Molded Cable Harness Seal for Leakproof Housing Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable harness designs require labor-intensive assembly processes and are not reliably manufacturable due to potential leakage of potting compound into grommets, compromising the sealing function.
Innovation Solution
A soft component is molded onto the sheathed cable and pressed into the housing opening, with features like projections and grooves to enhance sealing and positioning, forming an integral connection with the cable sheath, ensuring a leakproof connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a soft component is molded onto the sheathed cable and pressed into the housing opening, then the sealing effectiveness against moisture ingress is enhanced, but the assembly process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The soft component is pre-molded onto the sheathed cable with integrated sealing features (protrusions, grooves, beads) before insertion into the housing. This preliminary preparation ensures that the sealing structure is already formed with precise geometry, eliminating the need for complex post-assembly sealing operations and reducing assembly complexity while maintaining high sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The soft component utilizes elastic deformation properties by selecting materials with appropriate hardness values softer than the housing. When pressed into the housing opening, the soft component elastically deforms to conform to the opening contour, creating a reliable seal. The material parameters are specifically chosen to enable this elastic behavior that ensures sealing effectiveness
2Reliability
If the soft component is pressed into the housing opening to create a leakproof connection, then the sealing effect is improved, but the insertion force required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The soft component is divided into multiple functional zones along its length: a first section with protrusions for initial engagement, a second section with grooves for sealing, and a third section with beads for enhanced sealing. This segmentation allows the insertion process to progress through staged deformation, distributing the required force across multiple localized sealing events rather than requiring excessive force for a single monolithic seal
Solution Approach 2:
The soft component is designed to dynamically adapt during insertion through elastic deformation. As the soft component is pressed into the housing opening, it progressively deforms to match the opening contour, with the deformation increasing gradually as insertion proceeds. This dynamic adaptation allows the sealing force to build progressively rather than requiring a sudden high force spike
3Reliability
If the soft component has multiple circumferential features (protrusions, grooves, beads), then the sealing effect and positioning are improved, but the manufacturing complexity of the soft component increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sealing and positioning features (protrusions, grooves, beads) are merged into a single integrated soft component that is molded onto the sheathed cable in one operation. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly steps for each sealing feature, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining the cumulative sealing effectiveness of all features working together
Solution Approach 2:
The soft component is created as a composite structure combining the sheathed cable material with an additional soft sealing material that has different mechanical properties. This composite construction allows the soft component to provide both structural support from the cable and sealing functionality from the softer material, enabling complex geometries to be molded as an integrated unit rather than requiring assembly of multiple separate parts
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
Simplifies assembly and enhances the sealing effectiveness against moisture ingress, providing a robust and reliable seal against environmental penetration.
Implementation Method 1
The material of the soft component is softer than the material of the housing. This allows the soft component to be at least slightly elastically deformable when it is inserted and pressed into the opening in the housing
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement comprises a housing with an opening and a sheathed cable. The sheathed cable is inserted through the opening in the direction of the interior of the housing. A soft component is molded onto an end region of the sheathed cable. At least a portion of the soft component is inserted and pressed into the opening.