Over-Molded Housing Layout for Compact Vehicle Thermal Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in vehicle temperature control systems, particularly in battery electric vehicles, is to achieve a compact arrangement of fluid-conducting and electrically operated components while ensuring efficient fluid flow management and electrical connectivity, which is hindered by the need for additional space for electrical connections and assembly accessibility.
Innovation Solution
A component arrangement featuring a housing body made through plastic injection molding, which integrates fluid storage units and electrically operated components, with electrical conductors and contact elements over-molded into the housing body to reduce space requirements and simplify assembly, allowing for a more compact and efficient layout.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If components are arranged compactly to save space, then installation space efficiency is improved, but electrical connection space and assembly accessibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines fluid-carrying components (housing body, fluid lines) and electrically operated components (pump, valve, control unit) into a single integrated component arrangement. The housing body serves dual functions as both fluid storage and mounting structure for electrical components, eliminating the need for separate mounting spaces and improving assembly accessibility while maintaining compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing body is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously serves as fluid storage, structural support, and mounting platform for electrical components. This universal design allows the same space to fulfill multiple functions, resolving the contradiction between compact arrangement and assembly accessibility.
2Device complexity
If electrically operated components are integrated into the housing body, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates electrical conductors and contact elements into the housing body during the injection molding process itself, rather than adding them later. This preliminary integration of electrical connections into the manufacturing process simplifies the overall device structure while managing manufacturing complexity through process integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection molding process acts as an intermediary that simultaneously creates the housing body and integrates electrical conductors and contact elements. This manufacturing mediator enables the integration of multiple components without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity, as the electrical elements are embedded during the primary forming process.
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 significantly more compact arrangement of temperature control system components, saving installation space and weight, while simplifying the assembly process and protecting against dust and liquid ingress through integrated plug-in connections.
Implementation Method 1
A component arrangement for a fluid-conducting temperature control system of a vehicle, in particular an electric vehicle, is proposed. The component arrangement has a housing body made by means of a plastic injection molding process
Implementation Method 2
electrical conductors and contact elements over-molded into the housing body
Data Source
AI summary
A component arrangement for a fluid-conducting temperature control system of a vehicle, preferably a battery-electric vehicle, the component arrangement having a housing body made by means of a plastic injection molding process and with at least one formation for receiving and for retaining at least one electrically operated component of the fluid-conducting temperature control system, and further having electrical contact elements connected to each other by means of electrical conductors, the electrical contact elements arranged in the formation for electrically contacting an electrically operable component received in the at least one formation and in at least one further connection position on the housing body, wherein the electrical conductors are integrated with the housing body by being over-molded with the material thereof.