Drive Unit Protective Case With External Hinge Labyrinth Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protective cases for drive units in mobile objects, such as pallet trucks, fail to effectively prevent dust and rainwater from entering through gaps between the door and housing, compromising the integrity of the enclosed electronic components.
Innovation Solution
A protective case design featuring a rotational shaft portion outside the housing, overlapping with the door, and a labyrinth structure that extends from the housing to interpose and hold the rotational shaft, creating a seal to inhibit dust and rainwater intrusion, along with a discharge channel to manage any entering water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door part is attached to the housing through a hinge, then the door part can be openable and closable, but dust or rainwater can intrude into the housing through the gap between the door part and the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The rotational shaft portion is positioned outside the housing in a direction perpendicular to the door opening direction, creating an overlapping relationship between the door part and housing. This spatial reconfiguration forms a protective overlap that blocks dust and rainwater from entering through the gap between the door and housing while preserving door mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational shaft portion acts as an intermediary element that connects the door part to the housing while extending outward to create a protective overlap. This intermediary structure serves dual functions: enabling door rotation and blocking harmful factors from entering the housing through the door gap.
2Device complexity
If the rotational shaft portion is disposed inside the housing, then the structure is simpler, but dust or rainwater can more easily intrude into the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The rotational shaft portion is repositioned from inside the housing to outside the housing along a direction perpendicular to the door opening direction. This dimensional change creates an overlapping configuration where the door part and housing overlap, forming a protective barrier against dust and rainwater while maintaining structural integrity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the door body fully covers the opening when closed, then protection is maximized, but the rotational shaft portion inside the housing increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of positioning the rotational shaft inside the housing and having the door cover the opening, the invention inverts the arrangement by placing the rotational shaft outside the housing. This inversion allows the door body to extend from the external shaft and overlap with the housing, creating a protective configuration that reduces complexity while maximizing protection.
Data Source
AI summary
A protective case into which dust or rainwater can be inhibited from intruding includes a housing and a door part. The housing includes an opening. The door part includes a rotational shaft portion and a door body. The rotational shaft portion is disposed outside the housing so as to overlap with the housing. The door body extends from the rotational shaft portion so as to cover the opening. The door part is attached to the housing so as to be openable and closable about the rotational shaft portion.