Patent Application
20070256366
This invention relates to an elastomeric seal carried by the door frame of a closure system, such as a door on an automotive vehicle, to seal the closure when the door is closed against the frame and, more particularly, to an adjustable seal that can increase the range over which the seal can be operative to accommodate different build variables in automobiles.
Many structures, such as aircraft, trains, automotive vehicles utilize doors or other closures mounted to the adjacent frame to permit access through the opening corresponding to the closure. One such particular instance of a sealed closure is the doors of an automotive vehicle. To keep wind noise and water from the exterior of the vehicle from entering the operator's compartment through the door opening, an elastomeric seal is provided between the movable door and the static frame. Thus, when the door is closed against the frame, the seal is compressed between the door and the frame to prevent the entry of water past the seal, which also serves to insulate the door opening from exterior noises.
The compression of the elastomeric door seal is influenced by many factors relating to the manufacturing process. Build variables, such as manufacturing tolerances and the addition of optional features, provide a substantial range for the gap between the door and the frame between which the seal must be operable. Preferably, the seal should be operable to accommodate the necessary range of sealing without increasing the force factor required to cause an effective compression of the elastomeric seal.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an extruded elastomeric door seal that would allow the seal surface to conform to the gap between the door and the frame of the vehicle against which the door is to close.
It is an object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the known prior art by providing an adjustable extruded elastomeric door seal that can be mounted on an automotive vehicle door to conform to the door closing gap between the door and the frame of the vehicle against which the door is to close.
It is a feature of this invention that the positional adjustment of the door seal can be accomplished through a closure of the door against the vehicle frame.
It is an advantage of this invention that the optimum positioning of the seal between through utilization of a positionally adjustable seal increases the expectant life of the door seal.
It is another advantage of this invention that the optimal positioning of the vehicle door seal through the utilization of an adjustable door seal reduces door closure efforts.
It is still another advantage of this invention that the resetting of vehicle doors to position the vehicle door seal for optimal positioning thereof is no longer necessary.
It is another feature of this invention that the adjustable door seal can be fixed to the door through friction lock or through adhering techniques, including chemical bonding and thermal welding.
It is still another feature of this invention that the adjustable door seal can be seated within a mounting channel preferably formed as part of the vehicle frame against which the vehicle door closes.
It is another object of this invention to provide an adjustable vehicle door seal that is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, carefree of maintenance, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use.
These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing an extruded automotive vehicle door seal that can be positionally adjusted to establish an optimal sealing operation between the door and the frame against which the door closes. The structure of the door seal includes in cross section a base portion and a bulb portion. The frame against which the vehicle door closes is provided with a mounting channel into which the base portion of the adjustable door seal is seated. The base portion is preferably formed with a barbed periphery that frictionally engages the interior circumference of the mounting channel for positionally fixing the door seal relative to the vehicle frame. The position of the door seal is established by the closing of the door against the vehicle frame such that the bulb portion is engaged by the door and presses the base portion into the mounting channel to position the door seal in an optimal sealing position.
The advantages of this invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to
One skilled in the art will recognize that a sealed closure, such as the door to an automobile, can be utilized in many different applications, including any doorway against which a door closes. Examples of such applications would include aircraft, trains, and other transportation vehicles. Appliances, such as refrigerators, stoves and microwaves, utilized sealed closures to provide a selectively openable entryway into the appliance. Windows and doors on static structures are also provided with seals to prevent the entry of wind, rain and debris through the opening when closed. Accordingly, one skilled in the art will recognize that the description of the preferred embodiment herein, i.e. that of a door on an automotive vehicle, is not limiting to the scope of application of the instant invention.
The elastomeric door seal 20 is positioned between the periphery of the door 12 and the corresponding adjacent frame 15 of the vehicle against which the door 12 closes. The door seal 12 is conventionally carried on either the frame 15 or on the door 12, but is preferably carried on the frame 15. In operation, the closure of the door 12 against the adjacent vehicle frame 15 compresses the elastomeric door seal 20 and creates a watertight seal around the periphery of the door 12 to prevent the passage of water or wind when the door 12 is closed against the frame 15. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the manufacturing and assembly of the door 12 on the automotive frame 15 can result in variations in the size of the gap between the door 12 and the frame 15 when the door is completely closed. When such variations in the gap are outside the normal range of operation of the door seal, compensation is conventionally accomplished by resetting the door 12 so that the closure gap falls within the sealing range of the door seal 20. Such compensation operations require substantial amounts of time and are, therefore, expensive to incur.
The adjustable door seal 20 incorporating the principles of the instant invention is formed with a base portion 22 and a bulb portion 25. The frame 15 is preferably formed with a mounting channel 18 defining a receiving cup that encircles the frame opening that is closed by the door 12. The base portion 22 of the door seal 20 is basically rectangular in cross-section, but is formed with a plurality of barbs or serrations 23 projecting from the opposing sides of the exterior surface of the base portion 22 in such a manner that the base portion 22 can be moved easily into the receiving cup of the mounting channel 18 supporting the base portion 22, but not easily extracted from the mounting channel 18. The bulb portion 25 is integrally formed with the base portion 22 and projects outwardly therefrom for engagement by the door 12 when closed against the door seal 20. The elastomeric barbs or serrations 23 provide a frictional lock between the base portion 22 and the mounting channel 18 when the door seal 20 is installed within the mounting channel 18 and extend along the longitudinal length of the base portion 22. Preferably, the barbs 23 are continuous along the length of the base portion 22, but could be formed as non-continuous, individual members spaced along the length of the base portion 22. An inner bumper 29 projects from the base portion 22 into the interior of the bulb 25 to perform the function of setting the door seal 20, as will be described in greater detail below.
The door seal 20 is initially mounted in the mounting channel 18 with the base portion 22 received within the mounting channel 18 and the bulb portion 25 positioned for engagement by the closing door 12. As represented in
One skilled in the art will recognize that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
For example, the adjustable door seal 20 described above is not limited to the preferred embodiment of a pivoted automotive door and can be utilized in a sliding door, such as is typically utilized on a van or minivan, or in conjunction with the rear door or hatch of a sport utility vehicle, or the trunk of an automotive vehicle.
