Pillar seal retainers for motor vehicle seal structures

A motor vehicle, comprising:

• a vehicle body with a pillar structure adjacent a windowpane;
• an outer applique disposed over the pillar structure, the outer applique including a lipped edge and an inner surface with an applique tab adjacent an applique flange, both the applique tab and applique flange projecting inboard from the inner surface;
• a seal structure including a flexible seal body integrally formed with first and second seal lips, a pair of first hooks projecting from the first seal lip, and a groove recessed into the second seal lip, the first and second seal lips jointly receiving a peripheral edge of the windowpane;
• and
• a single-piece seal retainer carrier disposed between the pillar structure and the outer applique, the seal retainer carrier including a base integrally formed with first and second interface flanges, the base being attached to the pillar structure of the vehicle body, the first interface flange projecting at a first oblique angle from the base and attaching to the applique flange of the outer applique to define a cavity, and the second interface flange projecting at a second oblique angle from the base and including a protruding rib,
• wherein the seal structure is press-fit into the cavity between the seal retainer carrier and the outer applique with the one of the first hooks of the first seal lip secured between the applique tab and applique flange, another of the first hooks of the first seal lip secured between the applique tab and the lipped edge, and the protruding rib of the seal retainer carrier seated inside the recessed groove of the second seal lip.

A method of constructing a seal retainer carrier for mounting a seal structure to an outer applique and a body structure of a motor vehicle, the seal structure including a flexible seal body with a first seal lip having a hook and a second seal lip having a recessed groove, the outer applique having a tab and a flange protruding from an inner surface thereof, the method comprising:

• forming a base configured to attach to the body structure of the motor vehicle;
• attaching a first interface flange to the base to project outboard from the base, the first interface flange being configured to attach to the flange of the outer applique;
• and
• attaching a second interface flange to the base to project outboard from the base, the second interface flange including a protruding rib configured to attach to the second seal lip,
• wherein the protruding rib of the second interface flange fits into the recessed groove of the seal structure such that the seal structure mounts between the outer applique and the body structure with the hook of the first seal lip seated against the tab of the outer applique.