Two-Material Closing Plug for Low-Force Opening Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closing plugs for vehicle components face challenges in securely and reliably sealing through-openings with varying material thicknesses and require high assembly forces, often leading to issues like 'sinking' or 'push-through' during environmental tests.
Innovation Solution
A closing plug comprising a hard base body and a soft sealing/fastening device, connected via form-fit recesses, which allows for secure sealing and connection without catching means, reducing assembly forces and preventing 'sinking' or 'push-through' by using a combination of hard and soft components made from materials like PP and TPV, respectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rubber-elastic plugs with catching elements are used to seal through-openings, then sealing reliability is improved, but assembly forces increase and sinking or push-through occurs during environmental tests
Solution Approach 1:
The closing plug is divided into two distinct components: a hard base body made of rigid plastic for structural support and positioning, and a soft sealing component made of elastomeric material for sealing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specialized function without the drawbacks of using a single material for both structural and sealing purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines two different materials with complementary properties: a hard rigid plastic (such as polypropylene) for the base body that provides dimensional stability and resistance to sinking, and a soft elastomeric material for the sealing component that provides sealing capability without requiring high assembly forces. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between sealing reliability and assembly force requirements.
2Reliability
If catching elements are provided on the sealing plug to prevent sliding out, then retention is improved, but device complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing component integrates both the sealing function and the retention function into a single element. The soft sealing component is designed with a geometry that provides both sealing contact surfaces and retention features (such as an L-shaped cross-section with flanges) without requiring separate catching elements. This merging reduces structural complexity while maintaining retention reliability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If through-openings are sealed with rigid plugs, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to varying material thicknesses deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hard base body provides structural stability and dimensional consistency for positioning, while the soft sealing component provides local adaptability to accommodate variations in material thickness and surface irregularities. This local differentiation of material properties allows the closing plug to maintain overall structural stability while adapting to different opening conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The soft sealing component can deform elastically to change its dimensional parameters (such as thickness and shape) to match the specific geometry of the opening being sealed. This parameter change capability allows the same closing plug design to adapt to varying material thicknesses while the hard base body maintains consistent positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a closing plug is provided for closing through-openings in components, such as components of motor vehicles. The closing plug includes a base body made from a hard component with a closing wall for covering a through-opening, and a sealing/fastening device made from a soft component. The soft component is configured to be sealed and connected to a wall of a carrier component that bounds a through-opening. The closing plug can be inserted into a through-opening in an assembly direction that extends orthogonally to a wall of a carrier component that bounds a through-opening.