Vehicle Door Seal Support Over Screw Heads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional motor vehicle door seals face challenges in maintaining continuous contact with the vehicle body side due to obstructions like door locks and screws, leading to complex and difficult-to-produce shapes in the body side, which compromise ergonomics and aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle door design featuring a joint support with a flexible blade that covers the screw head, allowing the seal to travel directly over the screw, thereby optimizing its path and simplifying the body side shape, which is easier to produce and maintain a smooth appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seal path deviates to bypass door locks and screws, then the seal can maintain continuous contact with the body side, but the body side shape becomes complex and difficult to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
A gasket support element is introduced as an intermediary component between the seal and the door frame. This support element carries the seal along its length and allows the seal to maintain a straight path while bypassing obstructions like locks and screws. The support element mediates between the seal's need for continuity and the body side's need for simple geometry, eliminating the need for complex body side shaping.
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket support element extends the seal path into a third dimension by positioning the seal above or below the door frame plane rather than forcing the body side to conform to a convoluted two-dimensional path. This dimensional relocation allows the seal to pass over or under obstructions without requiring the body side to develop complex localized shapes.
2Reliability
If the pillars are widened to accommodate complex seal paths, then the seal can maintain continuous contact, but the door opening size is reduced and ergonomics are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket support element serves as a mediator that carries the seal independently of the pillar geometry. By decoupling the seal path from the pillar structure, the pillars can maintain their original narrow dimensions without compromising seal continuity. The support element absorbs the complexity of navigating around locks and screws, preserving door opening size and accessibility.
3Reliability
If the body side is shaped to follow the seal path, then the seal can maintain continuous contact with the body side, but the vehicle appearance is compromised due to widened visible pillars
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket support element acts as an intermediary that separates the seal path requirements from the body side geometry requirements. The seal can follow its required path while the body side maintains clean, simple lines. The support element, being a separate component, can be positioned to hide or minimize its visual impact, preserving the vehicle's aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket support element introduces local complexity only where needed - in the region of the door frame where the seal must navigate around locks and screws. The rest of the body side can maintain its simple, aesthetically pleasing geometry. This localized application of complexity preserves overall vehicle appearance while ensuring seal continuity in the critical area.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a
Figure 3b
AI summary
A motor vehicle door (10') comprising a door frame (11) having an outer panel (12), said door being provided with a sealing gasket (20) fixed to the frame opposite the outer panel, said gasket running along the perimeter of the door on an edge (13) of the frame so as to ensure sealing all around the door between said edge of the frame and a side of the body (30), door closed, said door having on its edge a door fitting (14) mounted on the frame by a fixing screw (15), characterized in that it includes a gasket support (40) mounted integrally with said screw, said support having a flexible blade (42) capable of removably covering a head (16) of said screw and defining, in its covering position, a convex external surface (42a) intended to be at least partially fitted by said gasket.