Engine Cover Hose Pass-Through Sealing for Heat Retention

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing engine cover designs require additional components and increased manufacturing costs to ensure sealability when air intake system components cross the inner and outer sides of the engine cover, compromising the heat retaining capability.

Innovation Solution

A flexible hose with a diameter enlarged part that integrates a body part and a tapered contact part, passing through through-holes in the engine covers, providing high sealability while reducing the number of components and manufacturing costs by making close contact with the inner peripheral surfaces of the engine covers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If air intake system components cross the inner side and outer side of the engine cover, then the air intake system can be configured, but the number of components increases due to separate seal materials

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair intake system configurationVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The seal member is integrated into the engine cover as a unified structure, merging the sealing function with the engine cover itself. This eliminates the need for separate seal materials between air intake components and the engine cover, reducing the total number of components while maintaining adaptability for air intake system configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The engine cover with integrated seal member serves multiple functions: it covers the engine, provides sealing against heat and gases, and accommodates air intake components passing through it. The through-holes in the engine cover allow air intake system components to cross from the outer side to the inner side without requiring additional sealing components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If separate seal materials are provided between air intake components and engine cover, then sealability is ensured, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesealabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The seal member is formed as an integrated part of the engine cover structure, combining the sealing function with the main engine cover component. This reduces manufacturing cost by eliminating separate seal materials and simplifying the assembly process, while maintaining reliable sealability through the dedicated seal member design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The seal member is designed with specific geometric parameters including a contact surface that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole, and an outer peripheral surface that contacts the air intake component. These parameter optimizations ensure effective sealing while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Temperature

If engine cover covers upper side and lateral side of engine, then heat retaining capability is improved, but air intake components require crossing through the cover increasing complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat retaining capabilityVSAvoidcomponent arrangement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The engine cover is segmented with through-holes that allow air intake components to pass through from the outer side to the inner side. This segmentation approach maintains the heat retaining capability by keeping the cover structure intact while providing pathways for necessary components, reducing arrangement complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The air intake components pass through the engine cover in the thickness direction, utilizing the third dimension to route components through the cover rather than around it. This dimensional approach simplifies the overall arrangement by allowing components to cross the cover directly without increasing lateral complexity.

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

Data Source

PatentEP3578403B1vehicle
Publication Date: 2023.11.01 MAZDA MOTOR CORP
  • EP3578403B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3578403B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3578403B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle includes an engine, an engine cover, and a cross component. The engine cover has a through-hole through which the cross component passes. The cross component is a flexible hose or a flexible pipe in which a body part extending in a cross direction is integrated with a diameter enlarged part having a diameter larger than the body part. The outer peripheral part of the diameter enlarged part makes close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole of the engine cover.