GB2355279A

GB2355279A - Sealing arrangement operable when a closure member is in the closed position

Info

Publication number: GB2355279A
Application number: GB9924388A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bernard Renzo; Nathalie Lepre; Philippe Durand; Christophe Sebastien
Original assignee: Draftex Industries Ltd; Gencorp Property Inc
Current assignee: Laird Holdings Ltd; Gencorp Property Inc
Priority date: 1999-10-14
Filing date: 1999-10-14
Publication date: 2001-04-18
Also published as: GB9924388D0; DE20016444U1

Abstract

An arrangement (16, Fig 1) for sealing between a movable member 20 and a frame 18 comprises; first sealing means 28 compressed between the frame 18 and closure member 20; and second sealing means 26 rendered operative when the closure member 20 has moved into the closed position. The sealing arrangement (16, Fig 1) can be mounted on the peripheral edge of the closure member 20 and/or the frame 18. The second sealing means 26 may be rendered operative by varying gas or air pressure or alternatively by magnetic means. The closure member or frame can carry a projection 30 which mechanically interlocks with the seal to restrain movement of the member away from the closed position. The sealing arrangement may be for a vehicle door or window; the second sealing means being operative in dependence of the driver's ignition key position or in response to rain or externally high pressure water.

Description

2355279 SEALING ARRANGEMENTS The invention relates to sealing

arrangements. Sealing arrangements embodying the invention, and to be described in more detail below by way of example only, can be used for sealing door and window openings in vehicles.

According to the invention, there is provided a sealing arrangement for sealing between the frame of an opening and a closure member movable in a direction transverse to the plane of the opening into a closed position relative to the frame, comprising first sealing means adapted to be compressed between the frame and the closure member as the closure member moves in the transverse direction so as to provide a shock-absorbing and partial sealing function, and second sealing means rendered operative when the closure member has moved into the closed position to provide a main sealing function between the closure member and the frame.

According to the invention, there is further provided a sealing arrangement for sealing between the frame of an opening and a closure member hinged on the frame for hingable movement into and out of a closed position relative to the frame, comprising first sealing means positioned to act between a face of the closure member and the frame as the closure member moves into the closed position and to provide a shock-absorbing and partial sealing fimcfion between that face and the frame, and second sealing means acting between the frame and a peripheral edge of the closure member and clear of the closure 2 member as the closure member moves into the closed position but operative thereafter to expand between the frame and the peripheral edge of the closure member to provide a main sealing function therebetween.

Sealing arrangements embodying the invention and for sealing door and window openings in motor vehicle bodies will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Figure I is a side view of part of a motor vehicle body; Figures 2,3 and 4 show one of the door sealing arrangements in different states of operation; Figure 5 shows part of a door frame; Figures 6,7 and 8 show another of the door sealing arrangements in different states of operation; and Figures 9 and 10 show a further one of the window sealing arrangements in different states of operation.

Figure I shows part of one side of a motor vehicle body 10. Door openings 12 and 14 are- 3 shown, but the doors themselves are omitted. The frame of each opening 12,14 supports a sealing arrangement 16 to be described in more detail.

As shown in Figures 2,3 and 4, the vehicle body defines a frame 18 for the opening 12 (and, of course, a similar frame for the opening 14 and the door openings on the opposite of the vehicle). The frame 18 is shown to define a right-angled recess 19 extending around the door opening and into which the door closes. Part of the door is shown at 20 in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The right-angled recess of the frame 18 of the door may, for example, be defined as shown in Figure 5 where the inner and outer body panels 2 1 A,2 I B of the vehicle body are brought together around the door opening and welded to form a flange 22.

As shown in Figures 2,3 and 4, the sealing arrangement 16 is mounted within the recess 19 so as to be suitably attached to the two rightangled surfaces 19A,19B forming the recess 19. The sealing arrangement 16 may be attached in place by any suitable method. For example, it may be secured adhesively in position such as by means of double-sided adhesive tape. Instead, for example, the sealing arrangement 16 could be provided with integrally extending pegs positioned at intervals along its length which engage correspondingly positioned holes in the two right-angled surfaces forming the recess 19. Other fixing arrangements are possible. For example, the base part 24 could be extended to form a channel-shaped gripping portion embracing the flange 22 (Figure 5).

4 The sealing arrangement comprises a base part 24 made up of portions 24A and 24B which are integral and respectively lie against the two rightangled surfaces 19A,19B forming the recess 19. Portion 24A integrally supports a flexible tube 26 extending along the length of the sealing arrangement, and portion 24B integrally supports a further tube 28 also extending along the length of the sealing arrangement. The base part 24 can be made from relatively stiff elastomeric material, but the tubes 26 and 28 are more flexible. The sealing arrangement may be made by a coextrusion process. In the manner to be described in more detail below, the interior of tube 26 is air-tight and is connected to a air pressure source. Tube 28 is not air-tight and is not connected to a pressure source.

Figure 2 shows the state of the sealing arrangement 16 when the door 20 is in the open position but moving towards the closed position in the direction of the arrow A. In this configuration, the air pressure source reduces the pressure within tube 26 so that the tube 26 has the slightly "flattened" shape. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, the closing door 20 moves freely past the tube 26 without making any contact with it, and moves into abutment with, and partially compresses, the tube 28. The tube 28 thus provides shockabsorbing and sealing functions.

After the door 20 has moved into the closed position shown in Figure 3, the air pressure within tube 26 is increased so as to expand the tube into the generally circular configuration shown in Figure 4. The tube now moves into sealing contact with the edge 20B of the door 20. The tube 26 now provides the primary sealing action of the sealing arrangement. Therefore, in this condition the tube 28 is required to perform only a secondary sealing function and is arranged to be very flexible so as to provide a minimum opposing force to closure of the door. Nevertheless, the tube 28 will provide at least some shock-absorbing and sealing function in the event of failure of the air pressure supply to tube 26.

The increase in air pressure in tube 26 may be automatically linked with the position of the driver's ignition key and the position of the door (whether it is in the closed or open position).

Thus, if the key is in the OFF position (or completely removed), corresponding to a stationary or parked state of the vehicle, tube 26 remains in its contracted configuration. Thus, sealing is effectively produced only by tube 28.

The second condition to be considered applies when the key is either in the fully ON position or is in the intermediate or "accessories" setting. In the fully ON position, the engine will be running and the vehicle will either be moving along the road or temporarily stopped (e.g. because of an interruption in the flow of traffic). In the intermediate or Itaccessories" position, the engine will not be running but the vehicle would normally be occupied allowing operation of accessories such as the vehicle's radio. In either of these two key settings, the operation depends on the position of the door. If the door is closed, the sealing arrangement provides full sealing - that is, tube 26 is in its fully expanded 6 configuration. However, if the door is open or moving into the closed position, sealing is temporarily at a minimum value, with tube 26 in its retracted condition. Therefore, the control system requires inputs not only from the ignition key unit but also requires signals indicative of the position of the door.

The vehicle may also be provided with a sensor (e.g. a hygrometry sensor or a pressure sensor) for sensing rain or water applied during high pressure washing, this sensor being operative to increase the air pressure within tube 26 (if the door is closed) to provide maximum sealing even if the key is in the OFF position (or removed).

In this way, the sealing arrangement 16 provides very effective sealing when required against water, moisture, draughts, dust and noise. However, when the door is open or when the vehicle is stationary in conditions in which full sealing is not required, a lesser degree of sealing is provided by the tube 28. The force required to close the door is significantly reduced. The tube 28 is continuously available to provide at least some sealing even if there is a failure in the air pressure supply.

As shown in Figures 2,3 and 4, the edge 20B of the door is provided with a ridge or shoulder 30. When the tube 26 is expanded as shown in Figure 4, the tube makes contact with the shoulder 30 to provide at least a partial locking function for holding the door closed. This is particularly advantageous at high vehicle speeds where air pressure within the vehicle tends to open the doors.

7 Figures 6,7 and 8 show a modification in which the sealing arrangement 16 is mounted on the periphery of the door 20 instead of on the frame 18. Parts in Figures 6,7 and 8 corresponding to those in Figures 2,3 and 4 are similarly referenced. In the arrangement shown in Figures, 6,7 and 8, tube 26 is again connected to a source of air pressure. Tube 28 is made of very soft material and is not air-tight and not connected to a pressure source. Figure 6 corresponds to Figure 2 and shows how, when the door 20 is moving in the direction of the arrow A into the closed position, tube 26 is deflated so as to be substantially flattened. It is thus completely clear of the frame 18 when the door moves into the closed position shown in Figure 7. The tube 28 is compressed in this closed position of the door and provides partial sealing and shock-absorbing abutment functions - but with minimal force opposing the closure of the door. As shown in Figure 8, after closure of the door the tube 26 is inflated by the pressure source to provide an effective seal between the peripheral edge of the door and the frame 18.

The shoulder 30 on the edge 20B of the door 20 as shown in Figures 2,3 and 4 is in Figures 6,7 and 8 replaced by a shoulder 32 formed on the frame 18. When the tube 26 is inflated as shown in Figure 8, the tube engages against the shoulder 32 to help to lock the door in the closed position.

The arrangement shown in Figures 6,7 and 8 has the same advantages as the arrangement shown in Figures 2,3 and 4: the tube 28 is required only to carry out a partial sealing function and therefore can be very soft so as to produce only a minimal force resisting 8 closure of the door but nevertheless always provides a shock-absorbing function.

The air pressure within tube 26 can be controlled in the same way as described above in relation to Figures 2,3 and 4, so as to be increased in dependence on the setting of the driver's ignition key and the position of the door, and on the sensing of rain or applied high pressure water.

Figures 9 and 10 correspond generally to Figures 3 and 4. Items in Figures 9 and 10 corresponding to those in Figures 3 and 4 are similarly referenced. In the arrangement shown in Figures 9 and 10, the expansion and contraction of tube 26 is carried out magnetically instead of by changing the air or gas pressure within the tube.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 9 and 10, the tube 26 is arranged so that its natural resilience tends to hold it in the retracted condition shown in Figure 9. Its construction differs from that shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. In the arrangement of Figures 9 and 10, an electromagnet shown generally at 40 is mounted at the junction between the tube 26 and the base part 24A. The electromagnet may, for example, comprise a core of soft iron carrying an electrical winding (not shown) connected through a suitable control circuit to the electrical power supply of the vehicle. In addition, a strip of flexible magnetic material 42 runs along the inside surface of the tube 26 substantially opposite to the electromagnetic 40. When the door 20 is in the open position and when it is moving in the direction of the arrow A into the closed position, the electromagnet 40 is de-energised.

9 Therefore, the natural resilience of tube 26 holds the tube 26 in the contracted state shown in Figure 9. When the door has moved into the closed position shown in Figure 10, the electromagnet 40 can be energised, so as to expand the tube 26 by magnetic repulsion, and against its natural resilience, into the sealing and locking configuration shown in Figure 10.

Like the arrangements shown in Figures 2,3 and 4 and Figures 6,7 and 8, the operation of the arrangement of Figures 9 and 10 can be controlled in the same way as described above, so that the tube 26 is expanded or retracted according to the setting of the driver's ignition key and the position of the door, and on the sensing of rain or applied high pressure water.

It will be appreciated that other configurations are possible for achieving expansion and contraction of the tube 26 magnetically.

In the arrangements shown, the tube 28 can be replaced by a sealing element with a different configuration such as a lip.

Claims

1. A sealing arrangement for sealing between the frame of an opening and a closure member movable in a direction transverse to the plane of the opening into a closed position relative to the frame, comprising first sealing means adapted to be compressed between the frame and the closure member as the closure member moves in the transverse direction so as to provide a shock-absorbing and partial sealing function, and second sealing means rendered operative when the closure member has moved into the closed position to provide a main sealing ftinction between the closure member and the frame.

2. A sealing arrangement according to claim 1, adapted to be mounted on at least part of the peripheral edge of the closure member.

3. A sealing arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, of the opening in which the first sealing means comprises a compressible tube made of resilient material.

4. A sealing arrangement according to claim I or 2, in which the first sealing means comprises a lip made of resilient material.

5. A sealing arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the second sealing means is rendered operative to provide the main sealing function by varying gas or air pressure.

6. A sealing arrangement according to claim 5, in which the second sealing means comprises a hollow tube of resilient material the interior of which is subjected to the varying air or gas pressure.

7. A sealing arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the second sealing means is rendered operative to provide the main sealing function under control of magnetic means.

8. A sealing arrangement according to any preceding claim, adapted to be mounted on the frame.

9. A sealing arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 7, adapted to be mounted on at least part of the peripheral edge of the closure member.

10. A sealing arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the second sealing means is rendered operative to provide the main sealing function by being moved in a direction generally parallel to the plane of the opening.

11. A sealing arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the second sealing means when rendered operative to provide the main sealing function also provides a mechanical interlock to restrain movement of the closure member away from the closed position.

12 12. A sealing arrangement according to claim 8, in which the closure member carries a projection which, when the closure member is in the closed position, extends in a direction generally towards the frame, and in which the second sealing means is rendered operative to provide the main sealing function by being moved in a direction away from the frame towards the closure member and mechanically interlocks with the projection to restrain movement of the closure member away from the closed position.

13. A sealing arrangement according to claim 9, in which the frame carries a projection which, when the closure member is in the closed position, extends in a direction generally towards the closure member, and in which the second direction, whereby the second sealing means is rendered operative to provide the main sealing function by being moved away from the closure member towards he frame and mechanically interlocks with the projection to restrain movement of the closure member away from the closed position.

14. A scaling arrangement according to claim 1, in which the first and second sealing means are physically interconnected.

15. A sealing arrangement for sealing between the frame of an opening and a closure member hinged on the frame for hingable movement into and out of a closed position relative to the frame,, comprising first sealing means positioned to act between a face of the closure member and the frame as the closure member moves into the closed position 13 to provide a shock-absorbing and partial sealing function between that face and the frame, and second sealing means acting between the frame and a peripheral edge of the closure member and clear of the closure member as the closure member moves into the closed position but rendered operative thereafter to expand between the frame and the peripheral edge of the closure member to provide a main sealing function therebetween.

16. A sealing arrangement according to claim 15, in which the first and second sealing means are mounted on a base part adapted to be fixed on the frame.

17. A sealing arrangement according to claim 14, in which the peripheral edge of the closure member carries a projection extending outwardly of the peripheral edge and adjacent the said face whereby to provide a mechanical interlock between the expanded second sealing means to restrain movement of the closure member away from the closed position.

18. A sealing arrangement according to claim 15, in which the first and second sealing means are mounted on a base part adapted to be fixed on the frame.

19. A sealing arrangement according to claim 18, in which the frame carries a projection extending therefrom inwardly of the opening whereby to provide a mechanical interlock between the expanded second sealing means to restrain movement of the closure member away from the closed position.

14

20. A sealing arrangement according to any one of claims 15 to 19, in which the second sealing means is of hollow tubular form and is expanded by change in air or gas pressure therewithin.

21. A sealing arrangement according to any one of claims 15 to 19, in which the expansion of the second sealing means is controlled magnetically.

22. A sealing arrangement according to any one of claims 15 to 2 1, in which the first sealing means is of flexible tubular form.

23. A sealing arrangement according to any preceding claim, comprising control means for rendering the second sealing means operative in dependence on the position of the closure member relative to the frame.

24. A sealing arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 22, in which the opening is an external opening in a motor vehicle body, and comprising control means for rendering the second sealing means operative in dependence on the position of the closure member relative to the frame and the setting of the driver's ignition key.

25. A sealing arrangement according to claim 23 or 24, in which the control means includes means for rendering the sealing means operative in response to rain or externally applied high pressure water.

26. A sealing arrangement, substantially as described with reference to Figures 2,3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

27. A sealing arrangement, substantially as described with reference to Figures 6,7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.