Hinge Mounted Fuel Housing Seal for Capless Refueling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Capless refueling systems for motor vehicles face challenges in preventing contaminants like dirt, water, and ice from entering the fuel system housing, as existing sealing solutions are ineffective and difficult to maintain, complicating the operation of the access door.
Innovation Solution
A fuel system housing with a hinged door assembly featuring a seal on the inner hinge structure and a flange with a mechanically engaging seal that uses over-molding to secure the seal in place, ensuring effective sealing against contaminants without requiring high spring force for operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a seal is added between the door panel and housing structure to prevent contaminant intrusion, then protection against contaminants is improved, but the door assembly becomes more complex and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is extracted from the door panel assembly and relocated to the hinge structure. This separation allows the seal to be independently positioned and maintained without complicating the door panel design or operation. The hinge-mounted seal creates a barrier at the pivot point where contaminants would otherwise penetrate, solving the contamination problem while keeping the door assembly simple and easy to operate.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a seal is added between the door panel and housing structure to prevent contaminant intrusion, then protection against contaminants is improved, but the sealing relationship becomes difficult to establish and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is pre-installed and pre-positioned on the hinge structure during manufacturing, before final assembly. This preliminary placement ensures proper alignment and sealing contact surfaces are already prepared, eliminating the need for complex field adjustments. The hinge structure serves as a stable mounting platform that maintains consistent seal positioning, making the sealing relationship easy to establish and maintain throughout the product lifecycle.
3Ease of operation
If the access door is made easier to operate with less spring force, then ease of operation is improved, but the sealing effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge structure serves as an intermediary element that decouples the door operation mechanism from the sealing function. By mounting the seal on the hinge rather than relying on door panel compression, the system allows easy door operation with minimal spring force while maintaining reliable sealing. The hinge acts as a stable intermediary that ensures consistent seal contact independent of door closure force, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and sealing effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle refueling assembly includes a housing through which an inlet pipe is accessed and a door assembly that can be opened and closed relative to the housing. The door assembly includes a hinge and a decorative panel. The hinge includes a seal received in a ledge of the housing when the door assembly is closed.