Flow Heater Sealing Design for Reduced Manufacturing Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric instantaneous water heaters face challenges in achieving efficient and cost-effective sealing between the base body and cover parts due to complex geometries and high precision requirements, leading to increased manufacturing costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates sealing surfaces on the outside of the channel that lie flat against each other, with a sealing gap on the inside, allowing for a simpler manufacturing process and the use of a deformable sealant in the recesses to ensure a reliable seal, even at higher pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex sealing surfaces with high precision requirements are used between base body and cover parts, then sealing reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into two distinct sealing surfaces: an outer sealing surface that requires high precision and direct contact, and an inner sealing surface that has a gap and does not require high precision. This segmentation allows different precision requirements for different parts of the sealing system, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different quality levels are applied to different locations of the sealing surfaces. The outer sealing surface is designed with high precision and direct contact to ensure reliable sealing, while the inner sealing surface is designed with a gap and lower precision requirements. This local differentiation of quality reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining the necessary sealing performance.
2Reliability
If complex fastening measures with numerous fastening points are used to distribute sealing force, then sealing reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of distributing sealing force through numerous fastening points across the entire sealing surface, the design uses a focused approach with sealing elements concentrated at critical locations (the outer sealing surface contact points). This partial action approach provides sufficient sealing reliability without the complexity of extensive fastening systems.
3Manufacturing precision
If machined surfaces with high dimensional accuracy are used for sealing, then sealing quality is improved, but manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
High manufacturing precision is applied only to the outer sealing surface where direct contact and sealing occur, while the inner sealing surface is manufactured with lower precision since it has a gap and does not require tight tolerances. This localized application of high precision requirements reduces overall manufacturing time and cost while maintaining sealing quality.
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
This approach reduces manufacturing costs and complexity while ensuring a secure, self-sealing mechanism that maintains tightness under pressure, with the added benefit of a redundant sealing system for increased reliability and longer service life.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic material of the sealant deforms during the passage of a fluid in the fluid-conducting channels in the direction of, or within, the sealing gap of the channel's inner surfaces
Implementation Method 2
at least one heating element, which is arranged in the base body and/or in the cover part and is designed and configured to heat the fluid in the channel arrangement
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a flow heater for heating a liquid, comprising a base body (10) with several fluid-permeable channels (12), wherein at least two of the channels (12) extend into the base body (10) forming channel openings (13) at at least one end side (14) of the base body (10), and at least one cover part (16), sealed by forming sealing deflection bridge channels (17) between associated channel openings (13) at the end side (14), wherein the end side (14) and the cover part (16) have sealing recesses (18) which are each designed and configured to receive a sealing agent (19), wherein each of the sealing recesses (18) is arranged between an inner channel sealing surface (20) and an outer channel sealing surface (21), and the outer channel sealing surfaces (21) of the end side (14) of the base body (10) and lid part (16) are arranged in such a way,that these lie against each other in a surface sealing manner, while the sealing surfaces (20) on the inside of the channel of the end side (14) of the base body (10) and of the cover part (16) are spaced apart from each other, leaving a sealing gap (22).