Vehicle Door Seal Venting for Easier Closure Under Air Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
In modern vehicles, the air trapped between the door opening seal, the door, and the door seal becomes compressed when the door is closed, making it difficult to close the door due to increased air pressure.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle door seal assembly is designed with a vent member that compresses a portion of the door opening seal, creating a vent gap that allows trapped air to escape, thereby reducing air pressure and facilitating easier door closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a door seal assembly is used to seal the door opening, then sealing performance is improved, but air pressure increases making door closure difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The door seal assembly is segmented into multiple functional components: a door opening seal for sealing the door opening, a door seal for sealing the door periphery, and a vent member with a vent channel. This segmentation allows the sealing function to be separated from the venting function, enabling effective sealing while providing a dedicated pathway for air pressure relief during door closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The vent member acts as an intermediary element between the enclosed space and the external environment. It provides a controlled vent channel that allows air to escape from the enclosed space during door closure, mediating the pressure build-up issue while maintaining the sealing integrity of the overall door seal assembly.
2Reliability
If seals are installed to define an enclosed space, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but air compression makes door closing difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The vent channel is extracted as a separate functional pathway within the vent member, distinct from the sealing components. This extraction allows air to be removed from the enclosed space during door closure through the vent channel, reducing the compressive force that would otherwise be required to close the door against the sealed opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The vent member serves as an intermediary structure that provides a vent channel for air pressure relief. This intermediary element enables the enclosed space to maintain sealing effectiveness while providing a pressure equalization pathway, thereby reducing the force required for door closure.
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 implementation of the vent member in the vehicle door seal assembly effectively reduces air pressure within the enclosed space, making it easier to close the door by allowing trapped air to vent out.
Implementation Method 1
The vent member is installed within the vehicle body structure compressing a section of the door opening seal such that the vent member and an adjacent section of the door define a vent gap therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle body structure has surfaces that define a door opening and a door. A first seal is attached to the surfaces that define the door opening surrounding the door opening. A second seal is attached to a peripheral surface of the door such that with the door in a closed orientation, the second seal contacts areas of the surfaces that define the door opening. The peripheral surfaces of the door between the first seal and the second seal, the first seal and the second seal define a space therebetween. A vent member is installed on a section of the first seal compressing that section of the first seal such that the vent member and an adjacent section of the door define a vent gap therebetween thereby allowing escape of air trapped and compressed within the space during movement of the door to the closed orientation.