Dust-proof seal

Abstract

To improve workability of mounting work by reducing the number of dust-proof seals covering a drain hole provided in a door of a vehicle.SOLUTION: The dust-proof seal 20 is mounted on a door corresponding to a plurality of drain holes formed on a lower edge part of the door of a vehicle. The dust-proof seal 20 comprises a tube-shaped seal body 22 which is arranged extending along the lower edge of the door. Both ends of the seal body 22 are opened to form an end discharge port 36. In the seal body 22, a receiving port 34 is formed at a position opposed to the drain hole, and a bottom discharge port 38 is formed at a position opposite to the drain hole and different from the receiving port 34 in the longitudinal direction of the seal body 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dustproof seal provided in correspondence with a drain hole in a vehicle door, and in particular to the structure thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Many vehicle doors have windows that can be opened and closed. A vehicle door includes a door body and a door glass that rises and falls, and the window is opened and closed by raising and lowering the door glass. When the door is opened, at least a portion of the door glass is housed within the door body. Water can enter the interior of the door body by running down the door glass. To drain the water that has entered, a drain hole is provided at the bottom of the door body. External noise such as wind noise and road noise enters the interior of the door body through the drain hole and is then emitted into the vehicle interior. Dust can also enter through the drain hole and accumulate around it, causing it to become clogged. To prevent noise and dust from entering, a dustproof seal is sometimes installed that covers the drain hole with a small gap.

[0003] Patent Document 1 below proposes providing a sound insulating cover over the drain hole in order to block external noise from entering through the drain hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-210075 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A number of drain holes are provided along the bottom edge of the door body, and attaching a dustproof seal to each of these drain holes separately poses a problem in that it requires a large number of parts and is a time-consuming process.

[0006] The present invention aims to at least one of reducing the number of parts involved in a dustproof seal and improving workability during installation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The dustproof seal of the present invention is provided in correspondence with drain holes formed in the lower edge of a vehicle door, and includes a tubular seal body extending along the lower edge of the door and corresponding to a plurality of drain holes, the seal body being open at both ends to form end discharge outlets, the seal body having an inlet formed at a position opposite the drain holes, and a bottom discharge outlet formed on the opposite side of the drain holes and at a position different from the drain holes in the longitudinal direction of the seal body.

[0008] A single dustproof seal can be used for multiple drain holes to prevent noise and dust from entering.

[0009] The dustproof seal may include a seal lip that extends from the seal body toward the vehicle body and abuts against the vehicle body when the door is closed. The seal lip can close the gap between the door and the vehicle body.

[0010] The dustproof seal may have a partition wall provided inside the seal body, the partition wall extending along the longitudinal direction of the seal body, separating the side where the receiving port is formed from the side where the bottom discharge port is formed, and a communication port that connects the side where the receiving port is formed with the side where the bottom discharge port is formed is formed. The partition wall suppresses deformation of the seal body.

[0011] At least one surface of the partition wall may be formed with irregularities, which attenuate sound passing through the inside of the seal body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] By using one dustproof seal to cover multiple drainage holes, the number of parts in the dustproof seal is reduced and workability during installation is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a side door of a vehicle equipped with a dustproof seal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the dustproof seal and the side door separated from each other. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a dustproof seal. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the dustproof seal taken along line AA in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the dustproof seal taken along line BB in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is an explanatory diagram for adjusting the opening area of ​​the end outlet of the dustproof seal. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terms indicating relative positions and orientations, such as front, rear, left, right, top, bottom, etc., refer to relative positions and orientations with respect to the vehicle. In addition, in the left-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle, the side closer to the center line extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle will be referred to as the inside in the vehicle width direction, and the side further away will be referred to as the outside in the vehicle width direction. In each drawing, the arrow FR points forward, the arrow UP points upward, the arrow LH points leftward, and the arrow IN points inside in the vehicle width direction.

[0015] The body of a vehicle is provided with an opening for passengers to get in and out. This opening is typically provided on the side of the body, and the body is provided with side doors for opening and closing the opening. Side doors are provided corresponding to the left and right front seats, and in many cases, side doors are also provided on the left and right sides of the rear seats.

[0016] FIG. 1 exemplarily illustrates a side door 10, one of multiple side doors, located beside the right front seat. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a portion of the lower edge of the side door 10. The arrows FR, IN, and UP shown in the figure indicate the direction of the side door 10 when closed. The side door 10 includes a door main body 12 and a door frame 14 disposed above the door main body 12. The side door 10 further includes a door glass 16 that can be raised and lowered. When the door glass 16 is raised, it is positioned within a window frame formed by the upper edge of the door main body 12 and the door frame 14, and the window is in a closed state. When the door glass 16 is lowered, at least a portion of it is housed inside the door main body 12, and the window is in an open state. In addition to the door glass 16 when lowered, the door main body 12 accommodates a window regulator that raises and lowers the door glass 16, a door lock mechanism that locks the door, and the like.

[0017] A gap exists between the door body 12 and the door glass 16, and rainwater and the like seeps into the interior of the door body 12 through this gap. To drain the seeping water, drain holes 18 are formed in the lower edge of the door body 12 (see FIG. 2). A plurality of drain holes 18 are arranged along the direction of the lower edge of the door body 12. Dustproof seals 20 are arranged in the lower edge of the door body 12 to correspond to the plurality of drain holes 18. The dustproof seal 20 is an elongated part that extends along the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle at the lower edge of the door body 12. The dustproof seal 20 may be made of rubber and may be formed by extrusion molding.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the dustproof seal 20 alone. (a) shows the appearance of the dustproof seal 20, and (b) is a diagram with a portion broken away to show the interior. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3. In the following description of the dustproof seal 20, the relative positions and orientations, such as front, back, left, right, top, and bottom, are based on the state when the dustproof seal 20 is attached to the closed side door 10.

[0019] The dustproof seal 20 includes a tubular seal body 22, an attachment piece 24 extending upward from the inner edge of the seal body 22 in the vehicle width direction, and a seal lip 26 extending and curving inward and downward from the inner edge of the seal body 22 in the vehicle width direction. The attachment piece 24 and the seal lip 26 extend over the entire longitudinal direction of the seal body 22 and have the same length as the seal body 22.

[0020] The mounting piece 24 has a plurality of mounting holes 28 arranged along the longitudinal direction. The mounting holes 28 are aligned with mounting holes 30 (see FIG. 2) formed in the door body 12, and mounting clips 32 are inserted into the mounting holes 28 and 30. This fixes the dustproof seal 20 to the lower edge of the door body 12.

[0021] The seal body 22 is tubular and defines a flow path within the tubular shape. An inlet 34 is formed on the surface of the seal body 22 facing the door body 12. The inlet 34 is located opposite the drainage hole 18 when the dustproof seal 20 is attached to the door body 12. Water that penetrates the door body 12 passes through the drainage hole 18 and the inlet 34 and flows into the flow path defined by the seal body 22. Both ends of the tubular seal body 22 are open, and water that enters the flow path flows along this flow path and is discharged from both ends. The openings at the ends of the seal body 22 are referred to as end outlets 36. Furthermore, a bottom outlet 38 is formed on the surface of the seal body 22 opposite the door body 12 (hereinafter referred to as the bottom surface). The bottom outlet 38 is located between the inlets 34 in the longitudinal direction of the seal body 22. In other words, the bottom outlet 38 is located at a different position from the drainage holes 18. A portion of the water that has flowed into the seal body 22 is discharged from the bottom discharge port 38. Only one bottom discharge port 38 may be formed, or multiple bottom discharge ports 38 may be formed.

[0022] A partition wall 40 is provided inside the seal body 22. The partition wall 40 extends along the longitudinal direction of the seal body 22 and divides the interior space of the seal body 22 into a space on the door body 12 side and a space on the opposite side of the door body 12. That is, the partition wall 40 divides the interior space of the seal body 22 into a side where the inlet 34 is formed and a side where the bottom discharge port 38 is formed. The flow path above the partition wall 40 is referred to as the upper flow path, and the flow path below the partition wall 40 is referred to as the lower flow path. The partition wall 40 has a communication port 42 that connects the two separated spaces. The communication port 42 is formed in the same position as the inlet 34. The communication port 42 allows water flowing in from the door body 12 to also flow into the lower flow path. At least one of the front and rear surfaces of the partition wall 40 has an uneven surface. Figure 5 shows an example where uneven surfaces are formed on both the front and rear surfaces. Specifically, the unevenness is formed by a plurality of ridges or grooves extending along the longitudinal direction of the seal body 22 .

[0023] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, when the side door 10 is closed, the seal lip 26 comes into contact with the vehicle body 44, particularly the edge of the opening that is opened and closed by the side door 10. This causes the seal lip 26 to curve more, and the resulting reaction force urges the seal body 22 upward. This reaction force causes the seal body 22 to come into close contact with the bottom of the door body 12. The seal lip 26 also fills the gap between the door body 12 and the vehicle body 44, blocking noise that may enter through this gap.

[0024] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the door body 12 has an inner panel 46 located on the inside in the vehicle width direction and an outer panel 48 located on the outside, defining an interior space between them. The inner panel 46 and the outer panel 48 are joined at their lower edges, closing the interior space at the lower edge. Water that enters the interior space of the door body 12 collects at the bottom of the interior space and flows out through the drain holes 18 formed in the door body 12, particularly the inner panel 46. The outflowing water is received by the dustproof seal 20. Specifically, the inflowing water flows from the receiving port 34 into a predetermined flow path within the seal body 22. As shown in Figure 3, the water flows through the flow path within the seal body 22 and flows out through the end outlets 36 at both ends and the bottom outlet 38. The seal body 22, which becomes heavy due to the inflowing water, is supported by a reaction force from the seal lip 26 abutting the vehicle body 44.

[0025] Sound and dust enter the interior of the door body 12 in the opposite direction to the water flow via the water discharge path described above. Sound passing through the flow path within the seal body 22 is absorbed and attenuated by the irregularities formed on the surface of the partition wall 40. This reduces noise emitted into the passenger compartment. In addition, the path to the interior space of the door body 12 is longer, and most of the dust accumulates within the seal body 22, preventing it from entering the interior of the door body 12. It is easier to remove dust accumulated within the seal body 22 than to remove dust from within the door body 12. Furthermore, even if the dust in the seal body 22 cannot be removed, the problem can be addressed by replacing the dustproof seal 20.

[0026] The partition wall 40 suppresses deformation of the seal body 22. Since deformation of the seal body 22 is suppressed, the seal body 22 receives a reaction force from the seal lip 26 and tightly adheres to the door body 12.

[0027] 6 shows a method for adjusting the opening area of ​​the end outlet 36. By reducing the opening area of ​​the end outlet 36, it is possible to further suppress the intrusion of sound and dust through the end outlet 36. First, as shown in (a), the end of the side wall 22a of the seal body 22 is cut and removed. Then, as shown in (b), the end of the seal body 22, particularly its corners, is welded to close the door body side surface of the seal body 22, the opposite surface, and the partition wall 40. This makes it possible to narrow the opening area of ​​the end outlet 36.

[0028] The dustproof seal 20 of this embodiment covers multiple drain holes 18 with one seal, suppressing noise and dust from entering the door body 12. This reduces the number of parts compared to attaching an individual dustproof seal to each of the multiple drain holes 18. Also, because the dustproof seals 20 can be attached to multiple drain holes 18 in a single operation, workability is improved compared to attaching dustproof seals one by one.

[0029] The dustproof seal 20 can be manufactured by forming a blank material of uniform cross section by extrusion molding, and then forming the receiving opening 34 and the communication opening 42 to match the position of the drainage hole 18 of the corresponding side door 10. Side doors 10 with different positions of the drainage hole 18 can be accommodated simply by changing the processing positions of the receiving opening 34 and the communication opening 42, making it adaptable to side doors of many vehicle models and specifications.

[0030] Although the dustproof seal 20 has been described above using the right front seat side door 10 as an example, the dustproof seal according to the present disclosure can also be applied to other side doors, and even to back doors, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 10 side door, 12 door body, 16 door glass, 18 drain hole, 20 dustproof seal, 22 seal body, 24 mounting piece, 26 seal lip, 34 receiving port, 36 end discharge port, 38 bottom discharge port, 40 partition wall, 42 communication port, 44 vehicle body.

Claims

1. A dustproof seal provided in correspondence with a drain hole formed in the lower edge of a vehicle door, a tubular seal body extending along a lower edge of the door and corresponding to a plurality of drain holes; The seal body has both ends open to form end outlets; The seal body has a receiving port formed at a position opposite to the drain hole, and a bottom discharge port formed on the opposite side of the drain hole and at a position different from the drain hole in the longitudinal direction of the seal body. Dustproof seal.

2. 2. The dustproof seal according to claim 1, further comprising a seal lip extending from the seal body toward a vehicle body and abutting against the vehicle body when the door is closed.

3. 3. The dustproof seal according to claim 1 or 2, a partition wall provided inside the seal body, the partition wall extending along the longitudinal direction of the seal body and separating the side where the receiving port is formed from the side where the bottom discharge port is formed; The partition wall has a communication port formed therein, which communicates the side where the receiving port is formed with the side where the bottom discharge port is formed. Dustproof seal.

4. 4. The dustproof seal according to claim 3, wherein at least one surface of the partition wall is formed with irregularities.

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