Frameless Window Sealing Assembly Transverse Guiding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Frameless vehicle windows experience reduced sealing effectiveness and rattling due to inadequate contact between the seal and the window, particularly along the front or rear sections, as the window's closing direction is parallel to the seals, leading to compromised tightness and sound insulation.
Innovation Solution
A sealing assembly with a U-shaped first portion attached to the vehicle body, featuring elastic sealing lips and a recess for the window, and a guiding means with a low friction surface to displace the window transversely, ensuring contact with a second sealing portion for enhanced closure tightness and sound insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional seals are used with closing direction parallel to the seals, then the structure is simple, but the sealing effectiveness is reduced and rattling occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing assembly is divided into multiple functional sections: a first sealing section with sealing lips for the main sealing function, a second sealing section for additional sealing at the rear, and a guiding section with guiding surfaces. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specific function optimally, improving overall sealing effectiveness while managing complexity through functional differentiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding surfaces are arranged to act on the window in a direction transverse to the closing direction, creating a second dimension of action. This transverse guiding force displaces the window edge toward the sealing lips, ensuring proper contact without requiring the closing force itself to provide the sealing action, thereby resolving the inadequacy of parallel sealing arrangements.
2Reliability
If sealing lips are added to improve sealing, then sealing force increases, but the risk of window damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding surfaces act as an intermediary mechanism between the window and the sealing lips. They first guide and displace the window edge into proper position, ensuring that the sealing lips engage the window at the correct location and orientation. This intermediary guiding action prevents misalignment and concentrated stresses that could damage the window, while still allowing the sealing lips to exert sufficient sealing force.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding surfaces perform a preliminary action by displacing the window edge into the correct position before the sealing lips engage. This preliminary guidance ensures that when the sealing force is applied, the window is already properly positioned and oriented, preventing damage from improper engagement while maintaining effective sealing force.
3Manufacturing precision
If rigid sealing structure is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability to window movement decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing assembly employs different material properties in different sections: the guiding surfaces and structural components use rigid materials with precise geometry for accurate positioning and alignment, while the sealing lips use softer, more compliant materials that can conform to the window surface. This local differentiation of material quality allows the assembly to maintain manufacturing precision where needed while adapting to window variations at the sealing interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing assembly uses composite construction with rigid structural components (for precise geometry and positioning) combined with compliant sealing materials (for adaptation to window shape). This composite approach allows the rigid portions to maintain manufacturing precision while the compliant portions provide adaptability, resolving the contradiction between precision and versatility.
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 enhances closure tightness, improves sound insulation, and prevents undesirable window movement by ensuring proper contact and alignment of the window edges with the sealing assembly, reducing rattling and maintaining a sealed environment.
Implementation Method 1
The guiding means has a guiding surface with a low friction surface
Implementation Method 2
One or more elastic, deformable sealing lips are arranged to extend inwards from one or both legs of the U-shaped first portion into contact with an adjacent surface of the window
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a sealing assembly for a frameless sliding window in a motor vehicle body, the sealing assembly comprising an upper, first portion (201) attached to the vehicle body along an upper section (203) of an opening (205) for at least one window (207) in the vehicle body; and at least one further, second portion (223, 224) extending between the upper section (203) and a lower section (225) of the opening (205). The first portion (201) has a U-shaped cross-section comprising at least one sealing lip (211, 212, 213, 214) and a recess (215) for receiving an upper part (208) of the window (207). The first portion (201) comprises a guiding means (220) arranged to contact the outer surface of the window (207), in order to guide and displace the window (207) in a transverse direction towards the interior of the vehicle during a closing operation of the window, wherein at least a rear edge (221, 222) of the window is arranged to be forced into contact with the second portion (223, 224).