US 4,761,917 AGranted

Deflatable weatherstrips

AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation

InventorsAllen F. Knecht, John F. Eilerman, Stanley E. Smith, Jack E. Smith

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for sealing between a movable vehicular closure and body, especially adapted for an automobile, is disclosed. A deflatable sealing member forms a weatherstrip to seal the opening in the vehicle body and includes an operable tubular portion and an integral mounting portion. The sealing member is designed for resilient interference engagement between the closure and the body when expanded by the built-in resilient memory. The closure is mounted so as to provide relative transverse movement between the sealing member and one of said closure and said body during closing. In order to deflate the sealing member, a vacuum source, which may be a bellows pump, separate electric pump, engine vacuum, or the like, is connected to the single port of the sealing member and is activated at least during the closing of the closure. After closing, the control valves switch from the vacuum source to a vent to ambient pressure thereby inflating the sealing member. With the sealing member deflated, the closing effort of the closure is substantially reduced and compression shock inside the vehicle is eliminated. Two alternative embodiments featuring the alternative vacuum sources and valving arrangements are included. Also, a relatively non-deflatable bumper portion of the sealing member is disclosed to absorb shock during closing.

Claims1

Dependent claims

An apparatus for sealing between a hinged vehicle closure and body, such as between a door and door frame forming an opening of an automobile, comprising:

a deflatable sealing member for resilient interference engagement between said closure and said body;
said sealing member including a non-deflatable bumper portion defining a limited resilient surface for contacting a portion of said body to both absorb shock during closing and positively maintain a predetermined space between the closure and the remainder of the sealing member when deflated for the passage of air and prevention of compression shock;
vacuum source means connected to said deflatable sealing member;
control means for connecting said vacuum source means to said deflatable sealing member at least during the closing of said closure, and for venting to ambient pressure after closing;
said sealing member having sufficient resiliency to provide a firm seal by interference engagement upon inflation by ambient pressure;
whereby deflation of said sealing member to a reduced cross section during closing of said closure allows passage of air from inside the vehicle past said sealing member by the positive influence of said bumper portion to substantially reduce closing effort and eliminate compression shock, and after closing inflation of said sealing member by ambient pressure releases said sealing member for firm sealing engagement with increased resilient interference between said closure and said body.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.