Pleated Ventilation Membrane for High Airflow in Tight Mounting Areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ventilation members for automobile electrical components and outdoor lighting devices face limitations in gas permeation quantity due to their sheet-like membrane design, which restricts airflow and is prone to water droplet coverage, especially in applications like automobile lamps where fogging occurs.
Innovation Solution
A ventilation member design featuring a support body with angled protrusions and a pleat-shaped or wave-shaped gas permeable membrane that increases the gas permeable area without expanding the attachment area, allowing for enhanced airflow while minimizing water droplet coverage and ensuring efficient water drainage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a sheet-like gas permeable membrane is used in a conventional ventilation member, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the gas permeation quantity is limited due to restricted attachment area
Solution Approach 1:
The gas permeable membrane is transformed from a flat two-dimensional sheet into a three-dimensional pleated or wave-shaped structure. This dimensional change allows the membrane to occupy more space within the same attachment footprint, thereby increasing the effective gas permeation area without expanding the attachment area on the housing surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The pleated or wave-shaped membrane is nested within the cylindrical support body, with the membrane folds contained within the volume of the support structure. This nesting approach allows the expanded membrane surface area to be housed within a compact form factor that maintains the original attachment area requirements.
2Quantity of substance
If a larger gas permeation quantity is achieved by increasing membrane area, then gas permeability improves, but the attachment area requirement increases which is not available in automobile lamps
Solution Approach 1:
By transforming the membrane from a flat sheet to a pleated or wave-shaped three-dimensional structure, the invention achieves increased gas permeation quantity through enhanced surface area within the same attachment footprint, eliminating the need for larger attachment areas in space-constrained applications like automobile lamps.
3Reliability
If a sheet-like membrane is used, then water droplets can cover the membrane surface reducing gas permeability, but changing to pleated structure increases gas permeation quantity
Solution Approach 1:
The pleated or wave-shaped three-dimensional structure creates an uneven membrane surface that prevents water droplets from forming continuous coverage. The folds and peaks in the pleated structure disrupt water flow patterns, ensuring that gas can still permeate through uncovered portions of the membrane even when water is present, thereby maintaining reliability under water exposure conditions.
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 design achieves a larger gas permeation quantity without increasing the attachment area, effectively addressing the limitations of traditional sheet-like membranes by maintaining airflow efficiency even when exposed to water droplets, thus preventing fogging in applications like automobile lamps.
Implementation Method 1
ventilation members including various waterproof gas permeable membranes are used in order to prevent water and dust from entering into the housings
Data Source
AI summary
The ventilation member of the present invention includes a waterproof gas permeable membrane (11), and a support body (12) having a through hole (13). One opening of the through hole (13) is closed by the gas permeable membrane (11). The support body (12) includes, at an edge of the opening closed by the gas permeable membrane (11), a first region and a second region facing each other with the opening located therebetween. A first angled protrusion (12a) in which a peak and a trough are arranged alternately along the edge of the opening is provided in the first region, and a second angled protrusion (12b) in which a peak and a trough are arranged alternately along the edge of the opening is provided in the second region. The gas permeable membrane (11) is joined onto the first angled protrusion (12a) and the second angled protrusion (12b), and has a pleat shape or a wave shape in which a peak and a trough are arranged alternately along shapes of the first angled protrusion (12a) and the second angled protrusion (12b).