Labyrinth Vent/Drain Cover for Compact Electronics Enclosures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic assemblies face challenges in effectively preventing the ingress of dust, debris, and moisture while allowing for ventilation and drainage, leading to increased housing size and maintenance requirements.

Innovation Solution

A vent/drain cover with a labyrinthine path is designed to limit foreign material ingress and facilitate egress, featuring a periphery with multiple wall segments and channels that extend circumferentially, along with a fastener channel and alignment feature recess for secure attachment, allowing for fluid communication between the enclosure and external environment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If infiltration countermeasures such as valves, filters and traps are used to prevent dust, moisture, and debris from entering the housing, then protection against foreign material ingress is improved, but device complexity and housing size increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforeign material ingress preventionVSAvoidhousing structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The vent/drain cover is segmented into multiple wall segments (first wall segments, second wall segments) that are spaced apart by channels, creating a labyrinthine structure. This segmentation provides protection against foreign material ingress while maintaining a compact design without requiring additional complex components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The labyrinthine path is nested within the vent/drain cover structure itself, with channels defined between wall segments and the cover body. This nested design integrates the protective function directly into the cover geometry, eliminating the need for separate valves, filters, or traps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Object-affected harmful factors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforeign material ingress preventionVSAvoidhousing volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The protective structure utilizes the radial dimension by creating wall segments spaced apart circumferentially, forming a labyrinthine path that extends in multiple directions. This dimensional approach provides effective foreign material protection while maintaining a compact radial profile that does not significantly increase housing volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a labyrinthine path is used to limit foreign material ingress, then protection effectiveness is improved, but fluid flow resistance increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforeign material ingress preventionVSAvoidfluid flow rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The wall segments are positioned at specific locations circumferentially around the cover, creating localized barriers that force foreign material to navigate the labyrinthine path. The spacing and configuration of these localized barriers provide effective protection while allowing sufficient open area for fluid flow to pass through the channels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The labyrinthine path provides more than minimal protection by creating multiple turns and barriers, but the design balances this with adequate channel cross-sectional area to maintain acceptable fluid flow rates. The partial obstruction approach ensures protection while avoiding excessive flow resistance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 effectively prevents foreign material entry and facilitates the egress of materials from the enclosure interior, providing enhanced protection and simplified maintenance while maintaining a compact design and potential electromagnetic shielding.

Implementation Method 1

The labyrinthine path can be defined within the vent/drain cover to limit ingress and expel foreign material from the vent/drain cover

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLabyrinthine path flow resistance:

Data Source

PatentEP3490347B1Vent/drain covers, vented/drained enclosures, and methods of protecting vent/drain features in electronic assemblies

Publication Date: 2023.10.25 HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORP

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AI summary

A vent/drain cover (108) for an electronics enclosure includes a cover body (130) defining an axis (138) and a surface (139) with a first wall (134) protruding from the surface (139) in a direction and a second wall (136) protruding from the surface (139) in the same direction but displaced radially from the first wall (134). The first wall (134) has a first channel (148) formed therein that is defined by a portion of the first wall (134) that does not extend as far from the surface (139) as the balance of the first wall (134). The second wall (136) has a second channel (142) defined by a portion of the second wall (136) that does not extend as far from the surface (139) as the balance of the second wall (136), the first channel (148) being circumferentially offset from the second channel (142). Electronics enclosures and methods of venting electronics assemblies are also described.