Power Distribution Box Bottom Cover Warping Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power distribution boxes made from injection-molded materials like polypropylene often warp or flex, creating openings between the upper housing assembly and the bottom cover, which exposes the stored electrical components to debris and water, leading to potential failure.
Innovation Solution
The power distribution box incorporates a bottom cover with a top lateral wall that closes the gap between the inner and outer walls, providing structural rigidity and preventing warping, along with ribs on the top surface and inner surface of the outer wall to enhance stability, ensuring a tight fit with the upper housing assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the bottom wall is made as a single sheet of material suitable for injection molding, then the manufacturing process is simple and cost-effective, but the bottom wall may warp, bend or flex creating openings between the upper housing assembly and bottom cover
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom wall is segmented into an inner wall and an outer wall that are spaced apart to define a gap between them. This segmentation prevents the bottom wall from warping or flexing as a single sheet while maintaining the benefits of injection molding. The gap between the inner and outer walls allows each wall to maintain its structural integrity independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional single sheet bottom wall to a three-dimensional structure with inner and outer walls separated by a gap. This dimensional change adds structural rigidity and prevents warping while still using injection molding processes. The gap creates a spatial relationship that enhances stability.
2Strength
If ribs are disposed on the floor and attached to the inner surface of the bottom wall to add rigidity, then some structural support is provided, but the ribs do not provide sufficient structure to retain the bottom wall in a rigid and upright manner
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying solely on ribs attached to a single bottom wall, the invention segments the bottom wall into inner and outer walls spaced apart. This segmentation provides inherent structural support that prevents the bottom wall from collapsing or losing its upright position, going beyond what ribs alone can achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a third dimension by spacing the inner and outer walls apart to create a gap, rather than simply adding ribs in the same plane. This dimensional change provides sufficient structural support to retain the bottom wall in a rigid and upright manner.
3Ease of manufacture
If the bottom wall is made thin and flexible for injection molding, then manufacturing is easier, but openings may be created between the upper housing assembly and bottom wall when the bottom wall warps
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom wall is segmented into inner and outer walls that can be molded separately or as a unit with a built-in gap. This segmentation allows each wall to maintain its shape and position, ensuring precise fit between the bottom cover and upper housing assembly while remaining manufacturable through injection molding.
Solution Approach 2:
By creating a gap in the third dimension between inner and outer walls, the invention achieves manufacturing precision without requiring thick material. The dimensional separation ensures proper fit and closure between the bottom cover and upper housing assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A power distribution box for housing electrical components configured to retain its shape so as to retain a tight fit and the integrity of a storage space is provided. The power distribution box includes an upper housing assembly. The upper housing assembly is configured to couple with a bottom cover. The bottom cover includes a bottom wall bounding a peripheral edge of a floor so as to define a storage compartment for which electric components are housed. The bottom wall includes an outer wall opposite of an inner wall so as to define an opening there between. A top lateral wall closes off a top of the opening so as to define an open bottom between the inner wall and the outer wall. The top lateral wall provides structural rigidity to the bottom wall so as to prevent the bottom wall from warping.