Vehicle Door Gasket String With Concealed Ventilation Openings

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for producing sealing strips with ventilation openings, such as mechanical processing or laser drilling, are labor-intensive and prone to contamination or impairment of the sealing strand's appearance, especially when producing long sealing profiles.

Innovation Solution

The use of a first elastomer material for the circumferential section of the sealing tube allows for the production of openings through material displacement or removal, preventing particle collection and enabling less precise opening formation, which are then concealed by the installation position and edge protection, facilitating production and appearance preservation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If mechanical processing or laser drilling is used to produce openings in the sealing hose, then ventilation and drainage functions are achieved, but production effort increases and particles may collect in the hollow chamber

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveventilation and drainage functionVSAvoidproduction effort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing hose is designed with a foam rubber material that inherently contains porous structure, providing ventilation and drainage functions without requiring additional mechanical processing or drilling of openings. The porous nature of the foam material allows condensate to pass through while maintaining structural integrity and reducing production complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

2Object-generated harmful factors

If laser drilling is used to produce openings, then particle collection in the hollow chamber is prevented, but residues contaminate the profile surface

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparticle collection preventionVSAvoidsurface contamination
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The foam rubber sealing hose provides inherent porosity that prevents particle accumulation while avoiding the surface contamination issues associated with laser drilling. The uniform porous structure allows controlled passage of condensate without generating harmful residues on the profile surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

3Manufacturing precision

If openings are produced with high precision during continuous production, then appearance is preserved, but production complexity and effort increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveopening precisionVSAvoidproduction process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The foam rubber material's inherent porous structure eliminates the need for precision opening production during continuous manufacturing. The uniform porosity is achieved through material formulation and processing rather than post-production opening creation, significantly reducing production complexity while maintaining appearance quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

4Reliability

If the sealing strip is made from softer elastomer material for better sealing, then sealing performance improves, but opening production becomes more difficult and particles may collect

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidopening production difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The foam rubber elastomer material combines softness for improved sealing performance with inherent porosity that facilitates easy opening production and prevents particle collection. The cellular structure of the foam material allows condensate drainage while maintaining the soft, compliant properties needed for effective sealing against the door.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Data Source

PatentEP2736744B1Gasket string, in particular for sealing a door jamb against a vehicle door
Publication Date: 2018.04.04 CQLT SAARGUMMI TECH S A R L
  • EP2736744B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2736744B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP2736744B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

The invention relates to a gasket string, in particular for sealing a door jamb against a vehicle door, having a fixing portion (2), preferably comprising a first elastomeric material, which together with a further portion (6), which optionally comprises a second elastomeric material softer than the first elastomeric material, forms a tubular seal (7), the tube wall of which has openings (16) arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the string. According to the invention, the openings are arranged such that in the installed position said openings are concealed by a circumferentially formed angled portion (19) of the tube wall of the gasket string (7).