Mechatronic Chassis Housing Leak Detection for Water Ingress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mechatronic chassis devices for motor vehicles, particularly adjustable roll stabilizers, face challenges in protecting internal components from external liquid media such as water, which can lead to functional defects, malfunctions, and short-circuits due to ingress of moisture.
Innovation Solution
A mechatronic chassis device with a sensor arrangement that monitors the electrical conductivity of measurement distances within the housing to detect the presence of liquid media, utilizing the conductive properties of the housing material to recognize and prevent liquid ingress, thereby protecting the functional elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mechatronic chassis device housing is sealed to protect functional elements from liquid media, then protection against water ingress is improved, but detection capability of liquid ingress deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a sensor arrangement with measurement distances that extend through the housing wall to detect liquid media. The housing acts as a barrier while the sensor arrangement penetrates it in a controlled manner, allowing detection without compromising the sealing function. The measurement distances are designed to detect liquid ingress while the housing maintains its protective enclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor arrangement serves as an intermediary between the sealed housing interior and the external liquid media environment. It detects the presence of liquid media through the housing wall without creating direct pathways for liquid ingress, thus maintaining the protective function while enabling detection.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If measurement distances extend through the housing wall to detect liquid media, then detection capability is improved, but protection against liquid ingress deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing wall is designed to maintain its sealing function while accommodating the measurement distances. The measurement distances extend through the housing in a controlled manner that does not compromise the overall protective enclosure, allowing detection without creating significant ingress pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure is differentiated into regions: areas with measurement distances for detection and areas maintaining sealing function. The measurement distances are localized and designed to minimize their impact on the overall protective function of the housing.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the housing material is made electrically conductive to enable detection, then detection capability is improved, but complexity of the housing structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides mechanical protection, maintains sealing, and acts as an electrical conductor for the detection system. By making the housing electrically conductive, it becomes part of the sensor arrangement, eliminating the need for separate conductive elements and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure is merged with the sensor arrangement by using the housing material itself as the conductive element for detection. This combines the protective enclosure function with the electrical conduction function in a single integrated component.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively prevents adverse effects of liquid media ingress by detecting and mitigating water accumulation within the housing, ensuring the reliability and stability of the mechatronic chassis device and preventing potential short-circuits, especially in sensitive electronic components like printed circuit boards.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor arrangement (14) which is designed to monitor a filling level of the housing (7) with an electrically conductive medium by means of measurement distances (22a, 22b, 22c)
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a mechatronic chassis device (6) for a motor vehicle comprises a housing (7) and at least one functional element (11) in the housing (7). The device is characterized by means (14) for recognizing the ingress of a liquid medium into the housing (7).