Cooling Circuit Sealing via Glue and Rivets
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cooling circuits for electrical devices, the use of screws for sealing and fastening can be bulky and difficult to accommodate in space-constrained applications, leading to challenges in maintaining effective sealing and compression due to varying thicknesses and temperature differentials.
Innovation Solution
A cooling circuit design that integrates a layer of glue between the cover and the box, combined with rivets, to ensure sealing and fixation without the need for additional screws, allowing for a thinner profile and reduced bulk, with the glue providing a durable seal and the rivets maintaining the cover's position during curing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screws are used to fix the cover to the housing, then the sealing and mechanical fastening are maintained, but the overall size and bulk of the cooling circuit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sealing function and mechanical fastening function into a single integrated component - the rivet. The rivet both secures the cover to the housing and provides sealing through its structure, eliminating the need for separate sealing elements and reducing overall component bulk while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sealing function from the mechanical fastening component (screw). Instead of using a screw with a separate gasket or seal, the sealing capability is integrated directly into the rivet structure, allowing for a more compact design that maintains both sealing and fastening functions
2Reliability
If screws are used to compress the gasket for sealing, then the seal tightness is maintained, but the cover thickness and housing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sealing function with the mechanical fastening rivet. The rivet structure itself provides the sealing action through its configuration and interaction with the housing and cover, eliminating the need for additional gaskets or sealing elements that would increase cover thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible sealing element integrated into the rivet assembly that can deform to create a tight seal between the cover and housing. This flexible sealing mechanism achieves effective sealing without requiring thick covers or complex housing structures to accommodate rigid sealing components
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 achieves high levels of tightness without screws, reduces the overall height of the cooling circuit, and simplifies assembly, while lowering costs and requirements for flatness in component alignment, ensuring effective sealing and mechanical hold throughout the device's life.
Implementation Method 1
a layer of glue between said hood and the periphery of said opening and rivets, the layer of glue and the rivets being configured so as to fix said hood tightly to the periphery of said opening
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a cooling circuit suitable for receiving a cooling fluid, configured to be integrated into an electrical device (200), said cooling circuit comprising: - a housing (110) forming a cavity (112) configured to receive said cooling fluid, - a cover (113) closing an opening (114) of said cavity (112) so as to define a circulation channel for said cooling fluid, - a layer of glue (117) between said cover (113) and the periphery of said opening (114) and rivets (118), the layer of glue (117) and the rivets (118) being configured so as to fix said cover (113) in a sealed manner to the periphery of said opening (114).