Drivetrain Fill-Plug Integrating Sealing and Mounting Load Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drivetrain components face challenges in securely mounting and sealing fluid fill-holes while effectively distributing mounting loads, which can lead to leakage and instability during vehicle operation.
Innovation Solution
A fill-plug design featuring a first shaft engaging the fill-hole, a head for sealing, and a second shaft extending to engage a mounting bracket, which bears a portion of the mounting load and transmits it through the first shaft, ensuring secure sealing and load distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a threaded plug is used to seal the fill-hole, then the fluid sealing function is achieved, but the mounting load bearing capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sealing function and mounting function into a single integrated fill-plug component. The fill-plug includes a first shaft that threads into the fill-hole for sealing, and a second shaft that engages the mounting bracket for load bearing. This merging of functions resolves the contradiction by allowing one component to perform both sealing and structural support roles simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The fill-plug is designed as a multi-functional component that performs multiple roles: sealing the fill-hole through the first shaft, bearing mounting loads through the second shaft, and providing structural support. This universality allows a single component to address both the sealing reliability requirement and the mounting load bearing requirement without needing separate dedicated components.
2Strength
If a separate mounting bracket is used for securing the drivetrain component, then the mounting load is properly distributed, but the number of components and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket engagement feature is integrated directly into the fill-plug component through the second shaft. This eliminates the need for a separate mounting bracket component while maintaining the load distribution function. The second shaft engages the mounting bracket aperture and transmits mounting loads through the fill-plug, thereby reducing component count while preserving structural functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The fill-plug serves as both a sealing component and a mounting component. By incorporating the second shaft that engages the mounting bracket, the fill-plug becomes a universal component that handles both fluid sealing and mechanical mounting tasks, thereby reducing the overall number of components needed in the drivetrain assembly.
3Strength
If the fill-plug bears mounting loads, then the structural integrity is improved, but the sealing effectiveness may be compromised due to load-induced misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The fill-plug is segmented into distinct functional zones: the first shaft for sealing engagement with the fill-hole, the head portion for load distribution, and the second shaft for mounting bracket engagement. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function while working together as an integrated component, enabling the seal to remain effective even under mounting loads.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the fill-plug have different structural properties optimized for their local functions. The first shaft is designed for precise engagement and sealing in the fill-hole, while the head and second shaft are designed to bear and distribute mounting loads. This local quality differentiation ensures that sealing effectiveness is maintained at the fill-hole interface even when the component bears structural loads.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle is provided that may include a chassis, a mounting bracket, a drivetrain component, a first shaft and a second shaft. The mounting bracket may be secured to the chassis. The drivetrain component may include a housing defining an internal cavity and including a fluid fill-hole in communication with the internal cavity and extending through an exterior surface of the housing. The first shaft may engage the fluid fill-hole and may have a head on one end. The second shaft may extend outward from the head and may engage an aperture of the mounting bracket. The second shaft may bear a mounting load of the housing and may transmit at least a portion of the mounting load through the first shaft.