Interior Flange for Slide-Room Sealing
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flange assemblies for slide-rooms in vehicles face challenges in securing the roof portion due to limited space, leading to leakage and instability, as horizontally-oriented fasteners fail to hold the assembly tightly against the interior wall, and unsecured roof portions can lift, compromising the seal.
Innovation Solution
A flange assembly design featuring a base member mounted on the roof with a coupling portion that extends perpendicular to the surface, allowing for secure fastening with screws oriented vertically, and a sealing portion that engages the vehicle's interior surface, reducing deflection and leakage by providing dual support and compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If horizontally-oriented fasteners are used to secure the flange assembly, then the assembly can be installed on the slide-room, but the fasteners fail to hold the flange assembly tightly against the interior wall, resulting in leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the fastening orientation from horizontal to vertical. The coupling portion extends perpendicular from the roof surface, allowing vertically-oriented fasteners to engage with the base member. This vertical fastening direction provides superior clamping force that holds the flange assembly tightly against the interior wall, eliminating the leakage problem associated with horizontal fasteners.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional horizontal fastening approach to a three-dimensional vertical fastening approach. The coupling portion projects perpendicular from the roof surface, creating a vertical dimension for fastener engagement. This dimensional change enables the fasteners to apply compressive force in the direction normal to the interior wall surface, significantly improving sealing reliability.
2Ease of operation
If limited space between the roof and ceiling is considered, then installation access is constrained, but vertical fastening requires sufficient space for fastener engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The flange assembly is segmented into distinct functional portions: the base member that interfaces with the interior wall, the coupling portion that extends perpendicular from the roof, and the sealing elements. This segmentation allows the coupling portion to be positioned in the limited space between roof and ceiling while the base member engages with the interior wall surface, distributing the space requirements across different zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling portion serves as an intermediary element that bridges the gap between the roof surface and the interior wall. It extends perpendicular from the roof to provide engagement points for vertical fasteners, while its positioning and dimensions are optimized to fit within the limited clearance space, mediating between the conflicting space constraints.
3Ease of manufacture
If the flange assembly is secured with traditional fasteners, then installation is straightforward, but unsecured portions on the roof are prone to movement or lifting, contributing to leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the mounting function and sealing function into a single integrated flange assembly. The base member and coupling portion work together as a unified structure where the vertical fasteners simultaneously secure the assembly to the roof and press the sealing elements against the interior wall. This merging eliminates unsecured portions that could move or lift, as the entire assembly is stabilized by the vertical fastening system.
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly for sealing a space between a secondary structure movable into and out of a primary structure includes a base member mountable to an outer surface of the secondary structure and a flange member. The flange member includes a main flange portion and a coupling portion extending from the main flange portion. The main flange portion includes a first portion and a second portion. The second portion is on the opposite side of the coupling portion from the first portion. The coupling portion is couplable to the base member such that the first portion is adjacent a rear wall of the secondary structure and the second portion extends beyond the outer surface of the secondary structure when the coupling portion is coupled to the base member. The second portion is configured to engage an interior surface of the primary structure when the secondary structure is in the extended position.