Elastic Cover Attachment Structure for Secure ECU Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cover attachment structures for electronic control units (ECUs) face challenges in securely attaching covers to case bodies without requiring excessive force, leading to potential looseness and increased production costs, while also risking damage to engagement portions or the case body.
Innovation Solution
A cover attachment structure where the cover is pressed into a tubular case body with a cover attachment rectangular frame, featuring inner wall surfaces with varying distances to allow for easy pressing without large force, ensuring secure attachment and reduced risk of separation, by having a greater distance between surfaces with engagement portions and a smaller distance without, allowing for increased engagement and deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the distance between opposite inner wall surfaces at the cover attachment position is made smaller than the corresponding side-to-side dimension of the cover to prevent looseness, then the cover attachment security is improved, but a considerably large force is required to press the cover into the case body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different distance relationships between inner wall surfaces and cover dimensions at different locations: at the engagement portions, the distance is greater than the cover dimension to reduce pressing force, while at other inner wall surfaces, the distance is smaller than the cover dimension to prevent looseness and ensure secure attachment. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between secure attachment and reduced pressing force.
2Reliability
If the engagement portions protrude inward from the inner wall surfaces to prevent forward movement and separation of the cover, then the cover attachment reliability is improved, but the pressing force required to deform the engagement portions and surrounding portions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the distance between engagement portions greater than the corresponding cover dimension specifically at the engagement portion locations, while maintaining smaller distances at other locations. This localized approach allows the engagement portions to provide secure attachment without requiring excessive pressing force to deform them, as the increased distance at these specific locations facilitates easier deformation.
3Strength
If screws are driven into the case body to fix the cover securely and achieve watertightness, then the cover attachment strength is improved, but the production cost and assembly cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for screws and separate packing components by designing an integrated elastic deformation mechanism. The cover is secured through elastic deformation of the case body's engagement portions, which inherently provide both mechanical attachment and sealing functions, thereby reducing production cost and assembly complexity while maintaining attachment strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The case body's engagement portions serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide mechanical engagement to prevent cover removal, create sealing through elastic deformation, and eliminate the need for separate sealing components. This self-service approach reduces the number of parts and assembly steps while maintaining secure and watertight attachment.
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
The structure allows for secure and watertight attachment of the cover without applying a large force, reducing the risk of separation and looseness, while maintaining the integrity of the engagement portions and case body, suitable for applications requiring high vibration and impact resistance.
Implementation Method 1
A case body is made of plastic (insulating resin) and includes a cover attachment rectangular frame that is tubular (socket-shaped), that has a rectangular inner cross section, and that is elastically deformable.
Implementation Method 2
because the cover can be attached to the case body by using deformation of the case body (cover attachment rectangular frame) due to pressing of the cover and return to its original shape
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
A stopper and engagement portions are disposed in a cover attachment rectangular frame. The engagement portions, which protrude inward, prevent forward movement and the like of a cover that is attached to the cover attachment rectangular frame. In the cover attachment rectangular frame before the cover is attached, a distance Wx, at a cover attachment position, between a pair of opposite inner wall surfaces on which the engagement portions are disposed is greater than a corresponding side-to-side dimension Hx of the cover, and a distance Wy, at the cover attachment position, between a pair of opposite inner wall surfaces on which the engagement portions are not disposed is smaller than a corresponding side-to-side dimension Hy of the cover.