Sealing Profile Guide Element for Precise Body Panel Joint Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for applying a circumferential sealing profile to body components, such as vehicle doors, often result in misalignment between the start and end of the sealing profile due to limited guidance of the free end of the sealing profile, leading to suboptimal seal joint quality and reliability.
Innovation Solution
An application device with a guide element that takes over the guidance of the free end of the sealing profile after it leaves the pressing unit's inlet, ensuring precise alignment and application along the intended line, even when the original guide cannot reach the application site, thereby preventing misalignment and ensuring high-quality seal joints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the guide piece (mouthpiece) is positioned at a certain distance from the application point due to space constraints, then the sealing profile can be guided during application, but the free end of the sealing profile runs out of the guide piece and cannot be sufficiently positioned, resulting in misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
A guide element is introduced as an intermediary component between the mouthpiece and the application point. This guide element specifically guides the free end of the sealing profile, acting as a mediator that bridges the gap left by the mouthpiece's limited reach. The guide element ensures the free end remains properly positioned without requiring the mouthpiece to be directly at the application point.
Solution Approach 2:
The guidance function is divided into two segments: the mouthpiece guides the sealing profile during the main application process, while the guide element specifically guides the free end. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specialized function optimally without requiring one component to handle all guidance tasks.
2Manufacturing precision
If the guide element is added to guide the free end of the sealing profile, then alignment precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element is designed to perform multiple functions: it guides the free end of the sealing profile, supports the sealing profile during application, and ensures proper positioning at the application point. By making the guide element multi-functional, the overall device complexity is minimized while achieving the desired precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide element is positioned specifically where the free end of the sealing profile needs guidance, providing localized guidance exactly where it is needed. This local quality approach ensures precision is improved at the critical location without requiring complex guidance systems throughout the entire application head.
Data Source
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Figure 3a~3b
Figure 3c
AI summary
The present invention relates to an application device (1) for applying a circumferential sealing profile (2) to a body panel, comprising an application head (3), wherein the application head (3) includes a pressure unit (4) and a feed unit (5), the feed unit (5) being configured to feed a sealing profile (2) to be applied to the pressure unit (4) via a sealing profile inlet (6) of the pressure unit (4), and wherein the pressure unit (4) being configured to apply a fed sealing profile (2) to the body panel via a sealing profile outlet (7) of the pressure unit (4). Furthermore, the application head (3) includes a guide element (8), wherein the guide element (8) is configured in a working position (9) to guide a free end (21, 22) of a sealing profile (2) to be applied, which has exited the sealing profile inlet (6).Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for applying a circumferential sealing profile (2) to a body component, wherein the sealing profile (2) to be applied is supplied to a pressure unit (4), the pressure unit (4) is moved relative to the body component, and the sealing profile (2) is applied to the body component by means of the pressure unit (4), wherein a free end (21, 22) of the sealing profile (2) is guided by a guide element (8) before being applied to the body component.