Motor Vehicle Pipe Connector With Recessed Seal Tab

Solution Overview

Problem

Conduit connectors for motor vehicles, particularly in confined spaces around the powertrain, pose risks of injury due to protruding seal tabs and are cumbersome, especially when the seal is metallic and subjected to high temperatures.

Innovation Solution

A conduit connector design featuring a seal with a presence indicator tab that is housed within a recessed area of the connector, reducing the tab's protrusion and visibility, thus minimizing the risk of injury and enhancing safety during assembly while maintaining effective sealing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If a protruding tab is used to indicate seal presence, then the seal presence can be easily identified, but the risk of injury to operators increases and the space requirement increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseal presence identificationVSAvoidoperator injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The tab is nested within a recess in the flange structure, allowing the tab to be contained within the overall component boundary while still extending far enough to be visible and identifiable as a seal presence indicator

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The recess is strategically positioned and dimensioned to provide local containment for the tab, creating a safe zone that reduces injury risk while maintaining the tab's visibility function in the broader context of the flange assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If a protruding tab is used to indicate seal presence, then the seal presence can be easily identified, but the space occupied by the connector increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseal presence identificationVSAvoidconnector space occupation

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The tab is nested within a recess in the flange structure, allowing the tab to be contained within the overall component boundary while still extending far enough to be visible and identifiable as a seal presence indicator

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The recess is designed with specific depth and width dimensions that allow the tab to extend in one direction for visibility while being constrained in other dimensions, effectively using three-dimensional space efficiently to maintain visibility without increasing the connector's footprint

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If a metallic seal is used in high temperature environments, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the risk of injury to operators during assembly increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidoperator injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The recess acts as an intermediary structure between the metallic seal tab and the operator, providing physical containment that reduces the direct exposure to sharp edges while allowing the metallic seal to maintain its sealing function in high temperature environments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The tab is nested within a recess in the flange structure, allowing the tab to be contained within the overall component boundary while still extending far enough to be visible and identifiable as a seal presence indicator

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP3140581B1Pipe connection for a motor vehicle

Publication Date: 2019.11.20 VALEO SYSTEMES DE CONTROLE MOTEUR SAS

Figure 1~2

AI summary

The invention relates to a duct connector (11) for a motor vehicle, comprising a gasket (24) having a presence indicator tab (26), and a housing (28) for receiving the tab (26) such that the tab (26) is visible once the connector (11) has been assembled. The invention also relates to the assembly of said two parts.