Automotive Door Seal Trim Attachment With Click Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automotive door sealing systems lack a clear 'click' feedback mechanism for secure attachment of decorative trim strips, leading to uncertain completion of assembly and increased complexity with additional components and steps.
Innovation Solution
An automotive door sealing member with an elastic body and integral rigid protrusions on the outside, allowing for a click feedback mechanism during attachment without additional components or steps, using an elastic material for the sealing member body and rigid materials for the protrusions to enhance retention and assembly confirmation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the upper protrusion and lower protrusion are made of elastic material to match the sealing member body, then the sealing member can be easily attached to the curved window frame, but the retaining force for the decorative trim strip member becomes weak and the click feeling is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions are constructed as composite structures with a rigid core (first material) embedded in elastic sealing member body (second material). This allows the protrusions to provide both rigidity for strong retention and click feeling, and elasticity for easy attachment to the curved window frame.
2Reliability
If rigid resin clips are used to increase retaining force and provide click feeling, then the attachment reliability improves, but the number of components and assembling steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid protrusions are integrated directly into the sealing member body as integral structures, eliminating the need for separate clips or fastening components. This merging of functions maintains high retaining force and click feeling while reducing the number of components and assembly steps.
3Ease of manufacture
If the sealing member is made entirely of elastic material for easy attachment to curved surfaces, then the ease of manufacture improves, but the workability and assembly confirmation deteriorate due to lack of click feeling
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member body maintains uniform elasticity for easy attachment to curved surfaces, while the protrusions have localized rigid regions. This local quality differentiation provides click feeling and assembly confirmation at the protrusion engagement points without compromising the overall ease of attachment.
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 provides a clear audible and tactile confirmation of secure attachment, improving workability and retention force without increasing the number of components or assembly steps, while reducing the risk of misalignment and detachment.
Implementation Method 1
both the upper protrusion and the lower protrusion are made of an elastic material similar to the material of the lip, and are easily deformed
Implementation Method 2
there are no sound, vibration, or the like generated when the attachment is completed
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present disclosure is to generate a click feeling, and thus improve workability, in attaching a trim strip member to a sealing member, and to increase a retaining force retaining the trim strip member to the sealing member after the attachment, without an increase in the number of components and the number of assembling steps. A trim strip member 40 includes an upper engagement portion 42 and a lower engagement portion 43 at an upper portion and a lower portion of the trim strip member, respectively. A side of a sealing member body 21 facing outside of a passenger compartment includes a portion made of a rigid material that is harder than an elastic material, and is provided with an upper protrusion 25a and a lower protrusion 25b spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction, the upper protrusion 25a and the lower protrusion 25b respectively engaging with the upper engagement portion 42 and the lower engagement portion 43 of the trim strip member 40.