DESC:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of weatherstrip of vehicles.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
Weatherstrips are used for sealing openings of a vehicle, such as doors, windows, and trunks from natural elements to prevent water from entering the interior of the vehicle by returning or rerouting water. Another objective of using weatherstrips is to keep interior air in, thus saving energy on heating and air conditioning of the vehicle. Additionally, weatherstrips seal noise out from the passenger compartment. It is necessary that the weatherstrips should be functional and cohesive with the body design of the vehicle. Further, it must function the same way while the vehicle is parked and at full speed, be flexible to accommodate motion vibrations, endure extreme temperatures, withstand long periods of sun exposure, and resist automotive liquids.
Conventional weatherstrips however, can properly seal only the static parts of the vehicle and not a dynamic part. If a dynamic part is provided with a weatherstrip, the movement of the dynamic part over due course of time would cause the weatherstrip to foul and open, thereby causing damage to the interiors of the vehicle and the weatherstrips.
In a prior art, a detachable hatch roof is a dynamic part of the vehicle provided with a glass mounted seal which sits on a static weatherstrip provided on the center pillar to form a tongue and groove joint between the elastic members. However, the movement of the detachable hatch roof causes the glass mounted seal to foul and open the gap between the glass and the static part, thereby causing damage to the interiors of the vehicle and the weatherstrips.
Vehicles having a tailgate and a glass both as moving components tend to have the problem of the glass-mounted seal fouling with the tailgate, when the glass is opened while the tailgate is already open, thus leading to damage to the entire weatherstrip.
There is therefore felt a need for a solution that alleviates the above mentioned drawbacks.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
An object of the present disclosure is to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide weatherstrip for a vehicle.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a weatherstrip for a vehicle that seals static and dynamic parts of the vehicle.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide weatherstrip for a vehicle that can easily vary with respect to different vehicle designs.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a strong yet light and easy to install weatherstrip for a vehicle.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The weatherstrip comprises a resilient seal and a retainer. The resilient seal is configured to be provided between two mating components of the vehicle, to seal the space between the mating surfaces of the components and prevent leakage from or into the components while under compression. The retainer is attached normal to the axis of the seal. The retainer is configured to prevent leakage from or into the components in the radial direction with respect to the axis of the seal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
Weatherstrip, of the present disclosure, for a vehicle will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1A illustrates a side view of the vehicle tailgate provided with a tailgate sealed thereon, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 1B illustrates an enlarged view of the tailgate provided with a tailgate sealed thereon, of Figure 1A;
Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view of the vehicle tailgate of Figure 1, provided with a tailgate sealed thereon with the help of a glass mounted seal;
Figure 3A illustrates a schematic view of a glass mounted seal of the weatherstrip of Figure 2; and
Figures 3B through 3E illustrate schematic views of different components of the glass mounted seal of Figure 3A.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
100 – resilient seal
102 –lip
105 – bulb
107 – drainage path
110 –drainage holes
200 – tailgate
205 – retainer
200A – inner tailgate
200B ¬¬– outer tailgate
300 – glass
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details, are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
When an element is referred to as being “mounted on,” another element, it may be mounted directly on to the other element.
Terms such as “inner” and “outer” and the like, may be used in the present disclosure to describe relationships between different elements as depicted from the figures.
A preferred embodiment of weatherstrip, of the present disclosure, for a vehicle will now be described with respect to Figure 1A through Figure 3E.
Figures 1A through 2 illustrate the tailgate (200) of the vehicle provided with a glass (300) mounted and sealed on the tailgate (200) with the help of a weatherstrip which is defined by an elastic seal (100) mounted on the tailgate (200) and a retainer (205) mounted on the glass (300). More specifically, the glass (300) is fixed into the retainer (205) of the tailgate (200) at the point where the inner tailgate (200A) meets the outer tailgate (200B) with the help of the tailgate mounted elastic seal (100).
The tailgate mounted elastic seal (100) is defined by a lip (102) and a bulb (105) protruding therefrom, and a retainer. The lip (102) and bulb (105) are combined and maintained throughout the length of the tailgate (200). The retainer is utilized as a sealing face for both the lip (102) and the bulb (105). The bulb (105) of the tailgate mounted elastic seal (100) is of two types i.e., extrusion bulb and corner mold bulb. The extrusion bulb is configured to merge with the corner mold bulb to facilitate compression thereof with the retainer.
In an embodiment, grooves and apertures are provided on the tailgate mounted elastic seal (100) to drain water that crosses the primary barriers of the seal. Figures 3A and 3B illustrate the tailgate mounted elastic seal (100) having at least three lips (102) provided with drainage paths, and a bulb (105) provided along the length of the tailgate (200) which adds to the sealing path of the tailgate mounted elastic seal (100).
The lip (102) is configured along the drainage path (107), as shown in Figure 3A, to provide complete sealing of the tailgate mounted elastic seal (100) and with the retainer (205).
In an embodiment, the lip (102) is of a thermoset material. In another embodiment, the lip (102) is of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). In an embodiment, the bulbs (105) are of polymer. In one embodiment, the retainer (205) is of polymer.
In another embodiment, a plurality of drainage holes (110) and an additional drainage path (not specifically shown in figures) are configured on the tailgate mounted elastic seal (100), as shown in Figure 3B through Figure 3E, for draining the water that may have permeated the interiors of the vehicle by any chance.
As a result, in an embodiment, the tailgate can be opened through as much as 65° and still the glass can be opened, without affecting the performance and the life of the tailgate mounted elastic seal (100) of the present disclosure.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of weatherstrip for a vehicle that:
• seals together static and dynamic parts of the vehicle;
• can be easily modified with respect to different vehicle designs; and
• is strong, light and easy to install.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM:
1. A weatherstrip for a vehicle, said weatherstrip comprising:
• a resilient seal (100) configured to be provided between two mating components of the vehicle, to seal (100) the space between the mating surfaces of the components to prevent leakage from or into the components while under compression; and
• a retainer (205) attached normal to the axis of said seal (100), said retainer (205) configured to prevent leakage from or into the components in the radial direction with respect to said axis of the seal (100).
2. The weatherstrip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said seal (100) is defined by at least one lip (102) configured to be provided along the length of the mating surfaces of the components.
3. The weatherstrip as claimed in claim 2, wherein a bulb (105) protrudes from either operative ends of said lip (102), said bulbs (105) configured to compress said lip (102) of said seal (100).
4. The weatherstrip as claimed in claim 2, wherein said seal (100) includes three lips (102).
5. The weatherstrip as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of apertures and a plurality of grooves, defining a drainage path (107), are configured on said seal (100) to lead away contaminant fluids.
6. The weatherstrip as claimed in claim 2, wherein said lip (102) is of a thermoset material.
7. The weatherstrip as claimed in claim 6, wherein said lip (102) is of ethylene propylene diene monomer.
8. The weatherstrip as claimed in claim 3, wherein said bulbs (105) are of polymer.
9. The weatherstrip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retainer (205) is of polymer.