Windshield Seal Thinned Zone for Watertight Cowl Grille Contact
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing assemblies using a single inexpensive plastic material like polypropylene for the cowl grille fail to achieve sufficient sealing between the lip and the windshield due to the material's inflexibility, leading to rain or washing water leakage.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a flexible thinned zone at the end of the seal opposite the windshield's lower edge, which forms a hinge to pivot and establish contact with the windshield's outer face, allowing the cowl grille to be molded entirely from the same plastic material while ensuring a watertight seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the cowl grille is made from a single inexpensive plastic material like polypropylene, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but sealing performance deteriorates due to material inflexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed with a thinned zone (region of reduced thickness) at its free end, creating a localized area with different mechanical properties (higher flexibility) compared to the rest of the seal body. This allows the seal to be made from a single rigid plastic material while having a specific flexible region that ensures proper sealing contact with the windshield.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickness parameter of the seal is varied along its length, with the thinned zone having reduced thickness to increase flexibility. This parameter change enables the seal to deform and conform to the windshield surface, achieving effective sealing without requiring multiple materials or complex construction.
2Strength
If the seal material is made rigid for structural strength, then mechanical strength is improved, but adaptability to windshield surface variations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seal maintains rigid material properties for most of its length to ensure structural strength, while introducing a localized thinned zone at the free end that provides the necessary flexibility to adapt to windshield surface variations. This local modification preserves overall strength while enabling surface adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The thinned zone introduces dynamic flexibility to an otherwise rigid seal structure, allowing the seal to deform and conform to the actual windshield geometry during installation and operation, thereby achieving both strength and adaptability.
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
This design enables a reliable seal between the cowl grille and the windshield, preventing rain or washing water from passing through, while allowing the entire assembly to be molded from a single, cost-effective plastic material like polypropylene.
Implementation Method 1
said thinned and flexible zone is connected to the rest of said seal by a narrowing of the material to form a hinge. This hinge allows the thinned zone to pivot between a first position and a second position
Implementation Method 2
the end of the said part of the seal opposite the lower edge of the windscreen comprises a flexible thinned zone... which avoids any risk of passage of rain or washing water
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
An assembly comprising a seal fixed to the lower edge of the windscreen of a motor vehicle and a scuttle (1) fixed to this seal (2), this scuttle (1) comprising a lip (4) covering part (5) of the seal (2) extending along the lower edge (3a) of the windscreen (3) and part of the exterior face (3b) of the windscreen (3), characterized in that the opposite end of said part (5) of the seal (2) to the lower edge (3a) of the windscreen (3) has a flexible thinned region (19) against which the end (4a) of the lip (4) of the scuttle (1) rests in order to bring said flexible thinned region (19) of said seal (2) into contact with the exterior face (3b) of the windscreen (3).