EV Charging Fuse Access Integrity via Disposable Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing charging devices for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids lack a mechanism to reliably identify if high-voltage fuses have been manipulated, making it difficult to determine if faults are due to incorrect replacement or third-party interference, especially during warranty claims.
Innovation Solution
A charging device design where the printed circuit board with fuses is secured within a housing and covered by a damage-indicative covering element that must be irreversibly damaged to access the fuses, ensuring any manipulation is visible through material damage, and a service set is provided to ensure only authorized personnel can replace fuses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a service cover is provided with a warning instruction and can be removed and re-inserted, then the fuses are accessible for replacement, but it is not possible to identify whether the fuses have already been manipulated
Solution Approach 1:
The covering element is designed to be damaged in advance during the first removal, creating a permanent indication of manipulation. This preliminary action (damage) occurs before any subsequent service operations, allowing immediate identification of whether the cover has been removed previously.
Solution Approach 2:
The covering element is designed as a disposable component that loses its integrity after first use. Rather than being reusable like traditional service covers, it is intentionally destroyed during the first removal to create an irreversible indication, similar to a security seal.
2Reliability
If the printed circuit board is securely fastened in the housing, then the fuses are protected from unauthorized access, but the fuses cannot be easily replaced for servicing
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separable components: the printed circuit board with fuses is one module that can be removed as a unit from the housing. This segmentation allows secure mounting within the housing while enabling complete removal for service operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The covering element is damaged in advance during the first removal operation, creating a permanent record before the actual fuse replacement occurs. This preliminary damage action enables identification of manipulation while still allowing the necessary service operation to proceed.
3Reliability
If the covering element is designed to be damaged upon removal, then manipulation of fuses can be identified, but the covering element cannot be reused
Solution Approach 1:
The covering element is intentionally designed as a disposable component that is cheap to replace. Its low cost and simple design allow it to be discarded after first use rather than designed for reuse, simplifying the overall system by eliminating the need for complex reusable mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The function of indicating manipulation is extracted from a reusable service cover and implemented through a disposable covering element that is damaged and then discarded. This extraction simplifies the design by removing the requirement for the cover to maintain its original form after use.
Data Source
AI summary
A charging device for electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids has a housing. At least one printed circuit board with fuses thereon is arranged on the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board, together with the fuses, is arranged in the interior of the housing and is connected to the housing in a force-fitting and/or interlocking manner by at least one fastening element (2). A covering element (1) covers the printed circuit board and the fastening element (2) at least in sections, and insertion or removal of the fuses onto or from the printed circuit board can be carried out only by removing the printed circuit board from the interior of the housing. The covering element (1) has to be damaged at least in sections to remove the printed circuit board.