Header Seal Design for Power Connector Sealing Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power connector systems face issues with retention and sealing effectiveness due to pinch points affecting the shape of seals, leading to improper sealing in harsh environments like electric vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A power connector system featuring a header connector with a multi-seal design, including an upper and lower sealing surface, and a seal channel to securely interface with both the plug connector and the supporting structure, ensuring robust sealing through a monolithic, unitary header seal that is deformable and conformable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate plug seal is provided at the mating interface between the plug connector and the header connector, then sealing is provided at the mating interface, but the plug seal is subject to rolling or scooping during mating, leading to improper sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the header seal and plug seal into a single integrated seal assembly. The seal is mounted on the header connector and extends to interface with both the supporting structure and the plug connector, eliminating the need for separate seal components and their associated retention mechanisms that cause rolling or scooping during mating.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is designed with distinct functional segments: a first sealing surface that interfaces with the supporting structure and a second sealing surface that interfaces with the plug connector. This segmentation allows each surface to perform its specific sealing function while being part of a unified structure that avoids the problems of separate seals.
2Reliability
If the header seal and plug seal are provided as separate components, then sealing is provided at both the mounting interface and mating interface, but the seal may have pinch points at the retention locations, which affect the shape of the seal and thus the sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the header seal and plug seal into a single integrated seal assembly mounted on the header connector. This eliminates the need for separate retention mechanisms that create pinch points, while maintaining sealing effectiveness at both the mounting interface and mating interface through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the problematic retention mechanisms from the seal design. By mounting the seal directly on the header connector housing without separate retention features, the design eliminates pinch points that would otherwise affect the seal shape and effectiveness, while still providing the necessary sealing function.
3Reliability
If a header seal is provided at the interface between the header connector and the chassis, then sealing is provided at the mounting interface, but the header seal is subject to similar issues with pinch points that affect the shape of the header seal, and thus the sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the header seal and plug seal into a single integrated assembly that is mounted on the header connector. This unified design eliminates the need for separate retention mechanisms at the mounting interface, removing pinch points that would affect the header seal shape and effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the problematic retention mechanisms from the seal design by directly mounting the integrated seal assembly on the header connector housing. This extraction of retention features eliminates pinch points at the mounting interface while preserving the sealing effectiveness through the integrated seal structure.
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 solution provides a robust and effective sealing arrangement that maintains sealing integrity even under harsh conditions, reducing the likelihood of improper sealing and enhancing the reliability of power connections in high-power applications.
Implementation Method 1
The header seal includes an upper portion having an upper sealing surface and a lower portion having a lower sealing surface. The upper portion extends into the header chamber. The upper sealing surface is configured to interface with the plug connector to form a seal between the header housing and the plug connector.
Data Source
AI summary
A header connector includes a header housing having a mating end and a mounting end. The mounting end is configured to be mounted to a supporting structure. The header housing has shroud walls forming a header chamber configured to receive a plug connector. The header connector includes a header seal coupled to the header housing having an upper portion with an upper sealing surface and a lower portion with a lower sealing surface. The upper portion extends into the header chamber and the upper sealing surface is configured to interface with the plug connector to form a seal between the header housing and the plug connector. The lower portion extends to the mounting end and the lower sealing surface is configured to interface with the supporting structure to form a seal between the header housing and the supporting structure.