Vacuum system for deflating weatherstrips

摘要

A sealing apparatus for a vehicle closure, such as a door, includes a vacuum system for deflating the vehicle weatherstrips or sealing members. A plurality of deflatable sealing members may be connected to a single vacuum source. The system includes a sensor/actuator for detecting motion of the individual vehicle closures and a flow control circuit including valve arrangements for selectively connecting a particular sealing member to the vacuum source. In response to detected closing motion of a particular closure, the sealing member associated with that closure is deflated to allow the closure to close and latch with relatively low effort. Once closed, the sealing member is vented to atmosphere and reexpands by resilient memory to full cross-section thereby providing a relatively tight interference seal. The closure motion sensor/actuator includes a flexible strip having a series of aligned, closely spaced apertures and a cooperating pawl and actuator lever for operating the valves.