TITLE

A sealing device for an air duct in a motor vehicle.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention discloses a sealing device for sealing between an opening in an air duct in a motor vehicle and an object which is arranged in the opening of the air duct.

BACKGROUND ART In motor vehicles, air ducts are used to connect a climate unit to, for example, the interior of the vehicle. The air duct usually terminates in an opening in the vicinity of the dashboard of the vehicle, where it is fitted with an air outlet, usually in the shape of a grill or a mesh unit.

The air outlet is fitted in the opening of the air duct, and in order to achieve good sealing between the outlet and the opening, the opening is usually fitted on its inside with a sealing made of, usually, a foam material.

A problem with this is that the foam can quite easily be torn when fitting the outlet, so that the sealing function is impaired. In addition, the foam can also be damaged due to aging which will cause a deterioration of the material, which can also impair the sealing function.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION As discussed above, there is thus a need for a way by means of which the opening of an air duct in a motor vehicle can be sealed in a better way than previously when an object such as an air outlet is fitted in the opening of the air duct.

This need is met by the present invention in that it discloses a sealing device for sealing between an opening in an air duct in a motor vehicle and an object which is arranged in the opening of the air duct. The opening is

intended to have an edge which extends around at least part of the opening, and the sealing device is arranged to be able to extend longitudinally along at least part of said edge.

The sealing device has, in a direction which is perpendicular to said longitudinal extension, a cross section which comprises a recess for receiving the edge of the opening.

Thus, the sealing device of the invention can be fitted along the edge of the opening, with the recess of the sealing device "gripping" the edge of the opening.

Suitably but not necessarily, the sealing device also comprises, in said cross section, a sealing lip or flange, which will contact an object which is arranged in the opening of the air duct. The lip or flange can be made of an elastic material, so that it is biased in the direction of the inserted object, thus ensuring a high degree of sealing.

In addition, the sealing device can also comprise, in its recess, means for snap engagement with the air duct.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in more detail in the following, with reference to the appended drawings, in which

Fig 1 shows a top view of a cross section of an air duct of a motor vehicle with an air outlet, and

Fig 2 shows a cross section of a sealing device according to the invention, and Fig 3 shows an air duct in the same view as fig 1 , but fitted with a sealing device according to the invention, and

Fig 4 shows the sealing device fitted onto the air duct in the same view as in fig 3, but with an alternative embodiment of the sealing device, and Fig 5 shows a sealing device of the invention.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Fig 1 shows a top view of a cross section of an air duct 100 in a motor vehicle. The air duct connects to, for example, a climate unit in the vehicle at one point of the air duct, and at a point close to, for example, the dashboard of the vehicle, the air duct 100 exhibits an opening with an edge 120 which extends around at least part of the opening.

An object, for example an air outlet 110, is inserted into the opening of the air duct, the air outlet having a side wall 121. As can be understood, and also seen in fig 1 , there will be a need for sealing between the wall 121 of the air outlet 110 and the opening in the air duct. This need will be realized especially when one bears in mind that the temperature of the air from the air duct can reach temperatures of approximately 90 degrees C, and also bearing in mind that the air outlets can often be arranged next to sensitive electronics equipment such as stereo equipment, CD-players, etc.

Fig 2 shows a cross section of a sealing device 200 according to the invention. The sealing device 200 of the invention is intended to be arranged so that it extends longitudinally along at least part of the edge 120 of the air duct. To this end, the sealing device, in a direction which is perpendicular to said longitudinal extension has the cross section shown in fig 2. As can be seen in fig 2, the cross section comprises a recess 210 for receiving the edge of the opening. The recess is delimited by two side walls 221 ,222, and an end wall 223 of the sealing device.

By means of the recess 210, the sealing device 200 may be arranged along the entire opening A of the air duct, with the edge 120 of the air duct being "straddled" by the recess 210.

Thus, when an object such as an air outlet is fitted in the opening A of the air duct, it will contact the outer walls of the sealing device 200. The material and the dimensions of the sealing device can be chosen in such a way that good sealing is ensured.

In addition, the sealing device 200 may also comprise a sealing lip or flange, 225, arranged on or adjacent to the outside (as seen from the recess) of one of its side walls 221 , 222, for contacting the object 110 which is to be arranged in the opening of the air duct. The function of this sealing lip 225 will be explained in more detail below.

Fig 3 shows an air duct 100 in the same view as fig 1 , but fitted with a sealing device 200 according to the invention. An object such as an air outlet 110 has been introduced into the opening A of the air duct, and consequently, there is a need for sealing between the opening A and wall 121 of the air outlet.

As can be seen, the recess 210 of the sealing device 200 "grips" the edge 120 of the air duct 100. For each dimension of air duct walls, individual sealing devices can be manufactured, with different dimensions of the recess 210, so that a tight fit is ensured.

As can also be seen, the air outlet 110 has been inserted into the opening A of the air duct, and the sealing lip or flange 225 of the sealing device contacts the wall 121 of the air outlet, preferably in a "flexing" manner, in other words, the lip as well as the entire sealing device is made of a material which allows the lip 225 to flex inwards into the air duct when it is contacted by the air outlet 110.

This will also cause the lip 225 to be biased towards the wall 121 of the air outlet, which additionally increases the sealing function of the sealing device.

If it is desired to additionally increase the biasing of the lip 225 towards the air outlet 110, a spring means, such as for example a flexible metal wire, may be employed in the lip 225. The spring means would then, due to its inherent material properties, reinforce the biasing of the lip towards the air outlet, or any other object which has been introduced into the opening A of the air duct.

Also, if it is desired to increase the stability of the sealing device as such, a metal wire or some such device can be introduced into the side wall 221 ,222 of the sealing device.

Fig 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a sealing device 200' according to the invention. In this alternative embodiment 200', the sealing device comprises means 410 for snap engagement with the edge 120 of the air duct. The snap means 410 can, as shown in fig 4, be a recess on the inside of one of the walls 221 , 222, of the sealing device. The snap means, in this case a recess, is intended to interact with a correspondingly shaped snap means 411 on a wall of the air duct 100. The snap means would then, in this case, be a protrusion on the outside of the wall 120 of the air duct 100.

Naturally, versions of this can be envisioned within the scope of the present invention: for example, the recess on the sealing device can instead be a protrusion, which would then be matched by a correspondingly shaped recess on the wall of the air duct.

Also, the snap means can naturally be formed on either wall of the sealing device. In fig 4, the recess is shown formed on the wall of the sealing device which will contact the outside of the air duct wall, but in an alternative embodiment, the snap means can be formed on that wall which will contact the inside of the air duct wall, said inside of the air duct wall then having its snap means formed there as well.

Turning now to the manufacturing of the sealing device according to the invention, two main principles can be discerned: according to the first principle, the sealing device 200 is manufactured in one continuous piece which can be directly fitted into the opening in the air duct. This method is suitable when manufacturing large amounts of sealing devices, i.e. when large amounts of air ducts with identical dimensions are to be fitted with sealing devices.

One such "tailor-made" sealing device 500 is shown in fig 5, in an open view in order to facilitate for the reader. The cross section in a direction which is more or less perpendicular to the main direction of extension of the sealing device can be seen clearly here. Thus, the sealing lip 225, as well as the recess 210 of the sealing device can be seen clearly here.

A manufacturing process which can be suitable for manufacturing the "tailor- made" sealing device of fig 5 is so called injection moulding.

Turning now to the second principle for manufacturing the sealing device, this principle is mainly employed when manufacturing sealing devices for small volumes of air ducts of varying or unknown (circumferential) dimensions. According to this second principle, the sealing device is manufactured as one continuous length of material, which can then be cut in desired lengths of material to fit into openings of varying circumferences.

When manufacturing a sealing device according to the second embodiment, a suitable method is so called extrusion.

Regardless of which manufacturing method that is chosen, the sealing device is manufactured with a recess of such width that a tight grip on the edge of the air duct in question is ensured.

When choosing the material from which the sealing device of the invention is to be manufactured, attention should be paid to choosing a material which will ensure a good sealing function, as well as a good grip against the air duct wall and objects which are inserted into the opening in the air duct. Examples of such materials are :

- a thermoplastic elastomer

- thermoplastic polyurethane

- thermoplastic rubber - EPDM-rubber

- Silicone rubber

Above and in the drawings, the object which is inserted into the air duct and against which it is desired to seal has consistently been shown as an air outlet. However, the sealing device of the invention can also be used when other objects are inserted or fitted into an air duct. Examples of such other objects are another air duct which it might be desired to connect to, or the climate unit which the air duct connects the interior of the vehicle to.

The invention is not limited to the examples of embodiments shown above, but may be freely varied within the scope of the appended patent claims.