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US 12,319,130 B2Granted
Vehicle door assembly
AssigneeJaguar Land Rover Limited
InventorsRobin Warmington, Paul John Moreton-Smith, Jim Bryant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle door assembly comprises: an outer door panel skin; and a seal carrier rail, wherein the seal carrier rail is shaped to provide: a first elongate recess at a first face of the seal carrier rail configured to accommodate a waist seal within the first elongate recess; and a second elongate recess at a second face of the seal carrier rail opposite the first face, wherein the second elongate recess is located between the seal carrier rail and the outer door panel skin.
Claims18
A vehicle door assembly, comprising:
- an outer door panel skin;
- a seal carrier rail, wherein the seal carrier rail is shaped to provide:
- a first elongate recess at a first face of the seal carrier rail, the first elongate recess providing an upper volume between a glass pane of a vehicle door, the seal carrier rail and the outer door panel skin;
- and
- a second elongate recess at a second face of the seal carrier rail opposite the first face, wherein the second elongate recess is located between the seal carrier rail and the outer door panel skin;
- and
- a waist seal comprising an elongate support portion, an elongate inner-side portion bounding the elongate support portion on an inner-side away from the outer door panel skin, and an elongate outer-side portion bounding the elongate support portion on an outer-side towards the outer door panel skin, wherein:
- the elongate inner-side portion and the elongate outer-side portion each comprises a proximal end connected to the elongate support portion and a distal end remote from the elongate support portion, wherein the elongate inner-side portion and the elongate outer-side portion extend away from respective opposing sides of the elongate support portion, such that the elongate inner-side portion, the elongate outer-side portion, and the elongate support portion together form a channel;
- the elongate outer-side portion comprises a sealing lip located at the distal end of the elongate outer-side portion, the distal end of the elongate outer-side portion projecting towards the elongate inner-side portion;
- the elongate support portion comprises one or more fixing features disposed between the proximal ends of the elongate inner-side portion and the elongate outer-side portion, wherein the elongate support portion is attached to the seal carrier rail by way of the one or more fixing features such that the waist seal is located entirely within the upper volume of the first elongate recess and the waist seal is hidden from view at least when the glass pane of the vehicle door assembly is in a closed configuration;
- and
- the waist seal is configured such that the channel defines a substantially closed cross-section at least when the glass pane is closed.
9 more elements
A method of manufacturing a vehicle door assembly, comprising:
- forming a seal carrier rail to comprise:
- a first elongate recess at a first face of the seal carrier rail;
- and
- a second elongate recess at a second face of the seal carrier rail opposite the first face;
- fixing an outer door panel skin to a first portion of the seal carrier rail by hemming an upper portion of the outer door panel skin over a first edge of the first portion of the seal carrier rail to form a hemmed connection, the first elongate recess providing an upper volume between a glass pane of a vehicle door, the seal carrier rail and the outer door panel skin;
- fixing the outer door panel skin to a second portion of the seal carrier rail, the second portion at an opposite side of the seal carrier rail to the first portion, such that the second elongate recess is located between the seal carrier rail and the outer door panel skin;
- accommodating a waist seal below an uppermost outer door panel skin edge of the hemmed connection, the waist seal comprising:
- an elongate support portion;
- an elongate inner-side portion bounding the elongate support portion on an inner-side away from the outer door panel skin;
- and
- an elongate outer-side portion bounding the elongate support portion on an outer-side towards the outer door panel skin, wherein:
- the elongate inner-side portion and the elongate outer-side portion each comprises a proximal end connected to the elongate support portion and a distal end remote from the elongate support portion, wherein the elongate inner-side portion and the elongate outer-side portion extend away from respective opposing sides of the elongate support portion such that together the elongate inner-side portion, the elongate outer-side portion, and the elongate support portion form a channel;
- the elongate outer-side portion comprises a sealing lip located at the distal end of the elongate outer-side portion, the distal end of the elongate outer-side portion projecting towards the elongate inner-side portion;
- and
- the elongate support portion comprises one or more fixing features disposed between the proximal ends of the elongate inner-side portion and the elongate outer-side portion;
- and
- fixing the elongate support portion to the seal carrier rail by way of the one or more fixing features such that the waist seal is:
- located entirely within the upper volume of the first elongate recess;
- hidden from view at least when the glass pane of the vehicle door is closed;
- and
- wherein the waist seal is configured such that the channel defines a substantially closed cross-section at least when the glass pane is closed.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.