Vehicle Closure Sealing Unit Without Steel Carrier Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle door sealing structures are costly and heavy due to the use of steel carriers and tapes, which experience reduced attaching force at corners and increased tensile and compressive forces, leading to separation issues.
Innovation Solution
A sealing device for a closure module that fixes a sealing unit to a vehicle body using tape without a conventional carrier, featuring a roof extension, sealing unit, and sealing tapes to secure the unit to the roof panel, reducing weight and cost while maintaining effective sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a carrier is used to fix the body sealing tube to the roof side panel, then the attaching force is improved, but the weight and cost are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the carrier component from the sealing structure, extracting the unnecessary element that caused weight and cost increases. The body sealing tube is directly fixed to the roof side panel using adhesive alone, eliminating the steel or stainless steel carrier that was previously required for attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the durable but heavy and expensive carrier with a simpler, lighter adhesive bonding system. The adhesive provides sufficient attaching force without requiring the robust but weighty carrier structure, achieving a more economical and lightweight solution.
2Reliability
If both body sealing tube and door weather strip are applied, then the sealing performance is improved, but the cost and weight are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the door weather strip from the sealing structure, extracting the redundant component that contributed to increased weight and cost. The body sealing tube alone is sufficient to seal the gap between the door and roof side panel, making the additional weather strip unnecessary.
3Ease of manufacture
If tape is used to fix the body sealing tube, then the cost is reduced, but the attaching force is reduced at corners leading to separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the adhesive, specifically increasing its viscosity to prevent corner deformation and maintain attaching force. The adhesive is formulated with high viscosity to resist the tensile and compressive forces that occur at corners, preventing the body sealing tube from separating while keeping the manufacturing cost low.
4Reliability
If the length of tape is increased to secure attaching force, then the attaching force is improved, but the tensile and compressive forces in the tape are increased causing continuous reduction in attaching force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the viscosity parameter of the adhesive to high viscosity, which prevents corner deformation and maintains attaching force without requiring increased tape length. This high viscosity formulation allows the use of shorter adhesive application while maintaining or improving attaching force, avoiding the cumulative tensile and compressive forces that would occur with longer tape.
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 reduces the weight and cost of the sealing structure while maintaining the attaching force and preventing water and dust ingress, without the need for a steel carrier, thus enhancing the sealing efficiency and appearance of the vehicle.
Implementation Method 1
it is necessary to apply a sliding type door or an opposing type door... fixes the body sealing tube to the roof side panel using the tape
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment sealing device of a closure module for a vehicle includes a roof extension extending vertically from an upper end of a roof panel, a sealing unit assembled with the upper end of the roof panel, the sealing unit configured to seal a gap between the roof panel and a door panel adjacent to the roof panel, and a first sealing tape provided on either the roof extension or the sealing unit, the first sealing tape configured to fix the sealing unit to the roof extension.