Hydraulic Control Module Housing with Sealed Window
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic equipment control modules are vulnerable to external stresses and contamination, which can lead to water ingress and electronic failure, and lack effective protection for their internal components.
Innovation Solution
A hermetically sealed control module with a housing that includes a transparent or translucent window for indicator light visibility, featuring a retaining clip and over-molded materials to secure electronic components and reduce external stress, while allowing visualization of light sources from multiple sides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hermetically sealed housing is used to protect electronic components from water ingress and contamination, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple segments or layers, including an inner housing layer and an outer housing layer. The inner housing layer provides the hermetic seal for electronic component protection, while the outer housing layer provides structural support and mounting features. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner housing layer is nested within the outer housing layer, creating a multi-layer protective structure. The inner layer contains the electronic components and provides the hermetic seal, while the outer layer provides additional protection and mounting capabilities. This nested configuration allows the housing to provide multiple functions (sealing, structural support, mounting) without requiring a single complex structure.
2Ease of operation
If a transparent or translucent window is added to the housing for indicator light visibility, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The outer housing layer is made transparent or translucent only in specific regions where indicator lights need to be visible, while remaining opaque in other regions. This local quality approach allows the housing to provide visibility functionality only where needed, without compromising the protective or structural functions in other areas, thereby minimizing the impact on manufacturing complexity.
3Reliability
If over-molding is used to secure electronic components and provide sealing, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Electronic components are pre-positioned and secured to the inner housing layer before the outer housing layer is molded over them. This preliminary action ensures that components are correctly positioned and that the molding process can focus on providing structural support and sealing, rather than requiring extremely high precision to position components during molding. The inner housing layer serves as a preliminary mounting structure that simplifies the overall manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a control module having a connector and a housing. The housing defining a first opening that receives the connector, and a hermetically sealed interior housing at least one electronic component. The electronic component is electrically coupled to the connector. The control module further includes a retaining clip in physical contact with the housing and mechanically coupling the at least one electronic component to the connector.