Electric Connection Box Drainage Wall Design

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing electric connection boxes for automobiles have a complex structure and large size due to the double wall configuration used to prevent water infiltration, which complicates the design and increases size.

Innovation Solution

The electric connection box features a main body case with a base wall, peripheral wall, main body interior drainage port, and main body interior drainage walls that guide infiltrated water to the drainage port, eliminating the need for a double wall structure, thus simplifying and miniaturizing the design.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a double wall structure with outer peripheral wall and inner peripheral wall is used to prevent water infiltration, then water protection is improved, but device complexity and size increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater protectionVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the inner peripheral wall from the double wall structure, retaining only the outer peripheral wall. The drainage function is achieved through drainage ports formed in the outer peripheral wall and drainage channels on its inner surface, removing the redundant inner wall while maintaining water protection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of preventing water infiltration completely through a double wall barrier, the invention inverts the approach by allowing water to infiltrate through the outer peripheral wall but directing it away from sensitive components through drainage ports and channels, thus protecting components through drainage rather than complete isolation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If a double wall structure with outer peripheral wall and inner peripheral wall is used to prevent water infiltration, then water protection is improved, but the size of the electric connection box becomes large

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater protectionVSAvoidbox size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the inner peripheral wall from the double wall structure, retaining only the outer peripheral wall. The drainage function is achieved through drainage ports formed in the outer peripheral wall and drainage channels on its inner surface, removing the redundant inner wall while maintaining water protection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If a double wall structure with outer peripheral wall and inner peripheral wall is used to prevent water infiltration, then water protection is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater protectionVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the inner peripheral wall from the double wall structure, retaining only the outer peripheral wall. The drainage function is achieved through drainage ports formed in the outer peripheral wall and drainage channels on its inner surface, removing the redundant inner wall while maintaining water protection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the drainage function into the outer peripheral wall by forming drainage ports and drainage channels directly on it, combining the wall structure with the drainage system into a single integrated component, thereby simplifying manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 configuration effectively drains infiltrated water without the need for a double wall structure, simplifying the design and reducing the size of the electric connection box while maintaining water protection.

Implementation Method 1

at least one main body interior drainage wall which is erected on the base wall and extends toward an opening edge of the main body interior drainage port on a surface of the base wall... the infiltrated water is guided by the main body interior drainage wall and falls into the main body interior drainage port

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS10122159B2Electric connection box

Publication Date: 2018.11.06 YAZAKI CORP

AI summary

An electric connection box includes: a main body case; and an upper cover which engages with the main body case. The main body case includes a base wall which has an electric component mounting portion; a peripheral wall which is disposed on the base wall and partitions an inside and an outside of the main body case; a main body interior drainage port which is disposed at a place with possibility of water infiltration into an inside of the peripheral wall along a gap portion between the upper cover and the peripheral wall and passes through the base wall; and at least one main body interior drainage wall which is erected on the base wall and extends toward an opening edge of the main body interior drainage port on a surface of the base wall.