The present invention relates to a tool and a process for press-fitting a weather strip into a flange, etc. a vehicle""s door etc.
In a vehicle such as an automobile, a weather strip is intervened between a capping part such as a door or sunroof and a body of the vehicle so as to block the gap between the capping part and the body for the propose of preventing the immersion of rainwater, etc into the gap, and of blocking the zip. The weather strip possesses a fitting portion and a sealing portion. The fitting portion is pressed-in a flange formed along the side edge of the body, and due to the intervention of the sealing portion between the door etc. and the body when the door etc. is closed, the gap caused therebetween can be blocked.
In conventional art, as a process for press-fitting such a type of the weather strip, a process has been usually applied in which an operator holds the weather strip and presses-in the weather strip by his fingers, etc. However, in such a manual operation by the operator, a heavy load should be applied to the operator, for example, possibly resulting in trouble with the operator""s finger(s), and lowering the operability.
In order to solve such a problem, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-116181 discloses a device for providing a weather strip. The device for providing a weather strip disclosed therein possess a copying roller having circumferential groove, which can be engaged with the edge portion of the flange to be fit, placed on the outer circumference, and a presser roller having a circumfential groove, which can be engaged with the sealing portion of the weather strip, placed on the outer circumference. The device has means for keeping an orientation which keep a relative relationship between the copying roller and the presser roller in such a fashion that when the body of the device is moved along the flange to be fit, the copying roller is rolled on and copied the edge of the flange to be fit, and the presser roller applies pressure to said sealing portion so as to engage said fitting portion with the flange to be fit, while guiding said sealing portion.
According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-109278, a process for fitting a weather strip is disclosed. In the process for fitting a weather strip disclosed therein is to move the weather strip forward under the condition that an opening of a holding portion of the weather strip is applied on the edge portion of a garnishing portion, while rotating the weather strips as the center of said opening.
However, in the device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-116181, a pressing force is applied to the sealing portion by means of a motor at the time of press-fitting the fitting portion of the weather strip into the flange. Consequently, a motor having large torque is required as the motor to be used in press-fitting the weather strip. The use of the motor having a large torque makes the device large-sized. The large-sized device makes it difficult for the operator to keep the orientation of the device itself in a correct manner, leading to a problem associated with the operability. Furthermore, the device disclosed therein has a problem in terms of following-up properties when the flange is curved.
The process disclosed in Japanese patent Laid-open No. 10-109278 is to move the weather strip forward under the condition that an opening of a holding portion of the weather strip is applied on the edge portion of a garnish portion, while rotating the weather strip as the center of said opening. Consequently, a large pressure is similarly required in the press-fitting. For this reason, the device becomes a large-size, causing the problems associated therewith.
The present invention is intended to design a small-sized device for press-fitting a weather strip so as to enhance the operability of the device at the time of fitting the weather strip and to provide a device for press-fitting a weather strip which has an excellent following-up property even if the flange is curved.
The present invention, which attained the above objects, is a tool for press-fitting a weather strip comprising
a guide member provided on a front portion of a body of the tool, which is supported in contact with an upper portion of a portion for fitting the weather strips;
a sealer member, into which a sealing portion of the weather strip is inserted and which possesses a press guide member for pressing the upper surface of the fitting portion of the weather strip, provided on a portion behind said guide member of weather strip;
said tool having a vibrator, which imparts the vibration to said sealer member, stood on said sealer member.
The tool for process for press-fitting the weather strip according to this aspect, there is provided a vibrator, which imparts the vibration to the sealer member. Because of press-fitting the weather strip to a flange etc. while vibrating the sealer member, the tool for press-fitting a weather strip of the present invention can securely press-fit a weather strip without requiring a large force. What is more, due to the configuration of the press-fitting tool where only the vibrator stands on the sealer member, the tool per se does not become a large-size, and the press-fitting tool has enhanced operability. Also, even if the flange is curved, the press-fitting tool can exhibit good flowing-up properties.
According to one preferred embodiment of the tool for press-fitting a weather strip, the vibrator is an air hammer.
In this preferred embodiment, an air hammer is used as the vibrator. Consequently, since the simplest member which imparts vibration tothe sealer member issued, the press-fitting tool can be further small-size as a whole.
According to another preferred embodiment, an electric hammer may be used as the vibrator. The use of an electric hammer as the vibrator makes it possible to vibrate the sealer member with good response.
Also, when a power source which drives the electric hammer is accommodated within the press-fitting tool, due to the unification of the press-fitting tool with power source, the operability of the press-fitting tool can be further enhanced.