Connection Rod Seal Layout for Misalignment-Tolerant E-Axle Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electric vehicle axles, existing technologies face challenges in reducing package size, ensuring proper cooling, and providing visual and physical access to connections like the inverter and busbar interface, while maintaining a seal to prevent fluid leakage.
Innovation Solution
The connection between the electric motor and inverter is made outside the motor housing using connection rods with radial and face seals, allowing for oversized cover through holes to accommodate misalignment and ensuring a seal without the need for access panels, using a combination of radial and face seals to prevent cooling fluid leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the connection between inverter and busbar is made inside the motor housing, then the package size is reduced, but visual and physical access to connections is restricted requiring access panels
Solution Approach 1:
The inverter is extracted from the motor housing and positioned externally, allowing direct access to connections without requiring access panels while maintaining a compact overall package size through optimized external positioning
2Reliability
If cover through holes are made small to prevent fluid leakage, then sealing is improved, but misalignment between connection rods and motor cover cannot be accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is segmented into two independent components: radial seals that seal around the connection rods and face seals that seal against the motor cover. This segmentation allows the through holes to be oversized for misalignment accommodation while maintaining effective sealing through the combined action of both seal types
Solution Approach 2:
Connection rod seals serve as intermediary components between the connection rods and the motor cover, providing both radial and face sealing capabilities that decouple the sealing function from the structural through hole dimensions, enabling misalignment tolerance
3Reliability
If connection rods are sealed tightly to prevent fluid leakage, then sealing is improved, but assembly alignment becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is divided into radial seals and face seals that operate independently, allowing the connection rods to be positioned with tolerance for misalignment while both seal types work together to provide comprehensive sealing without requiring tight alignment
Data Source
AI summary
A connection rod seal for sealing an interface between a connection rod and a motor cover of an electric motor is disclosed. The connection rod seal includes a body, a radial seal, and a face seal. The body includes a through hole formed therein. The through hole is adapted to receive the connection rod. The radial seal is positioned within the through hole and is adapted to form a seal with the connection rod. The face seal is positioned at a bottom surface of the body and extends completely around the through hole at the bottom surface. The face seal is adapted to form a seal with an outer surface of the motor cover.