Replaceable Sealing Element for Electrical Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical connectors immersed in liquids face diminished sealing effectiveness over time due to wear and tear, especially under varying temperature and pressure conditions, as their permanent seals lose fluid-tight integrity.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a replaceable sealing element with a semi-cylindrical body and O-rings, which can be easily installed and removed using a specialized tool, ensuring consistent sealing performance by allowing periodic replacement of worn-out components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a permanent sealing element is used in the electrical connector, then the initial sealing effectiveness is maintained, but the sealing performance deteriorates over time due to wear under varying temperature and pressure conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the disposable principle by making the sealing element replaceable rather than permanent. The sealing element is designed as a consumable component that can be easily removed and replaced when worn, similar to disposable parts in other industrial applications. This resolves the contradiction by accepting that the sealing element has limited service life but maintains reliable sealing performance throughout its operational period through easy replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by transitioning from a static, permanent sealing element to a dynamic, replaceable one. The sealing element is designed with features that allow it to be easily installed and removed, enabling the system to adapt to wear conditions. This dynamic approach allows maintenance of high reliability by replacing the sealing element when performance degrades, rather than relying on a permanent element that gradually fails.
2Reliability
If a replaceable sealing element is implemented, then the long-term sealing integrity is maintained through periodic replacement, but the device complexity increases due to additional replacement mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the electrical connector into modular components, with the sealing element as a separate, independently replaceable part. This segmentation allows the sealing element to be replaced without affecting other connector components, maintaining simplicity while enabling reliability through replacement. The coupling sleeve and coupling nut remain permanent, while only the sealing element is replaceable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the sealing element from the permanent structural components of the connector. The sealing element is extracted as a separate replaceable component that can be easily removed through the coupling mechanism, reducing the complexity burden on the main connector structure while maintaining sealing integrity through periodic replacement.
3Loss of time
If the sealing element is made easily replaceable, then maintenance time is reduced, but the manufacturing complexity increases due to additional installation and removal features
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the coupling sleeve and coupling nut to serve multiple functions: they provide both the mechanical connection for the sealing element and the sealing interface itself. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate complex installation/removal mechanisms, as the coupling components themselves enable easy replacement while maintaining simplicity in manufacturing.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
A replaceable sealing element (12) for sealing together two mating electrical connectors (14, 20) includes a sealing body (45) having two opposed ends (40, 42), a side wall (43) extending between the two opposed ends (40, 42), a threaded portion (36) that is defined on the side wall (43) for releasably mating with a first electrical connector (20) of the mating electrical connectors (14, 20), and either a slot or a protrusion (60) at one of the opposed ends (40, 42) of the sealing body (45) that is configured to be accessed by a tool (70) for replacing the sealing element (12). A first seal (46) is positioned on the side wall (43) for sealing contact with the first electrical connector (20). A second seal (48) is positioned on the side wall (43) for sealing contact with a second electrical connector (14) of the mating electrical connectors (14, 20). Also described is an electrical connector (1 0) having a replaceable sealing element (12).