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

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 the opening and into the cavity and a closed position where the windowpane is extended through the opening and out of the cavity, the windowpane includes an inner surface that moves into and out of the cavity as the windowpane moves between the opened position and the closed position;
• a weatherstrip connected to the flange of the inner door panel, and the weatherstrip includes:
• a mounting member that is connected to and extends along the flange of the inner door panel;
• at least one flange seal that extends from the mounting member to the surface of the inner surface of the windowpane, and engages the inner surface of the windowpane to form a seal between the inner surface of the windowpane and the opening;
• and
• a weatherstrip datum formation that has a second shape that is complementary to the first shape to the flange datum formation, the weather strip datum formation engages the flange datum formation such that the weatherstrip datum formation and the flange datum formation together locate the weatherstrip at a predetermined position on the flange;
• and
• an end cap covering the weatherstrip datum formation, the door flange datum formation, and a portion of the mounting member, and the end cap engages the flange of the inner door panel.

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, and
• the side wall includes a weatherstrip datum formation;
• and
• a door flange that is configured to integrate with an inner door panel, the door flange includes a flange datum formation;
• and
• an end cap engaging the weatherstrip and the door flange;
• and
• the weatherstrip datum formation engages the flange datum formation so as to position the weatherstrip relative to the door flange;
• and
• wherein the weatherstrip datum formation includes a tab;
• and
• wherein the door flange includes a support wall, the flange datum formation is provided on the support wall, and the flange datum formation includes a receiving opening;
• and
• wherein the receiving opening is configured to receive the tab;
• and
• wherein the end cap covers the tab, the receiving opening, a portion of the side wall that is adjacent to the tab, and a portion of the side wall of the door flange that is spaced away from the portion of the side wall adjacent to the tab along the length axis.