Seal Structure for Electronic Control Apparatus Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing seal structures for electronic control apparatuses, which include a connector seal portion with a seal groove and protrusion, result in a larger housing size, compromising mountability in engine rooms and similar spaces without adequately addressing sealing performance.
Innovation Solution
A seal structure comprising a connector-lower-surface-side flat seal portion, a groove seal portion, and a linking seal portion with a deep-bottom and shallow-bottom portion, and a connecting portion, ensuring a constant sealing length and improved sealing performance while reducing the housing thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a connector seal portion with seal groove and protrusion is provided over the entire circumference of the connector, then sealing performance is improved, but the housing size increases reducing mountability
Solution Approach 1:
The connector seal portion is divided into multiple segments around the connector circumference. Instead of providing a continuous seal groove and protrusion structure over the entire circumference, the sealing structure is segmented into discrete portions, allowing the housing to be smaller while maintaining adequate sealing at critical locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal groove and protrusion structure is provided only at specific locations around the connector circumference rather than uniformly throughout. This localised approach provides sealing performance where most needed while reducing overall housing size and improving mountability in engine rooms.
2Reliability
If the housing depth is increased to accommodate a continuous seal groove, then sealing length is secured, but the electronic control apparatus becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing approach transitions from a depth-oriented continuous groove structure to a circumferentially-distributed segmented structure. By arranging seal portions around the circumference rather than requiring deep continuous grooves, adequate sealing length is achieved without increasing housing depth.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is segmented into multiple discrete seal portions distributed around the connector. This segmentation allows the cumulative sealing length to be sufficient while each individual seal portion remains shallow, avoiding the need for deep housing structures.
3Reliability
If seal groove depth is increased to ensure sealing, then sealing performance is maintained, but stress concentrations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing structure uses shallow, locally-distributed seal grooves rather than deep grooves. This localised shallow sealing approach reduces stress concentrations in any single location while collectively providing adequate sealing performance across multiple segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is distributed across multiple shallow segmented portions rather than concentrated in deep grooves. This segmentation disperses mechanical stresses throughout the structure, reducing peak stress concentrations while maintaining overall sealing effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A seal structure includes a connector-lower-surface-side flat seal portion constituted by a surface-joint portion between a lower surface of a connector and a lower housing member; and a groove seal portion constituted between a groove and a protrusion fitted into the groove. The groove is provided in one of inner surfaces of outer circumferential edge portions of an upper housing member and the lower housing member. The protrusion is provided in another of these inner surfaces. The seal structure further includes a linking seal portion connecting the connector-lower-surface-side flat seal portion with the groove seal portion. The linking seal portion includes a deep-bottom portion having a seal groove continuous with the groove seal portion, a shallow-bottom portion having a seal groove shallower than the seal groove of the deep-bottom portion and continuous with the connector-lower-surface-side flat seal portion, and a connecting portion linking the deep-bottom portion to the shallow-bottom portion.