Compressor Housing Positioning Pins for Cover Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

The assembly of electric compressor control devices in vehicles is critical due to dimensional tolerances, leading to alignment difficulties and defects such as lack of tightness between the box and lid, resulting in scrapped components.

Innovation Solution

A casing with a positioning device that aligns the electronic card and cover, ensuring precise positioning and sealing, using alignment pins and a sealing element made of flexible or multilayer materials to guarantee a reliable and automated assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If dimensional tolerances are used to facilitate assembly, then ease of manufacture is improved, but alignment precision deteriorates leading to assembly defects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidalignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces positioning pins as intermediary elements that mediate between the housing and electronic card. These pins provide precise alignment references that override the dimensional tolerances of the mating parts, enabling both easy automated assembly and high alignment precision simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The positioning pins are pre-installed in the housing before the electronic card is assembled. This preliminary action establishes the alignment references in advance, allowing the electronic card to be quickly positioned and secured without requiring complex alignment operations during final assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If automated locking mechanism is used, then productivity is improved, but positioning precision requirement increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly automationVSAvoidpositioning precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning pins serve as mediators that enable automated assembly mechanisms to achieve precise positioning. The automated locking mechanism can simply engage with the pre-positioned pins and electronic card features without requiring complex sensing or adjustment, thus maintaining high productivity while achieving precise positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If precise positioning of housing cover is required, then sealing quality is improved, but assembly complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning pins serve multiple functions: they position the electronic card during assembly, provide alignment references for the housing cover, and serve as mounting references for sealing elements. This multi-functionality achieves precise positioning of the cover without adding separate positioning mechanisms, thus avoiding increased assembly complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Manufacturing precision

If alignment devices are added to position components, then positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning pins are designed as simple cylindrical elements that perform multiple positioning functions for different components (electronic card, housing cover, sealing elements). This simple multi-functional design achieves high positioning precision without introducing complex alignment devices or mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3168476B1Housing with built-in control device and electric compressor comprising said housing
Publication Date: 2019.08.21 VALEO JAPAN CO LTD
  • EP3168476B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3168476B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3168476B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present invention relates to a housing 1 for an electric compressor for a vehicle, delimiting an interior space 132 closed by a cover 50 and in which is received at least one electronic card 40 constituting a control device for an electric motor integrated into the electric compressor, the housing 1 comprising at least one positioning device 11 adapted to position the electronic card 40 in the interior space 132, said positioning device 11 passing through the electronic card 40 so that a free end 13 of the positioning device 11 protrudes to a surface of the electronic card 40, said free end 13 cooperating with said cover 50 so as to allow the positioning of the cover 50 in a predetermined position relative to the housing 1.