Sealing assembly

• US 9,957,748 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Alexander, Paul W., Mankame, Nilesh D., Johnson, Nancy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rephann, Justin B
• Application Number:
  US15/061,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20160265271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/15 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2007/202 Actuator connected to wing frame
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/80 flexible upwardly folding flexible screens E06B9/262
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/20 automatically withdrawn when the wing is opened , e.g. by means of magnetic attraction, a pin or an inclined surface, especially for sills
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/0692 comprising flexible sheets as closing screen
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/08 Roll-type closures roller blinds E06B9/40; operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; usable only as awnings E04F10/06

Abstract

A sealing assembly includes a door and a seal. The door includes a flexible body that is movable between an open position and a closed position. The seal is movable between an engaged position in which the seal is positioned in engagement with a portion of the flexible body when the flexible body is in the closed position and a disengaged position in which the seal moves away from the portion of the flexible body as the flexible body moves from the closed position to the open position such that the flexible body is spaced from the seal to minimize frictional engagement with the seal.

Claims

1. A sealing assembly comprising:

a door including a flexible body that is movable between an open position and a closed position; and

a seal movable between an engaged position in which the seal is positioned in engagement with a portion of the flexible body when the flexible body is in the closed position and a disengaged position in which the seal moves away from the portion of the flexible body as the flexible body moves from the closed position to the open position such that the flexible body is spaced from the seal to minimize frictional engagement with the seal;

wherein the seal includes a first body and a second body;

wherein the seal includes a plurality of legs disposed between the first and second bodies;

wherein each of the legs includes at least one hinge which assists in allowing movement of the legs relative to the first body;

wherein the at least one hinge defines a groove regardless of the position of the seal relative to the door, and wherein the groove is defined into each of the legs;

each of the legs includes a first end and a second end spaced from each other; and

each of the legs is linear between the first and second ends regardless of the position of the seal relative to the door.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first body is fixed to a support structure and the second body is spaced from the first body, with the second body engaging the portion of the flexible body when in the engaged position.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein the second body includes a bulb that engages the portion of the flexible body when in the engaged position.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the bulb includes an outer surface and an inner surface, with the inner surface defining an aperture along a longitudinal axis, and the inner surface is circumferentially closed relative to the longitudinal axis.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the at least one hinge is further defined as a plurality of hinges, with a respective one of the hinges connected to the first and second ends of each of the legs such that respective hinges connects the first end of respective legs to the first body and other respective hinges connects the second end of respective legs to the second body.

6. The assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein the groove is further defined as a plurality of grooves spaced from each other, and respective grooves are defined into each of the first and second ends of each of the legs.

7. The assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein the legs substantially align with each other and are spaced from each other in a row that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

8. The assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein the legs are split into a first row of legs and a second row of legs that are spaced side-by-side each other, with the first row of legs substantially aligning with each other and spaced from each other substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and with the second row of legs substantially aligning with each other and spaced from each other substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

9. The assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the second body of the seal defines a hole spaced from the aperture, and wherein the seal includes an insert disposed in the hole, and further including a shape memory alloy actuator coupled to the insert to move the seal to at least one of the engaged and disengaged positions.

10. The assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the bulb includes at least one rib disposed in the aperture to split the aperture into a first aperture segment and a second aperture segment.

11. The assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein the seal includes an insert disposed in the rib, and further including a shape memory alloy actuator coupled to the insert to move the seal to at least one of the engaged and disengaged positions.

12. The assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein the rib is further defined as a plurality of ribs disposed in the aperture and spaced from each other to split the aperture into the first aperture segment, the second aperture segment and a third aperture segment.

13. The assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein the bulb includes an insert disposed in the rib to support the bulb.

14. The assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein the second body includes a center support, a first finger and a second finger, with the first and second fingers extending from the center support and wrapping back around toward the center support to define a first aperture segment and a second aperture segment which are circumferentially open to allow the first and second fingers to move back and forth.

15. The assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein the second body includes an engagement surface that engages the portion of the flexible body when in the engaged position, and wherein the engagement surface defines a generally flat configuration.

16. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a shape memory alloy actuator operatively coupled to the seal to move the seal to at least one of the engaged and disengaged positions.

17. The assembly as set forth in claim 1:

wherein the door is movably attached to a support structure that defines an opening, with the door covering the opening when in the closed position and at least partially uncovering the opening when in the open position;

wherein the door includes an extension;

further including a latch movable between a locked position engaging the extension and corresponding to the seal being in the engaged position, and an unlocked position disengaging from the extension and corresponding to the seal being in the disengaged position; and

further including a shape memory alloy actuator coupled to the latch to move the latch to at least one of the locked and unlocked positions.

18. A sealing assembly comprising:

a support structure defining an opening;

a door including a flexible body that is movable between an open position and a closed position, with the door covering the opening when in the closed position and at least partially uncovering the opening when in the open position; and

a seal including a first body fixed to the support structure and a second body spaced from the first body, with at least the second body movable between an engaged position in which the second body is positioned in engagement with a portion of the flexible body when the flexible body is in the closed position and a disengaged position in which the second body moves away from the portion of the flexible body as the flexible body moves from the closed position to the open position such that the flexible body is spaced from the seal to minimize frictional engagement with the seal;

wherein the seal includes a plurality of legs disposed between the first and second bodies;

wherein each of the legs includes a plurality of hinges spaced from each other;

wherein the hinges of each of the legs assist in allowing movement of the legs relative to the first body;

wherein each of the legs includes a first end and a second end spaced from each other;

wherein each of the legs is linear between the first and second ends regardless of the position of the seal relative to the door;

wherein one of the hinges is disposed at the first end of the respective one of the legs and another one of the hinges is disposed at the second end of the respective one of the legs such that each of the legs is linear between respective hinges.

19. A sealing assembly comprising:

a door including a flexible body that is movable between an open position and a closed position; and

a seal movable between an engaged position in which the seal is positioned in engagement with a portion of the flexible body when the flexible body is in the closed position and a disengaged position in which the seal moves away from the portion of the flexible body as the flexible body moves from the closed position to the open position such that the flexible body is spaced from the seal to minimize frictional engagement with the seal;

wherein the seal includes a first body fixed to a support structure and a second body spaced from the first body, with the second body engaging the portion of the flexible body when in the engaged position;

wherein the second body includes a bulb that engages the portion of the flexible body when in the engaged position;

wherein the bulb includes an outer surface and an inner surface, with the inner surface defining an aperture along a longitudinal axis, and the inner surface is circumferentially closed relative to the longitudinal axis;

wherein the seal includes a plurality of legs disposed between the first and second bodies, and wherein each of the legs includes at least one hinge which assists in allowing movement of the legs relative to the first body;

wherein the at least one hinge is further defined as a plurality of hinges, with each of the legs including a first end and a second end spaced from each other, and a respective one of the hinges connected to the first and second ends of the legs such that respective hinges connects the first end of respective legs to the first body and other respective hinges connects the second end of respective legs to the second body;

wherein the legs are split into a first row of legs and a second row of legs that are spaced side-by-side each other, with the first row of legs substantially aligning with each other and spaced from each other substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and with the second row of legs substantially aligning with each other and spaced from each other substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.