Housing Sealing Profile Segmentation for Automated Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing photovoltaic inverter housings require labor-intensive and costly manual assembly of sealing profiles to meet protection classes like IP65, with automated application being difficult due to the need for precise cutting and gluing of hollow chamber profile gaskets.
Innovation Solution
A housing design featuring grooves in at least one housing part with an open section, allowing a hollow chamber profile seal to be clamped by projections and counterparts, eliminating the need for end machining and enabling automated insertion and joining, while ensuring a seal through overlapping ends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hollow chamber profile seal is used with precise cutting and gluing of ends to form a closed ring, then sealing reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and labor intensity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing profile is divided into two separate housing parts (first housing part and second housing part) with grooves that receive overlapping portions of the seal. This segmentation eliminates the need to form a closed ring by joining ends, as each housing part independently secures a portion of the seal through its groove structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves in the housing parts are pre-formed with overlapping regions that automatically position and secure the sealing profile during assembly. The clamp formation in the grooves preliminarily prepares the structure to receive and hold the seal without requiring subsequent joining operations.
2Reliability
If ends of the sealing profile are cut perpendicular and glued together to meet IP65 protection class, then protection class is improved, but production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented across two housing parts, with each part containing a groove that receives an overlapping portion of the seal. This eliminates the need to join seal ends to form a closed ring, allowing automated insertion without manual cutting, perpendicular alignment, or gluing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The overlapping grooves in the housing parts automatically secure the sealing profile through their geometric configuration and clamp formations, eliminating the need for external joining operations. The structure itself provides the securing mechanism, requiring no additional adhesives or fastening steps.
3Reliability
If a closed ring sealing profile is used, then sealing performance is improved, but ease of automated assembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing profile is segmented between two housing parts, with each part containing a groove that receives an overlapping portion. This segmentation converts the complex task of assembling a closed ring into simpler operations where automated systems can insert the seal into grooves without requiring precise end alignment or joining operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are pre-formed with clamp formations that automatically secure the sealing profile during insertion. This preliminary structuring of the housing parts enables automated assembly systems to simply insert the seal without complex positioning or joining operations.
4Manufacturing precision
If manual sanding and fitting of sealing profile ends is performed, then sealing precision is improved, but labor intensity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into two housing parts with grooves that receive overlapping seal portions. This eliminates the need for manual sanding and fitting of seal ends, as the grooves are designed to accommodate the seal in an overlapping configuration that achieves precise sealing through the clamp formations rather than through end joining.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
The invention relates to a housing (1) for electronic components with two housing parts (2, 3) and a sealing profile (4) arranged in a groove (5, 6) of a housing part (2, 3) and formed by a hollow-chamber profile seal (12) with a continuous hollow chamber (13), wherein the groove (5, 6) is designed in the form of an open section, wherein the start (7, 9) and end (8, 10) of the groove (5, 6) are arranged adjacent to one another in an overlapping region (11) with a length (lU) and the ends of the sealing profile (4) are arranged next to one another in a touching manner at least over part of this length (lU), and the start (15) of the hollow-chamber profile seal (12) in the overlapping region (11) is arranged towards an exterior (A) of the housing (1) and the end (16) is arranged towards an interior (I) of the housing (1). According to the invention, the start (15) of the hollow-chamber profile seal (12) is closed by clamping and the end (16) of the hollow-chamber profile seal (12) is open, and the clamping is formed by a continuation (17) in a groove (5, 6) of a housing part (2, 3) and by a mating piece (18) on the other housing part (3, 2).