Multi-Part Housing Seal With Compressible Foam for Fast Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing technologies, such as silicone and polyurethane sealants, face challenges in providing reliable, automated, and cost-effective sealing solutions for housing connections, particularly in applications like battery modules, where they lack ease of application, high sealing efficiency, and durability against moisture and corrosion.
Innovation Solution
A multipartite housing seal comprising two elastic adhesive strips arranged with application gaps to form sealing gaps, allowing for automated application and ensuring a watertight seal by compressing and expanding to prevent fluid communication between housing interior and exterior, using pressure-sensitive adhesives and polymer foam layers for enhanced sealing and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silicone sealants are used for sealing housing connections, then reliable sealing is achieved, but processing time increases due to curing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the sealing material from liquid/curing-based (silicone sealants) to compressible solid form (foam strip). This parameter change eliminates the curing time requirement while maintaining sealing reliability, as the foam strip provides immediate sealing upon compression between housing parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the compressibility and expansion properties of foam material as a phase transition mechanism. The foam strip is compressed during assembly to fit into the gap, then expands to provide consistent sealing pressure, eliminating the need for chemical curing processes while ensuring reliable sealing.
2Ease of manufacture
If butyl sealants are used for sealing, then cost is reduced, but metering control becomes difficult and aging resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite foam strip construction combining different material properties: the foam core provides compressibility and expansion for sealing, while the outer coating layer provides aging resistance and protection. This composite structure maintains cost-effectiveness while improving durability and metering control compared to pure butyl sealants.
3Reliability
If elastic sealants like natural rubber are used, then sealing properties and temperature stability are improved, but flexibility decreases and exact fitting is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material from rigid elastic sealants to compressible foam material. This parameter change provides superior flexibility and adaptability, allowing the sealing strip to conform to various gap sizes and shapes without requiring exact fitting, while maintaining reliable sealing properties and temperature stability.
4Extent of automation
If polyurethane foams are used for sealing, then automated processing is enabled, but dimensional stability decreases and corrosion resistance against cleaning products is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite foam strip construction where the foam core enables automated processing through consistent compression and expansion, while the protective coating layer provides enhanced corrosion resistance against cleaning products and chemicals. This composite structure maintains dimensional stability while enabling automated application.
5Extent of automation
If EPDM foams are used for sealing, then automated processing is possible, but sealing effect is limited due to irregular surface configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the foam strip geometry and surface characteristics to provide consistent contact pressure across the sealing interface. The controlled expansion behavior and surface configuration of the foam material ensure effective sealing even with automated application, overcoming the limitations of irregular surface configurations in conventional EPDM foams.
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 enables simple, reliable, and automated sealing with high sealing efficiency and durability, allowing for easy disassembly and reuse, while maintaining a watertight seal even under varying temperatures and mechanical stress.
Implementation Method 1
the first elastic adhesive strip and the second elastic adhesive strip are compressed and they expand in the direction of the edge faces
Implementation Method 2
The foam layer has a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer
Data Source
AI summary
Housing seals and methods seal off a housing interior from a housing exterior. The housing seals and methods comprise a first elastic adhesive strip and a second elastic adhesive strip, the first and second adhesive strips being arranged between a first housing element and a second housing element. The first adhesive strip comprises a first end portion having a first front side and a first edge face, and a second end portion having a second front side and a second edge face, and is arranged between the first housing element and the second housing element such that the second housing element, with the exception of the application gap, in a closed circulation.