Overmolded Deicing Track Connection for Corrosion-Resistant Body Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing de-icing systems for motor vehicle body parts, such as bumpers, face challenges with frost interference, corrosion, and vibration damage, which disrupt sensor operations and require complex installation and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a plastic blank with a housing and an electrically conductive heating track, where the connection member forms a turn around the heating track's end, ensuring a secure and sealed connection, and an additional plastic layer covers the heating track and connection member, providing robustness and protection against corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a heating element is positioned on the body panel in a serpentine configuration, then electromagnetic wave transmission is maintained, but the connection plates and conductive track are exposed to corrosion and vibration damage from the inside
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element and connection plates are nested within a housing integrated into the body panel. The housing encloses these components, protecting them from corrosion and vibration damage while maintaining their functional positioning for electromagnetic wave transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is pre-formed with receiving portions and attachment features before the heating element is installed. Connection plates are positioned and secured within the housing before final assembly, preventing exposure to harmful environmental factors from the outset.
2Reliability
If conductive pins are kept outside the molding area to maintain conductivity, then the defrosting system can be powered, but the molding process becomes complicated and weld repairs are required
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is merged with the body panel through integration during the molding process. Conductive pins are incorporated into the housing structure itself, eliminating the need for separate positioning and subsequent weld repairs.
Solution Approach 2:
Conductive pins and connection features are pre-positioned and integrated into the housing during its formation. This preliminary integration eliminates the need for complex post-molding operations and weld repairs.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the heating track is covered by an additional layer of plastic material, then protection against corrosion is provided, but the connection between the connecting element and heating track must be extremely secure
Solution Approach 1:
The heating track is nested within the housing structure, which provides mechanical support and protection. The additional plastic layer is overmolded to cover and seal the connection area, distributing mechanical loads and protecting the joint without compromising connection strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection assembly uses composite construction combining metal connecting elements, plastic housing, and overmolded plastic layers. This multi-material approach provides both strong mechanical connection and corrosion protection through the protective plastic barrier.
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 method ensures reliable, long-lasting, and easy connection of the de-icing system, preventing frost interference and corrosion, while maintaining electromagnetic wave transparency and withstanding vehicle vibrations.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element made of conductive wires capable of converting electrical energy into thermal energy
Implementation Method 2
an additional layer of plastic material is overmolded on the first face of the blank so as to cover the heating track, the first end of the connecting member, the housing and the opening of the blank
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
According to this method, – a rough form (11) made of plastic and comprising at least one housing (15) on a first face (16) is manufactured, – a connection member (14) comprising a first end (21) accessible from the side of the first face (16) of the rough form (11) and a second end (22) accessible from the side of a second face (19) of the rough form (11) is pre-positioned with respect to the rough form (11), – a heating track (12) is positioned on the first face (16) of the rough form (11), – a connection part (20c) of the track (12) is attached to the first end (21) of the connection member (14), – the first end (21) of the connection member (14) and the connection part (20c) of the track (12) are squeezed together and welded by the application of electrical energy – the first end (21) of the connection member (14) is positioned in the housing (14), – an additional layer (13) of plastic is overmoulded.