Slide Seal with Notch for RV Corner Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Slide-out rooms in recreational vehicles face issues with debris and water entering through gaps between the walls, particularly at the corners where traditional dual seals leave a small gap unsealed.

Innovation Solution

A single elongated slide-out seal with a notch allows the seal to bend around corners, creating a one-piece seal by splitting the base and flap seal into two parts, enabling a 90-degree angle bend without lifting the bulb seal, thus sealing the gap effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If two separate seals are used to seal the corners of the slide-out room, then the sealing coverage is improved, but a gap is created between the seals allowing debris and water to enter

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoiddebris and water entry

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines two separate seal components (flap seal and bulb seal) into a single integrated corner seal assembly. The flap seal and bulb seal are connected through a shared base structure, forming one continuous sealing element that eliminates the gap between separate seals while maintaining comprehensive corner coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If a single elongated seal with a notch is used to bend around the corner, then the seal becomes continuous and gap-free, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseal continuityVSAvoidseal fabrication

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The single elongated seal is designed with a notch that effectively segments the base structure into two bendable portions. This segmentation allows the seal to be formed from a single continuous piece of material that can be bent at the notch to fit the corner geometry, maintaining seal continuity while simplifying manufacturing compared to joining multiple separate seals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If the base is bent at a 90-degree angle at the notch, then the seal adapts to the corner geometry, but the structural integrity of the base may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecorner fitVSAvoidbase structural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The base is designed with flexible properties that allow it to be bent at the notch to 90 degrees to fit the corner geometry. The material and cross-sectional design of the base provide sufficient flexibility for bending while maintaining structural integrity during installation and use, enabling the seal to adapt to the corner without compromising strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentUS11287044B1Slide seal

Publication Date: 2022.03.29 TRIM LOK

AI summary

A slide seal for an RV to seal the space in between the corner of a slide-out room of the RV and a wall of the RV, the slide seal having a base to fasten to the wall, a flap seal extending from the base at one end, a bulb seal extending perpendicular to the base at an opposite end, a horn extending from the bulb seal, curving upwardly from the bulb seal and away from the flap seal, and a notch created through the flap seal and the base to create two sections of the base and flap seal so that the first section of the flap seal and base can be bent at approximately a 90 degree angle relative to the second section of the flap seal and base to fit into the corner space in between the slide-out room and the RV wall.