Sunroof seal structure

Abstract

To provide a seal structure for a sunroof which can improve sealability.SOLUTION: A seal structure 10 for a sunroof comprises: a vehicle body 20; a sunroof 30; and a seal member 40. An opening 21 is arranged on an upper part of the vehicle body 20. The vehicle body 20 includes an annular support part 22 which partitions the opening 21 and extends from an inner peripheral surface 21a in a horizontal direction. The sunroof 30 is supported by the support part 22. The seal member 40 is an annular shape. The seal member 40 is arranged between the support part 22 and the sunroof 30. The seal member 40 is compressed in a vertical direction by the support part 22 and the sunroof 30 to seal between the vehicle body 20 and a sunroof 30. The seal member 40 includes: an annular first seal part 41; and an annular second seal part 42 which is positioned at an outer periphery of the first seal part 41. The first seal part 41 is a closed-cell foamed part F1. The second seal part 42 is an open-cell foamed part F2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seal structure for a sunroof. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a sunroof sealing structure. The sunroof sealing structure includes a vehicle body, a sunroof, and a sealing member. An opening is provided in the upper part of the vehicle body. The vehicle body has an annular support portion extending horizontally from an inner peripheral surface that defines the opening. The sunroof is supported by the support portion. The sealing member is annular. The sealing member is disposed between the support portion and the sunroof. The sealing member is compressed in the vertical direction by the support portion and the sunroof, thereby sealing between the vehicle body and the sunroof. This prevents water from entering the vehicle from outside through between the vehicle body and the sunroof. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-43168 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such sunroof seal structures, the support portion may be wavy or wrinkled, causing the upper surface of the support portion to become uneven, which may allow water to enter through the gap between the support portion and the seal member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The sunroof seal structure for solving the above problems includes a vehicle body having an opening at the top and an annular support part extending horizontally from an inner peripheral surface that defines the opening, a sunroof supported by the support part, and an annular seal member disposed between the support part and the sunroof, wherein the seal member seals between the vehicle body and the sunroof by being compressed in the vertical direction by the support part and the sunroof, and the seal member has an annular first seal part and an annular second seal part positioned on the outer periphery of the first seal part, one of the first seal part and the second seal part being a closed-cell foam part containing closed cells that are independent bubbles, and the other being an open-cell foam part containing open cells where multiple bubbles are connected together.

[0006] According to the above configuration, one of the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion is a closed-cell foam portion, and the other is an open-cell foam portion. The closed-cell foam portion has better water-stopping performance than the open-cell foam portion. Therefore, the closed-cell foam portion can prevent water from entering the vehicle from outside through the gap between the vehicle body and the sunroof into the vehicle. The open-cell foam portion is also more easily deformed than the closed-cell foam portion. Therefore, even if the upper surface of the support portion is uneven, the open-cell foam portion is in close contact with the upper surface of the support portion, making it difficult for water to enter between the support portion and the sealing member. By combining the closed-cell foam portion and the open-cell foam portion, which have different properties, the sealing performance between the vehicle body and the sunroof can be improved.

[0007] In the above-mentioned sunroof sealing structure, the sealing member may have an annular third sealing portion located on the inner periphery of the first sealing portion, the first sealing portion being the closed-cell foam portion, and the second sealing portion and the third sealing portion being the open-cell foam portions.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the first seal, which is a closed-cell foam portion, is sandwiched between the second and third seal portions, which are open-cell foam portions. This prevents the first seal from tilting or buckling when the seal member is compressed vertically by the support portion and the sunroof. As a result, the gap between the vehicle body and the sunroof can be more reliably sealed.

[0009] In the above-mentioned sunroof sealing structure, the sealing member may have an annular third sealing portion located on the inner periphery of the first sealing portion, the first sealing portion being the open-cell foam portion, and the second sealing portion and the third sealing portion being the closed-cell foam portions.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the closed-cell foam portion is double-positioned as the second and third seal portions. Therefore, even if water penetrates past the second seal portion located on the outer periphery, the third seal portion located on the inner periphery can prevent water from entering. This further improves the seal between the vehicle body and the sunroof. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the sealing performance can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a sunroof seal structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a sealing member in the embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a sunroof seal structure according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a sunroof seal structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a sunroof sealing structure will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the sunroof seal structure 10 includes a vehicle body 20, a sunroof 30, and a seal member 40.

[0014] An opening 21 is provided at the top of the vehicle body 20. The opening 21 in this embodiment is rectangular. The vehicle body 20 has an annular support portion 22. The support portion 22 extends horizontally from an inner circumferential surface 21a that defines the opening 21. The support portion 22 in this embodiment extends horizontally from the lower end of the inner circumferential surface 21a that defines the opening 21. The support portion 22 in this embodiment is rectangular frame-shaped. The support portion 22 is a part that cannot be seen from outside or inside the vehicle. If the support portion 22 is wavy or wrinkled, the upper surface 22a of the support portion 22 may be uneven.

[0015] The sunroof 30 constitutes the roof of the vehicle. The sunroof 30 is configured so that a skylight 31 can be opened and closed. The sunroof 30 is attached to the vehicle body 20. The sunroof 30 is supported by a support portion 22.

[0016] <Sealing material> 2, the seal member 40 is annular. The seal member 40 is formed into an annular shape by overlapping both ends of an extruded rod-shaped seal member 40. The seal member 40 of this embodiment has a rectangular frame shape.

[0017] The seal member 40 of this embodiment has an annular first seal portion 41, an annular second seal portion 42, and an annular third seal portion 43. The first seal portion 41, the second seal portion 42, and the third seal portion 43 are each shaped like a rectangular frame. The second seal portion 42 is one size larger than the first seal portion 41. The second seal portion 42 is located on the outer periphery of the first seal portion 41. The third seal portion 43 is one size smaller than the first seal portion 41. The third seal portion 43 is located on the inner periphery of the first seal portion 41.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3 , the first seal portion 41 and the second seal portion 42 are fixed to each other by a first double-sided tape 51 provided between the outer peripheral surface of the first seal portion 41 and the inner peripheral surface of the second seal portion 42. The first seal portion 41 and the third seal portion 43 are fixed to each other by a second double-sided tape 52 provided between the inner peripheral surface of the first seal portion 41 and the outer peripheral surface of the third seal portion 43. Note that the first double-sided tape 51 and the second double-sided tape 52 are not shown in FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, the width of the second seal portion 42 is larger than the width of the first seal portion 41. The width of the third seal portion 43 is larger than the width of the first seal portion 41.

[0019] The seal member 40 has an upper surface 40a and a lower surface 40b. The upper surface 40a and the lower surface 40b extend in a substantially horizontal direction. The upper surface 40a of the seal member 40 is made up of the upper surface 41a of the first seal portion 41, the upper surface 42a of the second seal portion 42, and the upper surface 43a of the third seal portion 43. The lower surface 40b of the seal member 40 is made up of the lower surface 41b of the first seal portion 41, the lower surface 42b of the second seal portion 42, and the lower surface 43b of the third seal portion 43.

[0020] The first seal portion 41, the second seal portion 42, and the third seal portion 43 are each made of a urethane sponge. The first seal portion 41 is a closed-cell foam portion F1. The second seal portion 42 and the third seal portion 43 are open-cell foam portions F2.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 4, the closed-cell foam portion F1 contains closed cells B1, which are independent cells. As shown in FIG. 5, the open-cell foam portion F2 contains therein open cells B2 in which a plurality of cells are connected together.

[0022] As described above, the closed-cell foam section F1 and the open-cell foam section F2 have opposing properties due to the different state of the internal bubbles. Specifically, the closed-cell foam section F1 is less prone to deformation than the open-cell foam section F2, but has better water-stopping performance than the open-cell foam section F2. On the other hand, the open-cell foam section F2 has poorer water-stopping performance than the closed-cell foam section F1, but is more prone to deformation than the closed-cell foam section F1.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3 , the seal member 40 is disposed between the support portion 22 of the vehicle body 20 and the sunroof 30. The upper surface 40a of the seal member 40 faces the lower surface 30a of the sunroof 30. The lower surface 40b of the seal member 40 faces the upper surface 22a of the support portion 22. The seal member 40 is fixed to the sunroof 30 by a third double-sided tape 53 provided between the upper surface 40a of the seal member 40 and the lower surface 30a of the sunroof 30. The seal member 40 is not fixed to the support portion 22. The second seal portion 42 is located closer to the exterior of the vehicle than the first seal portion 41. The third seal portion 43 is located closer to the interior of the vehicle than the first seal portion 41.

[0024] The support portion 22 of the vehicle body 20 and the sunroof 30 are assembled in the vertical direction by bolts and nuts (not shown). As a result of the support portion 22 and the sunroof 30 being assembled in the vertical direction, the seal member 40 is compressed in the vertical direction by the support portion 22 and the sunroof 30. As a result, the seal member 40 seals between the upper surface 22a of the support portion 22 and the lower surface 30a of the sunroof 30.

[0025] [Actions and Effects of This Embodiment] The operation and effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The seal member 40 has an annular first seal portion 41 and an annular second seal portion 42 located on the outer periphery of the first seal portion 41. The first seal portion 41 is a closed-cell foam portion F1. The second seal portion 42 is an open-cell foam portion F2. The closed-cell foam portion F1 has superior water-stopping performance than the open-cell foam portion F2. Therefore, the first seal portion 41, which is the closed-cell foam portion F1, can prevent water from entering the vehicle from outside through between the vehicle body 20 and the sunroof 30. Furthermore, the open-cell foam portion F2 is more easily deformed than the closed-cell foam portion F1. Therefore, even if the upper surface 22a of the support portion 22 is uneven, the second seal portion 42, which is the open-cell foam portion F2, is in close contact with the upper surface 22a of the support portion 22, making it difficult for water to enter between the upper surface 22a of the support portion 22 and the lower surface 40b of the seal member 40. By combining the closed-cell foam portion F1 and the open-cell foam portion F2, which have different properties, the sealing performance between the vehicle body 20 and the sunroof 30 can be improved.

[0026] (2) The seal member 40 has an annular third seal portion 43 located on the inner periphery of the first seal portion 41. The third seal portion 43 is an open-cell foam portion F2. With this configuration, the first seal portion 41, which is the closed-cell foam portion F1, is sandwiched between the second seal portion 42 and the third seal portion 43, which are also open-cell foam portions F2. Therefore, when the seal member 40 is compressed in the vertical direction by the support portion 22 and the sunroof 30, the first seal portion 41 is prevented from tilting or buckling. As a result, the gap between the vehicle body 20 and the sunroof 30 can be more reliably sealed.

[0027] (3) The open-cell foam section F2 generates a smaller reaction force during compression than the closed-cell foam section F1. This makes the assembly process easier than if the worker were to assemble the sunroof 30 to the vehicle body 20 with a sealing member consisting solely of the closed-cell foam section F1 between the support section 22 and the sunroof 30.

[0028] (4) For example, it is conceivable to seal the gap between the upper surface 22a of the support portion 22 and the lower surface of the sealing member by bonding the upper surface 22a of the support portion 22 and the lower surface of the sealing member with an adhesive. In this case, even if the upper surface 22a of the support portion 22 is uneven, water is less likely to enter between the upper surface 22a of the support portion 22 and the lower surface of the sealing member. However, when removing the sunroof 30 from the vehicle body 20, for example, in the event of a malfunction of the sunroof 30, the adhesive must be removed, which is time-consuming. In contrast, in this embodiment, the sealing member 40 is not fixed to the vehicle body 20. Therefore, the sunroof 30 can be easily removed from the vehicle body 20.

[0029] (5) For example, when the seal member has a complex configuration, such as when the seal member is hollow, molding the corners of the seal member can be difficult. In contrast, the seal member 40 of this embodiment has a simple configuration with three annular seal portions arranged. Therefore, molding is possible even at the corners of the seal member 40.

[0030] (6) One way to achieve a seal member that has both high water-stopping performance and is easy to deform is to devise a new material for the seal member. However, this requires the use of a special material. In contrast, this embodiment achieves both high water-stopping performance and ease of deformation by combining the closed-cell foam section F1 and the open-cell foam section F2. Therefore, existing urethane sponges can be used for the seal member 40 without the need for a special material.

[0031] [Example of change] The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0032] The seal member 40 does not necessarily have to have the third seal portion 43. That is, the seal member 40 may be composed of only an annular first seal portion 41 and an annular second seal portion 42 positioned around the outer periphery of the first seal portion 41. In this case, the first seal portion 41 may be the closed-cell foam portion F1 and the second seal portion 42 may be the open-cell foam portion F2, or the first seal portion 41 may be the open-cell foam portion F2 and the second seal portion 42 may be the closed-cell foam portion F1. That is, it is sufficient that one of the first seal portion 41 and the second seal portion 42 is the closed-cell foam portion F1 and the other is the open-cell foam portion F2.

[0033] The sealing member 40 may have four or more annular sealing portions arranged in layers, provided that the sealing member 40 has at least one sealing portion that is a closed-cell foam portion F1 and one sealing portion that is an open-cell foam portion F2.

[0034] 6, the first seal portion 41 may be an open-cell foam portion F2, and the second seal portion 42 and the third seal portion 43 may be closed-cell foam portions F1. In this case, it is preferable that the widths of the second seal portion 42 and the third seal portion 43 are smaller than the width of the first seal portion 41.

[0035] According to this configuration, the closed-cell foam portion F1 is doubly arranged as the second seal portion 42 and the third seal portion 43. Therefore, even if water penetrates past the second seal portion 42 located on the outer periphery, the third seal portion 43 located on the inner periphery can prevent water from entering. This further improves the sealing performance between the vehicle body 20 and the sunroof 30.

[0036] The material of the sealing member 40 is not limited to urethane. The first seal portion 41, the second seal portion 42, and the third seal portion 43 may be integrally molded. In this case, the first double-sided tape 51 and the second double-sided tape 52 are not necessary.

[0037] The method for fixing the first seal portion 41 and the second seal portion 42 is not limited to the first double-sided tape 51. For example, the first seal portion 41 and the second seal portion 42 may be fixed to each other by an adhesive.

[0038] The method for fixing the first seal portion 41 and the third seal portion 43 is not limited to the second double-sided tape 52. For example, the first seal portion 41 and the third seal portion 43 may be fixed to each other by an adhesive.

[0039] The method for fixing the sunroof 30 and the seal member 40 is not limited to the third double-sided tape 53. For example, the sunroof 30 and the seal member 40 may be fixed to each other with an adhesive. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10...sunroof seal structure, 20...vehicle body, 21...opening, 21a...inner surface, 22...support portion, 30...sunroof, 40...sealing member, 41...first seal portion, 42...second seal portion, 43...third seal portion, B1...closed cell, B2...open cell, F1...closed cell foam portion, F2...open cell foam portion.

Claims

1. a vehicle body having an opening at an upper portion and an annular support portion extending horizontally from an inner circumferential surface that defines the opening; a sunroof supported by the support portion; an annular seal member disposed between the support portion and the sunroof; Equipped with The seal member is compressed in the vertical direction by the support portion and the sunroof to seal between the vehicle body and the sunroof, the seal member has an annular first seal portion and an annular second seal portion located on an outer periphery of the first seal portion, one of the first seal portion and the second seal portion is a closed-cell foam portion including closed cells that are independent cells, and the other is an open-cell foam portion including open cells in which a plurality of cells are connected to one another; A seal structure for a sunroof, characterized in that an outer peripheral surface of the first seal portion and an inner peripheral surface of the second seal portion are fixed to each other.

2. the seal member has an annular third seal portion located on an inner periphery of the first seal portion, the first sealing portion is the closed-cell foam portion, the second seal portion and the third seal portion are the open-cell foam portion, 2. The sunroof seal structure according to claim 1, wherein an inner peripheral surface of the first seal portion and an outer peripheral surface of the third seal portion are fixed to each other.

3. the seal member has an annular third seal portion located on an inner periphery of the first seal portion, the first seal portion is the open-cell foam portion, the second seal portion and the third seal portion are the closed-cell foam portion, 2. The sunroof seal structure according to claim 1, wherein an inner peripheral surface of the first seal portion and an outer peripheral surface of the third seal portion are fixed to each other.

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