Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to vehicle members that mount and seal together, and in particular to engine covers that mount and seal to engine rings that have removable access plates. 
     Many vans and small trucks are configured with short front ends and resulting engine compartments that extend partially into the passenger compartments of these vehicles. In order to separate the two compartments, an engine ring and engine cover may be employed. The engine ring mounts to the frame or body around the opening between the engine and passenger compartments. The engine cover encloses the portion of the engine extending into the passenger compartment and has a perimeter that mates and seals with the engine ring. Typically, the perimeter has a bulb or other type of seal mounted thereon in order to assure a good seal. The engine cover and engine ring, then, will help keep noise and fumes from the engine out of the passenger compartment. 
     One of the difficulties with the types of vehicles that have the engine compartment extending into the passenger compartment is access to certain components and subassemblies mounted to the engine. Such access may be needed for service or repair of certain parts. In particular, the engine ring and engine cover are typically located close to the engine in order to minimize the intrusion into and thus maximize the space in the passenger compartment. While the engine cover is removable, the engine ring is not, so components and subassemblies mounted on the engine adjacent to the engine ring may be very difficult or impossible to service without removing the engine from the vehicle or cutting a hole in the engine ring. For example, an engine may have an individual fuel injector for each cylinder. Aligning each fuel injector with its corresponding cylinder, then, fixes the location of the fuel injectors, even if not at the most desirable locations relative to the engine ring. With the engine ring being located close to the engine, there may be fuel injectors that cannot be removed for service without removing the engine or cutting a hole in the engine ring. 
     Both of these repair options have significant drawbacks. Removing the engine is very time consuming, and so presents a significant cost concern when only a small component or subassembly needs servicing. But cutting a hole in the engine ring may also be time consuming and costly, and also might reduce the effectiveness of the seal between the engine ring and engine cover more than is desirable. Thus, both options are less than satisfactory. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a way to relatively easily service engine components or subassemblies where the engine ring may interfere with such servicing, while also avoiding the drawbacks of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the present invention contemplates an access plate for use in a vehicle to cover an aperture in a first component where the first component and a second component mate and seal against each other. The access plate may include a main body portion, made of a first material having a first durometer hardness, adapted to extend across the aperture, and defining a first portion of an outer surface adapted to sealingly engage with the second component; and a seal portion, made of a second material that has a second durometer hardness that is lower than the first material, wherein the seal portion is integral with the main body portion, the seal portion includes an underside surface in opposed relation to the outer surface that is adapted to sealingly engage with the first component, and the seal portion defines a second portion of the outer surface that is adapted to sealingly engage with the second component. The access plate may also include a retaining mechanism adapted to releasably secure the access plate to the first component. 
     An embodiment according to the present invention may also contemplate an assembly for use in a vehicle. The assembly may include an engine cover having a periphery with a cover seal mounted about the periphery, and an engine ring including a periphery surface sealingly engaging the cover seal and having an aperture therethrough. The assembly may also include an access plate releasably secured to the engine ring and having a main body portion, made of a first material having a first durometer hardness, extending across the aperture, and defining a first portion of an outer surface in sealing engagement with the engine cover; and a seal portion, made of a second material that has a second durometer hardness that is lower than the first material, wherein the seal portion is integral with the main body portion, and the seal portion includes an underside surface in opposed relation to the outer surface that is in sealing engagement with the engine ring around a portion of the aperture. 
     The access plate and the engine ring in accordance with the present invention advantageously provide a relatively simple and quick way to access engine components requiring service where the engine ring might otherwise interfere with such servicing. 
     An advantage of an embodiment of the present invention is that the access plate is reusable. It is easy to remove from the engine ring and easy to properly align and mount to the engine ring. The installation and removal may even be performed without any tools, if so desired. 
     Another advantage of an embodiment of the present invention is that the access plate provides for both a good seal between itself and the engine ring, and itself and the engine cover seal. Thus, a desirable seal between the engine compartment and passenger compartment is maintained. Moreover, the seal between the access plate and engine ring is preferably integral with but a lower durometer material than the main body of the access plate, thus minimizing the number of parts and also assuring that the seal is always in place after servicing of the vehicle is complete. Furthermore, having a higher durometer material for the main body portion may increase its stiffness, which may improve the seal between the access plate and the engine cover seal. 
     An additional advantage of an embodiment of the present invention is that the access plate may include a feature that minimizes the risk of catching on and damaging the engine cover seal during installation of the engine cover on the engine ring. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portion of an interior of a vehicle, looking in through a right side door, in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 1 , but with an engine cover and access plate not shown. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle interior, with an engine cover and access plate removed, and looking from the left side of the vehicle. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an engine ring in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an outer surface of a left side access plate mounted on an engine cover in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 5 , but illustrating an underside surface of the access plate. 
         FIG. 7  is an elevation view of an outer surface of a right side access plate mounted on the engine cover in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a section cut, taken along line  8 - 8  in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-8 , which illustrate the present invention, a vehicle  12 , having a passenger compartment  14  and an engine compartment  16 , is shown. The passenger compartment  14  may be conventional, with an instrument panel  18  extending across the front of it, a steering wheel  20  extending from the instrument panel  18 , and an accelerator pedal  22  and brake pedal  24  below the instrument panel  18 . A floor  26  of the passenger compartment  14  supports conventional seats (not shown for clarity in illustrating the present invention) and is connected to a dash panel  28  along its front end. A hole  30  through the floor  26  and dash panel  28  forms an opening into the engine compartment  16 . An engine  32 , which may be conventional, is located mostly in the engine compartment  16 , but also extends through the hole  30  into the passenger compartment  14  below the instrument panel  18 . The engine  32  may include fuel injectors  34 ,  36  extending therefrom in the vicinity of an engine ring  38 . 
     The engine ring  38  (best seen in  FIG. 4 ) encircles the hole  30  and is contoured to mate with and be permanently affixed to the floor  26  and dash panel  28 . The overall contours and method of affixing the engine ring  38  are conventional and so will not be discussed in detail herein. An inner periphery surface  44  extends around an engine access opening  46 , with the inner periphery surface  44  being in mating and sealing contact with an engine cover  48 , discussed below. The engine ring  38  includes a left side aperture  40  (best seen in  FIG. 3 ) and a right side aperture  42  (best seen in  FIG. 2 ), each cut through the periphery surface  44 . The left side aperture  40  is located to provide clearance for the removal and servicing of the fuel injector  34  and the right side aperture  42  is located to provide clearance for the removal and servicing of the fuel injector  36 . While the apertures  40 ,  42  are located for ease of fuel injector servicing, they can be located anywhere that would assist in the repair or replacement of a particular engine component or subassembly. 
     The engine ring  38  also includes a first left side locating hole  50  and a second left side locating hole  52 , which is preferably a slotted hole to allow for manufacturing tolerances. The locating holes  50 ,  52  are adjacent to opposite ends of the left side aperture  40 . A first right side locating hole  54  and a second right side locating hole  56 , which is again preferably a slotted hole, are adjacent to opposite ends of the right side aperture  42 . 
     The engine cover  48 , which may be conventional if so desired, includes a main body  58  that mounts over and covers the portion of the engine  32  that extends into the passenger compartment  14 . An edge  60  of the cover  48  is contoured to mate with the engine ring  38  and includes a seal  62  for sealing against the inner periphery surface  44  of the engine ring  38 . The seal  62  is preferably a bulb seal, although other types of seals, such as, for example, a lip seal may be employed instead. 
     A left side access plate  64  (best seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) bridges the left side aperture  40 . The left side access plate  64  includes a main body portion  66 —made of a first durometer material—that is preferably integral with a seal portion  68 —made of a second, relatively lower, durometer material. For example, the main body portion  66  may be made of polypropylene—twenty percent talc-filled homopolimer, while the seal portion  68  may be made of thermoplastic elastomer. The term “integral,” as used herein, means that, even though the main body portion  66  and seal portion  68  are formed of different materials that may have different hardness properties, after fabrication of the access plate  64 , the main body portion  66  and the seal portion  68  are permanently affixed together to form a single monolithic entity. Preferably, the seal portion  68  is molded to the main body portion  66  to form the integral access plate  64 . However, if so desired, the seal portion  68  may be formed separately first, and then permanently affixed to the main body portion  66  by adhesive, friction welding, rivets, or some other suitable means. The main body portion  66  and seal portion  68 , taken together, define an outer surface  70 , which faces the bulb seal  62 , and an opposed underside surface  72 , which faces away from the bulb seal  62 . 
     The part of the underside surface  72  defined by the seal portion is  68  shaped to match the contours of the inner periphery surface  44  around the three sides of the left side aperture  40 . Accordingly, even if the engine ring  38  is irregularly shaped at the location of the left side aperture  40 , the left side access plate  64  will mate with and seal properly against it. The portion of the underside surface  72  defined by the main body portion  66  covers the left side aperture  40  and includes a stiffening flange  74  protruding outward therefrom. The main body portion  66 , being made of the relatively harder material, in combination with the stiffening flange  74 , will provide the stiffness needed to assure that the left side access plate  64  will not flex too much to maintain sealing contact against the bulb seal  62  of the engine cover  48 . 
     First and second locating pins  76 ,  77  also protrude outward from the underside surface  72  and are positioned so that, when they align with the locating holes  50 ,  52 , respectively, the left side access plate  64  will be located properly relative to the left side aperture  40 . A pair of snap clips  78 ,  79  protrude from the underside surface  72  of the main body portion  66  and are located so that barbs  81 ,  82  on snap clips  78 ,  79 , respectively, engage the back side of the engine ring  38  and hold the left side access plate  64  in place against the engine ring  38 . 
     The outer surface  70  of the left side access plate  64 —since it is not flush with the inner periphery surface  44  of the engine ring  38  around the left side aperture  40 —includes tapered end features. A first tapered end feature  84  tapers down toward a first end  87  of left side access plate  64  and a second tapered end feature  85  tapers down toward a second end  88  of the access plate  64 . This tapering at both ends  87 ,  88  of the access plate  64  creates a gradual transition for the bulb seal  62  to follow as it transitions from sealing against the inner periphery surface  44 , to sealing against the outer surface  70 , and back to sealing against the inner periphery surface  44 . Abrupt steps in a sealing surface against which the bulb seal  62  is sealing would otherwise cause potential gaps, thus possibly providing a leak path between the engine compartment  16  and the passenger compartment  14 . Preferably, the thinnest portions of the tapered features  84 ,  85  are formed of the lower durometer material of the seal portion  68  rather than the harder material of the main body portion  66 . This will allow the lower durometer material to flex elastically if forces are applied to it while the access plate  64  is being removed or installed. Otherwise, if the thinnest sections were formed of the harder material, they may have more of a tendency to break rather than flex when such forces are applied. 
     The left side access plate  64  also includes a free (unsupported) edge  90 . This free edge  90  includes a tapered edge feature  92 . This tapered edge feature  92  allows the bulb seal  62  on the engine cover  48  to more easily slide onto the engine ring  38  and access plate  64  without the bulb seal  62  snagging on the free edge  90 . This edge feature  92 , then, will help to minimize the possibility of damage to the bulb seal  62  during engine cover  48  removal and installation. The tapered edge feature  92  may also include a curve in the tapered outer surface, if so desired. 
     A right side access plate  164  (best seen in  FIGS. 7 and 8 ) bridges the right side aperture  42 . This right side access plate  164  may be very similar to the left side access plate  64 . The right side access plate  164  is preferably formed of a main body portion  166 , having a certain durometer material, and an integral seal portion  168  formed of a relatively lower durometer material. The main body portion  166  may include a stiffening flange  174  extending from an underside surface  172 . The right side access plate  164  may also include an outer surface  170  with tapered end features  184 ,  185  at respective ends  187 ,  188  thereof, with the seal portion  168  forming the thinnest parts of these features  184 ,  185 . A free edge  190  of the right side access plate  164  may also include a tapered edge feature  192 . 
     Basically, the left and right side access plates  64 ,  164 , while having small variations in configuration, may be employed on either side, or one of these configurations may be employed on both sides as they each provide the same features and functions as the other. Moreover, while this vehicle  12  is shown with two apertures  40 ,  42  and two access plates  64 ,  164 , the vehicle  12  may have only one aperture and access plate or may have more than two apertures and corresponding access plates, as is desired for the particular vehicle  12  and engine  32  combination. 
     The removal and installation of the left side access plate  64 —when servicing or replacing a part on the engine  32 —will now be discussed. Since the removal, installation, and features of the right side access plate  164  are essentially the same as the left side, this procedure is equally applicable thereto. The engine cover  48  is removed, the same as is conventionally done. The snap clips  78 ,  79  are now elastically flexed to disengage them from the sides of the left side aperture  40 , allowing the access plate  64  to be pulled off of the engine ring  38 . With the aperture  40  now exposed, the engine  32  may be serviced. When engine servicing is completed, the locating pins  76 ,  77  are aligned with the respective locating holes  50 ,  52 . The access plate  64  is then pressed toward the inner periphery surface  44  of engine ring  38 , thereby causing the snap clips  78 ,  79  to elastically flex and slide through the aperture  40 , snapping into place. The barbs  81 ,  82  are now engaged on the back side of the engine ring  38 . The access plate  64  is retained in its proper position, with the seal portion  68  biased against the inner periphery surface  44  of the engine ring  38 . The engine cover  48  is then re-installed, as it would be done conventionally. 
     As can be appreciated, the access plates  64 ,  164  are reusable, as well as easy to remove and re-install. The harder material of the main body portions  66 ,  166  will provide stiffness to maintain the access plates  64 ,  164  against the bulb seal  62 , and the tapered end features  84 ,  85 ,  184 ,  185  will provide smooth transition surfaces (without abrupt steps) in order to allow the bulb seal  62  to fully seal as it transitions from sealing along the outer surfaces  70 ,  170  of the access plates  64 ,  164  to sealing along the inner periphery surface  44  of the engine ring  38 . Also, the tapered free edge features  92 ,  192  will minimize the chances that the bulb seal  62  will unintentionally engage with the free edges  90 ,  190  of the access plates  64 ,  164  as the engine cover  48  is being moved into its installed position, thus reducing the risk of damaging the bulb seal  62  during installation. Accordingly, the dual sealing features assure the access plates  64 ,  164  are adequately sealed against both the engine ring  38  and the engine cover  48 . 
     While the access plates  64 ,  164  are illustrated providing integral dual durometer materials and other features that allow for sealing along both an engine ring  38  on one side and a bulb seal  62  of an engine cover  48  on the opposite side, such access plates may be employed in other locations of the vehicle where the dual sealing functions around a hole and along the surface of the plate are needed. Moreover, the particular aperture being covered could be a hole with four supported surfaces rather than one free edge. With such an aperture, then, the seal portion may extend around the entire periphery of access plate, if so desired. Consequently, while certain embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims.

Technology Category: b