Vehicle Charge Port Modular Assembly with Pre-Positioned Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing charge port assembly process for electric vehicles is inefficient and prone to defects due to the tedious and labor-intensive direct connection of wires to pins, making it challenging for mass production and increasing manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle charge port assembly design that includes a housing with terminal receptacles and busbars, where pins with seals are securely attached to the housing, and a rear cover with connector bases allows for a modular assembly that can be easily connected to a wiring harness, simplifying the assembly process and reducing defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wires are directly connected to pins in the charge port assembly, then electrical connection is achieved, but the assembly process becomes tedious and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The charge port assembly is divided into modular components: terminal receptacles are integrated into the housing, seals are pre-positioned in the receptacles, and busbars are separately attachable to the rear cover. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and prepared independently, then assembled together without tedious wire-to-pin connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The seals are pre-positioned in the terminal receptacles during housing manufacturing, and the terminal receptacles are pre-integrated into the housing structure. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for labor-intensive assembly steps during final charge port assembly, as components are already in their correct positions and configurations.
2Reliability
If direct wire-to-pin connection is used, then electrical connectivity is established, but manufacturing defects increase and production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly is segmented into pre-manufactured modules (housing with integrated terminal receptacles and pre-positioned seals, separate busbars, rear cover with connector base) that can be produced independently and assembled quickly, dramatically improving production efficiency while maintaining electrical connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal receptacles are self-contained units with integrated seals and pre-configured electrical contacts. The busbars are designed to snap-fit or mechanically attach to these receptacles, allowing the assembly to be completed without requiring skilled labor for wire connections, thereby increasing productivity and reducing defects.
3Ease of manufacture
If modular design with busbars and connector bases is implemented, then assembly is simplified and manufacturability improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal receptacles are merged with the housing structure, and the seals are merged with the receptacles, creating integrated components that reduce the total number of separate parts. The busbar assembly combines the electrical conductor and mechanical attachment features into a single component, simplifying the overall assembly process despite the modular approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, integrates the terminal receptacles, positions the seals, and forms the outer protective enclosure. The rear cover similarly provides both structural closure and houses the connector base, reducing the need for separate components and simplifying manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle charge port assembly includes a housing having a port configured to couple to a charge-station coupler. The port includes a plurality of terminals and a back cover attached to a back side of the housing and defining openings that receive the terminals. The port further includes wires, each joined to one of the terminals, and seals each encircling one of the wires and disposed in a corresponding one of the openings.