Cooker Lid PCB Potting to Block Steam-Induced Heat Damage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooker lid designs suffer from air leakage issues at the exhaust valve and valve float, leading to high-temperature steam ingress, which causes excessive temperature rise and potential damage to the circuit board due to the aging of sealing rings under high-temperature and humid conditions.

Innovation Solution

A lid body design featuring a vertically mounted circuit board within a potting adhesive-sealed mounting cavity, with a receiving cavity positioned below to direct low-temperature air into the cavity and prevent high-temperature steam from entering, and components with varying temperature resistance positioned accordingly to minimize temperature rise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a sealing ring is used to seal the circuit board cavity, then the circuit board can be sealed in the cavity, but the sealing ring ages under high temperature and humidity conditions, making the cavity incompletely sealed and allowing high-temperature steam to enter

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidcircuit board temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the sealing ring component entirely and replaces it with a potting adhesive sealing method. The circuit board is directly potted in the cavity with adhesive, eliminating the sealing ring that would age and fail under high temperature and humidity conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the sealing method from mechanical (sealing ring) to chemical (potting adhesive). The adhesive curing process creates a permanent seal that is resistant to high temperature and humidity, changing the physical-chemical parameters of the sealing material to withstand the operating environment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Volume of stationary object

If the circuit board is horizontally arranged in the cavity, then the cavity can accommodate the circuit board, but high-temperature steam directly contacts the circuit board causing excessive temperature rise and potential damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecavity space utilizationVSAvoidsteam contact with circuit board
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the circuit board orientation from horizontal to vertical arrangement in the cavity. This dimensional change allows the circuit board to be positioned away from the steam source, with the vertical orientation enabling better thermal management and reduced steam contact while maintaining adequate cavity space utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces potting adhesive as an intermediary material between the circuit board and the cavity environment. The adhesive serves as a thermal and environmental barrier, protecting the circuit board from direct steam contact while maintaining electrical and mechanical functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If components with low temperature resistance are mounted on the circuit board, then the circuit board can perform required functions, but these components are vulnerable to damage from high-temperature steam exposure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecircuit board functionalityVSAvoidcomponent reliability under heat
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies potting adhesive to the circuit board and cavity before exposing the assembly to high-temperature steam conditions. This pre-application creates a protective barrier that cushions and protects temperature-sensitive components from thermal shock and steam exposure during subsequent operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite structure by encapsulating the circuit board and its components in potting adhesive. This composite material system combines the electrical functionality of the circuit board with the thermal protection and environmental resistance of the adhesive, allowing low temperature-resistant components to operate reliably in high-temperature environments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 isolates the circuit board from high-temperature steam, preventing excessive temperature rise and potential damage, while reducing the temperature of the mounting cavity and components, thus enhancing the reliability of the cooker's electronic components.

Implementation Method 1

The mounting cavity is potted by means of a potting adhesive and the opening is sealed... the circuit board is completely isolated from a cavity in the lid body to ensure that the circuit board does not come into contact with high-temperature steam

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal Insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 2

a receiving cavity with an opening facing downward is provided on a lower surface of a top wall of the lid body... the mounting cavity is wholly or partially inserted into the receiving cavity... low-temperature air into the cavity and prevent high-temperature steam from entering

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP3669711B1Lid body and cooker
Publication Date: 2022.01.05 FOSHAN SHUNDE MIDEA ELECTRICAL HEATING APPLIANCES MFG CO LTD
  • EP3669711B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3669711B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3669711B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A lid body and a cooker. The lid body is provided with a lid body wireless transmission device. The lid body wireless transmission device comprises a circuit board (3). The lid body is provided with a mounting cavity (21) for mounting the circuit board (3), one side of the mounting cavity (21) being open. The circuit board (3) is fixedly mounted in the mounting cavity (21); moreover, the mounting cavity (21) is potted by means of a potting adhesive and the opening is sealed. The circuit board (3) is potted in the mounting cavity (21) by means of the potting adhesive, so that the circuit board (3) is completely isolated from a cavity in the lid body to ensure that the circuit board (3) does not come into contact with high-temperature steam in the lid body, thereby preventing the occurrence of excessive temperature rise of a component due to that the circuit board (3) comes into contact with high-temperature steam and the occurrence of damages to the circuit board (3).