masanori Aritake, Satoshi Toki
  • Patent number: 7685777
    Abstract: A weather strip exhibiting excellent sealing properties, of which a tubular seal portion is prevented from readily tilting when attached to a curved flange in a vehicle body. The weather strip includes a trim portion having a generally U-shaped cross-section and a tubular seal portion. The tubular seal portion includes a first outer seal wall, a second outer seal wall, a first inner seal wall, a second inner seal wall, an outer flexing part and an inner flexing part. The thickness of the tubular seal portion decreases in the order of joint areas of the first outer seal wall and the first inner seal wall to the trim portion, the second outer seal wall and the second inner seal wall, and the outer flexing part and the inner flexing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Nozaki, Kiyotaka Tamaoki
  • Patent number: 7669370
    Abstract: A weather strip includes an attaching base portion, and a hollow seal portion. The attaching base portion has a generally L-shaped cross-section, and includes a bottom wall and an exterior side wall. An elongation/shrinkage prevention portion is formed such that when the attaching base portion is curved in a direction of a width of the exterior side wall, a neutral axis of curvature is disposed at a position slightly offset toward a widthwise distal end of the exterior side wall from that portion of the exterior side wall continuous with the bottom wall. A double adhesive tape is bonded at least to that portion of an interior surface of the exterior side wall extending toward the distal end of the exterior side wall from a region at which a first hollow connecting portion of the hollow seal portion and the exterior side wall are interconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kisato Oba, Masahiro Nozaki
  • Patent number: 7666489
    Abstract: A weather strip is mounted at the peripheral part of a door opening of a door for an automobile. The weather strip includes a sectionally nearly U-shaped trim part and a hollow seal part. A design lip is extended out from the trim part. A decoration layer of a non-woven fabric is formed on the design surface of the weather strip such as the outer surface of the design lip through a resin bonding layer of polyethylene (PE). The non-woven fabric constituting the decoration layer contains fibers subjected to “crimping processing” and has predetermined elasticity (stretch of 5 mm or more when load of 20 N is applied).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kurato Okajima, Masanori Aritake
  • Patent number: 7658441
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a sunroof of an automotive vehicle is provided that includes a seal and a bracket. The seal includes a front base and a separate rear base, both of which are attached to a bottom surface of the sunroof. The front base includes a lip integrally joined to a front portion of the front base that extends at an angle in the forward and downward direction. The bracket part is attached to both the front base and the rear base and includes a flange that extends in the angled forward and downward direction similar to that of the lip. The vertical length of the lip is longer than the vertical length of the flange such that the flange is adjacent to and behind the lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Stewart Rich, Brock Stull, Akihiko Kuribayashi
  • Patent number: 7624538
    Abstract: Gate with an at least partially peripheral sealing means, with a retaining strip made from metal, within which the seal is arranged, wherein the seal may be activated pneumatically, with an adjustable plate which is located above the seal and is guided by guide means so as to be adjustable relative to the retaining strip, with an electrically conductive fabric strip which electrically connects the retaining strip to the plate, and with spring contacts which are arranged on the plate, are electrically conductive and may be brought into abutment with the rabbet of the installation frame provided on the building side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Sommer Metallbau-Stahlbau GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Dieter Hautmann, Jürgen Hofmann, Oliver Sommer
  • Publication number: 20090282743
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a door sealing element for sealing a gap between a movable door and a stationary floor side mating face, comprising two pieces of flexible tubing which are connected to each other such that they communicate on one end, namely a first piece of tubing, to be provided in the region of the door edge on the gap side, and a second piece of tubing, to be provided in the region of a door edge to be moved against a stationary stop surface in a closed position of the door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventor: Marcus Meister
  • Patent number: 7608316
    Abstract: An extruded product formed by extrusion molding and continuing in a longitudinal direction includes: an extruded product body; and a decoration layer provided integrally on a surface of the extruded product body, wherein the decoration layer is provided on a substantially entire surface of the decoration layer by combining an irregular surface pattern and a plurality of linear grooves on the surface thereof, and the depth of the linear groove is deeper than the depth of the irregular surface pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kurato Okajima, Masanori Aritake, Hitoshi Omori
  • Patent number: 7594359
    Abstract: Active seal assemblies employing active materials that can be controlled and remotely changed to alter the seal effectiveness, wherein the active seal assemblies actively change modulus properties such as stiffness, shape orientation, and the like. The active seal assemblies are generally configured to reduce the noise (sound waves) that is transmitted through the seal by measuring and actively canceling and/or absorbing the noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew C. Keefe, William Barvosa-Carter, Christopher P. Henry, Guillermo A. Herrera, Geoffrey P. Mc Knight, Nancy L. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20090211166
    Abstract: The invention relates to a seal, which is disposed at a vertical frame profile of a stationary door leaf or of a movable door leaf and has a sealing profile protruding from the frame profile and a deformation chamber extending in longitudinal direction of the sealing profile. The invention concentrates on the fact that a part of the sealing profile protruding from the front side of the frame profile in cross-section forms the portion (T) of an ellipse or substantially of an ellipse, the minor axis (N) of the ellipse intersecting the wall of the sealing profile outside the frame profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: Dorma GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Christian Mayer
  • Patent number: 7578098
    Abstract: A door weather strip capable of surely closing a gap between a door of a motor vehicle and a door opening portion of a vehicle body while exhibiting excellent sealing properties with good appearance. The door weather strip includes a base portion for attachment to an outer periphery of the door, and a seal portion which is integrally formed with the base portion for contacting the door opening portion. The seal portion includes a main seal and a sub-seal which is provided on an outer side of the main seal. The sub-seal has a protrusion which protrudes from the base portion towards the door opening portion, and a tubular part having a generally triangular cross-section. One corner of the tubular part is integrally joined to the protrusion such that one wall which faces the one corner is located between the door and the door opening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidenori Furuzawa, Yoshitaka Sugiyama, Masahiro Nozaki, Yukio Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7487616
    Abstract: A sealing gasket that provides a seal between two members. The gasket includes a base at one end of the gasket and a gutter-forming surface at the opposite other end of the gasket. There is a pair of sides that join the one end and the opposite other end of the gasket. The sealing gasket is movable between a compressed condition wherein the gasket provides a seal between the two members and an uncompressed condition wherein the gasket does not provide a seal between the two members. When the gasket is in the compressed condition, the gutter-forming surface deforms to form a gutter along the one end of the gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Central Sales & Service, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph A. Deaver
  • Publication number: 20090000206
    Abstract: A door weather strip which is difficult to come off a door frame and can be readily manufactured. A vertical side member of the door weather strip has an upper vertical member for attachment to an upper part of a vertical side of the door frame, and a lower vertical member for attachment to a lower part of a vertical side of an outer periphery of a door, the upper vertical member and the lower vertical member are joined to each other via a vertical joint member. A base portion of the upper vertical member is retained with a retainer, and the lower vertical member is retained with clips or double-sided adhesive tapes. The vertical joint member has a core drawing slit in a base portion thereof from the position lower than a joint end of the upper vertical member to the position in the vicinity of a joint end of the lower vertical member such that the core drawing slit is not closed by bonding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Teruyuki Okajima, Toshifumi Kakami
  • Publication number: 20080302114
    Abstract: A system for storing articles can have at least two operating modes. In the first mode, gases are evacuated from the system whereby the articles are stored at a pressure less than the pressure at the exterior of the system. In the second mode, gases are evacuated while the system is open to the admittance of gases from the exterior of the system whereby the articles are ventilated by the admitted gases. The system also can have a third operating mode wherein both the first and second modes are rendered inoperative. The storage system can function so that when the articles are stored in the first mode, gases are intermittently removed from the system whereby the pressure at which the articles are stored is maintained at less than the pressure at the exterior of the system. The storage system can be located in a refrigeration appliance such as a household refrigerator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Paul H. Kelly, Robert L. Cushman, Robert J. Turnbull, Charles D. Baker, Aaron W. Arvia
  • Patent number: 7422788
    Abstract: A double-sided adhesive tape (24) and a method for fixing a sealing element (10) in place, preferably in motor vehicles, has a sealing body (12) made from silicone, to which a first self-adhesive sticking surface (18) of a double-sided adhesive tape (24) is applied which is formed at least partly of a silicone glue. The double-sided adhesive tape (24) is provided with a second self-adhesive sticking surface (20) for fixing to the site of application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Webasto AG and Rehau AG & Co.
    Inventors: Roland Hahn, Harald Roedel
  • Patent number: 7401439
    Abstract: An adjustable draft excluder includes at least a first draft blocking body for sealing a gap between architectural members such as a bottom of a door, window, or the like, and an adjacent surface. The draft blocking body includes an elongated sleeve having first and second ends, a lengthwise adjustable support assembly disposed within the sleeve and extending between the first and second ends of the sleeve, and an insulating material contained within the sleeve, whereby the draft blocking body is lengthwise adjustable. Alternatively, the sleeve comprises two halves slidably engaged such that the sleeve length is adjustable. A retaining member may be attached to the draft blocking body to attach the draft blocking body to the architectural member, such that the adjustable draft excluder moves with the architectural member. The retaining member may be a second draft blocking body similar to the first draft blocking body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: HIP Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Steve G. Heroux
  • Publication number: 20080148646
    Abstract: A weather strip exhibiting excellent sealing properties, of which a tubular seal portion is prevented from readily tilting when attached to a curved flange in a vehicle body. The weather strip includes a trim portion having a generally U-shaped cross-section and a tubular seal portion. The tubular seal portion includes a first outer seal wall, a second outer seal wall, a first inner seal wall, a second inner seal wall, an outer flexing part and an inner flexing part. The thickness of the tubular seal portion decreases in the order of joint areas of the first outer seal wall and the first inner seal wall to the trim portion, the second outer seal wall and the second inner seal wall, and the outer flexing part and the inner flexing part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro NOZAKI, Kiyotaka TAMAOKI
  • Patent number: 7374227
    Abstract: A vehicle weather strip flange configured to eliminate corrosion for a predetermined time period. The flange may include at least one indented area disposable against a vehicle body and an opening for insertion of a fastener for attaching the flange to the vehicle body. The indented area may include a predetermined depth for maintaining an un-indented area of the flange at a predetermined distance from the vehicle body. The un-indented area of the flange may include exposed inner areas facing toward the vehicle body and exposed outer areas facing away from the vehicle body. The predetermined distance may permit the exposed inner and outer areas to be coated by a corrosion protection liquid for thereby eliminating corrosion from the un-indented area for the predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Erik Kilian
  • Publication number: 20080110102
    Abstract: A weather strip has a trim part 5 to be attached to a peripheral part of a door opening corresponding to a door and a sealing part projecting from the trim part 5 and having a hollow part. The weather strip is obtainable by coating a treatment liquid containing a simple sulfur, a sulfur compound, or both of the simple sulfur and the sulfur compound on an outer surface of the sealing part of an extruded, non-vulcanized, and non-foamed intermediate molded body and vulcanizing and foaming the intermediate molded body by passing the intermediate molded body through a heating zone. By the above production steps, in the trim part, a skin layer that is harder than a sponge layer is formed on the sponge layer and a superficial part of the trim part. The skin layer has a width of 10 mm or more in a width direction and a uniform thickness set in a range of 0.04 mm to 0.15 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masatoshi HOTTA, Tamotsu WATANABE