Conductive Gasket Faces for Sealing and Electrical Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gaskets for electrical and automotive assemblies lack a solution that effectively combines sealing and electrical conductivity without compromising on material quality or increasing assembly complexity, often requiring separate conductive products and precise machining.
Innovation Solution
A gasket with a sealing section and an electrically connecting unit, where the sealing section has distinct sealing faces for each mating part and the connecting unit has distinct conductive contacting faces, allowing for optimized sealing and conductivity without the need for extra machining or separate conductive products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a gasket is designed to provide both sealing and electrical conductivity functions, then the device complexity is reduced by integrating both functions into a single product, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase due to the need for distinct sealing faces and conductive contacting faces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines sealing and electrical conductivity functions into a single gasket component. The gasket includes a sealing section with sealing faces and an electrically connecting unit with conductive contacting faces, integrating two previously separate functions (sealing and electrical connection) into one product, thereby reducing assembly complexity and eliminating the need for separate conductive products
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket applies local quality by having different faces with different properties: sealing faces optimized for fluid sealing and conductive contacting faces optimized for electrical connection. This allows each face to be specifically designed for its intended function, with the conductive faces providing electrical pathways while sealing faces provide fluid barriers
2Reliability
If separate conductive products are used to provide electrical connection between mating parts, then the electrical conductivity is ensured, but the device complexity increases and additional machining requirements are created
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the electrical connection function into the gasket itself through the electrically connecting unit with conductive contacting faces. This eliminates the need for separate conductive products such as conductive grommets or metal inserts, reducing the total component count while maintaining reliable electrical conductivity between mating parts
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket becomes a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides sealing (through the sealing section) and electrical connection (through the electrically connecting unit). This universal component replaces what would traditionally require multiple specialized components, simplifying the overall assembly
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
This design enhances sealing efficiency against fluids and environmental conditions while maintaining electrical conductivity, reducing assembly complexity and costs by integrating both functions into a single product.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one electrically conductive contacting face of the first group is arranged in electrically conductive contact with the one of the at least two mating parts and the at least one electrically conductive contacting face of the second group is arranged in an electrically conductive contact with the other of the at least two mating parts
Implementation Method 2
the at least one sealing face of the first group is arranged in a sealed manner with the one of the at least two mating parts and the at least one sealing face of the second group is arranged in a sealed manner with the other of the at least two mating parts
Data Source
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AI summary
A gasket, in particular gasket for an electrical assembly and/or an automotive assembly, for sealing between at least two mating parts, is provided wherein the gasket comprises a sealing section and at least one electrically connecting unit, wherein the sealing section comprises a first group of at least one sealing face for one of the at least two mating parts and a second group of at least one sealing face for the other of the at least two mating parts and wherein the at least one electrically connecting unit comprises a first group of at least one electrically conductive contacting face for the one of the two mating parts and a second group of at least one electrically conductive contacting face for the other of the at least two mating parts, wherein at least one sealing face of the first group and at least one electrically conductive contacting face of the first group are different faces and/or at least one sealing face of the second group and at least one electrically conductive contacting face of the second group are different faces.