Truck Cab Sealing Assembly for Tilting Cabin Gap Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing sealing solutions for cab-over trucks fail to effectively reduce aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption due to gaps between the tiltable cabin and bodywork elements, as they either rely on flexible materials with reliability issues or do not accommodate the cabin's movement adequately.
Innovation Solution
A sealing assembly comprising a support member with abutment members, a bracket with flanges, and an elastic member that biases the flange to contact the frame-fixed bodywork element, creating a sealed junction that remains closed even as the cabin position changes, using a combination of rigid materials and compressible elements to manage both translation and rotation movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a gap is provided between the cabin and bodywork elements to accommodate relative movement, then the cabin can tilt and move without interference, but aerodynamic drag increases and fuel consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible sealing member comprising a elastomeric material that forms a lip extending into the gap between the cabin and bodywork element. This flexible membrane structure can deform to accommodate relative movement while maintaining continuous contact to seal the gap, thus reducing aerodynamic drag without restricting cabin motion freedom
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing assembly incorporates a biasing element that actively maintains pressure between the flexible sealing member and the bodywork element surface. This dynamic mechanism ensures continuous sealing contact during cabin movement, adapting to position changes while preventing air leakage that would cause aerodynamic losses
2Loss of energy
If flexible material is used in the headlight assembly to reduce the gap, then airflow disturbance is reduced, but mechanical constraints on the flexible material become too high and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is divided into distinct functional zones: a compliant lip portion that contacts the bodywork surface to seal the gap, and a reinforced body portion that attaches to the cabin. This segmentation allows the lip to flexibly adapt to surface irregularities while the body provides structural support, distributing mechanical constraints and improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member uses a composite construction combining a elastomeric material for the sealing lip with a more rigid support structure. This composite approach enables the sealing portion to be sufficiently compliant for reliable contact while the support portion maintains structural integrity under mechanical loads
3Loss of energy
If the gap is reduced to improve aerodynamics, then fuel consumption decreases, but the sealing must accommodate varying cabin positions during oscillation
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing element continuously adjusts the contact pressure parameter between the sealing member and bodywork element as the cabin moves. This dynamic parameter adjustment maintains optimal sealing force across varying cabin positions, ensuring consistent aerodynamic performance during oscillation without compromising sealing effectiveness
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 significantly reduces aerodynamic losses by maintaining a sealed gap, thereby improving fuel economy and ensuring efficient sealing across varying cabin positions and movements.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member disposed between the first flange of the bracket and the first abutment member of the support member and configured for biasing the first flange in direction of the second abutment member
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing assembly for a truck comprising a cabin movable relatively to a truck frame, the sealing assembly being configured for sealing a gap between the cabin and a bodywork element fixed relatively to the truck frame, the sealing assembly comprising a support member attached to the cabin, comprising a first abutment member, a second abutment member, a bracket comprising a first flange movable between the first abutment member and the second abutment member, a second flange, a sealing member linking the first flange and the second flange, an elastic member disposed between the first flange and the first abutment member and configured for biasing the first flange against the second abutment member, in which the second flange is configured for contacting the frame-fixed bodywork element, so that a sealed junction is formed.