Refrigerant Jacket Fastening Structure to Prevent Thread Stripping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerant jackets face issues with thread stripping in the screw holes due to repeated screwing and excessive tightening, leading to faulty fastening and insufficient contact between the refrigerant tube and the groove portions, which affects the refrigerant cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
A strength member with higher strength than the refrigerant cooling member is fixed to the refrigerant cooling member, with a cover member fixing screw hole formed in the strength member, allowing the cover member to be securely fastened without thread stripping, and additional features like recessed portions are used to improve fastening strength and avoid interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the cover member is fastened to the refrigerant cooling member using a screw hole with threads formed directly in the refrigerant cooling member, then the fastening process is simple, but the threads may strip due to repeated screwing and excessive tightening, causing faulty fastening
Solution Approach 1:
A strength member is introduced as an intermediary component between the refrigerant cooling member and the cover member. The strength member has a screw hole with threads that receives the cover member fixing screw, while the refrigerant cooling member is fixed to the strength member through a fixing structure. This intermediary strength member bears the mechanical stress and prevents thread stripping in the refrigerant cooling member, resolving the contradiction between simple fastening process and thread stripping resistance.
2Device complexity
If the cover member is fastened to the refrigerant cooling member, then the structure is assembled, but the close contact between the refrigerant tube and the groove portions becomes insufficient when thread stripping occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The strength member serves as a stable intermediary that ensures proper positioning and secure fastening of the cover member. By preventing thread stripping and providing a reliable mounting base, the strength member maintains the structural integrity of the assembly, which in turn ensures sufficient close contact between the refrigerant tube and the groove portions of the refrigerant cooling member.
Solution Approach 2:
The strength member is pre-installed and fixed to the refrigerant cooling member before the cover member is assembled. This preliminary action establishes a stable foundation that ensures proper positioning and contact between the refrigerant tube and groove portions from the beginning, preventing contact insufficiency that would occur with faulty fastening.
3Reliability
If a strength member is introduced to prevent thread stripping, then the fastening reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Although a strength member is introduced as an intermediary component, it provides significant functional benefits: preventing thread stripping, ensuring stable fastening, and maintaining structural integrity. The strength member is a relatively simple component that adds minimal complexity while substantially improving fastening reliability, making the increased complexity justified by the gained reliability.
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 solution ensures reliable fastening of the cover member to the refrigerant cooling member with maintained contact between the refrigerant tube and the groove portions, preventing thread stripping and enhancing the refrigerant cooling performance while suppressing electrical corrosion.
Implementation Method 1
uses refrigerant circulating through a refrigerant circuit to cool a heat emitting electrical part
Implementation Method 2
a member made of aluminum or aluminum alloy that thermally contacts the heat emitting electrical part
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerant jacket includes a refrigerant cooling member, a cover member and a strength member. The cooling member is constructed of aluminum or aluminum alloy that thermally contacts a heat emitting electrical part, and has a groove portion. A refrigerant tube of a refrigerant circuit fits into the groove portion. The cover member covers the refrigerant cooling member in a state where the refrigerant tube has been fitted into the groove portion. The strength member is higher in strength than the cooling member, and is fixed to the cooling member. The cover member has a cover-side through hole opposing the strength member. The strength member has a cover member fixing screw hole opposing the cover-side through hole. The cover member is fixed to the strength member by a cover member fixing screw that passes through the cover-side through hole and screws into threads of the cover member fixing screw hole.