Pleated Ventilation Membrane for Automotive Lamp Fogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ventilation members for automobile components and devices face limitations in gas permeation quantity due to their sheet-like membrane design, which restricts airflow and is prone to water droplet accumulation, especially in applications like automobile lamps where fogging occurs, and the attachment area is limited.
Innovation Solution
A ventilation member design featuring a support body with angled protrusions and a pleat-shaped gas permeable membrane that increases the gas permeable area without expanding the attachment area, allowing for enhanced airflow and water droplet drainage by forming a pleat or wave shape with open ends, effectively increasing gas permeation quantity.
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 attachment area can be kept compact, but the gas permeation quantity is limited and water droplets accumulate on the membrane surface
Solution Approach 1:
The gas permeable membrane is transformed from a flat two-dimensional sheet into a three-dimensional pleated structure with multiple folds. This dimensional change increases the effective gas permeation surface area within the same attachment footprint, while the pleated geometry creates channels that facilitate water droplet drainage rather than accumulation on the membrane surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is formed into curved pleated surfaces rather than flat planes. The curved geometry of the pleats promotes water droplet runoff by creating inclined surfaces, preventing water accumulation that would otherwise block gas permeation pathways on flat membranes.
2Quantity of substance
If the attachment area is increased to accommodate more gas permeable membrane surface, then the gas permeation quantity increases, but the available mounting space on the housing is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention folds the membrane into pleats that extend in the depth direction (third dimension) rather than requiring additional lateral attachment area. This allows the gas permeation surface area to be increased significantly while the attachment footprint remains compact, effectively decoupling gas permeation quantity from attachment area.
3Productivity
If a larger gas permeation quantity is required to evaporate condensed water quickly in automobile lamps, then more membrane surface area is needed, but the attachment area on the lamp housing is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By folding the membrane into pleats that extend into the depth direction, the invention increases the gas permeation surface area available for water vapor transport without requiring additional attachment area on the lamp housing. The enhanced surface area accelerates water evaporation and removal, addressing the fogging problem in automobile lamps.
Solution Approach 2:
The pleated curved surfaces facilitate water condensation collection and drainage while providing increased surface area for evaporation. The geometry promotes airflow patterns that enhance moisture removal efficiency from the lamp interior.
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 ensures a larger gas permeation quantity while maintaining a conventional attachment area, preventing water droplet coverage and ensuring effective airflow even when water droplets are present, thus addressing the limitations of traditional sheet-like membrane designs.
Implementation Method 1
a waterproof gas permeable membrane
Implementation Method 2
ventilation members including various waterproof gas permeable membranes are used in order to prevent water and dust from entering into the housings
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
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).