Electronic Housing Vent Layout for Cooling and Water Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Housings for electric or electronic devices face challenges in effectively managing cooling air circulation and preventing water infiltration, leading to overheating and potential damage from condensation water.
Innovation Solution
A housing design featuring a removable upper part with a seal arrangement, an intermediate ceiling portion for catching and draining dripping water, and a labyrinth-like cooling air passage system that deflects airflow to prevent direct water infiltration, allowing for forced air cooling while maintaining waterproofness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the housing has openings for cooling air circulation, then the electronic device can be cooled effectively, but water can infiltrate into the housing interior causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple functional zones: a storage space for electronic devices, an intermediate space above it, and an intermediate ceiling portion separating them. The intermediate ceiling portion includes water catch channels that segment the housing interior to prevent water from reaching the storage space while allowing cooling air to circulate through dedicated passages.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate ceiling portion acts as an intermediary element between the storage space and the housing upper part. It contains both cooling air passages for thermal management and water catch channels for water infiltration prevention, serving as a mediator that handles both cooling and water protection functions simultaneously.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the housing is sealed to prevent water infiltration, then water protection is improved, but cooling air circulation is restricted leading to overheating
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the intermediate ceiling portion have different functional qualities: some areas contain water catch channels for water protection, while other areas have cooling air passages for thermal management. This local differentiation allows simultaneous water infiltration prevention and effective cooling air circulation without compromising either function.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If additional protective coatings are applied to prevent water damage, then water protection is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate ceiling portion with its integrated water catch channels provides self-service water protection functionality. Instead of requiring additional protective coatings on electronic devices, the housing structure itself actively manages water infiltration through built-in drainage channels that guide water away from the storage space.
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 design enables effective forced air cooling while preventing water from entering the housing interior, ensuring the electronic device remains functional and reducing the need for additional protective coatings, thus simplifying the device construction and maintaining its operational integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a seal arrangement, for example a flat seal, is preferably arranged between the housing lower part, in particular between at least one of the side walls and the housing upper part. Moisture can thus be prevented from infiltrating by means of a capillary effect between the housing lower part and the housing upper part into the housing interior.
Implementation Method 2
the housing lower part, in particular the housing underside and/or at least one of the side walls, has at least one cooling air inlet. The cooling air can be fed or can flow in through the cooling air inlet from outside, in particular from an environment surrounding the housing, into the housing interior, in particular into the storage space, in order to cool the electric or electronic device arrangeable there.
Data Source
AI summary
Housing for at least one electric or electronic device, the housing surrounding a housing interior comprising a storage space, the electric or electronic device being arrangeable in the storage space, the housing comprising a housing upper part, which delimits the housing interior, the housing comprising at least one intermediate ceiling portion, which is arranged in the housing interior below the housing upper part and, together with the housing upper part, encloses at least one intermediate space, the intermediate ceiling portion having at least one cooling air passage, through which cooling air can flow from the storage space into the intermediate space, the housing upper part having at least one cooling air outlet, through which the cooling air can escape outwardly from the intermediate space, wherein the intermediate ceiling portion forms a catching arrangement for dripping water, which infiltrates the intermediate space through the cooling air outlet.