Patent ID: 7845707

Claim:
A door assembly for use with a motorized vehicle having a vehicle body defining a door opening, the door assembly comprising: a frame member configured for operative attachment to the vehicle body to selectively transition from a closed position, in which said frame member at least partially covers the door opening, to an open position, in which said frame member provides for access to an interior of the vehicle; and a seal structure including: a base portion elongated along and operatively attached to at least a portion of a peripheral edge of one of said frame member and the vehicle body; a flexible contact portion having a length and extending integrally from said base portion, wherein said flexible contact portion defines a cavity and is configured for sealing communication with an opposing surface; a thermally-activated smart material disposed within said cavity; an activation device disposed within said cavity and distributed along said entire length of said flexible contact portion, wherein said activation device is in thermal communication with said thermally-activated smart material and is configured to impart a thermal differential to said thermally-activated smart material therealong; wherein said thermally-activated smart material is activated in response to said thermal differential of said activation device to reversibly alter at least one physical property of said thermally-activated smart material; and a controller in operative communication with said activation device and configured to selectively control and individually modify said thermal differential thereof along predetermined segments which require extra range seal control to compensate for structural changes in said seal structure attributable to aging and environmental changes.