Conductive Seal Assembly for EMI Shielding and Water Tightness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seals in the automotive industry, particularly in road vehicles, fail to effectively combine sealing and shielding functions against environmental influences and electromagnetic interference, especially in areas like battery housing and power electronics, due to issues with elasticity loss under vibration, difficulty in removal, and unsuitability for mass production.
Innovation Solution
A combined seal design that uses an elastomeric sealing body and an electrically conductive supporting body, where the supporting body serves as both a fastening mechanism and a shielding element, providing a single component solution for sealing and shielding, with features like deformable protrusions and profiling to ensure effective contact and protection against water and interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If elastomeric seals are used for sealing, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but elasticity is lost due to vibrations and micro-movements
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into two distinct parts: a support body for structural stability and a sealing body for sealing functionality. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally - the support body maintains geometric stability while the sealing body provides continuous sealing pressure despite vibrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The support body and sealing body are combined into a single integrated seal component. The support body is designed with a geometric shape that provides stability against vibrations, while the sealing body is configured to maintain continuous contact with the sealing surface, ensuring sealing effectiveness even under dynamic conditions.
2Reliability
If elastomeric seals are used, then sealing is achieved, but removal becomes difficult and housing rework is required
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is segmented into a support body and a sealing body, where the sealing body can be designed with specific release features. This segmentation allows the sealing function to be maintained while enabling easier removal through controlled release mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal design incorporates preliminary considerations for removal ease. The support body and sealing body are configured with specific geometric features that facilitate controlled release during maintenance, allowing the seal to be removed without damaging the housing or requiring extensive rework.
3Reliability
If separate sealing and shielding components are used, then both functions are fulfilled, but installation space and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support body and sealing body are merged into a single integrated seal component. The support body provides shielding functionality through its electrically conductive material, while the sealing body provides sealing functionality. This merging reduces the number of components from two separate parts to one integrated component, simplifying installation and reducing space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated seal serves multiple functions simultaneously: the support body provides both structural support and electromagnetic shielding, while the sealing body provides sealing. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate shielding components, reducing overall system complexity and installation space.
4Reliability
If the supporting body is made deformable, then electrically conductive contact is improved, but structural stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is segmented into a support body and sealing body with distinct material properties. The support body is designed with controlled deformability to ensure electrical contact, while the sealing body maintains the structural stability needed for sealing pressure. This segmentation allows each part to have optimized properties for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the seal have different material qualities tailored to their specific functions. The support body is made with material properties that provide controlled deformability for electrical contact, while the sealing body uses materials that maintain structural stability and sealing pressure. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between deformability and stability.
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 seal effectively protects against water jets, climate changes, and electromagnetic interference, ensuring reliable sealing and shielding while being cost-effective and suitable for mass production, with the supporting body's deformability and profiling ensuring a secure, electrically conductive connection.
Implementation Method 1
The sealing body, which is made of elastomeric material, preferably silicone
Implementation Method 2
The area of the supporting body that protrudes beyond the sealing body comes into electrically conductive contact with those components between which the seal is installed
Implementation Method 3
the area of the supporting body that protrudes beyond the sealing body is deformable, advantageously elastically deformable. In the installed position, the protruding support body area, when it is elastically deformed, rests under prestress on the two components between which the seal is clamped
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 6~11
Figure 12~17
AI summary
The seal has a support body (1) on which a sealing element (3) is provided and which is electrically conductive at least in a region projecting beyond the sealing element (3). The sealing element (3) seals against ingress of medium, while the support body (1) shields against the escape of electrical interference sources.