US 5,826,378 A · Sealing strips

Abstract

A sealing strip for sealing between a flange defining the door opening, such as in a motor vehicle body, and the door of the opening, comprises a channel-shaped gripping part for gripping the flange and supporting a hollow tubular sealing part, preferably made of sponge rubber. The latter is partially compressed between the flange and the closing door so as to provide a barrier against ingress of moisture and draft. In order to provide improved blocking of acoustic energy, so as to reduce the amount of exterior noise (road noise, aerodynamic noise) transmitted into the interior of the the vehicle, the hollow tubular sealing part supports a metal wire running lengthwise along and within the hollow tube and supported from the tubular side wall so as to be capable of vibrating in a transverse direction. The mass of the wire and the rigidity with which it is supported are such that the resonant frequency with which the wire vibrates is less than a frequency band of acoustic energy to be attenuated, whereby the additional material tends to vibrate in opposition to, and thus attenuates, acoustic energy within that frequency band.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A closure arrangement for an opening, comprising

a frame of the opening,
a closure member movable towards the frame to close the opening, and
a sealing strip for sealing around at least part of the frame when the opening is closed by the closure member, the sealing strip comprising
longitudinally extending compressible material having a first portion positioned to be compressed between the frame and the closing closure member to seal around said at least part of the frame,
said longitudinally extending compressible material having a second portion positioned so as to be substantially uncompressed between the frame and the closing closure member, and
metallic material carried by said second portion of the compressible material and providing an increase in the mass of the compressible material so as to attenuate acoustic energy tending to pass between the frame and the closed closure member.

3 more elements

A closure arrangement for closing an external opening of a motor vehicle, comprising

a frame extending around the opening,
a closure member for closing the opening, and
a sealing strip for sealing around at least part of the frame when the opening is closed by the closure member, the sealing strip comprising
a first portion of compressible material having a longitudinal extension corresponding to said at least part of the frame and positioned to be compressed between the frame and the closing closure member to provide a sealing barrier therebetween,
a second portion of compressible material integral with and having a longitudinal extension corresponding with said first portion of compressible material, said second portion of compressible material being positioned so as to be substantially uncompressed between the frame and the closing closure member,
the second portion of compressible material supporting a length of metal wire having a predetermined mass and extending along at least part of said longitudinal extension, the wire being supported with a predetermined degree of rigidity from said second portion of the compressible material for mechanical vibration in response to acoustic energy which arises externally of the vehicle,
the predetermined mass of the metal wire and the predetermined rigidity with which it is supported providing a resonant frequency of vibration of the wire which is less than a frequency band of said acoustic energy, the wire thereby tending to vibrate in opposition to, and to attenuate, acoustic energy within that frequency band.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sealing strips

Life of this patent

Sealing strips

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22