Systems for molding metal sheet into inverter for improving emc performance

Abstract

An inverter may include a body and a housing having a protruding rim extending from the body, wherein the protruding rim surrounds a cavity extending into the body. The inverter may have one or more electric receptacles, wherein the one or more electric receptacles are disposed within the cavity such that a portion of at least one of the one or more electric receptacles extends over the protruding rim. The inverter may have a metal sheet, wherein the metal sheet is formed on the inner surface of the protruding rim such that the protruding rim extends past the metal sheet, and the metal sheet surrounds the cavity circumferentially.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 63 / 582,179 filed on September 12, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Various embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems for inverters in electric vehicles, and in particular to systems for improving electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) performance. Background Technology

[0005] To ensure that electric vehicles (EVs) meet industry standards, various electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and / or electromagnetic interference (EMI) tests are performed during the manufacturing process. EVs are designed to be safe for use and to pass EMC / EMI tests. Improving durability and reducing vibration are also important considerations for EV systems. However, the current design of the AC retainer section of the traction inverter provides significantly lower EMC performance than expected; consequently, this not only leads to failure in EMC / EMI tests but also entails assembly processes to overcome the low EMC performance.

[0007] The present disclosure relates to overcoming one or more of the problems mentioned above. The problem to be solved

[0009] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to an inverter comprising: a body and a housing having a protruding rim extending from the body, wherein the protruding rim surrounds a cavity extending through the body; one or more electric receptacles, wherein at least one portion of the one or more electric receptacles is disposed within the cavity such that a portion of the one or more electric receptacles extends over the protruding rim; and a metal sheet, wherein the metal sheet is formed on an inner surface of the protruding rim such that the protruding rim extends past the metal sheet, and the metal sheet surrounds the cavity circumferentially.

[0011] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to an inverter in which the metal sheet has a grounding tab protruding from an opening of the body.

[0013] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to an inverter in which the metal sheet is manufactured from a metal having magnetic properties.

[0015] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to an inverter in which the outer surface and upper surface of the protruding rim are entirely covered by an environmental seal, and the environmental seal partially covers the upper surface of the inner surface of the protruding rim.

[0017] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to an inverter in which the environmental seal is manufactured from a dielectric material.

[0019] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to an inverter in which the environmental seal is made of silicon.

[0021] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a motor assembly for an electric vehicle, comprising: a main housing having an internal volume configured to surround an inverter, wherein the side of the main housing has a first opening; and a second housing having an internal volume configured to surround an electric motor, wherein the second housing is located externally adjacent to the main housing, and the side of the second housing has a second opening, and the main housing is coupled to the second housing such that the side of the main housing having the first opening faces the side of the second housing having the second opening, and the first opening and the second opening are in communication with each other. The present invention relates to a motor assembly comprising an inverter, wherein the inverter comprises a body and an inverter housing having a protruding rim extending from the body, wherein the protruding rim surrounds a cavity extending through the body, and a metal sheet, wherein the metal sheet is formed on the inner surface of the protruding rim so as to extend past the metal sheet, and the metal sheet surrounds the cavity circumferentially, and wherein the inverter is partially accommodated in the main housing such that the surface of the body contacts the inner surface of the side of the main housing having the first opening, and the protruding rim extends at least partially through the first opening and the second opening.

[0023] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a motor assembly in which the coupling between the main housing and the second housing forms a gap between the outer surface of the side of the main housing having the first opening and the outer surface of the side of the second housing having the second opening.

[0025] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a motor assembly in which the metal sheet extends from the interior of the main housing through at least the gap.

[0027] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a motor assembly in which the metal sheet is configured to shield the gap from EMI leakage.

[0029] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a motor assembly in which the metal sheet has a metal tab protruding from an opening of the body.

[0031] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a motor assembly in which the metal sheet comprises a metal having magnetic properties.

[0033] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a motor assembly in which the outer surface and upper surface of the protruding rim are entirely covered by an environmental seal, and the environmental seal partially covers the upper portion of the inner surface of the protruding rim.

[0035] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a motor assembly in which the environmental seal is manufactured from a dielectric material.

[0037] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a motor assembly in which the environmental seal is made of silicon.

[0039] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle comprising a drive motor; a plurality of wheels; a battery; and an inverter, wherein the inverter comprises: a body; a housing having a protruding rim extending from the body, wherein the protruding rim surrounds a cavity extending through the body; one or more electric receptacles, wherein at least one portion of the one or more electric receptacles is disposed within the cavity such that a portion of the one or more electric receptacles extends over the protruding rim; and a metal sheet, wherein the metal sheet is formed on an inner surface of the protruding rim such that the protruding rim extends past the metal sheet, and the metal sheet surrounds the cavity circumferentially.

[0041] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle in which the metal sheet comprises a metal tab protruding from an opening of the body.

[0043] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle in which the metal sheet is manufactured from a metal having magnetic properties.

[0045] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle in which the outer surface and upper surface of the protruding rim are completely covered by an environmental seal, and the environmental seal partially covers the upper portion of the inner surface of the protruding rim.

[0047] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle in which the environmental seal is manufactured from a dielectric material.

[0049] Additional objects and benefits of the disclosed embodiments will be described in part in the following description, will become apparent in part from the description, and can be learned by practicing the disclosed embodiments. Objects and benefits of the disclosed embodiments will be realized and achieved by the elements and combinations specifically noted in the appended claims.

[0051] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely illustrative and descriptive and do not limit the embodiments disclosed as claimed. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0053] The accompanying drawings included in the specification and constituting part of this specification illustrate various exemplary embodiments and serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments together with the description. FIG. 1a illustrates an exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle comprising a motor assembly according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 1b illustrates an exemplary vehicle motor assembly according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary motor assembly having a main housing, a second housing, an inverter housing, and an AC retainer according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary AC retainer according to one or more embodiments. Figure 4 shows an exploded view of Figure 3. FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary assembled AC retainer according to one or more embodiments. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0054] The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely illustrative and illustrative and are not intended to limit the claimed features. The terms “comprising,” “comprising,” “having,” “having,” “comprising,” “comprising,” or other variations thereof as used herein are intended to be non-exclusively included so that a process, method, article or apparatus comprising a list of elements may not only comprise these elements but may also include other elements not explicitly listed or unique to such process, method, article or apparatus. In this disclosure, unless otherwise noted, relative terms such as, for example, “about,” “substantially,” and “approximately” are used to indicate a possible variation of ±10% from the stated value. In this disclosure, unless otherwise noted, any numeric value may include a variation of ±10% from the stated value.

[0056] The terms used below may be interpreted in the broadest and most reasonable manner, even when used in conjunction with the detailed description of specific examples of this disclosure. In practice, while specific terms may be emphasized below, all terms intended to be interpreted in a limited manner are explicitly and specifically defined in this detailed description section.

[0058] Inverters, such as traction inverters, convert direct current (DC) inputs into alternating current (AC) outputs, and thus can generate a relatively high amount of electromagnetic interference (EMI). In particular, in areas that are not properly shielded, such as electrical connections inserted into plastic receptacles, sufficient EMI can be generated to severely degrade EMC performance. Conventional designs for assembling inverters into electric motors for EVs create a gap between two separate housings. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide better EMC performance than systems without EMI shielding for this gap. Current solutions are inefficient and not cost-effective as they add to the parts list and assembly process. One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include a metal sheet configured to shield the gap, thereby reducing EMI and improving EMC performance.

[0060] Embodiments of the present disclosure may reduce the complexity of the manufacturing process and / or the number of parts by forming a metal sheet directly into the inverter. One or more embodiments may resolve EMI leakage caused by gaps between housings, so that an EMI seal is no longer required on the main housing where the inverter is located, and may also provide an environmental dielectric seal that partially covers openings within the inverter to protect the inverter from foreign matter. One or more embodiments may improve vibration reliability. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a low-cost manufacturing assembly for an inverter connected to an electric motor that resolves one or more of the aforementioned problems associated with the current assembly.

[0062] FIG. 1a illustrates an exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle having a traction inverter according to one or more embodiments.

[0064] An electric vehicle (100) may be equipped with a motor assembly (102), a connector (104), a drive motor (106), a wheel (108), and a battery (110). The motor assembly (102) may further be equipped with an electric motor (112) and an inverter (206). The connector (104) may connect the inverter (206) and the battery (110). The inverter (206) may be equipped with a component that receives power from an external source and outputs power to charge the battery (110) of the electric vehicle (100). The inverter (206) may convert DC power from the battery (110) within the electric vehicle (100) into AC power to supply power to the drive motor (106) and the wheel (108) of the electric vehicle (100), but such embodiments are not limited thereto. The inverter (206) may be bidirectional and may convert DC power into AC power, or convert AC power into DC power, such as during regenerative braking. The inverter (206) may be a single-phase inverter or a multi-phase inverter, such as a three-phase inverter.

[0066] FIG. 1b illustrates an exemplary vehicle motor assembly according to one or more embodiments.

[0068] The motor assembly (102) may comprise a main housing (202), a second housing (204), an inverter (206), an AC retainer (240), and an electric motor (112). The AC retainer (240) is a section of the inverter (206) that supports high voltage and low voltage (HV / LV) electrical connectors and connects the inverter (206) to the electric motor (112). The body (218) of the AC retainer (240) may be mounted on the inverter housing (208). The inverter (206) may comprise both the inverter housing (208) and the AC retainer (240). The inverter housing (208) may be coupled to the main housing (202). More specifically, the inverter housing (208) may have an internal volume configured to partially or completely surround the inverter (206). The electric motor (112) is coupled to the main housing (202) and / or the second housing (204) so ​​that the main housing (202) and the second housing (204) can accommodate all components of the electric motor (112). The main housing (202) and the second housing (204) may be adjacent to each other as shown in FIG. 1b. The second housing (204) has an internal volume that may be configured to surround a portion of the electric motor (112). As described in more detail below, the main housing (202) may be coupled to the second housing (204) so ​​that a portion of the inverter (206) extends into the electric motor (112). More specifically, a portion of the AC retainer (240) may extend into the second housing (204).

[0070] FIG. 2 illustrates a motor assembly according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 2 further comprises an XY coordinate reference plane, the reference plane is for illustrative purposes only to aid in the detailed description below and is not intended to be limiting.

[0072] The AC retainer (240) may have a body (218) (as mentioned above) portion and a protruding rim (220) portion surrounding the cavity (242). A metal sheet (210) may be inside both the body (218) and the protruding rim (220). The main housing (202) may be coupled to the second housing (204). The first wall (226) of the main housing (202) coupled to the second housing (204) may have a first opening (212) extending through a portion of the first wall (226). The first wall (226) extends into a plane, and the first opening (212) is also within that plane. A channel is formed by the first opening (212) along an axis perpendicular to the plane where the first wall (226) and the first opening (212) are located. According to one or more embodiments, the main housing (202) may also accommodate an inverter (206) and / or be coupled to an inverter housing (208).

[0074] The second housing (204) can accommodate an electric motor (112) (not shown in FIG. 2). Similar to the main housing (202), the second housing (204) may have a second opening (214) extending through a portion of one side, such as the second wall (236) of the second housing (204). The second housing (204) may be coupled to the main housing (202) in such a way that the first opening (212) and the second opening (214) communicate with each other. The second wall (236) extends into a plane, and the second opening (214) is also within that plane. A channel is formed by the second opening (214) along an axis perpendicular to the plane where the second wall (236) and the second opening (214) are located. The channel extends through the inner surface (228) and outer surface (230) of the first wall (226) of the main housing (202) and through the outer surface (232) and inner surface (234) of the second wall (236) of the second housing (204). Accordingly, the channel extends through both the first wall (226) of the main housing (202) and the second wall (236) of the second housing (204). In some embodiments, the opening (212) and the second opening (214) have the same diameter. In some embodiments, the first opening (212) and the second opening (214) are centered on the same y-axis as the axis on which the channel is formed and are coaxial. The outer surface (230) and the outer surface (232) may face each other. Specifically, the second housing (204) may be coupled to the main housing (202) in such a way that a gap (216) is formed between the outer surface (232) and the outer surface (230) of the coupled side of the second housing (204) and the main housing (202). The gap (216) is formed simply by the characteristics of the coupling between the second housing (204) and the main housing (202). The coupled side of the main housing (202) and the coupled side of the second housing (204) may each be a side having a first opening (212) and a second opening (214).

[0076] As illustrated in FIG. 2 as an exemplary embodiment, the first opening (212) and the second opening (214) are in the x-direction, while the gap (216) is in the y-direction. The gap (216) may expose the first opening (212) and the second opening (214) to the external environment. The gap (216) may extend throughout the coupling so that no part of the outer surface (230) of the coupled side of the main housing (202) comes into contact with the outer surface (232) of the coupled side of the second housing (204). In another embodiment, the gap (216) may extend only partially in the entire coupling. The gap (216) may have a width of 1 mm to 250 mm in the y-direction. In the current system, the exemplary gap (216) (or equivalent gap) causes severe EMC performance degradation because the external environment is directly exposed to high EMI. Specifically, EMI is generated by all power lines, power circuits, HV connectors, and HV components inside the inverter (206) when exposed to the external environment. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide advantages over current systems that consider adding additional metal sheets or EMI gaskets after assembly to seal gaps. These advantages have been described above and are further described below. In one or more embodiments, the inverter (206) is mainly housed in the main housing (202), while some extends through the first opening (212) and the second opening (214).

[0078] As described above, the AC retainer (240) may have a body (218) and a protruding rim (220). The body (218) may be fully accommodated inside the main housing (202). The protruding rim (220) may be partially accommodated in the main housing (202) and the second housing (204) as it extends through the first opening (212) and the second opening (214). In some embodiments, the protruding rim (220) extends fully through the first opening (212) and only partially through the second opening (214). In other embodiments, the protruding rim (220) extends fully through the first opening (212) and the second opening (214). An environmental seal (222) may fully cover the entire outer surface and upper surface of the protruding rim (220) while also partially covering the inner surface of the protruding rim (220). As illustrated in FIG. 2, the environmental seal (222) can protect the cavity (242) surrounded by the protruding rim (220), the first opening (212) (indeed, inside the main housing (202)), and the second opening (214) (indeed, inside the second housing (204)) from environmental objects such as foreign matter. The environmental seal (222) may be designed to fill the remaining empty space within the first opening (212) and the second opening (214) surrounding the protruding seal (220). In some embodiments, the environmental seal (222) is manufactured from a dielectric material. For example, the environmental seal (222) may be manufactured from silicon. A metal sheet (210) may be formed inside the protruding rim (220).

[0080] In some embodiments, the metal sheet (210) has a thickness of 50 mm or less. In other embodiments, the metal sheet (210) has a thickness of at least 0.25 mm. Preferably, the metal sheet (210) has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. Much more preferably, the metal sheet (210) is made as thick as is necessary to successfully improve EMC performance while taking into account the geometric constraints of the protruding rim (220). Accordingly, the metal sheet (210) may be manufactured from a metal having magnetic properties. In some embodiments, the metal sheet (210) is formed directly inside a portion of the protruding rim (220) so that the metal sheet (210) extends from the main housing (202) to the second housing (204). Accordingly, the metal sheet (210) can be fully extended past the gap (216). In an exemplary embodiment, the metal sheet (210) completely shields the gap (216) from EMI leakage caused by the electrical components and connections (described above) that the metal sheet (210) surrounds. Directly forming the metal sheet (210) into the protruding rim (220) of the AC retainer (240) may allow for a reduction in the number of parts and / or assembly processes. Additionally, vibration reliability may be improved as the metal sheet (210) fills a portion of the protruding rim (220).

[0082] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the metal sheet (210) may be provided with a grounding tab (224). In some embodiments, the grounding tab (224) may protrude through an opening (238) within the body (218) of the AC retainer (240). In other embodiments considered, the grounding tab (224) is placed in an opening located at any location in the AC retainer (240), or even in an opening located in the inverter housing (208). The grounding tab (224) is not intended to be limited and may take the form of any known grounding method; for example, it is considered that the grounding tab (224) may be a grounding strap or a grounding bus bar. The metal sheet (210) may also be connected directly to a part of the chassis or a grounding section of the inverter housing (208) to ground the system. The grounding tab (224) may also be any other grounding method known in the art, although not listed.

[0084] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary AC retainer without the remainder of a motor assembly or inverter housing according to one or more embodiments.

[0086] The electric receptacle (302) may be placed inside the protruding rim (220). In some embodiments, the electric receptacle (302) extends further from the body (218) of the AC retainer (240) than the protruding rim (220). In other embodiments, the electric receptacle (302) extends from the body (218) of the AC retainer (240) by the same distance as the protruding rim (220). In other embodiments, the protruding rim (220) extends further from the body (218) of the AC retainer (240) than the electric receptacle (302). Additionally, the individual electric receptacles constituting the electric receptacle (302) may extend at different distances. For example, the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 has three individual electric receptacles (302) extending at equal distances from the body (218) and one individual electric receptacle (302) extending at a distance from the body (218) differently from the other three individual electric receptacles (302). A metal sheet (210) (not illustrated in FIG. 3) is placed inside the protruding rim (220) so as to be adjacent to the inner surface of the protruding rim (220) and to circumferentially surround the interior of the protruding rim (220). The metal sheet (210) may surround a portion of the electric receptacle (302) that connects external electrical components to the inverter.

[0088] FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 further comprises an XY coordinate reference plane; the reference plane is for illustrative purposes only to aid in the following detailed description and is not intended to be limiting.

[0090] It can be easily seen that the metal sheet (210) is formed directly on the inner surface of the protruding rim (220) and surrounds the interior of the protruding rim (220). Since the shape of the metal sheet (210) is formed on the inner surface of the protruding rim (220), it may be substantially similar to the shape of the protruding rim (220). In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the protruding rim (220) and the metal sheet (210) are stadium-shaped. The metal sheet (210) may have holes (402) on parallel straight sides. The holes (402) may be centered at the midpoint of the metal sheet (210) in the y-direction. The holes (402) may be evenly distributed across the entire parallel straight side in the x-direction. This can be seen in FIG. 4. The holes (402) throughout the metal sheet (210) may be used to better secure the metal sheet during plastic injection molding.

[0092] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary assembled AC retainer according to one or more embodiments.

[0094] The electric connector (502) may be placed at least partially within the electric receptacle (302). In some embodiments, the electric connector (502) may have an AC bus bar. In other embodiments, the electric connector (502) may have a PCB connector. The electric connector (502) may be any variety and any combination of electric connectors known in the art, and the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5 is not limited to this. The environmental seal (222) may surround the outer and upper surfaces of the protruding rim (220) while also surrounding the upper surface of the inner surface of the protruding rim (220). The environmental seal (222) may function in a manner that reduces and / or removes foreign matter entering the protruding rim (220).

[0096] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art by considering the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be regarded merely as illustrative, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are defined by the following claims.

Claims

Claim 1 An inverter comprising: a housing having a body and a protruding rim extending from the body, wherein the protruding rim circumferentially surrounds a cavity extending through the body in a continuous closed loop; one or more electrical receptacles, wherein at least one portion of the one or more electrical receptacles is disposed within the cavity such that it extends over the protruding rim; and a metal sheet, wherein the metal sheet is directly formed on the inner surface of the protruding rim such that the protruding rim extends past the metal sheet, and the metal sheet circumferentially and continuously surrounds the cavity, wherein the outer surface and upper surface of the protruding rim are entirely covered by an environmental seal, wherein the environmental seal partially covers the upper portion of the inner surface of the protruding rim, and the metal sheet comprises a grounding tab protruding from an opening of the body. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 In claim 1, the above metal sheet is manufactured from a metal having magnetic properties, an inverter. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 In paragraph 1, the above environment seal is an inverter manufactured from a dielectric material. Claim 6 In paragraph 1, the above environment seal is an inverter made of silicon. Claim 7 A motor assembly for an electric vehicle comprises: a main housing having an internal volume configured to surround an inverter, wherein the side of the main housing has a first opening; a second housing having an internal volume configured to surround an electric motor, wherein the second housing is located externally adjacent to the main housing, and the side of the second housing has a second opening, and the main housing is coupled to the second housing such that the side of the main housing having the first opening faces the side of the second housing having the second opening, and the first opening and the second opening are in communication with each other. A motor assembly comprising an inverter, wherein the inverter comprises a body and an inverter housing having a protruding rim extending from the body, wherein the protruding rim surrounds a cavity extending through the body, and a metal sheet, wherein the metal sheet is formed on the inner surface of the protruding rim so as to extend past the metal sheet, and the metal sheet surrounds the cavity circumferentially, wherein the inverter is partially received in the main housing so that the surface of the body contacts the inner surface of the side of the main housing having the first opening, and the protruding rim extends at least partially through the first opening and the second opening, and the connection between the main housing and the second housing forms a gap between the outer surface of the side of the main housing having the first opening and the outer surface of the side of the second housing having the second opening. Claim 8 delete Claim 9 In claim 7, the motor assembly, wherein the metal sheet extends from the interior of the main housing through at least the gap. Claim 10 In claim 9, the motor assembly, wherein the metal sheet is configured to shield the gap from EMI leakage. Claim 11 In claim 7, the motor assembly, wherein the metal sheet comprises a metal tab protruding from an opening of the body. Claim 12 In claim 7, the above metal sheet comprises a metal having magnetic properties, forming a motor assembly. Claim 13 A motor assembly according to claim 7, wherein the outer surface and upper surface of the protruding rim are entirely covered by an environmental seal, and the environmental seal partially covers the upper part of the inner surface of the protruding rim. Claim 14 In Clause 13, the above-mentioned environmental seal is a motor assembly manufactured from a dielectric material. Claim 15 In Clause 13, the above environmental seal is a motor assembly made of silicon. Claim 16 A drive motor; a plurality of wheels; a battery; an inverter; and a motor assembly are included, wherein the inverter comprises: a body; a housing having a protruding rim extending from the body, wherein the protruding rim surrounds a cavity extending through the body; one or more electric receptacles, wherein at least one portion of the one or more electric receptacles is disposed within the cavity such that it extends over the protruding rim; and a metal sheet, wherein the metal sheet is formed on the inner surface of the protruding rim such that the protruding rim extends past the metal sheet, and the metal sheet surrounds the cavity circumferentially; and wherein the motor assembly comprises a main housing having an internal volume configured to surround the inverter, wherein the side of the main housing has a first opening; A vehicle comprising a second housing having an internal volume configured to surround an electric motor, wherein the second housing is located externally adjacent to the main housing and the side of the second housing has a second opening, and the main housing is coupled to the second housing so that the side of the main housing having the first opening faces the side of the second housing having the second opening, and the first opening and the second opening are in communication with each other, and the coupling between the main housing and the second housing forms a gap between the outer surface of the side of the main housing having the first opening and the outer surface of the side of the second housing having the second opening. Claim 17 In paragraph 16, the vehicle, wherein the metal sheet comprises a metal tab protruding from an opening in the body. Claim 18 In Clause 16, the above metal sheet is manufactured from a metal having magnetic properties, a vehicle. Claim 19 In paragraph 16, the outer surface and upper surface of the protruding rim are completely covered by an environmental seal, and the environmental seal partially covers the upper part of the inner surface of the protruding rim, for a vehicle. Claim 20 In Clause 19, the above environmental seal is a vehicle manufactured from a dielectric material.

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