DOOR MODULE WITH PERIPHERAL SEAL

Abstract

The present invention relates to a module for doors, tailgates or similar, to be installed in vehicles for the insulation of the wet areas from the dry areas of the structures of said doors, tailgates or similar, executed by means of a process of bi-injection or multiple injection, in which a monoblock module with regard to the support panel and the seal is formed, its configuration including a sealing gasket with at least two sealing lips inclined towards the inside of the support panel with respect to the assembly direction, one of them being configured to not overlap with the other lip.

Claims

1. A door module, of the type installed on the structure of vehicle doors, tailgates or similar, separating the wet area from the dry area of the vehicle, and whereon one or more systems pertaining to the functionalities of the door may be mounted, where the door module comprises a support panel with an at least perimetric seal, characterised in that the support panel and the perimeter seal form a single monoblock assembly obtained by bi-injection or multiple injection in the same step and with the same production equipment; wherein the sealing gasket has at least two sealing lips, which emerge from the zone of its joining base by bi-injection or multiple injection with the support panel, where these lips emerge towards the position of the support panel, exceeding the maximum elevation of the support panel in an inclined direction with respect to the assembly direction, this inclination being performed towards the internal zone of the support, bending the at least two lips towards the inside of the support panel by assembly pressure; wherein the at least two lips have a geometry configured such that a first more external lip is of an actuation height lower than a second more internal lip; and wherein the total height of the first lip of lower actuation height is of a dimension with a value configured so that, in its bending due to assembly pressure, the first lip of lower height does not overlap with another second more internal sealing lip.

2. The door module according to claim 1, wherein the inclination of the at least two sealing lips is between 15° and 45° with respect to the assembly direction, perpendicular to the plane of the assembly structure, with said inclination of the at least two lips towards the internal zone of the support.

3. The door module according to claim 1, wherein the actuation height of the first lip of lower height is of a dimension in the direction perpendicular to the assembly direction of 50-70% of the actuation height of the second internal lip of greater height.

4. The door module according to claim 1, wherein the total height of the first lip of lower height is of a dimension in its inclined direction from the maximum elevation of the support panel, which is comprised between a value lower than the existing distance between both lips and 35% greater than the distance between said lips.

5. The door module according to claim 1, wherein the join between the seal and the perimeter of the panel is executed with a joining zone with a transversal cross-section not perpendicular to the surface of the panel at the point of joining, increasing the surface of adhesion between perimeter seal and panel, compared with a surface with a transversal cross-section perpendicular to the panel surface.

6. The door module according to claim 1, wherein the join between the seal and the perimeter of the panel is executed in a manner with a non-rectilinear transversal cross-section, increasing the contact surface between perimeter seal and panel by at least 5% compared with a join with a transversal cross-section perpendicular to the surface of the panel.

7. The door module according to claim 6, wherein the panel, at its perimeter zone, comprises a channel to receive the seal with an at least partially convex shape.

8. The door module according to claim 7, wherein the channel comprises at its internal zone for the fitting of the seal a concave base, a rib or protrusion from its convex shape throughout the length of the channel.

9. The door module according to claim 1, wherein the perimeter seal comprises two sealing lips, an internal one with respect to the central zone of the support panel with a larger dimension and another external one with a smaller dimension.

10. The door module according to claim 1, wherein the perimeter seal comprises three or more sealing lips, which has at least one internal sealing lip with respect to the central zone of the support panel with the larger dimension and another external one with the smaller dimension, adjacent to the one with a larger dimension.

11. The door module according to claim 1, wherein at least some of these sealing lips have a thickness of their geometry greater than the others.

12. The door module according to claim 1, wherein the seal is comprised of at least a thermoplastic elastomer, vulcanised or otherwise, with a final hardness greater than 10 Shore A.

13. The door module according to claim 12, wherein the composition of the seal comprises at least thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic polyolefins and/or thermoplastic elastomer vulcanisates.

14. The door module according to claim 1, wherein the panel is executed in a polymeric material of the polypropylene type in the majority of its composition.

15. The door module according to claim 1, wherein the support panel has in its peripheral area, before the perimetral gasket, at least one bending line or zone of the plane of the panel in said peripheral zone before the circumferential gasket: and wherein, at least, the peripheral zone before the gasket, based on said, at least one bending line or zone, has a flexible movement with respect to the pressure exerted for its coupling to the door structure with 10 mm maximum bending.

16. The door module according to claim 1, wherein the panel is executed in a polymeric material of the polypropylene type in the majority of its composition.

17. A vehicle, characterised in that at least one of its doors, tailgate or similar comprises the door module in claim 1.

18. A method of manufacture of a door module, of the type which execute the joining of a seal to the perimeter of a panel for attachment to the structure of a vehicle door, forming the door module in claim 1, characterised in that the method comprises at least the following steps: injecting into a mould of a polymer of lower elasticity than that of the thermoplastic elastomer corresponding to the seal, in order to form the panel of the module; injecting, in the same mould, into the cavities peripheral to those into which the panel is injected, of thermoplastic elastomer for the formation of the perimeter seal; wherein the two injection steps are performed in the same injection equipment either simultaneously or immediately consecutively, in this last case injecting first the material of the panel, which is more rigid than that of the seal.

19. A method of manufacture of the door module according to claim 18, wherein the injection of the thermoplastic elastomer into the peripheral cavities is performed via two or more injection points located in such a way that the projection of said injection points is remote from the cavity where this seal is created.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0069] For the better understanding of the description made herein, a set of drawings has been provided wherein, schematically and solely by way of a non-limiting example, a practical case of an embodiment is portrayed.

[0070] FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of a door module in accordance with the configuration of the present invention.

[0071] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the module at its perimeter zone, the support panel having a seal with two lips. Two positions are portrayed, one wherein the panel is in a position prior to its attachment to the door structure (2a) and the other in an attached position (2b).

[0072] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a transversal cross-section of the sealing gasket shown on two views 3a and 3b.

[0073] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the module at its perimeter zone, the panel having one flexing line and the seal two lips. Two positions are portrayed, one wherein the panel is in a position prior to its attachment to the door structure (4a) and the other in an attached position (4b).

[0074] FIG. 5 portrays a schematic view of a transversal cross-section of the seal during a bi-injection process on a perimeter channel of the support panel with an internal longitudinal rib within the channel.

[0075] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a vehicle with the module installed in one of its doors.

[0076] FIG. 7 is a diagram of the method of manufacture employed on the panel executed in the same module.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0077] In the present preferred embodiment of the invention, and as portrayed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the door module (10) is formed by a support panel (11) and a seal (12). In the present preferred embodiment, this module (10) is installed on the structure (20) of the door (31) of a vehicle (30), as may be also seen in FIG. 6.

[0078] As has been stated, this module (10) may alternatively be installed on other parts of the structure of a vehicle to ensure watertightness between the wet part, susceptible to the entry of water from the exterior, and the interior dry part of the vehicle.

[0079] This module (10) features anchor points (13) with which to attach it to the structure (20). It further incorporates cavities, spaces and support points for the attachment of the typical components of the door (31), such as electric windows, loudspeakers, etc.

[0080] The module (10) is produced by means of the bi-injection, FIG. 7, of two materials into the same mould, in a single item of injection equipment (E) and in a practically simultaneous process. This process performs the injection of the material of the support panel (11) in the first instance, polypropylene in this case, this being the first due to its having a greater hardness than the material employed for the seal (12). Immediately afterwards, subsequent to the total solidification of the polypropylene and maintaining the temperature of the mould between 20 and 40° C., the thermoplastic elastomer is injected at an injection temperature between 140 and 250° C. at the perimeter of the support panel (11) and at the areas required by the design of the module (10), which in alternative embodiments may be anchor points to the structure (20).

[0081] Specifically, this bi-injection method, in the particular application to a door module (10) which has one section with greater rigidity than the other, employs injection points for the material of the sealing gasket, also called seal, (12) which are remote from the projection of the seal itself on the panel (11) in order not to weaken the same during demoulding.

[0082] This method of manufacture enables the production of the support module (10) in a single monoblock item.

[0083] As can be seen in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4, the sealing gasket (12) has two lips (17,17′), although in alternative embodiments they may have three or more lips.

[0084] In this preferred embodiment, the two lips (17,17′) emerge from the base of the sealing gasket (12) in direction to the support panel (11) with an angle inclination (i) between 15° and 45° with respect to the assembly direction (m), wherein said inclination is performed towards the centre of the support panel (11).

[0085] Both lips (17,17′) are configured so that there is a first external lip (17) of actuation height (AC) less than the actuation height (AC′) of a second internal lip (17′). In the present embodiment, there is a first external lip (17) of actuation height (AC) which is 60% of the actuation height (AC′) of the second internal lip (17′), although, alternatively, this proportion may move between 50% and 70%.

[0086] Furthermore, to achieve an effective sealing of the two lips (17,17′) with them inclined in the same direction, the first external lip (17) has been configured with a total height (AT) which is 25% greater than the distance (d) between lips (17,17′) measured between their mid-points. Alternatively, this distance (d) may be comprised between a value lower than said distance (d) existing between both lips (17,17′) and 35% greater than said distance (d) between said lips (17,17′).

[0087] As can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 5, with respect to this join zone (16′), the geometry of the plane which forms the fusion surface between panel (11) and sealing gasket (12) has the form of a convex channel, although it may be of different shapes, achieving a larger contact surface, having a greater fusion surface to even further improve the already very good chemical bond of the TPE with polypropylene.

[0088] As may also be seen in FIG. 5, the channel-shaped join zone (16′) has an internal surface in the shape of a protrusion (161) which occupies part of the space of the channel (16′) to reduce the consumption of material when filling the same with the gasket material and to increase the properties of rigidity of this zone, as it consists of a protrusion (161) in the form of a longitudinal rib throughout the length of all, or practically all, the channel (16′).

[0089] In an alternative embodiment, the module (10) has been configured with a flexing zone (14) at the perimeter zone adjacent to the extremity where the seal (12) is located. This flexing zone (14) is formed with an inverted V-shaped fold in the panel (11), as may be seen in FIG. 2, with the result that commencing at said flexing zone (14), the wing (15) formed and extending toward the seal (12) can afford a flexing movement with regard to said zone (14), absorbing the pressure at installation and tolerances, and exerting a continuous attachment force on the seal (12), improving its watertightness.

[0090] In this case, there are several anchor points (13) between the module (10) and the structure (20) of the door (31), to which a torque of between 4 and 12 Nm is applied. This torque applied at the anchor point (13) entails a force perpendicular to the module (10) which causes the seal (12) to adapt and to generate an effort which is equal throughout the seal surface, corresponding to the internal part of the structure (20) of the door (31), having a maximum deformation (D) of 10 mm at the wing (15).

[0091] As an alternative to this configuration with one flexing zone (14), there may be a greater number of these zones.

[0092] The seal (12) made from TPE is bi-injected to obtain a seal with a hardness of between 10 and 70 Shore A, an increase over the conventional seals known in the state of the art, but said lower elasticity will be compensated thanks to the increase in elasticity with the new structural design of the wing (15) and its flexing zone (14). By way of an example, among others, styrenic thermoplastic elastomers of 40 Shore A are used, or a vulcanised thermoplastic elastomer of 35 Shore A, etc.

[0093] This flexibility of the seal (12), although less than compounds with a lower hardness, also facilitates its deformation for its adaptation to the contact surface of the structure (20) of the door (31). With this flexibility, the sealing is achieved by exerting the force of assembling and attaching the door module (10).

[0094] Alternatively, one of the lips may be of a greater thickness than the others to execute a sealing with a greater sealing surface and other additional seals. These sizes range between the 1.5 mm-2 mm of the smallest lips and the 10 mm of the lip of the largest size.

[0095] Despite the fact that reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is evident for a person skilled in the art that the vehicle door module, as well as the method of manufacture of this module and the vehicle including the same, are susceptible to numerous variations and modifications, and that all the aforementioned details can be replaced by other technically equivalent details without detracting from the scope of the protection defined by the attached claims.