Moldings for Automobiles

Recently the fringes on the roof, window, door fender, front grille, trunk, bonnet, etc. of a car and the side surface of a car body have been decorated with various moldings. Among others, a composite molding having a metallic lustre which has a stainless foil of light weight bonded on the surface of or embedded in, a heat-resistant hardened synthetic resin is popular. Such moldings are fitted or attached to specific sites of a car body. Practically, however, the car body surface, where a molding is provided, is irregular in dimension and profile with an uneven rise of plating, an uneven bending or a longitudinal waviness of the surface, while the molding itself is not free from dimensional variance in manufacture. Thus, installation of a molding often results in a partial or total misfit. In the case of a belt molding provided at a window or door, it is not wholly secured to the plating of a car body or window glass, though it makes contact with them. Such being the condition, therefore, various problems arise with the molding due to the vibration and shock of a running car, such as the molding being dislocated out of position, noise being generated at the interface between the molding and car body surface (including the glazed area), or the car body being damaged. Since the molding base is made of hardened synthetic resin such as ABS resin or polycarbonate resin for the sake of heat resistance, the molding is liable to damage the car body surface.

The present invention relates to a molding for automobiles.

The object of the present invention is to provide an auto-molding which assures a reliable fit to the car body, even if the latter is irregular in dimension and profile, absorbs the vibration of a car body, does not drop out of position, prevents generation of noise and protects the car body surface.

FIG. 1 shows the locations on a car body where a molding according to the present invention may be applied.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show sections of a roof drip molding as embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a section of a wheel arch molding as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a section of a trunk molding as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a section of a step molding as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a section of a door molding as an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1 showing the locations on car body where a synthetic resin molding according to the present invention is applied, A is a roof drip molding, B a door molding (belt molding), C a window molding, D a step molding, E a wheel arch molding, F a grille molding, G a trunk molding and H a side molding. As illustrated in FIG. 2 and so on, the body 4 of these moldings 1 consists of a synthetic resin base or substrate 2 and a stainless foil layer 3 integrated to the surface of said base 2 by, for example, bonding and an elastic layer 6 is partially or wholly integrated to the contact area of said body 4 of the molding with the car body 5 (including the glazed area).

As the synthetic resin to constitute the base or substrate 2, heat-resistant hardened synthetic resin such as ABS resin, acrylic resin or polycarbonate resin is commonly adopted, depending on the location on car body. The substrate 2 has a hardness of 85-95 on the Rockwell R Scale.

The thickness of the stainless foil layer 3 is in the range of from 50 to 200.mu.. Depending on the case, the surface of said stainless foil layer 3 is coated with a thin film of clear synthetic resin, for example, vinyl chloride resin and cellulose acetate-butyrate resin.

The elastic layer 6 is desirably of a soft synthetic resin, for instance, soft vinyl chloride resin, vinyl acetate resin or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin. The elastic layer 6 has a hardness of 50-95 on the Shore A Scale. The thickness of the elastic layer 6 illustrated in FIG. 2 and so on is in the range of from 0.5 to 2 mm. Said elastic layer 6 can be simultaneously molded together with the body 4 of a molding by, for example, extrusion-coating, i.e., plastic extrusion molding.

The following are descriptions of different embodiments.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 showing a roof drip molding A, the roof edge 5a of car body 5 fits into the inner groove of a letter C shaped molding 1, wherein an elastic layer 6 is provided at the contact area with the roof edge 5a.

A projection 6a formed inside of said elastic layer 6 as illustrated in FIG. 3 would be desirable, for it would ensure the fitting. Meanwhile, separate provision of elastic layers 6 on the inside surface of two curved parts of the molding 1 to hold the roof edge 5a would make it possible to securely engage the roof edge 5a with a small area of the elastic layer 6.

In FIG. 4 showing a wheel arch molding E, a molding 1 having a V shaped section is attached to the plating 5b of the car body 5, wherein an elastic layer 6 is formed at the contact area of the molding with said plating 5b. Of course, it is possible to form said elastic layer 6 on the whole backside of said molding 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates a trunk molding G and this figure also applies to a bonnet molding.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5 as well as in those of FIGS. 2 and 3, separate elastic layers 6 are desirably formed on the inside surface of curved parts at both ends.

In FIG. 6 illustrating a step molding D, the base or substrate 2 is approximately flat and a T-letter projection 7 fits into a hole bored on the plating surface 5c of a car body. Thereby, said elastic layer 6 is formed on the periphery of said projection 7. It is understood that the molding 1 (base 2) and the projection 7 are integrated. The front grille molding F and the side molding H are also of the same constitution as above.

FIG. 7 relates to a door molding B, in which the elastic layer 6 has a lip 6b formed to contact the window glass 8 which is opened and closed. Thus, the elastic layer 6 functions also as a sealing between the plating 5d of a car body 5 and the window glass 8.

As described above, in the synthetic resin molding of this invention, an elastic layer composed of a soft synthetic resin is provided at the contact area with the car body and, accordingly, said molding can make a perfect fit even when the car body surface is irregular in dimension and profile. Moreover, said elastic layer absorbs the vibration of a running car, thereby preventing a slackness or dropout of the molding, generation of noise and damage to the car body surface. Since the soft synthetic resin to constitute the elastic layer can be integrally molded with the molding body by extrusion-coating, the manufacturing process is extremely simplified.