Light Guide With Elastic Sealing Sections For Housing Wall
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for conducting light through a housing wall are costly and complex, lacking a simple and cost-effective method for achieving a tight, non-positive connection that compensates for manufacturing and thermal tolerances.
Innovation Solution
A light guide arrangement featuring injection-molded sealing sections made of elastic thermoplastic material, which provides a tight, non-positive holding function and form-fitting connection, allowing for compensation of geometric changes and ensuring a gap-free interface between the light guide and receiving part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional light guide solutions are used, then light transmission through housing wall is achieved, but production cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing sections are integrated directly onto the central part of the light guide through injection molding, creating a unified component. This merging of the light guide central part and sealing sections eliminates separate assembly steps and reduces overall structural complexity while maintaining effective sealing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide central part serves multiple functions simultaneously: it transmits light from the interior space through the housing wall and provides the structural foundation for the sealing sections. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying both manufacture and overall device structure.
2Reliability
If rigid connection methods are used, then tight connection with receiving part is achieved, but compensation for manufacturing tolerances and thermal changes is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing sections are made from elastic material that changes its physical parameters (shape, volume, density) in response to temperature variations and mechanical stresses. This parameter change capability allows the sealing sections to adapt to manufacturing tolerances and thermal expansion/contraction of the light guide and receiving part, maintaining reliable connection under varying conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic sealing sections provide a dynamic connection that can deform and adjust to accommodate dimensional variations. Unlike rigid connections, the elastic material can dynamically adapt its shape and compliance to maintain effective sealing and connection under thermal changes and manufacturing tolerances.
3Reliability
If separate sealing components are added, then sealing function is improved, but production complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing sections are molded directly onto the central part of the light guide in a single injection molding process, creating an integrated component. This eliminates the need for separate sealing components and their associated assembly operations, reducing both the number of parts and production complexity while maintaining effective sealing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing sections are pre-formed and integrated onto the light guide central part during the injection molding process before assembly. This preliminary integration ensures proper positioning and connection of sealing elements without requiring separate assembly steps, simplifying production while maintaining sealing reliability.
4Ease of manufacture
If gaps exist between light guide and receiving part, then assembly tolerance is easier to achieve, but nucleation and contamination risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic sealing sections create a flexible, conforming interface between the light guide and receiving part. This flexible sealing mechanism can accommodate minor dimensional variations while maintaining continuous contact, eliminating gaps that would allow nucleation and contamination while remaining manufacturable.
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
This solution enables a cost-effective, simple production method for light guides with elastic sealing sections that maintain a tight seal and compensate for thermal changes, ensuring reliable light transmission and protection against environmental factors.
Implementation Method 1
not only a tight connection with the receiving part but also a non-positive holding function is made possible. In addition, manufacturing tolerances and/or thermally induced geometric changes in the central part and/or the receiving part can be compensated for by means of the elastic material of the sealing sections
Implementation Method 2
good adhesion of the material of the sealing sections to the central part can be achieved, that is to say an integral connection between the central part and the sealing section
Implementation Method 3
thermally induced changes in length can be compensated for in a simple manner by means of appropriate elastic deformation of the sealing sections
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an arrangement for conducting light through a wall, in particular a housing wall, and to an electronic device, having an optical waveguide and a receiving part for receiving the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide has a central part onto which at least one or a plurality of sealing sections is or are injected, in particular connected in a bonded manner.