Active Weather Strip Air Chamber Control for Door Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional weather strips face challenges in maintaining consistent door closure and wind sound reduction during high-speed driving due to changes in sealing gaps and aging hardening, which complicates simultaneous improvement of door closing characteristics and wind sound minimization.
Innovation Solution
A sealing structure with an air injection hole and air chamber, controlled by an air control module through an air hose and nozzle resin, adjusts the reaction force of the weather strip based on driving conditions to maintain airtightness and reduce wind noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional weather strip with fixed cross-section is used, then manufacturing is simple and cost-effective, but door closing characteristics deteriorate during high-speed driving due to sealing gap changes
Solution Approach 1:
The weather strip transitions from a fixed cross-section to a dynamic structure with variable cross-section that can change its shape and reaction force based on external conditions such as wind pressure during high-speed driving, thereby maintaining consistent door closing characteristics across different driving conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-sectional dimensions of the weather strip are varied along its length to create different reaction forces at different positions, allowing the sealing structure to adapt to changing pressure conditions during high-speed driving while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through controlled geometric variation
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a variable cross-section is applied to improve reaction force, then wind sound reduction is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The variable cross-section is applied selectively at specific positions along the weather strip where wind sound ingress is most problematic, rather than uniformly throughout, thereby reducing wind noise while maintaining manufacturing simplicity in other sections
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the entire weather strip complex with variable cross-section, the invention applies the variable cross-section only to the extent necessary for improving wind sound reduction, avoiding unnecessary structural complexity while achieving the desired acoustic performance
3Strength
If aging hardening occurs in the weather strip cross-section, then material strength increases, but door closing characteristics deteriorate due to loss of elasticity
Solution Approach 1:
The weather strip is pre-configured with a variable cross-section design that compensates for future aging hardening effects, ensuring that even as the material stiffens over time, the door closing characteristics remain consistent due to the built-in geometric compensation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances door closing characteristics and minimizes wind sound ingress while maintaining airtightness at high pressures, facilitating consistent performance and ease of mass production.
Implementation Method 1
an air control module which is connected to the nozzle resin through an air hose to control a reaction force of the weather strip by injecting air into or discharging air from the air chamber according to driving conditions of a vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing structure of an active weather strip is arranged such that a nozzle resin is mounted in an air injection hole connected to an air chamber formed inside the weather strip in the shape of a closed type ring, and an air control module is connected to the nozzle resin through an air hose. In response to driving conditions of a vehicle, air is injected into or discharged from the air chamber inside the weather strip by an air control module to adjust a reaction force of the weather strip, so as to improve door closing characteristics and minimize an inflow of wind sounds while maintaining airtightness even at a high pressure.