Vehicle door assembly with weatherstrip and methods of use and manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889171-B2
Application number	US-201816152745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2018
Priority date	Oct 5, 2018
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

An assembly for use in a vehicle door that can include a weather strip, a door flange, a weatherstrip datum formation, and a flange datum formation. The weatherstrip can include a mounting member that extends along a length axis of the weatherstrip. The mounting member can include a side wall that extends along the length axis. The side wall can include the weatherstrip datum formation. The door flange can be configured to integrate with an inner door panel. The door flange can include a flange datum formation. The weatherstrip datum formation can be engageable with the flange datum formation so as to position the weatherstrip relative to the door flange.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for use in a vehicle door, the assembly comprising:
a weatherstrip that includes a mounting member that extends along a length axis of the weatherstrip, the mounting member including a side wall that extends along the length axis,
the side wall includes a weatherstrip datum formation;

an end cap covering the weatherstrip datum formation and a portion of the side wall that is adjacent to the mounting member; and
a door flange that is configured to integrate with an inner door panel, the door flange includes a flange datum formation,
the weatherstrip datum formation engages the flange datum formation so as to position the weatherstrip relative to the door flange, and
the end cap covers the flange datum formation and engages the door flange.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the weatherstrip datum formation includes a notch provided in the side wall.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the mounting member further includes a cross wall that runs along the length axis of the weatherstrip in parallel to and connected, along the length axis, to an upper edge of the side wall; and
the side wall includes:
a mid portion that includes a side edge, and
an end portion that includes a side edge, and
the notch defined, at least in part, by the side edge of the mid portion and the side edge of the end portion, and the notch for receiving a portion of the flange datum formation.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the notch extends through the side wall and into the cross wall, such that the cross wall includes a cutout that defines a portion of the notch, and
the cross wall extends in an anteroposterior horizontal plane along the length axis, and
the side wall extends in a vertical anteroposterior plane along the length axis.

5. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the side wall includes:
a mid portion that includes a side edge, and
an end portion that includes a side edge, and
the notch defined, at least in part, by the side edge of the mid portion and the side edge of the end portion, and the notch for receiving a portion of the flange datum formation.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the side edge of the mid portion and the side edge of the end portion are parallel to each other, and
the side edge of the mid portion and the side edge of the end portion each extend perpendicular to the length axis of the weatherstrip.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the side edge of the mid portion and the side edge of the end portion define the notch so as to slidably receive the flange datum formation therein.

8. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the end portion forms a tab adjacent to an end of the weatherstrip.

9. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein
the notch is open at a lower portion thereof; and
the end portion includes a bevel that is at an angle to the side edge of the end portion, and the bevel is configured to guide the flange datum formation into the notch in assembly of the weatherstrip to the door flange.

10. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the side wall extends along the length axis of the weatherstrip and is configured to be supported by the door flange; and
the flange datum formation includes a guide protuberance that is configured to be received into the notch of the side wall.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the guide protuberance is constituted by a bridge segment of material that extends between a first portion of the door flange and a second portion of the door flange, and the bridge segment of material is arcuate in shape and possessing uniform geometry, along a width thereof, along the length axis.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the door flange includes a support wall having a dominate surface; and
the flange datum formation further includes a raised frame, on the support wall, that surrounds the guide protuberance, and
the raised frame provides a raised surface, which is raised from the dominate surface of the support wall, to engage with the side wall.

13. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the mounting member further includes a cross wall that extends along the length axis of the weatherstrip in parallel to and connected, along the length axis, to an upper edge of the side wall;
the side wall is an inner side wall configured to be disposed on an inboard side of the cross wall; and
the door flange configured to integrate with the inner door panel is constituted by:
(a) the door flange being a part of the inner door panel; or
(b) the door flange being a separate piece, connected to the inner door panel.

14. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the side wall of the weatherstrip extends along the length axis of the weatherstrip and is configured to be supported by the door flange, the side wall terminates at an edge;
the notch extends from the edge such that the notch includes an opened end;
the door flange includes a support wall that supports the side wall of the weatherstrip and terminates at a free end, the door flange includes an opening through the side wall and spaced away from the free end of the door flange; and
the flange datum formation includes a bridge segment that spans the opening and extends away from the opening such that a portion of the bridge segment is spaced away from the support wall and extends into the notch.

15. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the end cap terminates at a first end and at a second end that is spaced away from the first end along the length axis, the first end engages the weatherstrip, and the second end engages the door flange.

16. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the weatherstrip datum formation includes a tab, the tab defined by a first notch and a second notch disposed in the side wall; and
the door flange includes a support wall, the flange datum formation provided on the support wall, and the flange datum formation includes a raised profile portion that extends from the support wall, and the raised profile portion includes a receiving opening formed therein; and wherein the receiving opening is configured to receive the tab.

17. The assembly of claim 16 wherein:
a first portion of the raised profile portion extends out from the support wall in varying profile depth, in a bulbous manner, along a first periphery of the raised profile portion;
a second portion of the raised profile portion extends out from the support wall in varying profile depth, in a bulbous manner, along a second periphery of the raised profile portion; and
the receiving opening is provided between the first portion and the second portion.

18. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the tab includes opposing side edges, including a first side edge and a second side edge, to be received into the receiving opening, and the tab further includes:
a first beveled edge adjacent to and beveled with respect to the first side edge; and
a second beveled edge adjacent to and beveled with respect to the second side edge.

19. A door assembly for a vehicle comprising:
an outer door panel;
an inner door panel connected to the outer door panel, the inner door panel includes a flange, the flange includes a flange datum formation, and the flange datum formation has a first shape;
a cavity extending from the inner door panel to the outer door panel;
an opening extending from the outer door panel to the inner door panel and in communication with the cavity, the flange of the inner door panel extends along the opening;
a windowpane housed in the cavity and movable between an opened position where the windowpane is retracted through t

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Thiele Steven R
• Wasser Jacob I
• Guitar James P
• Reynolds Chase A
• O'Keefe Ian Z
• Mccrary Sam R
• Coiro Jordan T
• Williams Nigel W

Classifications

• B60J10/75 Primary

  for sealing the lower part of the panes · CPC title

• B60J10/22

  having varying cross-section in the longitudinal direction · CPC title

• B60J10/32

  using integral U-shaped retainers · CPC title